ABC’s Super Nanny

In August of 2006, a Scottish family began to seek legal advice claiming that the reality television series, Super Nanny, had distorted the image of their family in order to gain higher ratings for the television show. Super Nanny herself, the British Jo Frost, was called in by the Docherty family to help organize their household, put the family on a daily schedule, and help train their rowdy, out of control children. The episode, like many other episodes, featured the family’s three young boys who kick, swear, punch and spit at their parents. The parents were depicted in a similar fashion in the episode, revealing two out of control people who scream constantly and curse at each other and their young children. After the show aired, the family claims that their neighborhood and community began shunning them because the reality show had depicted them as a dysfunctional family. The parents claim, like several other parents who have called Jo Frost into their home, that the show was edited to make them look worse than they really were — which is a typical complaint of people who participate in any type of reality program. However, the Dochertys also admit that the family is functioning much better since Jo Frost departed their household. The lawsuit is likely to be tossed out before it reaches litigation.

Super Nanny is filmed both the UK and the US, and has made nanny extraordinaire Jo Frost a household name. Frost is a lifelong nanny who has worked for many wealthy families in the UK, and now can add “author” to her many credits, having recently published a book on child rearing. Originally a British reality show, Super Nanny first aired in the UK in 2004. Super Nanny remains an extremely popular show, drawing 3.1 million viewers to its premiere episode in 2006, though previous seasons drew nearly twice that amount.

The same premise is shown on both continents; the show features Jo Frost arriving at a household that is usually in complete disarray, with at least two children running wild and screaming and the parents at their wit’s end. Frost has become known for her catch phrases “You have been very, very naughty” and “This behavior is totally unacceptable”. While maintaining a strict, no nonsense demeanor, Frost uses encouragement and positivity as her core techniques. She assists the parents by helping them regain control in the household by using discipline techniques like the “naughty chair” for a highly effective time out period. At first, many parents insist that her techniques will probably not work with their horribly-behaved and ill tempered children, but by the end of the show, they are always true believers in the Frost school of discipline.

The cameras return a month after filming without Frost to determine if she had a long term effect on the family. The revisit shows a happy and connected family, all members smiling and telling the camera how much Jo Frost did for their family and for their own self respect. The once-horrid children usually say simply “I love JoJo” or “JoJo made me good” — and it takes a cynical person to disbelieve their sweet little faces and not smile at their decidedly non-naughty behavior.

Are you a Reality T.V. fan? There is a whole community waiting for you at reality-community.com Reality Community – reality-community.com reality-community.com Ed Charkow the author of this article is an avid poster and participant there. If you are a Reality TV junkie – he would love to see you there.

Oscars 2010 Best Director Nominees: James Cameron, Kathryn Bigelow, Quentin Tarantino

Check our more Oscars 2010 Episodes in Indy Mogul’s Oscar Playlist: bit.ly A closer look at the Oscars 2010 Best Director Nominations James Cameron, Kathryn Bigelow, Quentin Tarantino, Lee Daniels and Jason Reitman! Host Grace Randolph gives you all the info on these Best Director Nominees for the 2010 Academy Awards, honoring the films Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious and Up In The Air! Enjoy the Oscars 2010!

Pioneer Orchestra End Concert 2008 – Summer from Four Season

“Summer” from the Four Seasons, by Vivaldi (Arr. mcbrien). Mr. Fischer, the band director, personally knew the arranger of this piece. Sorry the quality is so bad, it was taken on a 1.3MP camera phone. The CD quality songs (but without video) will be posted later.

SPRING (VIVALDI FOUR SEASONS)

SPRING (VIVALDI FOUR SEASONS)

II. Vivaldi: Là sull’eterna sponda / Sonia Prina

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi, 1678 – 1741 – Montezuma: Là sull’eterna sponda Sonia Prina: contralto Il Giardino Armonico Conducted by Giovanni Antonini

Antonio Vivaldi – Pt 3 of 6 – Great Composers

Decorating In A Victorian Style? Don’t Forget The Old Prints

Although Victorian interior design doesn’t suit everyone’s tastes, the Victorian style can be adapted and implemented in a variety of pleasing ways. Whether you decide to replicate a true Victorian drawing room, or simply wish to add a Victorian touch here and there, the following general themes can serve as a guide.

Victorian Colors

With color, you can go one of two ways. Light colorwashes typify rural homes in the early Victorian era, while deeply vibrant colors reflect the more upscale Victorian home. Bright colors, including reds, greens, oranges, and blues, are appropriate, as are deep, dark earth colors.

But the Victorian color story doesn’t stop there. Victorian rooms most often used one central color, but incorporated many other colors as well. The Victorians were not known for their tone-on-tone sensibilities. Green, blue, and yellow may be the palette of one room, while red, orange, and brown might be incorporated into another.

Victorian Textures

Color is only the first chapter in Victorian decorating, as the use of texture in Victorian rooms is key. Texture is achieved in a wide variety of ways. Moldings, for example, are a central element in Victorian design. Wallpaper is also used extensively, particularly floral, scrolled patterns and embossed wallpaper. Similarly, texture is achieved through techniques used in the application of paint, such as sponging, stenciling, and even painted leaves and trellises.

Victorian Fabrics

Texture is also expressed in Victorian interior design through the use of fabric. During the Victorian era, fabric was key, and was incorporated into heavy, ornate draperies that often featured elaborate valances with fringe and tassels. Furniture was covered in rich fabrications and upholstered in such a way as to add even more texture to the room.

A Modern Twist

Today’s eclectic decorating styles enable you to successfully bring a Victorian flair into your room or home without having to mimic every element of color, texture, and fabric. You can borrow from the rich color palette while maintaining modern furnishings, for example, or simply carry a Victorian theme throughout a single room or your home by using Victorian old prints.

Victorian Old Prints

Victorian old prints come from publications, such as magazines, newspapers, and books, from the 1800s. The antique prints are originals (as opposed to reproductions), and are prints made from either wood engravings or copper engravings. Many are in black in white, but others are hand colored.

Victorian old prints can reflect the social history of the era, with themes like architectural structures, fine art, and the theatre. They can also reflect historical events, such as war and battle ships. Many old prints depict the Victorian interest in classifying and cataloging natural history, so you can find amazing botanical, bird, and animal prints.

Decorating with old prints is as simple as matting, framing, and hanging the art in your Victorian room or throughout your home. Victorian old prints bring a sense of authenticity and immediacy to your decorating efforts in a way that today’s fabrics, textures, and colors cannot.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular

Exclusive Interview – Roger Cross, Former Star of 24

Curtis Manning of CTU was one hell of a patriot, but that ended up being his downfall. Curtis was a loyal member of CTU and a loyal friend of Jack Bauer, but it was his friend Jack Bauer who had to murder him for the greater good earlier in this season. This was an unfortunate blow for 24 fans who had come to love Curtis Manning as a character, and also was a blow to the actor who played Curtis Manning, Roger Cross.

Roger Cross sat down for an exclusive interview with Roger Cross recently, and Mr. Cross seems like an all-around genial fellow. He started his career in life as a commercial pilot, but ended up in Hollywood as a stunt man. Born in Jamaica, Cross spent his first 11 years of life there before emigrating to North America for good with his parents. It became clear to him that his path was going to end up in the acting realm and so he pursued it fully.

He got his role on 24 and, although it was originally slated to only be a 6 episode arc for the Curtis character, the show ended up keeping him for full two seasons and the beginning of this last one. His death had nothing to do with how the show felt about him, but just was meant to give Jack Bauer more torment, as if he needed any more. Roger Cross will continue to act in Hollywood, although he doesn’t know where he’ll end up next. Wherever it is, we’ll be watching.

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