Michael and Bernie - putting two tragic stories to rest

Here's the one and only thing I'll ever again say about Michael Jackson. He was the saddest entertainer in the history of pop culture.

Here's the one and only thing I'll ever again say about Bernie Madoff. He was the one that got caught.

It was a beautiful weekend here in Seattle. Maya's new tap class was a big hit. And we found a new babysitter that Maya asked to "come back sometime and play again". Which allowed Sarah and I to waste our time seeing "Year One" (my rating - C-minus, not intolerable but barely funny throughout) and savoring an extended dinner at Tilth (my rating - solid B, intriguing "eat local" food but incredibly slow service). Aside from that, we finally watched "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" over the weekend. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The elasticity of both Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett's hotness is impressive. The story, however, was handled with elegance and subtle power. My rating - a wavering B-plus. For David Fincher's direction, I'll offer an A-minus. If you haven't seen it yet like us due to the daunting 2:45 length, split it up over two days. But watch it.

Hope your own life's downfall doesn't merit another full hour on "Larry King" today or any day soon. Rock on.

Tap intro #1 - Toe, heel, running in place. Just warming up.

Tap intro #1 - Toe, heel, running in place. Just warming up.
Originally uploaded by emaggie

Maya started a new dance class today. Half tap, half ballet. She's especially stoked to bring on the noise via her new tap shoes. We've designated them "studio only" shoes because of the inevitable wear and tear we envisioned in our own home. But for this morning's pre-class photo shoot, we made an exception. A few choice pics follow. Rock on.

Tap intro #2 - Work those shoulders and flash the glam

Tap intro #2 - Work those shoulders and flash the glam
Originally uploaded by emaggie

Tap intro #3 - The Big Finish

Tap intro #3 - The Big Finish
Originally uploaded by emaggie

Obama vs. the Press = Tyson vs. Galifianakis

Obama just finished his newser and the questions of the day were nothing if not yawn-inducing. He can just plain outflank and outthink everyone sitting in front of him in that room. Everyone knew he was going to go a bit tougher on Iran's brutality, everyone knew the health care questions would be without nuance, everyone knew someone would ask about his smoking. Here's how I'd score it - he's still walking the right line on Iran. He can talk circles around the entrenched arguments against health care reform. The remaining cluster of weak, snarky turds tossed up were swept off the dais with an impressive mental broom. And if this dude - the Leader of the Free World - can't sneak a smoke while pondering the difficult roster of things hanging in his mind, then anyone else that smokes must stop immediately. End of thread.

Maya's developed an ongoing and expanding relationship with her imaginary friend, Ella Bella. Ol' Ella Bella has done just about everything that happens to show up in any book, TV show or random conversation. Ella Bella's age is utterly fluid - everywhere from being a baby to 100 years old. Ella Bella is fearless and teaching Maya to also be so. I don't know where she initially came from or when exactly she showed up. I tend to think it's hereditary since I also had an imaginary friend when I was pre-school age, according to my Mom. Ironically, his name was George. I don't know what happened to George, but I assume he retired from the business of imaginary leadership to some sort of desolate ranchland in Texas. Just a guess.

Hope your own friends are equally sweet but slightly more tangible today. Rock on.

Like shooting fish in a barrel. Lined up by the millions.

Two quick shots. Iran is obviously on the top of everyone's must watch list. I can't offer anything new. But neither, it sadly appears, can anyone with a news network or political office. For all of the last nearly a decade demonizing Iran's theocratic and political leadership, we got bupkis. Same goes for North Korea, but that's a whole other ball of chickpeas or dung. Since no one else seems ready to make an informed statement on the matter, here's my offering. These public protests aren't going away. The election results will be increasingly seen as fraudulent and the government will become more violent in its fight for survival. What's my source material? The graphic novels "Persepolis" and the equally brilliant animated movie based on them. Watch them and you'll have as much insight as me.

Secondly, the whole "Fire David Letterman" absurdity circus is as cynical as anything perpetrated by a Republican since the coining of the term "War on Terror". Dave is laughing his way to the bank as his ratings go through the roof. The person most upset by this whole manufactured storm of bullshite has to be Conan O'Brien. Who I love, but I must say that his show has been on a downhill slope since it opened big. Sarah and Todd Palin's political savvy isn't even in the same species as Dave's. They've handed Dave gold and are stupid enough to claim it's moosepoop. And anyone clamoring for retribution from a manufactured controversy should look down. Because they're not standing in gold.

Hope your own ratings stay on the rise today. Rock on.

Helping the USO wash all the Kid Rock off of its reputation alone is reason to stand up and cheer...

There was a time when I thought Stephen Colbert's show wouldn't work. Too much of a high-wire act, too one-note, too focused on one personality. Boy, was I a chump. "The Colbert Report" has become one of the best written, most consistently surprising things in pop culture. Colbert is fearless and such a fascinating blend of character and vamp. And in case you've not heard because you were on an ice flow or buried under a pile of real life concerns, this week he's doing a series of USO shows in Baghdad that they're taping for broadcast during his standard slot. Last night was the first example of what they're doing. It's just plain stunningly good work. Colbert's poked the zeitgeist directly in the middle of the forehead in joking repeatedly how Iraq has so fully fallen off the radar that idiots might think it was all over over there. Far from it. Even if you don't watch the show, you need to. And if you're looking to donate charitably in a new direction, I fully admire his link with DonorsChoose.org. Well worth a few sheckles, if you can manage.

Hope your own overseas shows are also recorded in a palace today. Rock on.

A Friday list of stuff I'll never talk about again. Maybe.

On a recent "This American Life" (which I still adore), Ira Glass made a brilliant, humble admission. Even for those of us that too strongly believe in our own opinions and have been schooled in the dark arts (journalism), there are certain stories that you just don't follow. That came to the forefront of my mind again this morning when I realized that Radiohead is just plain old not a band I ever gave a rip about. Which I'm now going to transfer into a free writing experiment for the next few minutes. So, as follows, these things I just don't give a rip about.

1. "CSI:Wherever" or "Law and Order:Anything"
2. Anything having to do with "Jon and Kate Plus 8"
3. "The View"
4. Ethiopian food
5. Wool
6. the "Left Behind" series of books
7. Donald Trump
8. Harness racing
9. Vladimir Putin
10. Do it yourself carpentry

I hope that helps. Rock on.

And why couldn't someone on the advance team put the nose back on the Sphinx? That's just poor planning.

Obama in Egypt is a pretty thrilling sight. His speech to the so-called "Muslim World" was well-delivered, generally inspiring, but a game changer...I'm not so sure. Just being elected President was the game changer. Now he's trying to play the new game. One thing that I will say in concert with a particularly interesting critical view offered by Reza Aslan, is Egypt was the wrong venue. Sure, you get the photo op at the pyramids afterward. You could almost here the shtick - "first time visitor, long time admirer." But the shadow of Hosni Mubarak dims the view of anything Obama may see in Egypt. When he was a kid, Barack lived in Indonesia. That country has the largest Muslim population of any nation on the planet, that can also bridge a much forgotten gap to the world's Hindu population. Seriously - when will someone tell American politicians to mention Hindus when they run through their stock phraseology of the world's top religions? I'm not saying bring up Scientology. Just run the numbers. Anyhoo, Indonesia has a democratically-elected government, whose secular parties recently won a nationwide mandate. On the other hand, Mubarak is a self-identified President for Life (not in the same terms of our nation's convoluted semantic debate - he thinks he's the frickin' King). And while I appreciate the symbolism of cruising through Saudi Arabia on the way to Egypt, Obama's strategists I think missed an incredible opportunity to make an impact on those oppressed Muslim citizens of the World that want Democracy above all else. I sincerely hope this tour helps the standing of the U.S. in the eyes of so many that had furrowed their brows at us through the disastrous period when Dubya ran the show the few hours a day he wasn't strapped onto his mountain bike. But I'm not going to let this super cool dood off the hook when I think he's playing it like he's outside the lines. This was a safe run through the Middle East. The fact that we're playing nice on their court, though - total class.

Hope your own disappointments today go no further than the amount of sprinkles on your cupcake. Rock on.

"Attention - please avoid the brown acid. Thank you."

I can't believe someone actually caught me on video doin' what I do.

Using the yoga cards.

Using the yoga cards.
Originally uploaded by emaggie

Catching up on pics over the last month+. I'm leaving out plenty, but what follows is a taste. Maya's in full-on summer mode - sunscreen, swimsuits, watermelon. Popsicles soon to come. Hope your own seasonal shift is welcomed. Rock on.

The look of a girl having her first piece of bubble gum.

The look of a girl having her first piece of bubble gum.
Originally uploaded by emaggie

"Dad, I know brats are cool. But corn dogs are so much better. Duh."

"Dad, I know brats are cool. But corn dogs are so much better. Duh."
Originally uploaded by emaggie

Maya escapes. Cue the credits.

Maya escapes. Cue the credits.
Originally uploaded by emaggie

Early NASA training for Maya. Zero Gs rock.

Early NASA training for Maya. Zero Gs rock.
Originally uploaded by emaggie

"I've got what on my face?"

"I've got what on my face?"
Originally uploaded by emaggie

Maya stares down lunch at the Aquarium.

Maya stares down lunch at the Aquarium.
Originally uploaded by emaggie

Actually, we left the fish in their tanks and chose the pizza. Good choice.

Actually, we left the fish in their tanks and chose the pizza. Good choice.
Originally uploaded by emaggie

Missed me?

I intended to stay away from blogging for maybe even the whole summer. I've got a new project that's consuming much of my writerly energy. But that's no excuse to let certain things pass by without a comment or two. For those that said they hoped I'd get back on the horse, I say thank you for being so kind. For those that come across this blog randomly, I say that for over 4 years I put up a mix of stuff that incorporated politics, arty reviews, random goofiness, and lots and lots of cute shots of my daughter, Maya. Two recent events have dragged me back in. So before getting back to the business of letting my opinions be known, I'll start with an admission that I'll be changing the overall look of things this month. Please let me know what you think as you see things progress.

George Tiller's murder is a difficult story for me to comment on without bias, as anyone that knows me will understand. Thereby I feel the need to pull back a bit and add some protective vagueness. We haven't seen a high profile murder of a doctor since Barnett Slepian was shot through the kitchen window of his house outside Buffalo while making dinner for his family in 1998. I can only assume that the bloodthirsty pro-life fringes have been disappointed by the subsequent era of such acts being taken off the front page of our cultural discourse. The man that murdered George Tiller has an increasingly well documented past. Mental illness. Anti-government protesting. Abortion protesting. And on the sixth anniversary of fellow murderer Eric Robert Rudolph's capture while dumpster diving in North Carolina, it appears that this man chose to kill someone. Still, I won't be the least bit surprised when he is held up as a hero by his ilk. Shoot an usher in a house of worship and receive plaudits and prayers? That's the world this terrorist came from.

Secondly, today General Motors declares bankruptcy, declares that it owes creditors $172B that it wants out of paying, gets delisted from the Dow Jones Industrial Average...and the stock market jumps up a few hundred points? Wowza, are we off the rails. I grew up in a small town culture where my relatives and everyone I knew until way into my teens often defined themselves by which American car company they went to every few years to buy into "planned obsolescence" (as Michael Moore so appropriately pointed out this morning). I remember when one of my father's best friends died a handful of years ago and I was home overhearing a coffee break conversation lamenting his passing with other friends. The most agreed upon compliment was that this man had always driven American cars. In short, I think this is a page-turning day in American history. People still talk about the Chrysler bailout under Lee Iacocca in the 70s as if it was a sea change in American bizness. This GM situation makes that look like taking out a second mortgage on a Quik-E Mart. The out of balance aspect of our monetary culture is equally as out of balance as justifying killing a doctor in his church because of your stance on abortion. The madness is deafening.

All the while, captivating culture swirls around us. The new "Star Trek" was wonderfully entertaining - my rating a solid A-minus. No better update has been crossed-over to the screen since the era of gratuitous cross-overs began. Sure, the story is a complete jumble and the physics made me fear for high school science teachers across the land. But, man, if you like popcorn, get your ass to the theatre. And I've found a few new musical guilty pleasures - Empire of the Sun is an Aussie duo that has constructed one of the most entertaining cheesy pop parades that I've heard in quite a while. I also love the varied weirdness to brilliance ratio of the new Animal Collective album. Respectively, my ratings are B-plus and A-minus. So listen to them, please.

And if you're still interested in what I've got to say even though I disappeared for over a month, check back. I'll be writing a bit, posting some new delightful photos of Maya, and generally trying to get the country's soul back on track. Hope your own personal missions also include finishing a novel in the near term. Rock on.