Sunday, December 20, 2009

Go Read It!

Our pal Joe Brancatelli reminds us that Frequent Flyer miles are not like money...and that they aren't even about building loyalty to a particular airline like they used to be.

• Posted at 12:57 PM · LINK

Ticket Window

The folks at Ticketmaster are doing a major upgrade on their website. The biggest change is that they're installing a feature where for most venues, you'll be able to view a map of the auditorium or stadium, see which seats are available and then select specific seats. A lot of other sites have had this and it's way overdue for Ticketmaster. This page will give you a little preview and tell you some of the neat tools that will be at your disposal.

I'm just hoping they don't use this as an excuse to tack on another exploitive surcharge. One thing I don't like about Cirque du Soleil is that if you buy tickets online, they charge you a $13.00 "Web convenience fee." That's per ticket, even though it's obviously more convenient for them if you do it that way. And if you take delivery as e-tickets, which is also more convenient for them, they add in another $5.00 per order. So two $125 tickets become a $281.00 order...and you usually don't realize this until you've checked out and your card is charged. (I also once considered trying to pay for my tix with points I've accumulated on the American Express Rewards program. I don't remember the precise math but it was something like if I bought two $125 tickets, it would cost me the same number of points that would get me $400 worth of hotel stay at a Marriott or Hyatt. So I didn't do it.)

Anyway, happy ticketing! Just watch out for sneaky fees.

• Posted at 9:13 AM · LINK

Today's Video Link

Some time ago, I linked you to a few videos of the songwriting (and occasionally, performing) team of Flanders and Swann. Those postings brought a lot of e-mails from folks who'd never heard of them and who wrote me things like, "Where have these two wonderful men been all my life?" Well, here's ten more minutes — three whole songs — with Michael Flanders and Donald Swann. This is from their farewell (more or less) performance in 1967. It may help to keep the date in mind when you watch the first number...

• Posted at 12:48 AM · LINK

From the E-Mailbag...

My buddy Stu Shostak, who's kind of like the Rupert Murdoch of Shokus Internet Radio, has the skinny on that photo I posted earlier of Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, Ed Wynn and Buster Keaton...

That photo of Wynn and Keaton was taken during the filming of a March of Dimes special called The Scene Stealers, that was shot in 1960 and syndicated to local stations to help raise money. The premise was that Wynn and Keaton were vagrants out to do a good deed for the MOD and they snuck onto a movie lot (in this case, Paramount), then went from studio to studio to try to get stars to donate their time for the charity.

Stu also sends the sad news that actress Connie Hines, who was best known for her starring role as Alan Young's spouse on Mr. Ed, passed away yesterday. Last February, Stu did a great two-hour interview with Mr. Young and Ms. Hines on his radio program and he's repeating it tomorrow (Sunday) from Noon 'til 2 PM Pacific Time on his station. That's Shokus Internet Radio and to listen, just go to that website at the appropriate hour and click where they tell you to click.

• Posted at 12:05 AM · LINK