October 2009 Archives

October 31, 2009 9:15 AM

Tonight is a big night, and I'm sure you have other things on your mind, but it won't hurt to take a couple of moments to think ahead to the spring TV season, specifically to the final season of one of the most talked about TV shows ever: "Lost."

A new and intriguing poster for the final season was released this week, and (I don't know if this is spoilerish or not), it seems to include some old familiar faces from seasons past. Now, I can't make out all of the faces, but I swear I see Boone in there, and Shannon. Take a look:

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Blog Dark UFO claims to have a contact at ABC who has revealed the names of every character shown. Click here if you're done staring at the poster trying to figure it out for yourself.

Also, ABC is starting to promo the upcoming season with teaser trailers like this one, and, although the trailer literally shows no new footage (and won't, at least not until the first new episode actually airs), I have to admit it's working. I'm getting excited.

Heather

October 30, 2009 6:31 PM

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Next week, the Food Network will release its new video game, "Cook or Be Cooked." And I can't help but chuckle.

Moving a Wii remote to simulate flipping pancakes seems absurd. Why not just make real pancakes and bacon? The house would smell great -- and you get to eat at the end.

The game reminds me of Michael Pollan, who compared the decline of home cooking with the rise of food television in The New York Times Magazine. He wrote:

"Today the average American spends a mere 27 minutes a day on food preparation (another four minutes cleaning up); that's less than half the time ... it takes to watch a single episode of "Top Chef" or "Chopped" or "The Next Food Network Star." What this suggests is that a great many Americans are spending considerably more time watching images of cooking on television than they are cooking themselves -- an increasingly archaic activity they will tell you they no longer have the time for."

What do you think? Will "Cook or Be Cooked" be one more reason for us to stay on the couch? Or will it prompt us to get back in the kitchen?

Joan Obra

October 30, 2009 3:40 PM

Devlin, the Rockin' Magician.



I'm begging you -- somebody make this happen. Please.

Heather

October 30, 2009 2:54 PM

Come one, come all. Post No Bills has something for you to do this weekend, next weekend and beyond.

Lots of Halloween stuff this week, plus a full November of great events. If you want only the Halloween stuff, then you might wanna swing over here. But if you want the entire Post No Bills experience, check below.

As always, we welcome contributions from bands, artists, venues, promoters and regular joes. Send links to mosegueda@fresnobee.com.

Mike Oz

October 30, 2009 1:47 PM

OK, so technically nobody said "ABC30" or "Fresno" -- but a little ABC30 reporting on Halloween masks made it onto "The Colbert Report" last night. It's 23 seconds in. Shouts to Warren Armstrong ... and Graciela Moreno, even though she's not in the clip.

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
ThreatDown - Halloween Edition
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical HumorReligion


[Thanks to Beehive reader M. Justin Red for the tip and link]

Mike Oz

October 30, 2009 12:27 PM

I've always found jack-in-the-boxes to be traumatizing and not at all appropriate for children, or humans in general, really.

I was right.

Heather

October 30, 2009 11:35 AM

UPDATE: We've got our two winners! Thanks for playing everyone.

ORIGINAL POST: If your weekend plans lean less toward "trick or treat" and more toward "vroom, vroom" -- then you're in luck. The Beehive is giving away tickets to this weekend's Central California Auto Show running through Sunday at the Fresno Convention and Entertainment Center.

You can check out some of the cool cars on display over on The Bee's new blog.

The SECOND and the FIFTH commenters on this post will each win a four-pack of tickets to the auto show. Tickets can be picked up at the convention center box office. As usual, a few notes: No repeat comments. You're ineligible if you've won something in the past 30 days. We won't post any comments until we have a winner. Complete rules after the jump.

Mike Oz

October 30, 2009 11:17 AM

While you search for tricks and treats ...

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1. GET SPOOKED
We know what you want this weekend -- to be scared. The Fresno area gives us plenty of options. There's Haunted Fresno in downtown, Fright Night Scream Park in Clovis and Sanger's Hobb's Grove. Plus, check out my most recent column for info on one local guy who tricks out his own casa into a neighborhood haunted house that last year attracted 700 people. For a rundown of local haunted activities check here and here. If you're looking for Halloween parties, take a look after the jump.

Mike Oz

October 30, 2009 10:36 AM

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I really like Karen Marguth. She's the kind of vocalist who just makes you happy when you hear her sing. Hers is feel-good jazz music and she's giving her fans something new to feel good about.

Marguth has put together a new CD with local jazz group Espacio providing the soundscapes for her lush vocals. They're having a CD release party tonight at Tokyo Garden (see flier after the jump), but Marguth was nice enough to share a free mp3 with Beehive readers.

Listen to "Exactly Like You" below. The whole CD is available on CD Baby. I recommend the track "I Like Me When I'm With You," which was my favorite track on first spin.

LISTEN: Karen Marguth - Exactly Like You

Mike Oz

October 30, 2009 8:45 AM


avatar.JPG The new James Cameron animated effort "Avatar" is supposed to be one of the biggest movies of the holiday season. It's certainly getting big promotions.

The new trailer for the film, set to open in theaters on Dec. 18, will be shown on the world's largest video display - Cowboy Stadium's Diamond Vision Screen - just before the kickoff of Sunday's game.

Fans who tune in to "Fox NFL Sunday" just before 10 a.m. Sunday on KMPH (Channel 26.1) will be able to see the three minutes and thirty seconds trailer. This will make it the largest live motion picture trailer viewing in history.


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Rick Bentley

October 30, 2009 8:33 AM


Movies
"Where the Wild things Are
WILD.JPG: This big-screen version of the classic children's picture book should not be missed on the big screen. Director Spike Jonze has taken Maurice Sendak's diamond and put it in a cinematic setting that not only underscores the story's simplicity but also presents it in a way that's dazzling and magical. "Where the Wild Things Are" is a treat for all ages.

DVD
"Nothing Like the Holidays":
This is a touch-your-heart warm, make-you-ache funny and cause-you-to-think smart movie about a family's annual reunion for Christmas. While this happens to be a Hispanic family, the themes of this sweet comedy will connect with anyone who has spent even a second with family at a holiday.

Television
NFL RedZone
10 p.m.: Warning! If you watch this condensed version of the NFL games you may never watch football any other way. The cable channel offers constant updates of all of the games being played by switching for all the big plays. And there are no commercial interruptions. This channel is a blessing for anyone who is not a San Francisco 49ers or Oakland Raiders fan since those games are the ones shown locally by the Fox and CBS affiliates. This is the best creation for watching professional football since the invention of the remote control.

Rick Bentley

October 30, 2009 8:30 AM


whitecollar.JPG "White Collar," 10 p.m. USA Network: It's staggering to believe that NBC and the USA Network are owned by the same company. NBC was barely able to find one good drama this season in "Mercy." The executives at USA just keep adding good shows like this one. Tonight's episode revolves around New York's Fashion Week. The odd crime-solving team of Peter (Tim DeKay) and Neal (Matt Bomer) go into action when advanced technology full of security data is sewn into the fabric of a runway dress. This is a smart and fun series that proves there are good things to watch on TV, just not that many over at NBC.


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Rick Bentley

October 29, 2009 3:15 PM

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Oy vey! Anybody heard the Y101-produced, Fresno State-centric version of the Black Eyed Peas abomination hit song "I Gotta Feeling."

I think it's definitely worth a new installment of WTF or FTW.

I can see why people would like it -- it plays to hometown pride and does a fair job of being a top 40 fight song. But I'm sorry, I hate this song so much they could make it about tacos and I'd still want to rip my ears off my head.

My opinion doesn't matter here, though. WTF or FTW is where you, our wise readers, get to decide between awesomeness and lameness. So check out the song and chime in.

LISTEN: Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling (Fresno State Version)

Voting Key:
WTF = What the [Fudgesicle], a.k.a. "What are you thinking?"
FTW = For the Win, a.k.a. "That idea is a victory for people everywhere."

Mike Oz

October 29, 2009 1:31 PM

The challenge for me on Halloween each year is to come up with a new costume idea. It can be hard to come up with something that's fun and not uncomfortable. Over the years, I've definitely had my hits and misses (why did I ever want to wear a genie outfit?).

For a party last weekend, I made these "Lucky 7" dice costumes for my husband and I, which we had fun in, even though we must have rammed or bumped every person at the party we attended.

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The year before, I waited too long, and at the last minute tossed together Beavis and Butt-Head outfits for us to wear to a couple of parties, which was easy and fun.

So what about you, what are the best and worst costume ideas you've had? Anyone have a good costume planned for Saturday?

Kathy Mahan

October 29, 2009 12:43 PM

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This weekend while you've got your Halloween costume out, you might want to think about making a Swede.

Don't know what that is? Read all about it here (hint: it has nothing to do with Kingsburg). Basically, it's a fun excuse to get together with your friends and pay homage to your favorite movie or television show -- like you used to do when you were a kid.

Anyone can do it. It takes little time and less money. Most importantly, you get to show off your Swede at SwedeFest 4, taking place at 5 p.m. Saturday, November 7 at Starline.

Check out some of the Swedes your fellow Fresnans have created, from movies and shows like The Princess Bride, Signs, Raiders of the Lost Ark, La Bamba and "The Office," here.

If you're still not convinced to make your own Swede, come out and watch the efforts of others. It promises to be a fun time (Starline has a bar), and it's a FREE EVENT. All ages, too.

Hope to see your Swede next week!

Heather

October 29, 2009 12:42 PM

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We've got quite a Thursday night on our hands, folks. There are some seriously cool touring acts in the area tonight. I'm not going to waste anymore time and just get into it.

TORI SPARKS: I guarantee you Tori Sparks is going to earn some new fans tonight in Fresno. This Nashville singer is equal parts soul, blues and folk -- an intersection that leads to comparisons to both Bonnie Raitt and Joni Mitchell. She's at Full Circle Brewing Co. at 8 p.m. $6.

MELT BANANA: As one of Japan's most famous rock bands, Melt Banana has made a considerable name for itself in the United States -- having toured with Tool and Lou Reed. Expect a night of noisy and fast rock 'n' roll at Visalia's The Cellar Door. 9:30 p.m. $10.

Mike Oz

October 29, 2009 11:10 AM

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Our friends at The Daily Beast are all about ranking cities these days. Today, the site released its list of the 10 Worst Dropout Cities. And -- surprise, surprise -- Fresno is on it.

We ranked No. 9 this time. I guess that makes sense. If their data already says we're dumb, then we probably have a lot of dropouts too. It's worth noting that the same researcher for the smartest cities list, Clark Merrefield, also worked on this list.

The silver lining, if you look for such a thing in these cases, is that we ranked ahead of our California counterparts Riverside/San Bernardino/Ontario (No. 5), Stockton (No. 4) and -- drum roll, please -- Bakersfield, which topped the list at No. 1.

Of Fresno, The Daily Beast wrote:

Mike Oz

October 29, 2009 9:05 AM


community.JPG "Community," 8 p.m. KSEE (Channel 24.1): NBC has ordered additional episodes of this new comedy starring Joel McHale and Chevy Chase. That means you will get to see more shows like tonight's that mines humor out of a Day of the Dead party. So far, it's been McHale's dry wit and Chase's physical humor that has been the selling point for the series. Danny Pudi proves with his odd take on Batman he can be just as funny if given more to do. It's good he steps up because the material for Chase's character having a bad drug reaction plays very stale. "Community" is at its funniest when dealing with life at a community college. McHale's character's constant search to find a bed partner is already getting a little old. But, this episode ends up being more treat than trick.


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Rick Bentley

October 28, 2009 6:24 PM

Hungry yet? Wine, Mexican dishes and food inspired by Dr. Seuss are just some of this week's offerings. Read on:

Chiles and Sauces: The Color of our Cuisine -- Thursday
The Consulate of Mexico in Fresno is organizing a free Mexican food tasting 6-8 p.m. at Arte Americas. Featured restaurants include Oaxaca Restaurant, Mezcal Bar & Grill, Toledo´s, and Taco Grande.

Sierra Nut House's 40th anniversary party -- Friday
Sierra's flagship store at the Villaggio shopping center will host a party 5-9 p.m. with free samples of its wares. Earlier this week, owner JoAnn Sorrenti talked of serving wines, espresso, pumpkin barley salad, brandied cranberry pecan dressing, chocolate truffles and more.

Green Eggs and the Met! -- Friday
Will the Met serve green eggs and ham and schlopp with a cherry on top? Find out at this Dr. Seuss-themed evening.

The Ahwahnee's 2009 Vintners' Holidays -- Sunday to Dec. 3
Now in its 28th year, this annual event always features lots of wine to drink and plenty of winemakers to meet. Here's the full schedule.

Far Niente and Nickel & Nickel tasting at Old Doc's -- Wednesday
Old Doc's at Cedar and Nees avenues will pour 8-10 Far Niente and Nickel & Nickel wines. The $20 tasting starts at 7 p.m. and includes light food. Call (559) 224-3627 for more information.

Joan Obra

October 28, 2009 2:15 PM

Everybody is in Halloween mode around this town already. Be sure to check out our official Halloween guide for all the happenings over the next few days.

For tonight, you might want to check out Integration's Halloween party at Starline, a little bit of Halloween-flavored hip-hop at Babylon or the heaven and hell party at Aldo's.

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Mike Oz

October 28, 2009 11:15 AM

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I've got a short piece in the paper today about music club Crossroads opening back up under new ownership. Read it here.

Crossroads closed back in August, a definite blow to the local music scene. The guys who are opening it up are two brothers who also own Whiskey Creek.

They had been trying to open this weekend for a Halloween rock show, but co-owner Paco Villarreal told me on Tuesday that they're going to wait another week to make sure everything is in order.

Mike Oz

October 28, 2009 9:28 AM


SG-BOB.JPG "Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space," 8 p.m. KSEE (Channel 24.1): This new TV special is based on the very fun feature film "Monsters vs. Aliens" and includes the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Seth Rogen, Kiefer Sutherland and Will Arnet. We join Susan Murphy, a.k.a. Ginormica (Reese Witherspoon) and the Monsters as they are now working as a special ops team for the government. They go into action when an alien presence is detected in Susan's hometown of Modesto. Everything seems normal until Halloween when the innocent-looking carved pumpkins turn out to be mutant aliens. This franchise is worth a look by young and old because of the sharp animation and smart writing.


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Rick Bentley

October 28, 2009 9:27 AM

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To celebrate the spirit of Halloween, in the last month I made it a point to watch as many scary movies as I could. Turns out "as many as I could" wasn't very many -- sadly, I watched only a fraction of the movies I wanted to see.

I started with Rob Zombie's "Halloween," an okay-but-not-great remake of John Carpenter's "Halloween," which I watched again Tuesday night. Whereas Zombie's movie is an exercise in gore, Carpenter's is all about suspense, and that amazing, anticipation-filled music. Props to Zombie for giving Michael Myers a backstory, though.

For me, a great horror movie is all about suspense. I appreciate a good gory movie, but those are rarely truly scary. Also rare is the movie that combines great, scream-worthy moments with humor. "Drag Me To Hell" managed to startle me while simultaneously making me laugh -- it was my favorite of the new movies I watched this month. Also funny? The first "A Nightmare on Elm Street," but for different reasons.

Skip "Trick R' Treat" -- it falls way short of the praise it's received. Ditto "Paranormal Activity." And if "Silent Hill" is on your list, let me save you the trouble right now: suck.

Heather

October 27, 2009 4:27 PM

Now that we're just a few days away from Halloween, everybody is scrambling to figure out their costumes and where they're going to be partying. Let us help with the second part.

Below is our very hearty collection of fliers for Halloween Happenings in Fresno-area nightspots. As you can see, some are getting started as early as tonight.

If you know about an event we don't have below, leave a link in the comments and I'll add it to this post.

Mike Oz

October 27, 2009 2:55 PM

Anybody else watching "Castle"? I started watching when the season began last year, and, although it's not the greatest show in the world, I find Nathan Fillion so appealing, I can't help but like it.

Last night's Halloween-themed episode threw a bone to Fillion's fantasy/sci-fi fan base -- twice, actually. The opening included a very clever shout-out to Fillion's short-lived show "Firefly;" the very next scene included a reference to yet another Joss Whedon creation (some would argue his best creation), a show on which Fillion played a creepy preacher for a number of episodes.

Check it out (before Hulu starts charging you for the privilege):


Heather

October 27, 2009 12:03 PM

I've had this new Weezer and Lil Wayne song sitting on my desktop for a couple days now. I haven't listened because I was pretty scared of what I would hear. Especially when you consider the song is called, "Can't Stop Partying." I figured the song had to be in the same facetious vein as "Beverly Hills," but after listening to it, I dunno. Check it out:


Oddly enough, I don't hate the song as much as I thought I would. That said, I'm still not sure whether Weezer is trying to be ironic, just likes Lil Wayne or a big bunch of sellouts.

Mike Oz

October 27, 2009 10:45 AM

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It's the week of Halloween and Fresno rock fans are certainly getting a treat -- shows from shock-rock legend Alice Cooper and massive masked metal group Slipknot. Problem is, they're in town in the same night, at different venues.

Cooper is at Saroyan Theatre this evening, while Slipknot is setting up at Save Mart Center. Decisions, decisions.

I did Halloween-themed Q & A's with both Cooper and Slipknot's Paul Gray, both of which can be read here (Cooper is first, then Gray). So where ya gonna be tonight?

Mike Oz

October 27, 2009 7:25 AM


Pumpkin.jpg "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" 8 p.m. KFSN (Channel 30.1): Just like it's traditional to watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" each December, this Charles Schulz Halloween special, that first aired in 1966, is mandatory watching to get in the spooky spirit. There is something inspirational about the faith Linus has in the Great Pumpkin. And as if that wasn't enough, there's the classic aerial dogfight between Snoopy on his Sopwith Camel and the Red Baron.

"2009 Scream Awards," 10 p.m. Spike: The awards show salutes the best in horror, sci-fi and fantasy. Categories include Best Comic Book Artist and Most Memorable Mutilation. Vampires take the spotlight as the casts of "The Vampire Diaries," "Twilight" and "True Blood" will be at the event. George Romero gets the Scream Mastermind Award and William Shatner does a little campaigning for the next "Star trek" movie.


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Rick Bentley

October 26, 2009 4:50 PM

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The news that Bentley's is closing didn't really surprise me. Joan had reported that the bistro closed and speculated about the future of the store.

Things seemed pretty shaky to me about a month ago when I visited Zen Spa, where I get my hair done, and realized only four stylists were left working there. It was kind of sad. I really noticed that foot traffic was way down in the center and there were a lot of empty parking spaces.

So, what happened? How did the RiverView shopping center go from the hot spot to this slow demise. Is it just the economy? With the former Flamenco restaurant space still vacant and Bentley's getting out, it makes me wonder if the other stores and restaurants can make it. (I hear the Red Door may be out too? Anyone know for sure? The phone is disconnected.)

I brain-stormed today, trying to think what business could possibly fill the Bentley's anchor spot in the center. All I can think of is Trader Joe's, and I have a hard time believing they would add a third store in the area. It took what seemed like eons for the Clovis store to open. Anyone have a guess? Or a wish?

If I had to push for something different, maybe someone could open one of these restaurant/movie theater places.

Kathy Mahan

October 26, 2009 3:28 PM

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With all the mural hubbub happening lately, I'm reminded of a Fresno mural I saw recently.

I spied this mural while heading down Kings Canyon one day. It's on the front of JJ's Signs & Art, which is across the street from Tacos Tijuana.

As divisive as the Tower District mural has been, I'm thinking President Obama is much more divisive these days -- especially here in Fresno. Yet I haven't heard any debate or controversy.

Heck, I haven't even heard about conversation about it.

Of course, there isn't a lot of residential housing nearby, so that issue is a kinda moot here.

But I'm sure were this mural to be in a little more north on the Fresno map, there would probably be a little more debate about it too.

Mike Oz

October 26, 2009 2:11 PM

Jazz lovers, tonight you have a chance to see New York City's The Claudia Quintet, a contemporary jazz group playing at the very nice Shaghoian Concert Hall. Says Downbeat: "The Claudia Quintet creates a fresh, distinctive sound while it obliterates barriers between jazz, classical and progressive rock."

Claudia Flyer.jpg

Elsewhere, if you're a house music fan -- or just like to Wax On and Wax Off -- head over to Audie's Olympic this fine evening for a shindig with these fine local DJs:

Mike Oz

October 26, 2009 10:40 AM

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Here's a trip through my weekend adventures. Tell us about yours in the comments.

FRIDAY
No, I did not go to see Dane Cook. Big surprise, right? Actually, I was having dinner at Yoshino's (Karate Punch and spicy teriyaki FTW!) when I found out about the Tower District mural being painted over (covered in detail here). So I had stop eating and play reporter. Later that night, I headed out to the mural where a bunch of people were hanging out, watching the artists finish up their work. Of course, the mural decision was eventually reversed and it will stay up for the time being.

Mike Oz

October 26, 2009 10:20 AM

Manbat says Happy Halloween (or whatever they say in France).


Heather

October 26, 2009 9:06 AM


SYTYCDGalleryGroup_0030_lyv1F[1].jpg "So You Think You Can Dance," 8 p.m. KMPH (Channel 26.1): The weeks of auditions are over and the Top 20 contestants have been selected. Tonight's special of "So You Think You Can Dance" will feature the dancers competing as couples. Two finalists will be eliminated in a two-hour performance show that will be broadcast Tuesday. The top girls include Channing Cooke, Ariana Debose, Ashleigh Di Lello, Mollee Gray, Karen Hauer, Noelle Marsh, Pauline Mata, Kathryn McCormick, Bianca Revels and Ellenore Scott. The top guys are Phillip Attmore, Billy Bell, Ryan Di Lello, Russell Ferguson, Kevin Hunte, Jakob Karr, Legacy Perez, Peter Sabasino, Victor Smalley and Nathan Trasoras. Nigel Lythgoe, the scary Mary Murphy and Adam Shankman will pick who keeps dancing and who goes home.


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Rick Bentley

October 26, 2009 9:01 AM

It's Halloween week, and I'm definitely starting to get in the mood. Crazy costumes, cleverly crafted pumpkins, candy ... it's all good right now. Mostly.

There are still some things that are just too frightening, and they have no right invading my happy little Halloween haze. I'm talking, of course, about children masquerading as adults, and it's more vile and horrifying than anything Rob Zombie could dream up.

First, here's five-year old Giuliano Stroe, who has just made the Guiness Book of Records for being the strongest kid in the universe (or something):

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If a five-year old with a six-pack doesn't freak you out, then here's 9-year old Noah Cyrus (remember her? Miley's doomed sister?) attending a Halloween party over the weekend. Go ahead and check out the picture after the jump, but if Chris Hansen jumps out from behind a file cabinet and asks you to take a seat, you're on your own.

Heather

October 24, 2009 4:57 PM

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SATURDAY UPDATE: The Neighborhood Thrift mural will live on -- at least for now. Officials from The Well Community Church reversed their Friday decision to paint over the mural. Read more in this news update at fresnobee.com.

Here's what The Well's pastor Tim Goetz had to say about the decision via e-mail:

Mike Oz

October 24, 2009 8:04 AM

One of my assignments in the classical music fellowship in New York I'm participating in is to write a think piece about a contemporary issue. My topic is the new live high-definition Metropolitan Opera broadcasts that have become such a hit in movie theaters across the country. I had an opportunity to talk with Peter Gelb, the new director of the Met, and ask him about the impact of the program. What I'd love to do is use the immediacy of the Internet to find someone to add some "Fresno flavor" to the story. Are there any fans of the HD broadcasts at Edwards out there? If so, it'd be great if you could answer any or all of the following questions via the comments section.

  • What are your thoughts about the quality and impact of the HD screenings?
  • Are you a longtime opera fan, or did these broadcasts introduce you to the art form?
  • Do you think the live aspect is crucial? Do you find yourself participating in the rituals of live performance, i.e. applause, discussing the show with others around you during intermission, etc.?
  • Do you think these live broadcasts could compete with local opera companies and make it less likely for people to attend live performances? Or is it a beneficial situation all around?

I'm on a very tight deadline here, alas, so I need any responses by late Saturday night. You might make it into the Bee story that I'm sure will arise from this.

Thanks!

Donald Munro

October 24, 2009 7:50 AM

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Those of you print folks who read my column in last Sunday's Bee know I'm smack in the middle of an intensive 10-day fellowship in classical music and opera in New York. I'm one of 24 classical music journalists from around the country gathered on Manhattan's Upper West Side for a morning-to-night flurry of lectures, concerts, tours and discussions. I arrived last Saturday evening, and on this following Saturday morning I'm cherishing my first few hours of free time in which I'm able to ponder everything I've soaked in so far. Among the highlights:

  • The New York premiere of a work by David Del Tredicci at Alice Tully Hall.
  • The Broadway production of "West Side Story."
  • Renee Fleming singing the lead role in the Metropolitan Opera production of "Der Rosenkavalier," which had a running time of four and a half hours. (Yes, you read that correctly.)
  • Pianist Murray Perahia performing Chopin's Etude in C-sharp Minor at Carnegie Hall.
  • Bernard Haitink conducting the London Symphony in a monumental performance of Mahler's 4th Symphony at Avery Fisher Hall.
  • Tours of the New York City Opera, the Met, WNYC radio and Carnegie Hall.
  • Lectures with experts, a singing lesson with Audra McDonald's former vocal coach, and writing workshops with classical music writers from the New York Times and New York magazine.

Another memorable moment, but not exactly a good thing, happened when our tour of the beautiful new New York Times newsroom collided with the grim staff meeting announcing that the paper was eliminating 100 more journalist positions. Ugh. One thing I'll take away from this experience is that the Times classical music department is as understaffed and overworked as most other papers across the country.

I won't subject you to all the overnight reviews I've written, but I'll share with you my (raw and unedited) draft of the Mahler performance on the jump. It was exhilarating.

Still to come: the "Ancient Paths, Modern Voices" Chinese music festival at Carnegie Hall; the London Symphony Orchestra playing Mahler's 9th Symphony (yes, I'm gorging on Mahler) and an evening at one of New York's hottest new performance spaces, Le Poisson Rouge.

Donald Munro

October 23, 2009 4:13 PM

T.G.I.F.*

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*This Gosselin is Flabby. Whatchu got?

[Photo]

Heather

October 23, 2009 3:11 PM

You know, if there's no room left on the party bus for you ...

1. SEE KWELI & FASHAWN
Fashawn is back in town Saturday night for this CD release party with underground rap hero Talib Kweli. It will actually be Fashawn's first Fresno show this year. Good news for him: "Boy Meets World," was the top-selling hip-hop CD at Amoeba this week. It was as high as No. 6 on the iTunes hip-hop charts too.

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Mike Oz

October 23, 2009 1:57 PM

Come one, come all. Post No Bills has something for you to do this weekend, next weekend and beyond.

Below you'll find the biggest collection of Fresno event fliers and posters anywhere on the whole entire Internets. Concerts, clubs, community events -- it's all here. So give your browser a second to load, grab your calendar and start planning.

As always, we welcome contributions from bands, artists, venues, promoters and regular joes. Send links to mosegueda@fresnobee.com.

Mike Oz

October 23, 2009 12:44 PM

It's been too long, hasn't it, bad flier lovers? Worst Flier of the Week is back, and with perfect timing considering all the aesthetic bickering going on lately. This week, we have an undisputed champ -- a Worst Flier of the Week Hall of Famer, if you will.

Look below for the worst example I've ever seen of the let's-put-everyone-on-the-flier trend. I wonder if people other than the ones on the flier will actually show up? Hmmm.

Mike Oz

October 23, 2009 12:03 PM

UPDATE: The winner is Laura Patricia. Congratulations!

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ORIGINAL POST: The Fresno Philharmonic is back for a pair of concerts this weekend. The orchestra will play selections from Mozart, Brahms and Dvorak. The concert features guest pianist Meng-Chieh Liu, a soloist and chamber musician who serves on the piano faculty of the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. Performances are at 8 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

I have TWO orchestra tickets (row L) to give away to the 8 p.m. Saturday concert at the Saroyan Theatre. I'll give them to the FOURTH commenter on this post. You have to pick up the tickets at the Bee's front lobby by 5 p.m. today. Please remember: No multiple entries are allowed. We won't publish comments until we have a winner. Rules are on the jump.

Kathy Mahan

October 23, 2009 10:42 AM

Speaking of art, there is a giant statue located just south of downtown, off Van Ness near the 41 north on-ramp. I've driven past this statue a number of times -- twice in the last two days, so I finally feel compelled to ask: what's the deal with this statue?

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I've heard various stories about its origin, but what I really want to know is: how the heck did it end up in a random backyard near the freeway? I could do some research on my own, of course, but I'd rather hear from you. Tell me, tell me, tell me the story of the statue.

Heather

October 23, 2009 8:40 AM

In today's column, I've already told you about the Fall Wine Cornucopia, Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church's annual food bazaar, and a menudo cook-off at the Kings County Fairgrounds this weekend.

Here are three other food events you may want to check out:

Trelio restaurant in Old Town Clovis -- Saturday

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Joan Obra

October 23, 2009 8:30 AM

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Dane Cook is at the Save Mart Center tonight. I probably should have mentioned this somewhere on The Beehive before today. But, honestly, Dane Cook doesn't excite me too much.

I'll be interested to see how show turns out, though. I have no doubts that Dane Cook is popular. I'm not so sure about the funny part. Or the worth-a-$101.75-ticket part.

Obviously, my taste is a little different than Fresno's. I don't think George Lopez is funny either, but that guy has the biggest drawing show ever at Save Mart Center at 15,000+.

So I figured we'd take a poll. Who thinks Dane Cook is funny? Who is going to pay their hard-earned money to see him? Who thinks his being in Fresno tonight is a huge deal?

And who is with me and thinks Dane Cook sucks?

Mike Oz

October 22, 2009 5:27 PM

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Country star Tim McGraw announced a slew of 2010 tour dates -- and Fresno is on the list.

According to a tour itinerary released by McGraw's camp late Thursday, he'll back at Save Mart Center on May 25.

Lady Antebellum has been named as an opener for the tour, while Love And Theft will also be on the bill in Fresno.

McGraw's latest album, "Southern Voice," was released on Tuesday. This will be McGraw's first Fresno stop since 2007. He and wife Faith Hill played here together in 2006 and 2007.

No word yet on ticket prices or an on-sale date. We'll keep you updated when we find out. Fans should keep an eye on timmcgraw.com for pre-sale info.

Full tour dates are below:

Mike Oz

October 22, 2009 3:39 PM

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Hey Beehive readers, we're happy to announce a new Web offering from The Bee. It's our new arts & entertainment site. We're calling it 7, just like our printed Friday entertainment section.

Basically, it's the place to find all the local entertainment content you see in print -- with audio, video and Beehive posts mixed in.

Click over to the site, or check out the screenshot below:

Mike Oz

October 22, 2009 2:06 PM

Presented without comment:

Fresno's finest R&B singer "PRESIDENTIAL SWEETS" long-awaited album "Poppy Chulo" has been released and is now available for download on iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, and Amazon.com. The talented singer/songwriter will soon be released from prison serving time on a violation for being in Florida collaborating with Rick Ross Maybach Recording Label, artist Chief Eli and many others. "PRESIDENTIAL SWEETS" next album is due for release May 2010 in Fresno, Ca. For more information contact iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster and Amazon.com.

OK, how about just one comment? I REALLY encourage you to go to Presidential Sweets' MySpace and listen to his song.

Mike Oz

October 22, 2009 12:55 PM

Here's another one of those lists ranking cities -- one that Fresno is not on. Totalbeatuy.com ranked the cities with the ugliest guys, using stats like erotica sales and gym memberships as part of the criteria. No cities on the West Coast are listed.

So Fresno may have been named the dumbest city, but apparently it's men are prettier than men in some big cities (I was surprised Miami was No. 3).

Kathy Mahan

October 22, 2009 10:49 AM

The show to be at tonight is the long-awaited CD release party for Fresno rock band Fay Wrays, which is happening at Audie's Olympic. The group released "Mata Hari" on Tuesday via JAXart Records. It's a digital release, but you can pick up a hard copy of the album at the show.

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We offered you a free MP3 from the album earlier this week. You can hear the band on The Fresnan's most recent podcast too. Also of note: Wheels of Fortune, one of the opening bands tonight, just put its new album online for free streaming.

Mike Oz

October 22, 2009 9:41 AM


LIF_SPCL_JEFF_DUNHAM_2.JPG "The Jeff Dunham Show" 9 p.m. Comedy Central: It has been a long time since a comic-ventriloquist has had his own TV show. It was worth waiting for someone as good as Jeff Dunham to come along. He's already a hit with more than four million DVD sales and 360 million views on YouTube. Now Dunham and his merry band of characters can add hit TV series to the list. It is not just the odd group of characters like Walter, Achmed the Dead Terrorist, Peanut, Bubba J or Jose Jalapeno on a Stick that make him funny. It is Dunham's dry and quick wit that makes his act and this cable series work. He's the funniest man with a cloth character on his hand since the Muppets heyday.


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Rick Bentley

October 21, 2009 5:23 PM

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UPDATE: The April 10 date is now confirmed by Save Mart Center. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Oct. 30 and cost $27, $51.50 and $61.50. Original post below.

Mike Oz

October 21, 2009 4:01 PM

Beehive reader Catherine passes along word of a Fresno mention on G4's "Web Soup," in this skit about Sportsball. We're not sure what this Sportsball is, but we don't think it's something we're adding to the Blogger Olympics itinerary anytime soon.

For the record: We don't think anyone should feel too insulted by this. Maybe, the people who wrote it, but that's it.

Mike Oz

October 21, 2009 2:21 PM

There's some new stuff happening in the Fresno nightclubs this evening-- you know, because nightclub promoters never heard an idea they didn't try for at least one week. At Thaiphoon, the cool new thing is a name-tag party. Calling all stalkers!

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Mike Oz

October 21, 2009 11:53 AM

Today is the six-year anniversary of Elliott Smith's death. Whether it was suicide or homicide -- who knows. He was a great talent. I wish he wasn't dead.

Here is a collection of some of my favorite Smith songs, so you can be sad appreciative today like me.

Heather

October 21, 2009 11:38 AM


111507g4_aots  77.jpg "Attack of the Show" 7 p.m. G4: If you are looking for a fun way to keep up with new technology in the worlds of video games, movies and digital media, this cable series is a great pick. Segments include "Attack This," "The Loop," "Robot News" and "In Your Pants." The show is a clever mix of information and irreverent humor hosted by Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn. Tonight's episode of "Attack of the Show" gets an extra boost of energy when actress Eva Amurri, whose currently guest starring in the Showtime series "Californication," stops by to be the co-host. If you are not familiar with Amurri, she is the daughter of Italian director Franco Amurri and Susan Sarandon.


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Rick Bentley

October 21, 2009 9:35 AM

The Beehive is proud to bring you another edition of Name That Bathroom, where you, our excretion experts, are tasked with identifying local restrooms of mystery. Today we offer up three. Leave your guesses in the comments.

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NOTE: Yes, this is a restroom-- a women's restroom at that.
UPDATE: Props to Jennifer who identified this has the ladie's room at City Lights.

Mike Oz

October 20, 2009 4:11 PM

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It's almost time for the 2010 Bocuse D'Or, known as the Olympics of the culinary world. And the United States hopes to win it.

Since the contest's 1987 launch, no U.S. chef has ever scored gold, silver or bronze. So last year, celebrated restaurateurs such as Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud and Jerome Bocuse (son of Bocuse D'Or founder Paul Bocuse) launched the Bocuse D'Or USA to select and train the next U.S. competitor.

Chefs with Valley ties were involved in last year's USA competition. Firebaugh native Traci Des Jardins of Jardinière, Acme Chop House and Mijita in San Francisco and Manzanita in Lake Tahoe, was a judge at the semifinals. (She's also on the Bocuse D'Or culinary advisory board.)

Percy Whatley, of The Ahwahnee in Yosemite National Park, was a semifinalist. His meat platter had a Texas ranch theme, while his fish platter was like a deconstructed New England chowder. (The photo above is Whatley's scallop in a "shell.")

The winner was Timothy Hollingsworth of The French Laundry in Yountville; he scored sixth place in the 2009 Bocuse D'Or.

Who will the U.S. rep be for the 2010 event? If you know any chefs interested in applying, here's the application; the deadline is Nov. 30.

[photo source: restaurant widow]

Joan Obra

October 20, 2009 2:24 PM

If you like psychedelic-tinged alt-rock fit for a party, then head over to Starline tonight to see Heavy Young Heathens. They're a duo based out of L.A., but are actually a couple of ex-Fresnans. Brothers Robbie and Aron used to be Mardo, but recently re-tooled their act as HYH -- and things are sounding mighty good. Check 'em out on MySpace and if you dig their sound, you can download all the music free at heavyyoungheathens.com.

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Mike Oz

October 20, 2009 12:07 PM

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I thought this was interesting, that Heidi Klum is considered the "queen of Halloween" because she creates elaborate costumes for an annual party. She offers these ideas.

Call me crazy, but these don't seem too original, though they are certainly done with more flair than one usually sees.

Anyone have more creative ideas for Halloween costumes? Most of the ideas I've seen are pretty standard or sluty.

Kathy Mahan

October 20, 2009 11:25 AM

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We're going to put aside our Fashawn gushing for a while to talk about another local act with a big release today. That's rock band Fay Wrays who are releasing "Mata Hari" via JAXart Records. It's a digital release, so check your local iTunes.

Or, if you want to pick up a physical copy, stop by the band's CD release party on Thursday night at Audie's Olympic (flier below). You can read more about the band and the new release in this Bee story.

As a gift to all you Beehive readers, Fay Wrays have offered up a free mp3 of their rock goodness. Check out "Weatherman" below. We're not lying. It's super good.

DOWNLOAD: Fay Wrays - Weatherman

Mike Oz

October 20, 2009 8:41 AM


Where_Hope_Begins_wesson_family.JPG "Dr. Phil" 3 p.m. KSEE (Channel 24.1): Several members of the Marcus Wesson family return to the daytime talk show today for the first of two episodes. The second part airs Wednesday. Dr. Phil talks with the Wessons about how they are dealing with life after the mass murder in 2004 that left nine children dead. On the "Dr. Phil" Web site the appearance by the Wessons is described as "a lesson in survival, compassion and recovery that just may change your life." On Sept. 24, Elizabeth, Gypsy, Kiani and Serafino Wesson, plus local television news reporter Alysia Sofios, were guests on the talk show. Their appearance came after the release of "Where Hope Begins" (Pocket Books), the book Sofios wrote about her relationship with the family.


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Rick Bentley

October 19, 2009 3:00 PM

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It's a big week for Fashawn.

His album "Boy Meets World" drops on Tuesday. His CD release show with Talib Kweli is Saturday at Tower Theatre. The rest of the week, he's on tour with Ghostface Killah. He's even featured on the front page of MySpace.

He's also turning 21 this week.

(Sidenote: Read my feature story about Fash from Sunday's paper, if you haven't yet)

In honor of his milestones -- both career-wise and personally -- I wanted to revisit some of the music he's put out over the last few years.

The result is "21 To Grow On." It's intended to be a "best-of" all his pre-"Boy Meets World" material. It's 21 tracks, pulled from all seven of his mixtapes. If you're looking for either a refresher course or your first introduction, this oughta do it.

DOWNLOAD: Fashawn - "21 to Grow On" (.zip) - WARNING: Language NSFW

Mike Oz

October 19, 2009 1:52 PM

The Straylight Run-headed Mile After Mile tour makes a stop tonight at Starline. The band is the solo project from ex-Taking Back Sunday guitarist John Nolan. Lydia, Anarbor and Camera Can't Lie are also on the bill.

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Here are some shows to look forward to this week, including CD release parties for Fay Wrays and Fashawn, plus what oughta be a real fun show with Heavy Young Heathens.

Mike Oz

October 19, 2009 1:47 PM

"American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert's new single, which will be in the disaster movie "2012", is drawing comparisons to Aerosmith's disaster-movie song "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing."

I don't really think it sounds like Aerosmith, but I can see why people are making the comparison. Aerosmith's song is a lot better. I'm an Adam Lambert fan, and I thought he should have won American Idol last season, but after a couple listens of this song, all I can think is it is over-produced and drowns out his vocals. Maybe it will grow on me more. When the album comes out Nov. 24,- I hope there is more depth than this song.

So what do you think? Hit or miss?

Kathy Mahan

October 19, 2009 11:09 AM

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Hey folks. It's Monday morning, and you know what that means: time to think back fondly on the weekend that was as you stare blankly at your computer screen, trying to find the motivation to get started on those TPS reports.

FRIDAY: Friday evening I was in the Tower District for a screening of the movies made for the Lookee Loo Showdown, a filmmaker challenge wherein participants have a week to create a short film following a set of predetermined rules/challenges.

After the screening, it was drinks with friends at Laughing Buddha, and then Dinner Number Two at Livingstone's.

SATURDAY: About a month ago, some friends and I came up with the notion that we wanted to eat at Olé Frijole on Blackstone because we remembered going as children and being amazed. Being adults now, however, we realized we didn't want to spend Saturday night on the bathroom floor, so we went to the downtown DiCicco's instead, enjoying some food, then a couple of drinks in the bar (Happy Hour is Saturdays from 5-8. Che bella!). Sidenote: a couple smuggled their dog into the bar in a gym bag. The dog was considerably quieter and more behaved than one or two of the bar patrons. Dogs: 1, Humans: 0.

Heather

October 19, 2009 9:12 AM

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Local duo Whisky Row is headed to the national finals of the Colgate Country Showdown, a prestigious talent competition that's helped to jumpstart the careers of many country stars.

Whisky Row -- made up of Kerman's Mike Pereira and Jason Ruffoni -- won the western regional in Oregon over the weekend and now they're headed to Nashville for the finals on Jan. 14.

Five acts will compete for a chance at $100,000, plus the attention of the country recording industry. Acts such as Martina McBride, Sara Evans, LeAnn Rimes, Neal McCoy and John Michael Montgomery have all been in the finals of the Colgate competition.

I did an Artist You Should Know Q & A with Whisky Row last week. Read that to get to know the band.

Mike Oz

October 19, 2009 9:12 AM


house-514_sc47_7832_f.JPG "House," 8 p.m. KMPH (Channel 26.1): I suggested at the beginning of last season the character of Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) needed to find a little humanity or the show would eventually collapse under a ton of crankiness. That humanity came this year and the Fox series is all the better for the slight change in emotional direction. Laurie consistently has been one of the finest actors working in network dramas and this year's new direction has given him even more to do. It's also been nice to see the return of his original team especially their storyline about the death of an African dictator. "House" features such superb writing and acting it should be a standing appointment on your TV watching calendar.

Rick Bentley

October 16, 2009 3:32 PM

There are a few online video series I've been posting lately -- and all three of them dropped new videos today. So you get one post featuring all three.

1. I HATE THE OFFSEASON: In the latest video chronicling Parker's off-season hijinx, our furry friend heads over to The Big Fresno Fair.

Mike Oz

October 16, 2009 2:25 PM

Here at the Beehive, we decided to waste time today on the Create your own "Simpsons" character tool at the "Simpsons" movie page (you can also role the dice to make random characters).

So here's what happens when the Beehive meets the "Simpsons:"

Kathy:

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Heather:
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Kathy Mahan

October 16, 2009 1:37 PM

While I cross my fingers that my alma mater can beat Fresno's favorite football team, and you enjoy the last few days of the Big, Big, Big Fresno Fair ...

1. SUPPORT SPOTMAN
In my column today, I wrote about Spotman, a DJ at 95.7 The Fox and the guy who does the sound over at The Lucky 13. He was beaten pretty brutally two months ago on his way to work. Now, he's slowly trying to get his life back. A bunch of local bands are helping his cause tomorrow at Sierra Vista Mall. Good music for a good cause, if you ask me.

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Mike Oz

October 16, 2009 1:21 PM

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UPDATE: And the debate over donor influence at universities rages on. More than 1,300 people showed up at yesterday's panel discussion with Michael Pollan, where he called the actions of Harris Ranch chairman David Wood a "threat to academic freedom."

The Bee's story takes a deeper look at this issue. The L.A. Times calls Cal Poly's choice of a panel discussion "a shameful breach of academic freedom," while the San Luis Obispo Tribune defends Pollan's "right to present his views."

Thoughts?

ORIGINAL POST: A clash between Harris Ranch and conventional agriculture critic Michael Pollan played out today at Cal Poly.

Here's a quick version of the story: Pollan originally was slated to give a talk at Cal Poly today, but Harris Ranch chairman David E. Wood objected in a letter to the university. He disagreed with Pollan's views and threatened to pull funding for Cal Poly's new meat-processing facility.

In response, the university changed the event into a panel discussion, seating Pollan with Gary Smith, a Colorado State University professor who supports conventional farming, as well as Myra Goodman, co-founder of Earthbound Farm, the nation's biggest organic farm.

The beef between Pollan and Harris Ranch isn't just a fight between conventional and sustainable agriculture. It also brings up questions about education at universities, especially during a time of budget crunches.

Joan Obra

October 16, 2009 11:15 AM

Ponder this: Without the Internets the Balloon Boy story would just be some big silly blown-out-of-proportion news story o' the week.

With the Internets, it spawned such an awesome song that you'll forgive the ridiculousness of a kid named Falcon and a balloon that looks like a Jiffy Pop tin.

Enjoy:

Mike Oz

October 16, 2009 10:50 AM

Come one, come all. Post No Bills has something for you to do this weekend, next weekend and beyond.

Below you'll find the biggest collection of Fresno event fliers and posters anywhere on the whole entire Internets. Concerts, clubs, community events -- it's all here. So give your browser a second to load, grab your calendar and start planning.

As always, we welcome contributions from bands, artists, venues, promoters and regular joes. Send links to mosegueda@fresnobee.com.

Mike Oz

October 16, 2009 7:28 AM

I've got some catching up to do on the theater beat:

MORE HAIRSPRAY: Good Company Players doesn't often extend runs because of the repertory nature of the company's season, but sales have been so good for "Hairspray" that it couldn't resist. The show, which originally was scheduled to run through Nov. 15 at Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater, will now play through Nov. 29. In addition, there will be added evening performances on Oct. 28, Nov. 1, 8, 11, 15, and 22. (There will be no show Nov. 25 and 26 for Thanksgiving.) The show "Married Alive!", originally scheduled to open Nov. 19, will now open Dec. 2.
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ROCKY'S BACK: Word has already gotten around that "The Rocky Horror Show," which was such a big hit last year for Artists' Repertory Theatre, is returning to the Tower Theatre Jan. 1 for a two-day engagement. Daniel Chavez Jr. told me:

I will be reprising my roles as Frank, director and choreographer. I have asked most of the cast back with a couple of exceptions. We will be having a special event performance on New Years Eve and a second on Jan 2. At this time, we only have two performances scheduled. We'll add only if tickets move quickly. The Tower Theatre will be the home of our show for this special occasion and tickets are scheduled to go on sale through the tower box office on Halloween.


Donald Munro

October 15, 2009 10:35 PM

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Well, well, well, Fresno concertgoers, where were ya Thursday night? Rascal Flatts at Save Mart Center or Stone Temple Pilots at The Big Fresno Fair? Either way, we want to hear what you thought of your show.

How did Rascal Flatts compare to their previous stops in Fresno? Do Stone Temple Pilots still have it? Were you happy with the set lists? The crowd? Were both shows pretty packed?

Talk about any of that and whatever else you'd like in the comments.

Mike Oz

October 15, 2009 4:31 PM

The Contra Costa Times came to Fresno this week, on a mission to find intelligent life in Fresno. They were doing their own little inquiry into Fresno's most recent accomplishment as the country's unsmartest city (see what I did there?). They talked to me (cue joke about not finding intelligent life) and a few other much more intelligent than me. You can read their story here, and check out a video version below.

Also: I recorded an episode of KFSR's The Pulse this afternoon that also talks about The Daily Beast's list. Travis Sheridan was on with me. It'll air at noon on Saturday on 90.7 FM. Oh, and if you missed my column on this topic, you should definitely give it a read.

PREVIOUSLY: Fresno: The dumbest city in America?

Mike Oz

October 15, 2009 4:11 PM

As Mike Oz already pointed out, tonight's a big deal for music. For the sizable contingent heading out to the Saroyan Theatre at 7:30 p.m. to partake in The 5 Browns, the young-sibling musical piano sensation, I'm posting the tentative program on the jump so you know what you'll be listening to.

Tickets start at $20.

Don't forget: Student rush tickets for $15 are available to high school and college students one hour before the show at the Saroyan Theatre Box Office. Offer good only with valid Student I.D.

Donald Munro

October 15, 2009 12:34 PM

Bee reporter Chris Collins writes in a bulletin today that a painter for the Fresno Unified School District found several photo negatives he believes are the work of famed photographer Ansel Adams. He writes:

As part of Rick Norsigian's efforts, he is letting a former museum curator view the negatives today at a Clovis hotel. Norsigian found the negatives in spring 2000 at a garage sale.

Wouldn't that be an amazing thing to discover at a garage sale? It'd be like rummaging through the "four books for a buck" table and finding a first edition of "Moby Dick." I wonder if Norsigian bargained down the price.

Donald Munro

October 15, 2009 12:32 PM

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I'm calling tonight the biggest concert night of the year, considering we have potential for 20,000 people to see one of three big shows.

Country superstars Rascal Flatts are at Save Mart Center. Rockers Stone Temple Pilots play the biggest concert of The Big Fresno Fair's run. And classical piano act The 5 Browns will serenade Saroyan Theatre thanks to the Fresno Phil.

Donald Munro and I collaborated to make a case for each being tonight's premiere music destination. Read it here and tell us where you'll be.

Mike Oz

October 15, 2009 11:52 AM

I can't decide what is more frightening:

The following pictures of Phyllis, Michael and Kelly from "The Office" made up as zombies...

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... or this photo of Pam Beesly posing on the cover of a magazine in her bikini. In October.

Heather

October 15, 2009 10:32 AM

I'm pushing this one hard, folks, because I think this Fresno City College production is wonderful. In case you missed it, here's my rave review, which will also run in a condensed form in tomorrow's issue of 7. At the Sunday matinee I attended, the audience was very small in the big college theater -- which was a shame for such a fine show. It only plays four more times: 7:30 p.m. tonight, 7:30 p.m. Friday, and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. And at $12 a ticket, it's the theater deal of the year. The box office number is (559) 442-8221.

Donald Munro

October 15, 2009 9:00 AM

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I was reading an interesting column in the Santa Cruz Sentinel a while back about the issues that owners of establishments that offer free wi-fi are running into: namely that too many customers are walking into a coffee house, say, buying one drink and then camping out for six or seven hours, thereby discouraging other paying customers. Wallace Baine writes:

The Coffee Cat, the great little coffeehouse in Scotts Valley, abruptly decided to shut down access to free Wi-Fi. Many customers were miffed, some really outraged, and business has fallen off in a period when the recession is putting a hurt on small businesses everywhere. Free wireless Internet connectivity has been a common feature in coffeehouses for the past several years. But in recent months, coffee merchants have begun to take a dimmer view of free Wi-Fi. It's been an amenity for which the headaches have begun to outweigh the benefits.

At the Coffee Cat, free Wi-Fi use simply got out of hand. So says Manthri Srinath, the owner/operator of the coffeehouse ... some people would park at a comfortable seat for six hours or more, monopolizing the table and buying the minimum. The employees were obliged to become freeloader cops, confronting people for bringing in outside food. Sometimes they were even called on for tech help. What was needed was to "break the culture," said Srinath, to return the Coffee Cat to what it used to be, a place that sold coffee and offered people a comfortable space to relax and socialize, not to take up permanent residence.

What's your experience in the Fresno area? In the Sentinel column, Baine notes that the economic downturn has left many people "officeless," and they're crowding free wi-fi hot spots. Do you think that's the case? Where do you go these days when you need a fix of free wi-fi?

Donald Munro

October 14, 2009 1:21 PM

Local blogger Genevieve (aka MotherofConfusion on CV Moms and Fresno Famous) has started a new video series called "Something About Fresno." For the debut, she quizzes our pal Famous Whitewater. Check it out.


We await more videos ... and hope she tracks down K-Fed.

Mike Oz

October 14, 2009 9:51 AM

Folk songstress Ani DiFranco brings her all-too-personal, fanatic-attracting music to Tower Theatre tonight. It's her first Fresno stop in six years. I chatted with DiFranco recently and we talked about what she's been up to in those six years, how living in New Orleans has changed her and that rabid fan base of hers. Read the interview here.

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Details: 7 p.m. tonight at Tower Theatre. $38. (559) 485-9050.

Mike Oz

October 13, 2009 6:30 PM

So I''ve been a little slow getting back into the swing of things after vegging out last week on vacation (aka drinking lots of beer and eating too much). The week started off with a trip to Denver to see my brother and his family, including a stop at the Denver-Dallas NFL game, and ended by feeding my "Star Wars" addiction.

So here are a few pictures from my trek to Arco Arena for the "Star Wars in Concert" tour, which included an exhibit of props/characters/scenes from the movies. It the whole thing was really cool. The orchestra was fun, and really into it (a lot less stuffy than your typical orchestra experience), plus there are lots of movie montages that retold the story, narration from C3P0 and pyrotechnics. They even played an encore, giving Vader a little more love. I highly recommend catching this show. I hope it comes to Fresno down to road.

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Kathy Mahan

October 13, 2009 3:47 PM

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Fresno City College's production of "eurydice," which continues through Saturday, is a stunning work of theater: handsomely mounted, decisively directed, gorgeously costumed, gracefully acted. It's one of the must-see local theatrical events of the year.

From the production's first moments as the house lights dim and a plaintive voice sings the lyrics "Don't Let Me Go," to the very last moment of the show, when a major character makes a heart-breaking last gesture before everything slides to black, the show casts an almost hypnotic spell on the audience. Director Chuck Erven has described the play as a cross between Alice in Wonderland and Cirque du Soleil. That's an apt way to capture the mood he crafts: part fairy tale, part dream, in a brisk, intermissionless, 90-minute run time. It's the kind of stage experience that resonates on more than just visual and auditory levels. It's as if you can taste the crispness of this show, stroke its rich textures, smell its musty-yet-modern aromas.

I loved it.

Donald Munro

October 13, 2009 3:22 PM

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UPDATE: We have our four winners. Congrats to Melissa, Lisa, Deborah Murphy and Mary Vaux, who the Computer of Glorious Win randomly selected for the prize. We have e-mails out of confirm with each winner. The contest is now over. Thanks for playing, everyone.

Mike Oz

October 13, 2009 2:40 PM

It's mid-October, and we're finally starting to see some fall weather here in Fresno. What better way to celebrate than with a trip to the corn maze (after the rain stops, natch)?

Cobb Ranch, just north of Fresno on Highway 41, features a cornfield maze offering two-and-half miles of twists and turns through 10-foot-high corn. This year's maze is in the shape of the Educational Employees Credit Union owl:

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It's an amazing design, to be sure, and, if you live in the area, instantly recognizable. But after seeing the following cornfield maze design from Miller's Orchards in Pennsylvania, I feel like maybe our local cornfield maze creators could use some help choosing next year's design.

Heather

October 13, 2009 2:02 PM

The Love the Captive folks are calling tonight's Starline show good rainy days music. They're also calling it the greatest six-dollar show of the year. Austin indie/folk band The Wooden Birds headlines, with Picture Atlantic and Greener By Color also on the bill.

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If you're closer to Visalia and looking for an rock fix, then check out Seattle band These Arms are Snakes at The Cellar Door.

Mike Oz

October 13, 2009 1:17 PM

Fresno's rap hero Fashawn is currently out on the road with Ghostface Killah and his camp is chronicling the experience in a Webisode series. Here's the first one, in which they try to avoid running out of gas in Texas while Fash offers a tour of his "bus." Warning: Language NSFW


Remember: "Boy Meets World" drops Oct. 20 and his CD release concert with Talib Kweli is Oct. 24 at Tower Theatre.

Mike Oz

October 13, 2009 12:47 PM

Since the publication of this New York Times story about E. coli in processed ground beef, I've been fielding questions about food safety.

The problem: Commercial burgers aren't made from single cuts of meat. Instead, the meat in burgers comes from several sources, including slaughterhouse trimmings and scraps.

"Those low-grade ingredients are cut from areas of the cow that are more likely to have had contact with feces, which carries E. coli," New York Times reporter Michael Moss writes.

Testing for E. coli in the manufacturing process is limited. It doesn't prevent 0157:H7, a virulent E. coli strain, from entering the food supply. Moss points out that ground beef sickened 8,000 folks in 16 E. coli outbreaks during the past three years.

And as seen in this video, simply following the handling and cooking directions on packages of ground beef won't prevent the spread of E. coli in your kitchen:

So, what's the best way to handle ground beef? Tips come after the jump.

Joan Obra

October 13, 2009 12:27 PM

As excited as I was to dress up like a fool and listen to "Too Legit to Quit," I guess I hadn't really considered the showmanship of MC Hammer until he hit the stage at The Big Fresno Fair on Monday night. So can I just say that the man -- regardless of how you want to joke about him -- is one helluva entertainer.

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He moved briskly through his catalog of hits, oozing energy and stage presence, with his throng of dancers. If you needed a lesson on showmanship, Hammer was handing 'em out. He even let a bunch of people (me included) on stage for his last two songs.

Below are some more pics and videos of Hammer as well as opener Tone Loc.

Mike Oz

October 13, 2009 11:14 AM

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So yesterday brought word that buxom bombshell Christina Hendricks, Joan Harris on TV's "Mad Men," had married that weird guy from "500 Days of Summer." Today little Betty Draper (aka January Jones) is on the scene to make up for the disappointing news.

Jones, appearing in the new GQ (see picture at right, where she's giving Hendricks a run for her money in the décolletage department), apparently dated Ashton Kutcher years ago, and surprise, surprise -- he was a total douche to her. Check out this quote from Jones:

"The guy I was dating when I first got to L.A. [Kutcher] was not supportive of my acting... He was like, I don't think you're going to be good at this. So -- f*** you! He only has nice things to say now -- if anything, I should thank him. Because the minute you tell me I can't do something, that's when I'm most motivated."

Ashton Kutcher telling someone she can't act -- chew on that for a minute, will you?

Jones, a fan of football, beer and Chili's amazing queso skillets, has many more interesting things to say in the article (according to the writer, all it took was a couple of beers to get her to spill), but if you're not interested in pesky words and stuff, there is also plenty of pictures of her posing in black lingerie, something Don Draper had to go all the way to Rome to see.

Heather

October 13, 2009 10:23 AM

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Consider this your last call for entries into our Meet Rascal Flatts contest. You have until 3 p.m. to enter. We'll be picking winners after that. You still can't enter more than once, but if you're a Rascal Flatts fan and you still haven't entered, now is the time.

Also, Rascal Flatts fans might get a kick out of this chat we had with the group's stylist John Murphy. In addition to praising JC Penney's American Living line (woot to them, they gave us the prizes), Murphy talks about dressing the RF guys, their "Unstoppable style."

Remember: The band is at Save Mart Center on Thursday night.

In your expert opinion, what should whoever wins our contest to meet Rascal Flatts wear?
Be comfortable. Jeans, a great top. Some long necklaces and some great cowboy boots. Plaids are really popular for guys this fall. American Living has some really affordable options right now for both guys and girls at JC Penney. And who knows you might ending up wearing the same shirt as one of the guys. Which is the only time that would be cool instead of awkward.

Mike Oz

October 13, 2009 9:05 AM

Ever think that the California Raisins campaign, with the singing and dancing raisins, was a little creepy? Multiply that by a thousand:


If you run screaming out the door, remember to take an umbrella -- it's wet out there. Because God is crying.

[Via]

Heather

October 12, 2009 4:40 PM

If I didn't know better, I'd think Marge Simpson and her band of MMA haters were from our fair city. Consider this clip -- from last night's "The Simpsons" -- an honorary "Did They Just Say Fresno?"

Mike Oz

October 12, 2009 4:05 PM

Here are random pictures of celebrities I found interesting/funny/sad today:

Suri Cruise pleads with her eyes for a kind lady to take her and her cupcake away from the madness (via Dlisted)

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Heather

October 12, 2009 3:40 PM

UPDATE 11:30 a.m. 10/13: Our winner is Pauline Tolentino. Congrats.

I saw "eurydice" at Fresno City College Sunday afternoon, and I'll be posting my review tomorrow. Here's a sneak peek: I loved it. This gorgeous production is one of the must-see local theatrical events of the year.

Lucky for Beehive readers, I have TWO free tickets to give away to the 7:30 p.m. Friday performance of the show. I'll give them randomly to one commenter to this post. You have until 11 a.m. Tuesday to enter. No multiple entries are allowed. I'll notify the winners by email, so be sure to provide a valid email address. Rules are on the jump.

Donald Munro

October 12, 2009 3:22 PM

Over the weekend, Bobby Ray Shafer, aka Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration, commented on a post I wrote last week about "The Office." If you read this blog then you know just how "Office"-crazy we are, and you'll immediately recognize that a comment from someone who is actually on the show is a Very Big Deal.

It's a big deal in another way, as well. As my friend and colleague Hammer Pants Osegueda pointed out, I am now just one degree away from My Boyfriend Jim Halpert.

That's right. One degree away from this:

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Mwah-hah-hah-haaaaaah!! Him Jeather forever!

[It's not stalking if you display the crazy right out in the open, right? I'm going to need some witnesses on my side when this inevitably becomes a legal matter.]


Heather

October 12, 2009 2:26 PM

We all know the Too Legit place to be tonight -- MC Hammer at The Big Fresno Fair.

As I said last week, I'll be introducing the show tonight at the Paul Paul Theatre. And now, thanks to a little Beehive begging, I have some fresh Hammer Pants to wear on stage.

Behold:

Mike Oz

October 12, 2009 1:09 PM

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It's not too late for a Weekend Rewind, is it? I'm running a little behind today. Here's my weekend. Tell everybody about your weekend adventures in the comments.

FRIDAY
Stayed home and finally got caught up on the last few episodes of "Fringe" -- and it's gettin' good. I'm not exactly a sci-fi fan, but this show definitely has me hooked.

SATURDAY
Trekked down to the Visalia to catch the roller derby showdown between NoTown Roller Derby and the V-Town Derby Dames. Fresno smoked 'em -- 146-71. Of that 146, Fresno scored 105 in the second half. Daaaaamn.

Mike Oz

October 12, 2009 9:13 AM

Time for another round of Guess the Celeb! This time you get no hints.

Okay, just one: it's not Erik Estrada. Or Lil Wayne.

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I challenge you, without looking on the Internets, to figure out who this celebrity is. There is no prize involved here, only the satisfaction of being right, or of simply finding out the answer, which I will tell you later today.

Put your best guesses in the comments section. I'll publish your comments later when I reveal the answer so we can see who has a knack for the ultimate in time-wasting online games.

Time's up! Answer after the jump.

Heather

October 11, 2009 11:26 AM

Did you guys know "Saturday Night Live" is still on? Yeah, I forgot, too.

But it is, and thanks to the magic that is Hulu, we can enjoy the better parts of the stale, hour-and-a-half-long show without having to sit through awkward, drawn-out sketches or Fred Armisen's sad Obama impression.

Check out the following somewhat amusing sketch about celebrity ghost encounters from last night's show. It will leave you thinking, "You know what? That Justin Long is a real treasure." (Or, more likely, "Has Kenan Thompson ever really been funny? Ever?")

Enjoy.

Heather

October 9, 2009 5:05 PM

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UPDATE: Remember this? Well it's finally official. Clarkson will be at Save Mart Center on Dec. 1, with tickets going on sale at 10 a.m. Oct. 17. Tickets cost $45, $55 and $85.

ORIGINAL POST, 7/21: According to a tour itinerary released this morning by her people, Kelly Clarkson will be back in Fresno this fall as part of her "All I Ever Wanted" tour.

She's due at Save Mart Center on Dec. 1, according the tour release, which didn't include details on ticket prices or when tickets would go on sale.

Mike Oz

October 9, 2009 4:16 PM

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To me, the most interesting concert at The Big Fresno Fair is Saturday night's show with The Game. Not because of him or his music -- he's pretty overrated, me thinks. But because of the all the scheduling drama that's come to the fair's "hip-hop night" and the potential for more drama on Saturday.

You might recall that Drake was originally scheduled for Saturday, which was quite a coup for the fair. Then he hurt himself, and Flo-Rida was booked in his place. Then Flo-Rida had to drop out. That's when The Game was recruited.

An interesting aside: About a week after the fair added Flo-Rida, Tachi Palace had to fill a hole in its annual car show and scheduled Flo-Rida. Upon learning the fair had also booked him, the Tachi folks ended up booking The Game. Ironically, the fair ended up with The Game too. This leads me to believe that this guy is available to do shows just about anytime.

My first reaction to hearing the news of The Game at The Big Fresno Fair was: "Wow. I wonder if Fresno PD is OK with this?" He's not exactly the Fresh Prince. In addition to being the biggest name-dropper in hip-hop, The Game is also rather explicit and talks a lot about gang stuff.

Mike Oz

October 9, 2009 2:51 PM

When you're not eating deep-fried fair food ...

1. GET A MONSTER MULLET
Have your heard? The Fresno Monsters -- our new upstart hockey team -- are 7-0. They're also in town this weekend. Tonight, they take a page out of the Grizzlies playbook, with a zany promo. It's mullet night and if you have a mullet (real or fake) you get in for $5.

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Mike Oz

October 9, 2009 1:32 PM

Come on, come all. Post No Bills has something for you to do this weekend, next weekend and beyond.

Below you'll find the biggest collection of Fresno event fliers and posters anywhere on the whole entire Internets. Concerts, clubs, community events -- it's all here. So give your browser a second to load, grab your calendar and start planning.

As always, we welcome contributions from bands, artists, venues, promoters and regular joes. Send links to mosegueda@fresnobee.com.

Mike Oz

October 9, 2009 11:20 AM

The Fresno Grizzlies premiered the new season of their "I Hate the Offseason" webisodes today. In the premiere: Parker goes to San Francisco.

Mike Oz

October 9, 2009 10:44 AM

I'm not going to recap last night's one-hour episode of "The Office" (there was good stuff, like Pam's office Barf-o-Rama, Michael's painting of the happy couple and Dwight's prowess with the bridesmaids, but also silly story lines about Kevin having no shoes, Michael having no hotel room and Andy Bernard's banana split injury). Instead, I'm going to cut to the chase.

Jim and Pam's wedding: What do you think? Nailed it?


To be honest, the minute I heard the Chris Brown song and recognized what was about to happen (yes, Michael Scott, I saw the YouTube video, too), I rolled my eyes and said aloud, "Really, 'Office'?"

And then something happened. I watched all those goofy characters parading down the aisle and got a little choked up. I knew these people were going to impose and embarrass themselves in some way; happily it ended up being more charming than offensive.

Heather

October 9, 2009 8:53 AM


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My Life in Ruins"
: A Greek tour guide (Nia Vardalos) must deal with an odd collection of tourists while trying to find love. Most of the energy comes from the star, Vardalos. She brings the same self-deprecating humor, vulnerability and spunk that made her a sensation in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." This is a film about falling in love. It's easy to do that with the characters and the country. Vardalos turns in a performance with so much energy against such a magnificent backdrop.

MOVIES
"Zombieland":
A group of people try to survive in a world full of zombies. "Shaun of the Dead," the wonderfully witty 2004 British import, is no longer king of zombie comedies. That title now belongs to "Zombieland," where the walking dead have never been funnier. Writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have created a story that is a shotgun blast of jokes that not only satirizes the genre but finds time to take plenty of shots at pop culture.

TELEVISION
"Sanctuary,"
10 p.m. Oct. 9, Syfy: This is the second season opener for the series that follows Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) a scientist who provides a place to stay for a group of strange beings that must hide among humans. She gets help from forensic psychiatrist Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne) and her daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup). The series works because of Tapping who has found a role as good as her work on "Stargate, SG-1."

Rick Bentley

October 9, 2009 8:49 AM


NUMB3RS.JPG "Numb3rs," 10 p.m. KFSN (Channel 47.1): While it is all of the "CSI" and "NCIS" shows on CBS that get the attention and high ratings, it's this series that manages to take the same crime solving and make it even more entertaining with a dash of intelligent writing. The use of math on "Numb3rs" to solve crimes adds up to a big success. There's also the added element of family that is in none of the other CBS crime dramas. Tonight, FBI agent Don Eppes (Rob Morrow) and his team are called in to investigate who is behind a deadly gambling ring that is running a high-stakes Russian roulette tournament. It is rare when a show can be this entertaining and have an educational element.

Rick Bentley

October 9, 2009 5:28 AM

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I have a story in Friday's 7 section about the opening of "eurydice" at Fresno City College. Here's the complete interview with director Chuck Erven:

What drew you to Sarah Ruhl's version of "eurydice"?

Ruhl's take on the story is lean and elegant and reveals itself in funny and unexpected ways. I really responded to the quirky humor and dialogue, which is both realistic and poetic. The play works on many levels at once and moves effortlessly between what's funny and what's achingly sad. It has the structure of a fairy tale and the feel of a dream. Ruhl has constructed a unique and complete surreal world that is at once astonishing and immediately accessible. It's as if she has filtered the myth through Alice in Wonderland and Cirque du Soleil and the result is a singular theatrical vision that is funny and deeply affecting.


Donald Munro

October 8, 2009 3:48 PM

Lots of concert news and tidbits to share, so let's not waste any time.

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BRAD'S BACK
Any Brad Paisley fans out there? A new list of tour dates released Wednesday by Paisley includes a Feb. 19 show at Save Mart Center.

Openers for the tour are Miranda Lambert and Justin Moore. No details were announced about ticket prices or ticket sales. Expect more details soon.

Mike Oz

October 8, 2009 1:54 PM

Oh Em Gee, you guys: tonight is the night. JAM makes it official!

If you don't know what that means, walk away now. For the rest of you, check out this hella cheesy yet surprisingly affecting fan-made video chronicling the courtship of "The Office's" Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly, who will tonight become husband and wife. May they rest in peace. Or, you know, congratulations and whatnot.



If you just can't wait for tonight, OfficeTally has lovely, spoilerish pictures from the episode, titled "Niagara," here. Oh, and apparently you can buy a Meredith bobblehead now, so huzzah.


Heather

October 8, 2009 1:15 PM

It's Thursday at the Park at Sierra Vista Mall -- offering a free concert and a farmer's market. The soulful Super Lucky Catz and cover band Wild Hare are playing tonight. It's the second to last one of the season.

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Mike Oz

October 8, 2009 12:12 PM

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After watching last night's season premiere of "South Park" I'm left with a burning question: Do Chipotle burritos really make one poop blood? Because: ew.

I'm not a big "South Park" watcher, or even a little "South Park" watcher, but I made a point to check out the episode after I heard the potty-mouthed kids from Colorado would be taking on "Ghost Hunters," a show I continue to watch even though after years of hunting, the TAPS crew seems to have caught little more than their own shadows and a ridiculously lucrative contract with the SciFi SyFy Channel that has spawned two GH spin-offs.

In my opinion, the GH scene was a little weak: I think Trey Parker and Matt Stone confused the low-key "Ghost Hunters" with the much more obnoxious "Ghost Adventures" from the Travel Channel. (And what's with excluding Steve and Tango, the most entertaining part of GH? Blasphemy!) But whatevs -- save this one scene, the episode was pretty darn entertaining.

Heather

October 8, 2009 10:31 AM

UPDATE: Congratulations to winner Bino Escobar. Thanks for playing, everyone!

Original: Remember yesterday when we gave away tickets to the Fright Night Scream Park in Clovis? Well, we've got another pair of tickets we're just dying to hand out to a lucky winner, and that could be you.

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Housed in the old movie theater behind Target at Sierra Vista Mall, the Scream Park features four thrilling attractions, named Psychosis 3D, Desecration, Asylum and Necropolis ReVAMPed. Weird Fresno has the lowdown, complete with video, on the Scream Park attractions. I've been to the Scream Park myself, and it's loads of frightful fun. Psychosis 3D is not to be missed.

Tickets are good any day through this weekend, or, after the weekend, any day excluding Fridays and Saturdays through October 31st.

We'll give away tickets to the NINTH commenter on this post. Comments won't be published until we have a winner. No multiple entries allowed. Please leave a valid e-mail address, because that's how we'll contact our winner. And remember about our 30-day rule if you've won recently. Full rules after the break.

Heather

October 8, 2009 8:44 AM


CHO.JPG "FlashForward," 8 p.m. KFSN (Channel 30.1): Despite my best efforts not to get pulled into another dramatic series built around a huge mystery, this new ABC series is just too addictive not to watch. Clues to the mystery of how everyone on the planet blacked out for a couple of minutes - all at the same time - is be revealed each week. Unlike the confusing "Lost," there is a logic to what is happening and that will make it easier to follow. There's also the first-rate cast. Everything revolves around Joseph Fiennes but it is "Lost" grad Sonya Walger that's giving the series a real emotional charge. And, who would have thought John Cho could be so good in a dramatic role after seeing his hilarious work in "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle"? If you aren't watching "FlashForward," then you are missing one of the best new series of the fall season.

Rick Bentley

October 7, 2009 3:37 PM

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Word of a new sports bar opening in Northwest Fresno has piqued my interest. It's called The Press Box and is supposed to open Oct. 17 with the usual sports bar amenities -- flat screens, sports memorabilia, lots of beer on tap.

The most intriguing part of The Press Box, if you ask me, is a feature that I've never seen at a bar before: A built-in breathalyzer.

According to the press release:

This will also be the only sports bar and restaurant in valley history to feature a public self serve breathalyzer to measure ones blood alcohol content level to aid in the assistance of responsible drinking and driving on those big game days.

Lots of questions: Does it really work? Is it sanitary? At the same time: How many people will go there for the gimmick of it? And it is pretty responsible, right?

So I'm not sure about this one. It's either hella awesome (FTW) or a testimonial about what a bunch of drunkards we are (WTF). Let's hear from you.

Voting Key:
WTF = What the [Fudgesicle], a.k.a. "What are you thinking?"
FTW = For the Win, a.k.a. "That idea is a victory for people everywhere."

Mike Oz

October 7, 2009 3:06 PM

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UPDATE: Our last batch of winners is: Phil (The Game), Jennifer Cardillo (Michael W. Smith), Monica Medina (Los Lobos) and Gina (Naked Bros. Band). The winners have been e-mailed. Thanks for playing everybody. Have fun at the fair. While this contest is over, our Rascal Flatts contest is still going.

Mike Oz

October 7, 2009 2:15 PM

We think it's only fitting that our top pick tonight be the Wednesday Nights Rocks show at The Next Bar. You remember that promoter meltdown from last week? Well, this is the show in question. Aside from all that drama, it oughta be a good show with Buffalo Guns and Synezra, two bands that just played at Re:FUSE Fest, plus No Halo.

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Mike Oz

October 7, 2009 12:16 PM

UPDATE: Thanks for playing, everyone. We have an email out to our winner, Hilda Tateosian, right now. If that's not you, come back again tomorrow for another try at a pair of tickets.

Original: You may be wondering why the Beehive has been giving away tickets to so many cool events lately. Simply: because we can. But more importantly, because we want to. Giving away free tickets is a good way to encourage you, the fine public, to go out and experience something you might otherwise sleep on. And then you tell your friends, your friends go, and boom: thriving metropolis.

Take the Fright Night Scream Park in Clovis, for example. Housed in the old movie theater behind Target at Sierra Vista Mall, the Scream Park features four thrilling attractions, appropriately named Psychosis 3D, Desecration, Asylum and Necropolis ReVAMPed.

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The Fright Night Scream Park has graciously offered Beehive readers two pairs of single-attraction tickets that are good any day through this weekend, or, after the weekend, any day excluding Fridays and Saturdays through October 31st.

We'll give away one pair today to the SEVENTH commenter on this post. Comments won't be published until we have a winner. No multiple entries allowed. Please leave a valid e-mail address, because that's how we'll contact our winner. And remember about our 30-day rule if you've won recently. Full rules after the break.

Heather

October 7, 2009 9:43 AM

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UPDATE: Congrats to Michael, who is our winner. There's still time to enter our other fair concert ticket contest before it ends.

ORIGINAL POST: We already gave away the tickets to see Barenaked Ladies tonight in our Big Fresno Fair concert ticket giveaway extravaganza ... but we've been handed another pair. We really just want you there for the fair's opening night.

So here's the deal: This concert is tonight, so whoever wins is going to have to get over here to The Bee to pick up the tickets today before 5 p.m. It oughta be worth the drive, though. They're good seats -- ninth row.

We'll take the FIFTH commenter on this post. We won't publish comments until we have a winner. No multiple entries allowed. Please leave a valid e-mail address, because that's how we'll contact our winner. And remember about our 30-day rule if you've won recently. Full rules after the break.

Mike Oz

October 7, 2009 9:10 AM


APTOPIX_Tigers_Twins_Baseball.JPG American League Playoffs, 3:07 p.m. WTBS: Don't worry if you weren't able to come up with a good excuse to get out of work. You still should be able to get home in time to see the end of the Major League Baseball division series opener between the Minnesota Twins and the New York Yankees. It will be interesting to see if the Twins will be riding high off their tremendous run to win the division or they will be tired after playing the game Tuesday night against the Detroit Tigers to win the division crown. Either way, this is the start of what should be weeks of exciting baseball action.

Rick Bentley

October 7, 2009 8:02 AM

According to my mother, who tried to convince me to go Christmas shopping with her last week, it's never too early to start thinking about the holidays.

With that in mind, Neiman Marcus presents to us, a country desperately in need of pure, unadulterated joy, the cupcake car.

The cupcake car. And it's customized.

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Like most people, I've spent countless hours daydreaming of the things I would do with a small fortune. Never in my wildest dreams ...

Heather

October 7, 2009 12:00 AM

The return of the Big Fresno Fair means new dishes from Chicken Charlie. Here's a sneak peek at the zucchini weenie:


Joan Obra

October 6, 2009 6:30 PM

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The issue of race floats lazily over the new Fresno State production of "Picnic" -- not in an oppressive way but in a fresh, vital manner that makes this classic play resonate just a little differently than if it were done with white actors in all the leading roles.

Thomas-Whit Ellis, who specializes in African-American dramatic literature at the university, often devotes his annual directing slot in the season lineup to plays that speak to race and diversity. With "Picnic," which has long been a staple of college and community theater productions ever since William Inge wrote it in 1953, he's opted for a more oblique racial statement. He cast a black actor (Brandin Hamilton) in the pivotal role of Hal Carter, the stormy stranger who pops up in a small Kansas town one day and causes a minor bit of havoc in the life of the pretty Madge Owens (Ashley Hyatt) and her family.

Donald Munro

October 6, 2009 3:45 PM

You guys, I just don't know what's happening lately. I'm talking about children. In sexual-like situations. There's the Polanski thing, and the Brooke Shields thing, and the Miley Cyrus thing. And now a 9-year old in Peru is getting attention for making a shot-for-shot video cover of Britney Spears' "Toxic."

You're familiar with Britney Spears, right? Super-conservative pop singer who sings about puppies and unicorns while wearing turtlenecks and long skirts?

Sigh. I'm not even certain I should post this (consider this a warning), but I want everyone else to be as outraged as I am, immediately.

Parents. Come on. Do you have to make it that easy for the pedophiles? Because I'm certain this child did not put together this video with the kids from her third grade class.

Heather

October 6, 2009 2:02 PM

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It's never too early to start planning for the Rogue Festival, right? I've stumbled upon an idea I feel will make the festival a real barn burner this year. Ready?

Naked Brunch.

The Melbourne Fringe Festival puts on a naked brunch where festival participants strip down, eat, and chat about being creative and stuff, and I'm willing to bet that this is one of the biggest attention-getters in the whole festival. What does every festival need? Festival-goers. And what brings people to festivals in droves? Promotion. And what's the best way to promote something? Bare asses.

We may not be the prettiest city, or the smartest city, but what we have in spades is good weather. I read somewhere that Rogue is taking place in March this year. Do you see where I'm going with this?

Naked brunch, Fresno-style. Boom. Most successful event ever.

I'm not a promoter, or an expert in planning things, so I'll leave the deets up to you, the professionals. And you can just thank me in the program or whatever.

Heather

October 6, 2009 1:38 PM

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No, we're not going to talk about eating placentas, or making teddy bears with them.

My WTF moments yesterday were different from Heather's. There was the shocking announcement that Gourmet magazine would close after almost 70 years in print. The other startling news is McDonald's opening in the Louvre.

The Telegraph's story includes this tidbit from a Louvre statement: "McDonald's would represent the 'American' segment of a new 'food court', and would be situated 'among (other) world cuisines and coffee shops.' "

As Gourmet falls, McDonald's is elevated to a world cuisine. That just blows my mind.

Joan Obra

October 6, 2009 1:35 PM

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UPDATE: ... And I've already got a volunteer. Thanks to the multi-talented Mallory Moad, who quickly called me up and offered to help. Feel free to jabber about Hammer Pants and ridiculous patterns in the comments.

ORIGINAL POST: First a bit of news: I'll be introducing MC Hammer at The Big Fresno Fair next Monday night. Yes, hella awesome, but it's also created a bit of an obstacle that maybe someone out there can help with.

If I'm going to introduce Hammer, I can't do it in some regular ol' pants. No, I need some Hammer Pants. Thus far, my search has come up short.

I spent a day when I was on vacation hitting up various thrift stores around town, trying to track down something Hammer-worthy. I went to Yoshi Now, Emerald Thrift and every other place on Van Ness Avenue, plus some in the Tower. But I was shutout.

I've come to this conclusion: I need custom Hammer Pants. Even better, I need yellow and black Beehive Hammer Pants. But there's no way I can make them.

Which is why I need you -- our wonderful readers. If I pay for all the materials, anybody out there want to make me some Beehive Hammer Pants?

Mike Oz

October 6, 2009 11:58 AM

Ready for a diverse night? Let's start at Roe where it's Top Model Tuesdays. Tyra Banks has nothing to do with this, but Dominick Young does. We're hoping Tark is a judge.

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Mike Oz

October 6, 2009 8:53 AM

morgan.jpg "Scare Tactics" 9 p.m. Syfy: When Tracy Morgan is not starring on "30 Rock" he gets to host this terror version of "Candid Camera." In tonight's season opener, on the cable channel formerly known as Sci Fi, a doctor's receptionist must deal with a patient who demands to be reattached to his former conjoined twin. Then there is the handyman who meets a female serial killer who keeps men's underwear as trophies. The other two pranks include a prankster who dresses as a giant spider to scare a young woman but gets the scare himself and the humor that comes from when a car carrying a group of partygoers breaks down on the property of a crazy cult. Morgan's not the best host but the show will scare up a few smiles.

Rick Bentley

October 5, 2009 4:46 PM

As promised, here are 14 videos from my Re:FUSE Fest travels. I captured performances from the pre-party on Friday and from the festival itself on Saturday.

So whether you missed Re:FUSE and want a taste, didn't watch these bands or just want to see them again ... here ya go. Remember to leave your festival reviews over here.

MOTEL DRIVE



Mike Oz

October 5, 2009 3:49 PM

For some reason, there was an excessive number of photos of celebrities with their kids on the sites today. Here are random pictures I found interesting/funny today:

Angelina Jolie takes stylish daughters Shiloh and Zahara out for some shopping in France (via Dlisted)

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Heather

October 5, 2009 2:44 PM

Mondays are usually quiet, but not tonight. A couple of rock shows aimed at the all-ages crowd will definitely have the volume turned up this evening.

At Chinatown Youth Center, Rhode Island hardcore band Soul Control makes a tour stop with SoCal's Dangers and NorCal's Strike to Survive in tow.

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Mike Oz

October 5, 2009 2:24 PM

Hey, parents. Looking for a clever way to preserve the memory of your child's time in the womb? Not to worry, the Placenta Teddy Bear is just what you're looking for.

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From web site Inhabitots:

A crafty alternative for those who don't necessarily want to eat their baby's placenta, but want to pay their respects to the life sustaining organ by turning it into a one-of-a-kind teddy bear... The placenta must be cut in half and rubbed with sea salt to cure it. After it is dried out, it is treated with an emulsifying mixture of tannin and egg yolk to make it soft and pliable. Then, you craft it into a teddy bear.

Sadly, you can't play with the bear -- it has to stay in a glass jar for safe-keeping, like one of those fetal pigs that used to freak you out in high school Biology. Nevertheless, you and your child will have hours of fun staring at the Placenta Teddy Bear together, especially once the other parents find out about it and stop allowing their kids over to play.

Heather

October 5, 2009 12:36 PM

I'm not really sure what this is, but the 80s synth-track is mesmerizing.

[Source]

Heather

October 5, 2009 12:00 PM

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Vampire Weekend, one of the hottest indie rock bands of 2008, will play The Cellar Door in Visalia on Nov. 9.

Tickets go on sale at noon on Friday via TicketWeb and cost $20.

Promoter Aaron Gomes of Sound N Vision -- who deserves another pat on the back for landing this -- expects tickets to sell real fast.

"This'll sell out in less than five minutes," he says. "I've been told that there are some very special surprises lined up."

A note for Vampire Weekend fans: The band debuted a new track, titled "Horchata," today on their site. The band's sophomore album, "Contra," is due in January.

That first part of November is looking nice concert-wise: Little Dragon is coming back on Nov. 5. Jay-Z is Nov. 7. And now this on Nov. 9.

Mike Oz

October 5, 2009 11:21 AM

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Well, Fresno, I'm not sure what kind of silver lining we're going to put on this one. I'll just give you the bad news straight up.

The Daily Beast measured the intelligence of America's 55 largest cities ... and Fresno finished dead last.

The study looked at factors such as how many college graduates we have, how our educational institutions measure up and how many non-fiction books we read.

You can read all about the process on their site. Of Fresno, they wrote:

Mike Oz

October 5, 2009 11:04 AM

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Local music dominated my weekend courtesy of the Re:FUSE Fest, but there was so much happening over the weekend that people must have lots to talk about on this Monday morning. So fill us in where you did, what you saw and how it was.

FRIDAY
I was as the Re:FUSE pre-party at Full Circle Brewing Co. But there were lots of entertainment options: Livestrong benefit concerts, Dan Hicks, Pepe Aguilar/Marco Antonio Solis or Lisa Lampinelli? Let's hear about 'em.

SATURDAY
It was all Re:FUSE Fest for me, except for some morning errands that were pretty boring. Non-FUSErs could have hit up the Civil War Revisited, The Pink Show or the Sierra Arts Trails. Anyone?

SUNDAY
For me, it was a day of rest and football. But I hear that the Jamie Foxx concert drew a very modest crowd at Saroyan Theatre -- blame it on the ti-ti-ti-ti-tickets prices. Anybody go to the show?

YOUR TURN
Anything is fair game -- movies you saw, restaurants you went to, whatever.

Mike Oz

October 5, 2009 8:40 AM

Chiefs_Vikings_Football.JPG "Monday Night Football" 5:30 p.m. ESPN: Even the most passive NFL fan has to be looking forward to this game. You have former Green Bay Packers legend Brett Favre now quarterbacking the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers defense should know every move Favre is going to make but at the same time he knows every weakness in their defense. This will also be the chance for Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers to show his skills. It's really early in the season, but this game means a lot to both teams and not just for bragging rights. At the end of the night, either Minnesota will be alone at the top of the NFC North division or in a three-way tie for first.

Rick Bentley

October 4, 2009 12:16 PM

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What a day of local music Saturday at the Re:FUSE Festival. Downtown was bustling with tunes. The streets were busy with people hopping from one venue to the next. And the bands were great -- I can't say I saw anything that I didn't like.

I've got a bunch of videos coming your way tomorrow, but for now I'd like to hear what you liked and didn't like. What bands did you dig the most? What venues? What could have been improved? What suggestions would you make for next year? Leave 'em in the comments. Here are a few from me:

LIKE: Motel Drive! I only caught the last two songs of their set, but I was really diggin' what I saw. I knew I would. I've liked their recorded material, but their live energy was nice. I definitely want to see them again.

LIKE: Club One. Everytime I went to Club One, I thought about how great of a music venue their banquet room could be. All the bands I saw there -- 40 Watt Hype, Motel Drive, The Escorts -- sounded and looked good it. The room fit a good amount of people and had a very comfortable layout. More shows there please?

Mike Oz

October 4, 2009 6:30 AM

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In Sunday's Spotlight section I write about Danielle Jorn's performance in the 2nd Space production of "Lost in Yonkers." Here's my full interview with her:

In your estimation, what do you think it is about you and this role that makes people, well, gush?

Every character I've ever played I've tried to really invest in their circumstances and really tell the audience who they are. To be honest, when I'm in a play I don't think about how I can make myself look good, rather I think about how can I best tell this persons story and represent them the best way that I can. Bella is so representable and has such a beautiful story to tell and I truly love telling her story every night. I think when an actor loves playing a role and really cares about them it makes it that much easier for the audience to love them too.

Donald Munro

October 2, 2009 5:18 PM

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All festivals or annual events are NOT created equal. Some are fantastic, like this weekend's Sierra Art Trails. They're the kind that you want to take out-of-town guests to -- and that you want to attend yourself every year. Others are, well, just kind of so-so. You know what I mean. If I see the same old booth selling cheap plastic cowboy hats one more time, I'm going to wrangle someone away to the Better Business Bureau. I asked some of my Beehive comrades to share their festival thoughts. I'd like to hear from readers, too. What's the one festival/event that you look forward to every single year? What would you avoid like a pair of cheap earrings?

DONALD: Sierra Art Trails is amazing. Where else do you get the chance to get up and close and personal with talented artists and hang out with them in their own studios? I wrote a story this week for The Bee about a great off-the-beaten track artist to visit: Lucy Hunt-Pierson, who has a gorgeous studio in an isolated valley outside of O'Neals. (An example of her work is at right.) There are lots of other great stops on the trail, too, which extends through eastern Madera and Mariposa counties. As for my least favorite festivals: I'm pretty much bored silly by Vintage Days. Ho-hum.

Donald Munro

October 2, 2009 3:45 PM

Here are random pictures of celebrities I found interesting/funny/sad today:

Grandma Lohan makes her best sexy face while hanging out in Paris with her 15-year old sister (and apparent high school dropout) Ali (via Dlisted)

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Heather

October 2, 2009 2:56 PM

Cynthia Chapman writes that The Bra Banner, which Kathy has been blogging about on the Beehive, made CNN with a report by KSEE's Stefani Booroojian:

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We write about the Pink Show, of which the Bra Banner is a part, in Friday's issue of 7.

Donald Munro

October 2, 2009 2:25 PM

You should know by now that my top pick for the weekend is the Re:FUSE Fest. I've blogged about it. Wrote my column about it. Wrote another story about it. So just go!

I've also written a lot about all the other big live music events of the weekend, which is a pretty busy one. Try here or here for a refresher. So for 'Five Things' this week, I'm going to give you some different stuff, OK?

1. 'WHIP IT' WITH FRESNO'S DERBY GIRLS
Go check out "Whip It," the new roller derby themed movie -- Rick Bentley gave it an A-, btw -- and you might see the ladies of NoTown Roller Derby skating around. They'll be around Edwards at 7 p.m. tonight trying to spread the word about local roller derby. Their next bout is in Visalia against the Derby Dames on Oct. 10.

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Mike Oz

October 2, 2009 1:38 PM

In case you missed it earlier this week, The Daily Show had its take on Sean Hannity's visit near Huron.

The Hannity portion of the video starts at about 1:16. Your thoughts?

The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Where the Riled Things Are
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show
Full Episodes
Political HumorRon Paul Interview

Joan Obra

October 2, 2009 11:44 AM

Come on, come all. Post No Bills is back and has something for you to do this weekend, next weekend and beyond.

Below you'll find the biggest collection of Fresno event fliers and posters anywhere on the whole entire Internets. Concerts, clubs, community events -- it's all here. So give your browser a second to load, grab your calendar and start planning.

As always, we welcome contributions from bands, artists, venues, promoters and regular joes. Send links to mosegueda@fresnobee.com.

Mike Oz

October 2, 2009 11:26 AM

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We talked about this story a lot on the Beehive before, so I thought I'd offer an update: Bee reporter George Hostetter in today's Sports section writes that Alphonso Bigelow, who in June announced a $10 million pledge, largest in Fresno State athletics history, on Thursday appears to have missed the original due date for payment of the second installment.

In an interesting cultural twist on the story, it turns out that Bigelow also made a pledge a couple of years ago to Fresno Reel Pride. I checked out a rumor with Jon Carroll of Fresno Reel Pride, and he gave me some information that we added to George's story:

Another local organization that had counted on money from Bigelow has given up trying to collect. Bigelow made a $500 pledge in 2007 to Reel Pride, Fresno's gay and lesbian film festival, said Jon Carroll, executive director of the festival. In exchange for his pledge, Bigelow received tickets to events including the opening and closing night parties, an ad in the festival program and other promotional considerations. But Bigelow never paid despite repeated efforts to collect, Carroll said. The festival recently wrote off the pledge -- one of the few times in the 20-year history of the festival that a pledge has gone sour.
"Personally, I think Fresno State has as much of a chance getting their $10 million as we did getting our $500," Carroll said.

By the way, I actually got a byline in the sports section. Pigs are flying today.


Donald Munro

October 2, 2009 10:38 AM

UPDATE 4:45 p.m.: OK, here are our winners:

  • Benito Gutierrez won the "Inspector" tickets.
  • Tasia Lizardo won the "Into the Woods" tickets.
  • Cristobal Carrillo won the "Beehive" tickets.

Congratulations!

ORIGINAL ENTRY: We're in the midst of a big wave of Beehive ticket giveaways this week. Along with our big "Hairspray" giveaway, here are three (count 'em, THREE) more chances to score complimentary tickets:

  • Two tickets to TONIGHT's performance of the Clovis East High School production of "The Real Inspector Hound" (7:30 p.m., Dan Pessano Theatre, Clovis North campus).
  • Two tickets to the FRIDAY OCT. 8 performance of the Clovis North High School production of "Into the Woods" (7:30 p.m., Mercedes Edwards Theatre).
  • Two dinner show tickets to either the SATURDAY OCT. 3 or FRIDAY OCT. 9 performances of the Reedley River City Theatre Company's production of "Beehive" (6:30 p.m. dinner, 8 p.m. show, Reedley Opera House). If you live in the Fresno area, it's well worth the drive to Reedley to experience this historic theater -- PLUS you get two free dinners.

All tickets will be available at Will Call.

Here's how this giveaway will work: I'll accept comments up to 2 p.m. today. Note in your comment which show or shows you want to be eligible for. I'll do a random drawing among the interested comments for each of the three plays. No multiple entries are allowed. I'll notify the winners by email, so be sure to provide a valid email address.

Donald Munro

October 2, 2009 9:21 AM

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Apparently Fresno has gotten its fill of Las Vegas-styled nightlife, as Kirk Vartanian announced yesterday that The Edge space would be re-opening -- but not as a nightclub, as a high-end French restaurant.

Here are some details from today's story by George Hostetter of The Bee:

Vartanian said the restaurant will be called Le Rêve -- The Dream, in French -- and will be owned and operated by Marty Krikorian, his nephew. "I'm too busy," Vartanian said. "I don't have time to run a nightclub."


Le Rêve should open in 45 to 90 days, depending on when it receives a state liquor license, Vartanian said.

Vartanian emphasized that Le Rêve, while it will have entertainment, is not a nightclub. He said the restaurant will be suitable for children as well as adults -- "Anyone who wants a high-end meal."

Mike Oz

October 2, 2009 9:05 AM

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"Monsters vs. Aliens": A ragtag crew of monsters must save the world in this animated film featuring the voices of Reese Witherspoon and Kiefer Sutherland. The mad animation scientists behind the film have built a cartoon creation that will shake the giggles right out of you. The eye-popping computer-generated project is made up of the best parts of cheesy sci-fi and quirky creature-feature films.

Movies
"Whip It": The film about a young girl's new passion for roller derby, directed by Drew Barrymore, solidifies Ellen Page as the leader among the current young generation of actors. She's a strong actress who is equally believable as an emotionally confused woman and as the teen terror of roller derby known as Babe Ruthless. As with a winning roller derby team, Page gets support from Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis and Daniel Stern.

Television
"Stargate Universe," 9 p.m. tonight, Syfy: his third series in the "Stargate" franchise is taking a very different approach. It starts with a new twist on the intergalactic gate travels when scientists, soldiers, politicians and civilians find themselves on an ancient spaceship headed at faster-than-light speed away from Earth. The group must repair the ancient vessel, which is their only hope of survival. This is the darkest of the three "Stargate" series bringing it more in line with the much-heralded upgraded "Battlestar Galactica." The approach opens the way for more character studies which is a good idea but the action element should not be forgotten.

Rick Bentley

October 2, 2009 8:54 AM

stargate.JPG "Stargate Universe," 9 p.m. tonight, Syfy: This third series in the "Stargate" franchise is taking a very different approach. It starts with a new twist on the intergalactic gate travels when scientists, soldiers, politicians and civilians find themselves on an ancient spaceship headed at faster-than-light speed away from Earth. The group must repair the ancient vessel, which is their only hope of survival. This is the darkest of the three "Stargate" series bringing it more in line with the much-heralded upgraded "Battlestar Galactica." The approach opens the way for more character studies which is a good idea but the action element should not be forgotten. Ming-Na, Robert Carlyle, Louis Ferreira, Brian J. Smith, Elyse Levesque, David Blue and Lou Diamond Phillips star.

Also tonight: The season opener of "'Til Death" launches at 8:30 p.m. on KMPH (Channel 26.1).

Rick Bentley

October 1, 2009 5:34 PM

UPDATE: The investigation finished, and a kid was behind the poll.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: This headline caught my attention this morning: "Secret Service probing Facebook poll on Obama." Here's the first paragraph:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. Secret Service is investigating an online survey that asked whether people thought President Barack Obama should be assassinated, officials said Monday.

What do you think: Is this poll question OK? Offensive? Should it have been reviewed? Is it worthy of investigating as a threat?

Discuss.

Kathy Mahan

October 1, 2009 4:41 PM

The Fresno Art Museum has long had a leaky roof that has been damaging important things like, well, ART, and it's been desperate for the City Council to help fix the damage. (The city owns the building and is responsible for the roof.) In a decision today, the Council decided to postpone the repairs until spring because of a technicality. Bee reporter Russell Clemings writes in a bulletin:

City officials blamed the delay on a dispute over which of two bids should be accepted - the lowest one, which was missing a required piece of information, or a slightly higher one that was deemed legally complete. Council members were told that accepting either of the bids could increase the risk that the city would be sued and a judge would order work delayed until well into the winter rainy season.

I don't know anything more right now about the story than this -- whether museum officials agreed to the delay, or if there's a contingency plan to deal with water damage -- but fresnobee.com commenters are already pointing out the disparities between a city bailing out the Fresno Metropolitan Museum to the tune of $15 million and not even fixing the Fresno Art Museum's roof in time for another rainy season. I want to know more. Could the Council really be that thick-headed?

Donald Munro

October 1, 2009 3:21 PM

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We're only a couple days away from the Re:FUSE Festival, which is going to be a great chance to sample Fresno's live music talent, with 40 bands in eight venues.

The entire Re:FUSE schedule has been released. You can see it at the Re:FUSE site or check it out below. Now that times and venues have been put next to the band names, it's time to start making choices.

Personally, I'm trying to see as many bands as I haven't seen before, so I'll probably pick The Escorts over Patrick Contreras. But I'd like to hear from festivalgoers: Who are you looking forward to seeing? What tough choices will you be making?

Mike Oz

October 1, 2009 2:32 PM

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UPDATE: We have a winner! I've sent an e-mail to Chris. Thanks for playing!

ORIGINAL POST: Now that you have pizza on the mind, here's a chance to win three coupons for TJ's Pizza Buffet. Each coupon is good for one pizza buffet and drink.

For the details about the pizza, salad bar, macaroni and cheese, soups, breadsticks and desserts, check out this story I wrote when TJ's opened in August.

Here's what Mike Oz had to say about TJ's: "I tried out TJ's Pizza Buffet out at Willow/Nees, which was pretty good. The pizza tastes a lot like Hero's, but it's cheaper and with better (self) service."

I'll give away the three coupons to the SEVENTH commenter on this post. The winner must pick up the tickets at the Bee's front lobby. Please remember: No multiple entries are allowed. We won't publish comments until we have a winner. Rules are on the jump.

Joan Obra

October 1, 2009 12:45 PM

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Mike Oz already gave you some great options for tonight. Here are a few more:

"CAPITALISM": See it for free at 7:30 p.m. at Edwards. Director Michael Moore explains on his Web site:

To kick off the national release of "Capitalism: A Love Story," I've asked the studio to offer a number of screenings in the nation's hardest hit cities -- the ones with the highest unemployment rates and highest foreclosure rates -- where those who've lost their jobs or who are in foreclosure (or have already been evicted) may attend my film free of charge. They've agreed, and so tonight (Thursday), the night before our opening day, ten cities will grant you free admission if you have fallen on hard times. The list of theaters and cities is below. You don't need to bring any "proof" of your situation -- just show up -- it's the honor system, no questions asked.

My review of "Capitalism" is in Friday's 7 section, but it's already moved on the national McClatchy wire. Here's a sneak peek from the Kansas City Star.

Donald Munro

October 1, 2009 12:23 PM

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With the arrival of National Pizza Month, it's time for us to share our favorite spots for pies or slices.

Are you a fan of Corsaro's in Kingsburg? Luna in Clovis? Mike's Pizzeria in Fresno? Or someplace else?

Tell us what you're eating and where. And watch out for these pizza-related events:

[photo source: zpizza]

Joan Obra

October 1, 2009 12:06 PM

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UPDATE 3:30 p.m 10/2: And we have a winner! I have an email out to confirm. Thanks for playing.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: OK, here's a pretty cool giveaway for theater fans: You can win TWO tickets to the Good Company Players production of "Hairspray" at Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater PLUS buffet dinner. (Drinks, tip, and dessert are not included.) The gift certificates for the show/dinner are good for any performance except Friday and Saturday nights, depending on ticket availability, of course. You can read my review of the show here.

Here's how it'll work: Just tell us in a comment what your favorite Broadway musical is and why. At 3 p.m. Friday, I'll randomly pick one commenter from this post as a winner. No multiple entries are allowed. I'll notify the winner by email, so be sure to provide a valid email address. Because the winner isn't determined by the order of the comments received, like we do for many of our contests, I'll be publishing the comments as they're received. Rules are on the jump.

Donald Munro

October 1, 2009 11:59 AM

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Once upon a time Wheels of Fortune was Niilo Smeds' one-man band. Now it's practically a local indie rock supergroup. Andrew Bunnell (who you might remember from Pinkeye), James Brittain-Gore (of No Cello) and Dylan Tidyman-Jones (of Hi Castle) are now Wheels members -- and tonight they're releasing an album and playing at Tokyo Garden for the after-ArtHoppers.

We'll let Niilo tell you more. He's also offering up a free (and very good) mp3 for your downloading pleasure.

Thursday is the Wheels of Fortune CD release show at Tokyo, post-arthop. We're playing with Yesterday's Chonies, Michael K and Rademacher. Typical post-arthop show - 9pm, $5, 21 & over. We recorded the album this summer with our friend and ex-Fresnan Rob Jackson. A song from the album, "Give It All Back," is downloadable at http://is.gd/3BJih (direct link) or streaming at http://www.myspace.com/wheelsoffortune

We're also playing the Fuse Fest on Saturday, at the Spiral Garage. Which should be extra awesome.

Mike Oz

October 1, 2009 10:28 AM

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This Roman Polanski thing has me much more stirred up than it should. It seems to be escalating into another one of those Hollywood vs. Real People situations, much like Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan spending 82 and 84 minutes in jail, respectively, for their second D.U.I.s.

Of course, the situation here is much more serious: In 1977, 43-year old Polanski drugged and raped a 13-year old. He plied the child with drugs and alcohol and then forced himself on her. Then he fled the country to avoid punishment.

Sure, there's more to the story than that. Polanski was indicted on six charges, among them child molestation and sodomy. He ended up pleading guilty to a lesser charge of unlawful sexual intercourse, the other charges were dropped, and he served 42 out of the 90 days he was supposed to stay in prison for psychiatric evaluation.

Instead of heading back to prison (even Paris Hilton went back when she was mistakenly released early), Polanski fled the country, and for 30 years has avoided the U.S. and any other country that complies with U.S. extradition laws, though he's still been allowed to make money in this country off the distribution of his films, and even won an Academy Award for directing in 2002 (which he of course did not pick up in person).

Heather

October 1, 2009 9:58 AM

COOPER.JPG "Change the World, You Vote, CNN Heroes," 8 p.m. CNN: The special, hosted by Anderson Cooper, looks at the 10 nominees for this year's "CNN Hero of the Year" to be presented in November. The nominees are ordinary individuals who have made extraordinary impacts on the world. This year's nominees were selected from more than 9,000 submissions, a record for the "CNN Heroes" initiative that began in 2007. Nominees were selected by a panel that included Retired Gen. Colin Powell, Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Turner, Shakira, Rosanna Rosado, Mariane Pearl, Malaak Compton-Rock, and Sir Elton John. The top hero will be picked by the public via voting at cnn.com/Heroes.

Also tonight: The season opener of "Private Practice" is at 10 p.m. on KFSN (Channel 30.1).

Rick Bentley

October 1, 2009 9:29 AM

You know how some people probably shouldn't use Twitter? Would-be jailbird nightclub mogul Kirk Vartanian is one of them. Apparently something is going on with K-Vart and The Edge, but from reading his recent Tweets, we can't figure out what it is:

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Kirk has experience with hilarious Tweets. This one above (notice he didn't spell Edge correctly) he's been posting for the last few days. He clarified slightly yesterday:

Mike Oz

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