Fact Of The Day

[indianasmith]

Beyond the realm of things we know lies the realm of things we DON'T know.

[BoyScoutKevin]

There are a number of music award shows on TV.

The MTV Video
The Billboard
The American
and the grandfather of all music awards The Grammy, . . .

but none of them are more popular with the 2-17 crowd, nor more watched then . . .

The Radio Disney, . . .

which were on in April and the most watched show, of all the shows on TV, that day by the 2-17 crowd. And for girls 2-14, it was the most watched show that month. Which brings up several thoughts.

I doubt that Radio Disney, since they have their target audience, will do anything to appeal to an older audience, but the other award shows, are they going to do anything to appeal to an younger audience?

I must also admit, that polling the TV watching habits of a 2-year-old, makes me uncomfortable.

And since the show was so popular among its target audience, we will probably get a 3rd show next year.

And furthermore . . .

I also follow what is popular among adults by reading "Rolling Stone," and while our music has never been our parents' music, and our music is not our kids' music, I don't think the gap has ever been wider, as the only singer who seems to bridge the gap between the groups is singer Taylor Swift.

I will also say that the money is not in the album, but in the tour. The album is often released only to get people to come to the show. And while today's music may not have a chronological appeal, it--apparently--has an international appeal. For the American band R5 has toured overseas, and British band The vamps and Canadian singer Shawn Mendes are touring with Texan (not from Austin, but from San Antonio) Austin Mahone. 5 young men not out of their teens and the 6th only 20. Darn! That is testosterone driven tour. The only thing throwing cold water on the tour, is that--to make the broadest appeal to audiences--the all-girl group Fifth Harmony is also on the same tour.

Next time: If a pretty girl is like a melody, then a good business partnership is like a good marriage.

[ER]

When you're an extra in a movie, you're told not to make eye contact with the stars, even if it's between takes and they're not rolling.

[Chainsawmidget]

Once the parcel post service was introduced, at least two children were sent by mail.  With stamps attached to their clothing, the children rode with railway and city carriers to their destination. The Postmaster General quickly issued a regulation forbidding the sending of children in the mail after hearing of those examples

[LilCerberus]

Murphy's Law was written by a woman.
She wrote her renowned manifesto in the 1930s after buying a "fixer upper" of a house, which turned out to be a money pit, that she ultimately sold at a loss.

[BoyScoutKevin]

It is really surprising how much a good business partnership has in common with a good marriage.

Similar, but Not the Same
More so in a business than a marriage, but you do not want the exact same, as while he or she will enhance your strengths, he or she will also enhance your weaknesses. So get someone similar to you, but not the same.

Respect
Respect your partner and get someone who respects you.

Preparation
Your cannot prepare for every possibility, but do not go into a partnership totally blind neither.

Compromise
The lube that makes everything move and groove. Refuse to compromise, and you get something like the U.S. Congress. Compromise, and you get something like Marvel/Disney. When they bought Marvel, Disney wanted Marvel to move from Seal Beach to Burbank. Marvel wanted to stay in Seal Beach. They compromised. Marvel agreed to move to Burbank, but at a later date than first proposed.

Communicate
Not only inside the partnership, but also outside the partnership, as well.

Commitment
Commit oneself every day to trying to make the partnership work.

Next time: the Figures

[ER]

One trick news anchors have of keeping cool under the hot studio lights is to sit behind the desk with their feet stuck in a bucket of cold water.

[Dennis]

In the movie "Sink the Bismark", Esmond Knight, the actor who plays the captain of HMS Prince of Wales actually served as the gunnery officer of the same battleship and was wounded badly during the fight with Bismark and Prince Eugen

[RCMerchant]

My ass smells like s**t-no really! I aint changed my dam drawers in a week-I been so drunk-Im outta work-got nothing to do except tell folks my ass stinks.

[BoyScoutKevin]

"The Figures"

17 and under
girls: 1 out of every 4 or 25% will be sexually assaulted.
boys: 1 out of 8 or 12.5% will be sexually assaulted.
Or, 67% female and 33% male victims.

college students
18 to 22
women: 1 out of 5 or 20% will be sexually assaulted.
That is a decline of 20% from the previous figure.
men: 1 out of 16 or 6.25% to 6.7% will be sexually assaulted.
That is a decline of 50% from the previous figure.
Or, about 75% female and 25% male victims.

Now, what does all of this may mean?

1. Females are more vulnerable than males.

2. But, no one is totally invulnerable.
Not age
Nor sex
Nor sexual orientation.
But . . .?! Having said that . . .?!
And some studies of the subject have shown this, the older you get, the less vulnerable you get. Not totally invulnerable, but less vulnerable. As to why that may be so, I have no idea.

3. We have to stop thinking of this as a MALE problem or a FEMALE problem, but think of it as a PROBLEM. For even if colleges and universities get the co-ed sexual assault down to 0%, and that cannot come soon enough, they will still have, if there are an equal number of both men and women students, an sexual assault percentage of 3% to 4%, because they are dealing with only half of the problem.

4. Of course, not every male student on campus will sexually assault another student, male or female. Indeed, the percentage that do, is quite small. How small? Over 50% of the sexual assaults are committed by only 3% of the students.

Next time: "We called 'em yuppie puppies."

[BoyScoutKevin]

"And we called them Yuppie's Puppies."

Harrods.

If you can't find it at Harrods, then it does not exist.

I've been there a couple of times, when in London, as it is a tourist attraction in and of itself. Of course, that was before . . .

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

. . . opened inside the store. And where the most expensive package for your little princess (aged 3-12) is . . .

$1640.00.

That price is not what gets me, as I believe, as long as no one breaks the law, they have the right to charge what they want, and I then have the right to decide whether I want to pay that much or not. No, what gets me is that there are parents out there who have that much money and are willing to spend that much money in one day on their little princess (aged 3-12.)

As for what you get for that . . . You get . . .

a ball gown -- a tiara -- shoes -- a sash -- a t-shirt -- a hairstyle -- hair accessories -- a face paint -- nail colour -- a filled beauty case -- a crystal slipper -- an empty travel case -- a photo album -- a photograph -- a commemorative certificate -- and a partridge in a pear tree. No, you get the complete doll collection, consisting of all 11 Disney princess dolls.

And your little knight (aged 3-12) is not forgotten. For him . . . you can get . . .

a t-shirt -- a sword -- a hairstyle -- a face paint -- a photograph -- and a commemorative certificate.

Much less, but at $82.00 a much less price, too.

And, of course, with "Frozen" being the big international hit it is, there are also "Frozen" packages. The most expensive being . . .

$1230.00

. . . for which you get . . .

3 dresses -- a tiara -- 2 pairs of shoes -- a sash -- a hairstyle -- hair accessories -- a face paint -- a filled beauty case -- an Olaf soft toy -- a doll set -- a photo album -- a photograph -- and a commemorative certificate.

And . . .

Next time: Shop there. And dine and eat there.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Most large, stand-alone, independent department stores have someplace you can eat within the store. It makes sense, as they do not want you to leave the store before they extract all the money they can from you. What makes Harrod's in London different is the number, almost 2 dozen, and variety of places to eat.

Restaurants: Asian fusion, elegant dining, ice cream parlor, Italian, jazz cafe, Middle Eastern, pizzeria, rotisserie, seafood, steakhouse, Swiss fusion, and tea room.
Bars: caviar, champagne, coffee, and oyster.
Cafe: Disney

The adult menu has crepes, homemade soups, pastas, quiches, salads, sandwiches, stuffed potatoes, and an afternoon tea. And prices from $12.30 to $25.42.
The kids' menu has kids' favorites in kids' sizes, but also pizza and a Mickey shaped toasty or toasted sandwich. And prices from $10.66 to $15.88.
There is also a dessert menu and a drinks menu, where you can order and be served their house wines and lagers.

I have eaten at Harrod's, though not at the Disney Cafe. The food wasn't that bad. Though, I don't remember how much I paid for it. Though, those prices aren't that bad, considering this is London.

For the last time I was in London, I paid about $80.00 for breakfast. Two things made the price bearable. (1) It was buffet. So it was all you could eat. And (2) It was included in the price of the room at the hotel, where I was staying.

Next time: I'll think of something.

[ER]

Harrod's also has one hell of a strict dress code. I was with someone once and they wouldn't let her in because of what she had on. Still kid her about that sometimes...

[BoyScoutKevin]

Of the last 52 to 54 books I have read, reviews will come in dibs and dabs, almost half had one or more children in peril, as the victim. Of those, half of the victims were boys and half of the victims were girls. Thus, no decision as to whether boys or girls make the better victim.

The difference between boys and girls as victims is that 64% of boys who are victims wind up dead in the book, and 55% of the girls who are victims, wind up dead in the book.

The other difference is that girls are more likely to be victims of some sort of sexual abuse. Of the books just mentioned in the 1st paragraph, 7 featured girls solely as victims of sexual abuse, and not one featured boys solely as victims of some sort of sexual abuse. The only book that had boys as victims of sexual abuse, also had girls as victims of the same abuse.

Next time: rights and left on the table.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Rights and lefts on the table.

People have seen what Marvel/Disney has done with the rights to the Marvel characters that they have, and they look at what the other film studios have done with the rights to the Marvel characters that they have, and they wonder when Marvel/Disney will purchase those rights back.

It ain't going to happen. It's a sellers' market out there, and the cost to buy back the rights is not commiserate with the money that can be earned from those characters. Better to let the rights to the characters lapse and return to the original owners.

Besides the characters have never been effectively mined, even if they have existed for over 70 years, so there are a lot of characters, as proven by "Guardians of the Galaxy" that can be mined for future films. Whose rights to Marvel/Disney do own.

As for TV rights to these characters, not having had a TV for several years, I know less about what is out there on TV, then I do know what is in theaters. I do know that people are getting away from watching programming on TV and watching it on their computers. Which programming has to be filled. Which creates opportunities to use some of the Marvel characters.

There is also the rights to use the Marvel characters in theme park rides and attractions. Most of the rights being owned by NBC/Universal, which is why you won't see them, for the most part at your Disney theme parks till the rights revert back to Marvel/Disney.

Next time: Left on the table, and there is not much left.