Cast Member Confidential

I'm blogging about someone else's book.  I don't even know the guy who wrote this, but I'm plugging his book anyway because I thought it was a very interesting read.  And a fast read...I read it in one day.  What the hell was I doing reading someone else's book all day long, when I should have been working on my own?  Well...what can I tell ya?  It's good to read other people's work. 

So here's the scoop on "Cast Member Confidential" by Chris Mitchell.  It is:  "the story of a young man who runs away to Disney World, expecting a fantasy Neverland where everybody’s happy and nobody ever dies. After getting a job as a photographer in Walt’s Kingdom, he soon discovers the dark secrets behind Disney’s thin veil of innocence and entertainment."

If you'd rather not see the metaphorical man behind the curtain, and keep the Disney magic alive when you visit the park, then perhaps you'd better not read this.  But honestly, it probably isn't anything you haven't figured out by now.  Like I said, it's really entertaining and well-written.  So go have a look-see at the underbelly of Disney...it's very provocative and lots of fun to read!  And hey...Chris Mitchell, author of this memoir...you're welcome for the shout-out!

That Jenny Craig Commercial...

I'm just now getting to the first blog of 2010 and we're already 20 days in.  Ah well...it could be worse...it could be April!

So right off the bat I need to vent a bit about those current Jenny Craig commercials with Valerie Bertinelli and Sarah Rue.  First of all, Val looks AMAZING!  She really does.  And apparently she's going to turn 50 in a couple of months and run a marathon.  Way to rock it Valerie!  She doesn't even look close to 50.  She looks at least 10 years younger.  And now we have Sarah Rue, who looks at least 5-10 years older than her 31 years (I Wikipedia-searched her and found out her age...with all my spare time and all...)

My beef is the lame-ass banter that these two gals trade in this latest commercial.  It's so stupid.  Val says Sarah is gonna try Jenny.  Sarah says she wants to lose 30 pounds.  Then she says Val is her role model. So far so good.  But then Val says she would like to be Sarah's mentor and Sarah says, "or like a Mum."  Yeah...you read that write...no typo there...she says Mum.  Not Mom....but Mum. It's very bothersome.  And then Val says, "or like an older sister or something," and Sarah says again, "or like a Mum."

What the hell is up with this British pronunciation?  Am I the only one that this feels like fingernails on a chalkboard?  Technically, maybe Valerie could be Sarah's "Mum" but this should NOT be the focus of this commercial.  Val looks amazing and doesn't look 50 and frankly the dialogue between these two gals, back and forth stinks.  They need to hire me to write their commercials!  Presumably, my area of expertise is DIALOGUE!  They both seem so ill-at-ease and it's probably because they have to say things people don't really say in real life.  *Sigh*. 

I have to mute the TV every time this commercial comes on. And it comes on a lot, because after all, it is January....the month we all promise to lose weight and get in shape and become better people and save money and save the world, and live our dream and it all goes to hell in a handbasket right about the 3rd week of January.  Oh wait...this IS the third week of January.  So let me ask you....how are YOU doin' with all those lovely resolutions?  Me?  I'm hanging tough.  For now. 

Talk to me in a couple of weeks...