TV Stuff, and Crosstown Football, and Some BBall

"Beavis & Butt-head" returned to MTV last night. Of course, I had to watch (someone told me there was a baseball game on or something?). I found it to be quite satisfying! Which is about as high as I'd ever go as "praise" for that show. Since MTV doesn't believe in the music video anymore, the boys have to watch the other crap MTV programming, and they skewer it pretty well! After 14 years away, have they grown up at all? Oh, hell no! Though Beavis' voice seems a little bit deeper. I find it funny though, that the new B&B's audience is more likely to be parents than their kids!

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Speaking of other programming that's geared for parents...Halloween's Monday Night "RAW" will be guest hosted by the Muppets. Which seems appropriate--colorful characters being manipulated by others...

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Big crosstown football game here tonight (oops...just found out it's Saturday afternoon!). The winner should go into the state playoffs as the #1 team. I realize full well that many cities have as many high schools as this state has total. Which makes the crosstown game so much more intense. Even the towns here that have three high schools don't have the same feeling to them as a true crosstown. Of course, you don't see my cookies freezing off watching it...

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It's not much of a secret that Carroll College is a national powerhouse in NAIA football. And has been since the turn of the century. Their basketball team has had some success on the national stage, but not anything past the semifinals. However, tonight they are playing the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Yes, THOSE Gonzaga Bulldogs. Ranked #23 in the NCAA. I don't expect a win from the Saints tonight...

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I've been browsing through my cable channels. Seeing as how I'm paying for them, I figured I should see what I've been missing. Not much, from what I've seen, though I'm going back to check out BBCAmerica a bit more, and the National Geographic channel is pretty good. But the one that's grabbed my attention, in a carwreck sort of way, is RFD-TV. "Rural America's Most Important Network". I really don't want to pass judgment, but good golly, is this thing ever...I can't think of the right word. Think of a "Hee-Haw" audience, with ag news, music shows, crop reports and a good dose of gospel. Plus reruns of the aforementioned "Hee-Haw"! And I'm hooked. Well, on the music shows, at least.

There's THREE different polka music shows! Lawrence Welk, but with smaller bands. I was mesmerized. My first thoughts in watching were that there's these guys playing on a big stage, with not much audience. I could empathize with them, as I've played plenty of polkas in my life, and there's nothing worse than playing to a handful of people. Then the cameras panned the audience. Think of the large Baptist mega-churches--that sort of audience. While the production value of these shows isn't spectacular, I can't help but be impressed with the musicianship. That is hardly lacking! Polka music is a bitch!

And there's plenty of gospel music. I actually like watching gospel shows. Not so much for the message (that sounds terrible, doesn't it?), but for the actual performances. Impeccable harmonies, great range of voices, and when you get into the uptempo stuff, some blazingly fantastic piano playing. Again, as a musician, I have a real appreciation for it. Could I do it as a vocation, or listen to it 24/7? Oh, hell no! But now I know that if I need a fix, I have a channel to tune in to to get it!