The standard shtick for quite some time has been that no one will ever be able to stop Rush Limbaugh from being Rush Limbaugh. Every time Keith Olbermann or his compatriots at MSNBC rants about what Rush's recently dumped onto the airwaves, I imagine that somewhere a very fat man's laugh is echoing off the dimly lit black velvet paintings in a dungeon-like Florida neuvo-castle surrounded by the ill-gotten gains of illegal, clandestine hunting trips across the globe. The popular myth was that even MSNBC can't slow Rush's mouth down. So it is quite surprising that Wednesday one organization that's not exactly known for its progressive political agenda managed to do so utterly and completely.
Rush got run over by the NFL, Joe-Theismann-snapped-like-a-twig-by-LT style. And in so doing, the rest of us should take away the knowledge that Rush has strayed even farther out onto the fringe that he'd always been teetering on.
Few people recognize just how extensively Rush has been connected with the business of professional sports, and especially the NFL, for years. Rush started his career working a low-level promotions gig for the Kansas City Royals. And I'd bet a full bottle of Oxycontin that I got off a new prescription for my housekeeper that Rush keeps a well-hidden hard-on for the Chiefs on the down low. The most spectacular flame-out in Rush's NFL flirtation was his failed time as a commentator for Sunday NFL Countdown, where he uttered his famously ignorant Donovan McNabb riff. The fact that he got the chance to hoist himself on that quasi-elite patard to begin with was surprising. But Rush certainly recognized from his earliest days that if you could have a hand in the call of the game, it was the next best thing to owning a part of the action. Bringing Rush's personality on board was a big risk that the NFL of earlier this decade was willing to take. But ABC then and ESPN now have taken plenty of stupid risks on announcers that have left a collective bad taste in the mouths of most fans. I'm mean c'mon — Dennis Miller AND Fred "The Hammer" Williamson, just to name two of MNF's esteemed graduates? 'Nuff said.
The fact is that Rush wants in, and the NFL just said flatly that, in effect, his kind is not welcome. Rush is no longer a risk the League is willing to take. Roger Goddell is now the sheriff in town and, well, Rush not only would need to leave his gun belt outside of Goddell's jurisdiction. He would need to give them up altogether to keep the peace. That's why it was surprising that as late in the pre-negotiations as Wednesday morning, Rush was sticking to those guns by saying that no one was going to force him out of the deal. Until, of course, someone forced him out of the deal.
The NFL is full of clowns in the owners' suites. Al Davis is assuredly insane and decades past his prime, Jerry Jones did so much cocaine off of nameless, tasteless hookers back in the 90s that he's a walking vegetable, and (my personal favorite) former Rams owner Georgia Frontiere was a stripper that got the team willed to her for what we all must assume was more than a lap dance. I'm just saying. But they all were Esteemed Past Presidents of the PTA compared to ol' Rush.
For that reason alone we should all take heed that Rush's comments in the past have weakened his brand in the present. Once that reality sets in for more people, I predict that he'll be much more vulnerable. Take away something he wants and you've got a way to get at how he thinks.
Now, are you ACTUALLY ready for some football this weekend, America? You bet your ass we are. Hope your own bids are all honored this weekend. Rock on.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Getting inspired by the Rat City Roller Girls
Maya and I had yesterday to ourselves. Sarah was on call at the hospital and the Green Bay Packers had their bye Week for the Season. With Fall in full swing - the weather in Seattle has been straight off a dorky postcard for the last month or so - we hit some of the normalish highlights for a lazy Sunday. Hot chocolate with lots of whipped cream at the Herk in the U-District. Plenty of time in the park - Ravenna Park, for the first time on my part, which is a great park if you ignore the homeless campers stopping in to bathe in the public restroom's sink just off the playground. But the real highlight of the day was a first for both of us. Roller Derby. Not amateurish, hipster silliness. No, I'm talking professionalish, hipster seriousness. Namely, Seattle's own Rat City Rollergirls had an all-star bout since their 5th Season ended recently with a loss at Regionals. There endeth all I knew about the Rollergirls before we went to the bout. But given how much Maya loved it, I expect that we'll be back more than once in Season 6.
For those that think they might have misread the above paragraph, yes, I am talking about old school roller derby where tough chicks skate on 4-wheeled skates around in a circle. Drew Barrymore's movie "Whip It" (which I've not yet seen) features the sort of league that the Rat City Rollergirls compete in. I won't even try to sum up the rules and the importance of the scoring. That would be like me trying to call a soccer match with no goals scored. I appreciate what they do, but I ain't no expert. For me, seeing Maya get all amped up cheering for these empowered grrrls was the draw. We even got to know one of the stars (Sarah who skates as Wile E. Peyote). We met her at her insanely hip skate shop in Wallingford earlier in the day. We had to go there to get tix. And, boy, is Maya glad we did. Wile E. was dominant in the bout, and Maya insisted we go talk to her in between periods. I told her that Maya was cheering specifically for her and Wile E. responded that "you gave me courage." Now THAT's how you get a girl fired up about sports. Maya wanted to go get skates as soon as the match was done last night at 7pm. They're expensive, but we'll figure something out because I don't want her to forget the excitement of seeing grown up grrrls playing hard and having fun. We should all be so lucky as the Rollergirls.
One quickie review - the new album on constant repeat for me this past week is the eponymous album from a British band named "The xx". Or the XX. Their music is as stripped down as their name. Their sound has a taste of P.J. Harvey mixed with a ton of other indie references that might not apply all covered with a drum kit and echo effects. Sound silly? Not at all. They're unique. And sexy. My rating - a solid B. Well worth a looksie.
Hope your own jammer is getting by those blockers with ease today. Rock on.
For those that think they might have misread the above paragraph, yes, I am talking about old school roller derby where tough chicks skate on 4-wheeled skates around in a circle. Drew Barrymore's movie "Whip It" (which I've not yet seen) features the sort of league that the Rat City Rollergirls compete in. I won't even try to sum up the rules and the importance of the scoring. That would be like me trying to call a soccer match with no goals scored. I appreciate what they do, but I ain't no expert. For me, seeing Maya get all amped up cheering for these empowered grrrls was the draw. We even got to know one of the stars (Sarah who skates as Wile E. Peyote). We met her at her insanely hip skate shop in Wallingford earlier in the day. We had to go there to get tix. And, boy, is Maya glad we did. Wile E. was dominant in the bout, and Maya insisted we go talk to her in between periods. I told her that Maya was cheering specifically for her and Wile E. responded that "you gave me courage." Now THAT's how you get a girl fired up about sports. Maya wanted to go get skates as soon as the match was done last night at 7pm. They're expensive, but we'll figure something out because I don't want her to forget the excitement of seeing grown up grrrls playing hard and having fun. We should all be so lucky as the Rollergirls.
One quickie review - the new album on constant repeat for me this past week is the eponymous album from a British band named "The xx". Or the XX. Their music is as stripped down as their name. Their sound has a taste of P.J. Harvey mixed with a ton of other indie references that might not apply all covered with a drum kit and echo effects. Sound silly? Not at all. They're unique. And sexy. My rating - a solid B. Well worth a looksie.
Hope your own jammer is getting by those blockers with ease today. Rock on.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
When you go to a nursery that has a special for all the pumpkins you can stack in a red wagon, you only cheat yourself if you don't try to push the limits.
Friday, October 09, 2009
Juxtaposing the Nobel Peace Prize and amateur porn? Piece of cake...
Everyone's shocked that Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. I'm still digesting, but here's what I find interesting. This is all about aspirational voting. Rather like how some people vote for Republicans because they want lower taxes on the wealthy, in case they someday join their ranks. Or moreso that the Nobel voters want to believe that Obama will someday achieve the things that he's being criticized by the haters for not yet doing even though the disagree with his approach to their very core. My feeling is that this is exactly what Obama needs right about now, even if his advisers privately feel like it's a distraction. Keep Barack looking out at the much broader horizon, which is what he does so well. Have the world focus on what a break from the recent past of U.S. policy he represents. All the while slogging through the nuts and bolts of governing. Aside from all that, I was struck by the passing reference to how he's the "third sitting U.S. President" to win a Peace Prize. The other two? Woodrow Wilson in 1919 for founding the League of Nations, and Teddy Roosevelt in 1906 for negotiating a peace treaty between Russia and Japan. In my mind those Prizes were for very different criteria. But this is a very different world, so I say debate amongst yourselves.
To shift gears mightily, I'm going to see some porn at noon today. In a theatre. Hump! is the 5th annual amateur porn contest sponsored by The Stranger (Seattle's only real newspaper) that inspired the storyline for the movie "Humpday". Speaking of which, I saw "Humpday" in Milwaukee recently as a part of the Milwaukee Film Festival because, well...I was in Milwaukee and I'd missed it on its art house release schedule this summer (it's out on DVD in November). "Humpday" was a sweet, perfect little movie. Well, almost perfect. My rating - B-plus. But Hump! is the real deal. Amateur porn shorts, shot by real local people and screened only today and tomorrow before the entries are burned or sent to Tony Perkins at the Family Research Council in a brown paper wrapper or sent to NASA to be included in the next Moon bombing. Am I a fan of porn? Um, define fan. But then again, who isn't? And I'd rather see a hilarious compilation of local perversion surrounded by hipsters than Marlon Brando getting his butthole buttered up in "Last Tango in Paris" with a bunch of film snobs that might endeavor to call that humorless crap art. Check back for a rating. Sometime after I pick up Maya from daycare, one should expect.
Hope your own definition of modern parenting adds a slightly revised definition today. Rock on.
To shift gears mightily, I'm going to see some porn at noon today. In a theatre. Hump! is the 5th annual amateur porn contest sponsored by The Stranger (Seattle's only real newspaper) that inspired the storyline for the movie "Humpday". Speaking of which, I saw "Humpday" in Milwaukee recently as a part of the Milwaukee Film Festival because, well...I was in Milwaukee and I'd missed it on its art house release schedule this summer (it's out on DVD in November). "Humpday" was a sweet, perfect little movie. Well, almost perfect. My rating - B-plus. But Hump! is the real deal. Amateur porn shorts, shot by real local people and screened only today and tomorrow before the entries are burned or sent to Tony Perkins at the Family Research Council in a brown paper wrapper or sent to NASA to be included in the next Moon bombing. Am I a fan of porn? Um, define fan. But then again, who isn't? And I'd rather see a hilarious compilation of local perversion surrounded by hipsters than Marlon Brando getting his butthole buttered up in "Last Tango in Paris" with a bunch of film snobs that might endeavor to call that humorless crap art. Check back for a rating. Sometime after I pick up Maya from daycare, one should expect.
Hope your own definition of modern parenting adds a slightly revised definition today. Rock on.
Monday, October 05, 2009
The strangely legendary Brat Stop off the interstate outside Kenosha.
The strangely legendary Brat Stop off the interstate outside Kenosha.
Originally uploaded by emaggie
Inside Miller Park, the Wisconsin Natives list of those who've played in MLB includes one Magnuson. Lifetime MLB record - 2-7 over 3 seasons with the White Sox and Yanks.
Friday, October 02, 2009
Time for Letterman to take his show on the road, preferably not to Chicago
Today's news shockers are the sort of hot-burning wood for a hearty autumnal fire that so seldom comes out of the pile. Chicago got faced on its Olympics bid. Everyone will make this into a personal defeat for Obama after he wrongly came to make his own case. Obviously, there was nothing he could do. This was a snub directed at the United States. No offense meant to Rio - I would love to go then or, hopefully, sooner to Brazil. But it calls into question our image abroad. I honestly don't think Chicago deserved it, even though I've heard reported that its bid was the best ever mounted by the U.S. and it would have surely put on one helluva show. The fault lies with our Nation's past bids and the arrogance that accompanies the expectation that we deserve another so soon. 2002, 1996, 1984, 1980, 1960. We've had the Games 5 times in the last 50 years. During the same period, Japan had them 3 times, Canada will have had it 3 times with Vancouver in 2010, and two other nations have had them twice (France and Italy). A South American country has never hosted the Games. Neither has an African nation or Antarctica. But let's be fair. Spread it around a little and quit making this about selling Coke and Nike and Visa cards. Sorry, Barack. But you overreached on this one.
Secondly, David Letterman's intensely weird admission of an affair is one thing. Extortion sucks. But the fact that the affair was with that strange, gawkey young assistant, Stephanie Birkitt, who often accompanied him during ask the audience segments and otherwise...well, that's just toxic. And the fact that the "48 Hours" producer that was extorting money from him was Stephanie's boyfriend. Yuck. The manure sundae comes after the ratings news of Letterman kicking the pants of Conan O'Brien's show last week by his widest margin in 15 years. Ratings will go up for the time being for Dave. But then he'll take a serious hit, I would imagine, especially when Sarah Palin gets a chance to start the swings being directed his way. This is just plain sad. I like Dave. He's going to get covered in mud on this one, though.
Seattle is surely back to the Fall thing. It feels good, for now. Hope your own forecast gives you something to look forward to other than just the Packers-Vikings game on Monday Night. Rock on.
Secondly, David Letterman's intensely weird admission of an affair is one thing. Extortion sucks. But the fact that the affair was with that strange, gawkey young assistant, Stephanie Birkitt, who often accompanied him during ask the audience segments and otherwise...well, that's just toxic. And the fact that the "48 Hours" producer that was extorting money from him was Stephanie's boyfriend. Yuck. The manure sundae comes after the ratings news of Letterman kicking the pants of Conan O'Brien's show last week by his widest margin in 15 years. Ratings will go up for the time being for Dave. But then he'll take a serious hit, I would imagine, especially when Sarah Palin gets a chance to start the swings being directed his way. This is just plain sad. I like Dave. He's going to get covered in mud on this one, though.
Seattle is surely back to the Fall thing. It feels good, for now. Hope your own forecast gives you something to look forward to other than just the Packers-Vikings game on Monday Night. Rock on.
Monday, September 28, 2009
A whorl of my own...
I'm back from Sconnie, armed with enough material from there to hopefully get me through the winter without a trip back as our plans stand currently. Fall in Wisconsin really has always been my favorite time of year. True, multi-varied fun was had by all I encountered and accompanied in Madison, Milwaukee and many points along the way. There was, however, one poetic autumnal moment in Milwaukee yesterday that caught my eye when I was driving back from the Waterfront to my hotel. I was stopped at an intersection - just another one of the tens of thousands that we all stop at in our lifetime. The red light was long enough for me to notice the leaves falling around my rental car and the light blue worn and weary Dodge with a few prominent Obama stickers waiting in front of me. The short sleeve of my shirt had blown up my left arm as my arm draped out the open window. I had the music up a bit too loud. I had plenty of time before check-out to get ready to head to Miller Park for the last home Brewers game of the Season (just "188 days until Opening Day"). When the light turned green, the car in front of me took off a bit too fast and the leaves around it tossed and turned in upon themselves as if unsure what to do with their newly found freedom. I followed, wondering how the swirl might have looked in my wake.
When I got up this morning before sunrise and shook off the stiffness of sitting too much of the day yesterday in cars, chairs and in the air, the thermometer read 47-degrees. Hot coffee felt good through the mug that I cradled in my hand. The day is warming up, but these days will soon shrink and chill even further. I know that is true. For Milwaukee told me so.
Hope your own fall projects get a little kick in the pants from the world's little things all around you today. Rock on.
When I got up this morning before sunrise and shook off the stiffness of sitting too much of the day yesterday in cars, chairs and in the air, the thermometer read 47-degrees. Hot coffee felt good through the mug that I cradled in my hand. The day is warming up, but these days will soon shrink and chill even further. I know that is true. For Milwaukee told me so.
Hope your own fall projects get a little kick in the pants from the world's little things all around you today. Rock on.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Who's next up after Tucker and Delay? Easy - Fred Thompson.
I'm drenched in shame by the admission, but I watched the clip of Tom Delay on "Dancing With the Stars" last night. It was worse than a car accident. No one tries to immediately joke about a car accident. And the choice of "Wild Thing" was such an inarticulate nod to bad taste that I hope he gets a letter of reprimand from Tony Perkins and all those Family Research Council peckerheads. Everyone knows that the only barely permissible use of the horribly overused "Wild Thing" was to accompany Charlie Sheen's laughable presence in the movie "Major League" - a true blue guilty pleasure of mine with the only pairing ever on celluloid of Bob Uecker and Pete Vuckovich. Vuke plays a Yankee. Uecker plays himself, as usual. No one does it better.
Speaking of Uecker, I'll be in Milwaukee on Sunday at Miller Park for the last Brewers home game of the Season. It will be part of a larger trip to Sconnie for me. Expect lots of details later.
One last quickie pop culture mention - if you don't watch "Mad Men" because you feel like you need to start from the beginning, I say hogwash. Catch a re-run of Sunday's episode whenever you can. It will spoil nothing and even though it isn't anywhere near the top of this glorious show's arc, there is one surprise that will shock each and every one of the initiated or otherwise. I won't say what it is. But you'll know what I mean when you see it. Gruesome hilarity.
Hope your own bags are packed with lots of gifts and a Polaroid camera for special shots, too. Rock on.
Speaking of Uecker, I'll be in Milwaukee on Sunday at Miller Park for the last Brewers home game of the Season. It will be part of a larger trip to Sconnie for me. Expect lots of details later.
One last quickie pop culture mention - if you don't watch "Mad Men" because you feel like you need to start from the beginning, I say hogwash. Catch a re-run of Sunday's episode whenever you can. It will spoil nothing and even though it isn't anywhere near the top of this glorious show's arc, there is one surprise that will shock each and every one of the initiated or otherwise. I won't say what it is. But you'll know what I mean when you see it. Gruesome hilarity.
Hope your own bags are packed with lots of gifts and a Polaroid camera for special shots, too. Rock on.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
In the REAL future, everyone will think they're famous for 15 minutes. Even though they're not.
Is blogging dead? Nah. Dumb question, really. But this form of shorthand self-published blather is certainly being usurped by the applications preferred at the moment. Such as Facebook, Twitter and other micro-blogging sites that encourage writers to become even more lame and shortened in their observations. I'll admit that I'm also less interested in the longer form blogging that I've typically done over the last 4 and a half years. So as I'm working away on a much longer form project that I do not intend to self-publish, I'm going to do this differently for a while as I prepare to entirely change what I publish here. Confused? Don't be. I'll still throw up pics and reviews from time to time. More often than in the last number of months, actually. But along with that will come indications of what's the next what for me and what I do here. Thanks for reading. Check back. Take the cannoli. You know the drill.
Just to be fair, a few quick reviews follow. We recently saw "Julie and Julia" and thoroughly enjoyed it. A very slight movie with a stunning performance by Meryl Streep as Julia Child. Plus I love love love Stanley Tucci in anything, including this. My rating - a solid B.
Also, I just finished "This Is Where I Leave You" by Jonathan Tropper. Hilarious, delightful family dysfunction written with a spare, perfectly-timed wit. A highly recommended book, even though I limped through it for weeks just before falling asleep at bedtime. Big payoff. My rating - an A-minus. Sure to be a star-studded Hollywood yukfest in the nearish future. Beat the rush and read it now.
Just to be fair, a few quick reviews follow. We recently saw "Julie and Julia" and thoroughly enjoyed it. A very slight movie with a stunning performance by Meryl Streep as Julia Child. Plus I love love love Stanley Tucci in anything, including this. My rating - a solid B.
Also, I just finished "This Is Where I Leave You" by Jonathan Tropper. Hilarious, delightful family dysfunction written with a spare, perfectly-timed wit. A highly recommended book, even though I limped through it for weeks just before falling asleep at bedtime. Big payoff. My rating - an A-minus. Sure to be a star-studded Hollywood yukfest in the nearish future. Beat the rush and read it now.
Monday, September 07, 2009
Maya waiting for Auntie Becca to arrive.
Sarah insisted I add this and the next one to show just how eager Maya was for Becca's arrival. Maya curled up on the floor at the front door and fell asleep when Becca was a few minutes later than promised. Thankfully it all worked out just fine.
Maya and Auntie Becca checking out traffic along the Ballard Locks.
Over the weekend, Auntie Becca was up for a visit from the Bay Area. Good times were had by all. When the rain stopped on Sunday, we headed to the Chittenden Locks in Ballard to see the salmon working their way back upstream to spawn. A few pics follow. Rock on.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Seattle sight seeing ain't always this pretty, believe me...
It's one of those afternoons that makes me want to reach around Seattle's waist and squeeze. Wait...that didn't exactly come out right. I'm talking a hug. Because Seattle is so damn cute and fuzzy. And filled with hilarity.
Maya's on a break from her regular gig when it comes to daycare. So we're juggling some fun things - swim lessons, playdates, picking up drifters from down by the Amtrak station for a few hours of reasonably-priced babysitting. Some days give me a bit more time to get things done than normal, some much less. Today's a treat because I got some writing done earlier and now I'm also benefiting from a playdate drop-off so I can run some errands and the like. Included in a mix of things that you'd surely not care to hear about was the need to head down to a music venue near the Pike Place Market to pick up a pair of tix for a show that Sarah and I are overeager to see in October. Yo La Tengo @ the Showbox SoDo. Music geek royalty (reminds me of my all-time favorite Onion story headlined "37 Record-Store Clerks Feared Dead in Yo La Tengo Concert Disaster"). But I went to the ticket office inside the Showbox at the Market because it's closer. Those familiar with that area know it is surrounded by places that are or wish they were as classy as a strip club. Inside the Showbox there was an older rocker dood ahead of me in line with his bike getting single tickets for the following shows - Motorhead, Butthole Surfers, and The Damned. He was about 50. Then there I am. Then this kid, no more than 20, comes in by himself hootin' and hollerin' like he just shot up a village or saw the Indy Five-Hunnerd or won a free trip to Cabo Wabo from a classic rawk station. The old-way-beyond-his twenty-ish years shirt hanger and skinny jeans model behind the counter says without any sarcasm "this isn't a strip club" as nonchalantly as if he'd just said "restrooms are for customers only". Lynyrd Skynyrd didn't take offense, thanked Mr. Hipster kindly and turned on his heels, back into the sunlight with a mission before him. I got my tix minus the ridiculous Ticketmaster mark-up. And the afternoon is still young. Is this a great town or what?
Hope your own clubs are all exclusive yet welcoming today. Rock on.
Maya's on a break from her regular gig when it comes to daycare. So we're juggling some fun things - swim lessons, playdates, picking up drifters from down by the Amtrak station for a few hours of reasonably-priced babysitting. Some days give me a bit more time to get things done than normal, some much less. Today's a treat because I got some writing done earlier and now I'm also benefiting from a playdate drop-off so I can run some errands and the like. Included in a mix of things that you'd surely not care to hear about was the need to head down to a music venue near the Pike Place Market to pick up a pair of tix for a show that Sarah and I are overeager to see in October. Yo La Tengo @ the Showbox SoDo. Music geek royalty (reminds me of my all-time favorite Onion story headlined "37 Record-Store Clerks Feared Dead in Yo La Tengo Concert Disaster"). But I went to the ticket office inside the Showbox at the Market because it's closer. Those familiar with that area know it is surrounded by places that are or wish they were as classy as a strip club. Inside the Showbox there was an older rocker dood ahead of me in line with his bike getting single tickets for the following shows - Motorhead, Butthole Surfers, and The Damned. He was about 50. Then there I am. Then this kid, no more than 20, comes in by himself hootin' and hollerin' like he just shot up a village or saw the Indy Five-Hunnerd or won a free trip to Cabo Wabo from a classic rawk station. The old-way-beyond-his twenty-ish years shirt hanger and skinny jeans model behind the counter says without any sarcasm "this isn't a strip club" as nonchalantly as if he'd just said "restrooms are for customers only". Lynyrd Skynyrd didn't take offense, thanked Mr. Hipster kindly and turned on his heels, back into the sunlight with a mission before him. I got my tix minus the ridiculous Ticketmaster mark-up. And the afternoon is still young. Is this a great town or what?
Hope your own clubs are all exclusive yet welcoming today. Rock on.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Aliens vs. Nazis
It has been a good August for movies. After a largely sucky summer. Each of the past two Fridays I've been able to catch an opening without reading reviews or getting seduced by the success or failure of a given product at the box office. Because no matter what, these short-duration experiences are marketed as products. I'm happy to report that I've seen a few things you might also enjoy if you try them on for size.
"District 9" had the viral buzz before it hit the theatres, the originality buzz once it got there and the action buzz if you're lucky enough to be watching it. The effects are stylish and the story is being given plenty of credit for a broader metaphor about apartheid that is mostly deserved. But compared to the sort of mess that I simply won't see ("Transformers 2"), "District 9" at its heart just looks cool while being a true adventure. And at a tenth of the price. My rating - a true A-minus. Maybe not as entertaining as "500 Days of Summer" and not as unnoticed as "Moon", but the best movie of the summer that I've seen.
"Inglourious Basterds" is more of a melange than a movie. I'll outright admit it - I'll see anything Quentin Tarantino throws together. In it's defense, this "Basterds" isn't a mess. It's just trying to play it too many ways as sometimes happens with Tarantino's work. Here more than in his other films you've got hyper-realism mixed with alternative-reality. Abrupt surprises mixed with languid set-ups that go on forever. Which makes what should be yin and yang just feel like too much time being surrounded by a bunch of boot licking fans and pals. As usual, Tarantino casts the movie masterfully with one glaring example of misplaced loyalty. His pal, Eli Roth, makes torture horror (like "Hostel") and if you're into that sort of thing, he's a big deal. He and Tarantino obviously have a huge hard-on for each other's work. That's all well and good and their sovereign right as Americans. But Eli Roth in "Basterds" is worse than bad. He ruins any scene he's a part of and is so badly miscast that I expected initially he was meant to be an inside joke. Take him out of the movie and it would be so much better. Especially since you could then focus on scenes like the opening sequence shot against the stunning French countryside. Or the basement bar rendezvous that unfolds terribly as only Tarantino can master. My rating - a conflicted straight-B. Everyone's raving about Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa, too. His is the best performance on film in years. So on balance I suggest that you see this movie, even if you are luke warm on the issue. It will become a classic. But right now, I can't get past memories of Eli Roth so it's somewhat tarnished.
Hope your own August drags on for at least another week. Rock on.
"District 9" had the viral buzz before it hit the theatres, the originality buzz once it got there and the action buzz if you're lucky enough to be watching it. The effects are stylish and the story is being given plenty of credit for a broader metaphor about apartheid that is mostly deserved. But compared to the sort of mess that I simply won't see ("Transformers 2"), "District 9" at its heart just looks cool while being a true adventure. And at a tenth of the price. My rating - a true A-minus. Maybe not as entertaining as "500 Days of Summer" and not as unnoticed as "Moon", but the best movie of the summer that I've seen.
"Inglourious Basterds" is more of a melange than a movie. I'll outright admit it - I'll see anything Quentin Tarantino throws together. In it's defense, this "Basterds" isn't a mess. It's just trying to play it too many ways as sometimes happens with Tarantino's work. Here more than in his other films you've got hyper-realism mixed with alternative-reality. Abrupt surprises mixed with languid set-ups that go on forever. Which makes what should be yin and yang just feel like too much time being surrounded by a bunch of boot licking fans and pals. As usual, Tarantino casts the movie masterfully with one glaring example of misplaced loyalty. His pal, Eli Roth, makes torture horror (like "Hostel") and if you're into that sort of thing, he's a big deal. He and Tarantino obviously have a huge hard-on for each other's work. That's all well and good and their sovereign right as Americans. But Eli Roth in "Basterds" is worse than bad. He ruins any scene he's a part of and is so badly miscast that I expected initially he was meant to be an inside joke. Take him out of the movie and it would be so much better. Especially since you could then focus on scenes like the opening sequence shot against the stunning French countryside. Or the basement bar rendezvous that unfolds terribly as only Tarantino can master. My rating - a conflicted straight-B. Everyone's raving about Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa, too. His is the best performance on film in years. So on balance I suggest that you see this movie, even if you are luke warm on the issue. It will become a classic. But right now, I can't get past memories of Eli Roth so it's somewhat tarnished.
Hope your own August drags on for at least another week. Rock on.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Post-swim class poolside cheese. Mmmm, cheese...
Maya's about to have a break from daycare, and is a week into a new swim class. For those jonesing for a few fresh pics, here she is modeling her awesome pink cowgirl boots. Rock on.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Suggested sequel title - "16 Appointments with October, My Flirty Life Coach"
Oh, dear sweet cynical hipsters - is there any movie more unjustly derided by the sort of people that actually bought color-coordinated trucker hats a few years ago than "500 Days of Summer"? I doubt it. My rating - B-plus. We saw it last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Joseph Gordon-Levitt carries it with crackin' good cuteness and surprising acting chops throughout. I only wish he didn't have such a bamboozle of a name to trip over time and again. Zooey Deschanel plays the character that she's now unfairly always expected to play - all look-don't-touch sexiness and vintage store style. He's like a narrow shouldered doodling James Dean and she's an updated version of Audrey Hepburn that you want to secretly bunch in the throat. The supporting cast is basically made of cardboard. The quirky fractured timeline might put some people off. But here's where I step off the pier without knowing how murky or deep the water is below. It works. It really gawddamn works. And the ending is a real treat. So I offer one piece of advice to those debating whether or not to see it. If you're not sure if you're in love or even serious like with the one you're with, don't do it as a date movie. I'll be a bit of a dick and say that I saw it on a decidedly fun anniversary date with my wife after which we went out for a top-drawer dinner to discuss the movie and life otherwise (Restaurant Zoe in Belltown - a totally A-rating Seattle bistro). But even if you're just beginning to feel something for a new partner with whom you'll head back out to your fixed gear bikes carrying a few PBR tallboys in the backpack to enjoy in a park on the way home, tamp down the snark and dive in. "500 Days of Summer" is the sort of movie that will split opinion like a wet comb. You're either on this side or that one. You know where I am. Bonus points for Gordon-Levitt's full-bore karaoke version of "Here Comes Your Man" by The Pixies. I haven't played that song in years and I forgot how much I love it. I even played it for Maya in the car on the way to daycare this morning and she sort of agreed. Maybe she was just humoring me.
Hope your own opinions are truly your own today. Rock on.
Hope your own opinions are truly your own today. Rock on.
Monday, August 10, 2009
And what about Bubba rescuing those reporters? His agent really earned the commision with THAT one...
The summer has cooled off so much that you can practically smell the NFL season. And with August no longer a newsy drought, the time seems appropriate for a little taking stock of certain stories that I've not commented upon in weeks past. Hopefully this will be quick so I can back to the real work at hand.
The Birthers have no more wind in their holey sails given the totally fraudulent Kenyan birth bunk. But these wackos aren't going away. Up next I'll bet anyone a potful of poi that there will be disproportionate concentration on his childhood years in Indonesia. With the battle cry of "well, he may have been born in Hawaii, but he learned to hate America at a madrassa in Indonesia..."
I hate to say it, but Obama really dropped the ball on the health care reform debate. This is due entirely to not having a plan before asking Congress to come up with one. Town hall violence and general polling discontent aside - Obama doesn't have a horse in this race. Everyone will look for a scapegoat in the poor planning. I pick Tom Daschle for being an utterly flawed "czar" nominee that didn't even make it to a confirmation hearing before pulling out of the process.
Sarah Palin is crazier than ever, but I'm convinced that she's going to start making the media rounds in a few weeks. Her "death panel" comments on Facebook last Friday notwithstanding.
"True Blood" is a cultural phenomenon. Why? Sex. It's only going to expand its appeal. Next up - evangelical nuts attacking it as some sort of sign that, once again, we're all going to hell.
I rented the original "Inglorious Basterds" this weekend. All I can say is I would hate to watch a bad bad movie with Quentin Tarantino while he tried to convince me it was bad good. Sometimes bad is just plain bad. And this movie sucked.
There's a story in today's NYTimes about how the loss of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer strengthened the position of the one remaining daily paper, the Seattle Times. I wanted to hate that piece, but it's actually a very good dissection of what's facing two newspaper metro areas and regional papers in general. For any media geeks out there - the Philly papers story in yesterday's NYTimes mag was also a sign of things to come. The shake outs will continue, in other words.
Maya's got a pair of pink cowgirl boots that Sarah found at a consignment store when we were on vacation in Santa Barbara. She's had cool clothes before. But these boots cross over more categories of appreciation than anything she's ever worn. I could be wearing a backless hospital gown and shower cap when I'm walking down the street with her and we'd get a thumbs-up from hipster and old crusties alike. My advice, get yourself a pair if you've got kids or a pet that appreciates footwear.
Well that feels better. Hope your own backlog of random observations get made into a best-selling collection of bumperstickers today. Rock on.
The Birthers have no more wind in their holey sails given the totally fraudulent Kenyan birth bunk. But these wackos aren't going away. Up next I'll bet anyone a potful of poi that there will be disproportionate concentration on his childhood years in Indonesia. With the battle cry of "well, he may have been born in Hawaii, but he learned to hate America at a madrassa in Indonesia..."
I hate to say it, but Obama really dropped the ball on the health care reform debate. This is due entirely to not having a plan before asking Congress to come up with one. Town hall violence and general polling discontent aside - Obama doesn't have a horse in this race. Everyone will look for a scapegoat in the poor planning. I pick Tom Daschle for being an utterly flawed "czar" nominee that didn't even make it to a confirmation hearing before pulling out of the process.
Sarah Palin is crazier than ever, but I'm convinced that she's going to start making the media rounds in a few weeks. Her "death panel" comments on Facebook last Friday notwithstanding.
"True Blood" is a cultural phenomenon. Why? Sex. It's only going to expand its appeal. Next up - evangelical nuts attacking it as some sort of sign that, once again, we're all going to hell.
I rented the original "Inglorious Basterds" this weekend. All I can say is I would hate to watch a bad bad movie with Quentin Tarantino while he tried to convince me it was bad good. Sometimes bad is just plain bad. And this movie sucked.
There's a story in today's NYTimes about how the loss of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer strengthened the position of the one remaining daily paper, the Seattle Times. I wanted to hate that piece, but it's actually a very good dissection of what's facing two newspaper metro areas and regional papers in general. For any media geeks out there - the Philly papers story in yesterday's NYTimes mag was also a sign of things to come. The shake outs will continue, in other words.
Maya's got a pair of pink cowgirl boots that Sarah found at a consignment store when we were on vacation in Santa Barbara. She's had cool clothes before. But these boots cross over more categories of appreciation than anything she's ever worn. I could be wearing a backless hospital gown and shower cap when I'm walking down the street with her and we'd get a thumbs-up from hipster and old crusties alike. My advice, get yourself a pair if you've got kids or a pet that appreciates footwear.
Well that feels better. Hope your own backlog of random observations get made into a best-selling collection of bumperstickers today. Rock on.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
"In the Loop" versus aerial loopdiloops - a truly Seattlish dichotomy
If you know anything about summer events in Seattle, you know that the Blue Angels perform to great redneck fanfare during Seafair's hydroplane races. Think NASCAR on the water with very low-flying fighter jets buzzing the crowd to feed the boatrace passion absent from everyone's daily lives otherwise. Fun in the sun, unless you're trying to cross the bridges over Lake Washington. But instead of joining in on the dockside partying, I got the chance to take some time out yesterday afternoon to join a surprisingly big crowd seeing an utterly antithetical entertainment choice indoors. The movie "In the Loop" is a British satire that features whipsmart writing and a pitch-perfect dissection of the ridiculous run-up to the Iraq War - here fictionalized to never mention Iraq but everyone knows what it's based on. It starts smart, gets bogged down in its own cartwheels and ends up feeling like a movie that was made for TV but somehow got released in theatres. Anyone that knows where BBC America is on their cable spectrum will love it. Anyone that thinks certain NPR shows are overexposed will love it. Anyone that can pick out frisee from a Whole Foods produce section without looking at the signs will love it. But, oddly enough, I didn't love it. Maybe it was the often too-ribald laughter of certain of the professorial and hemp-garmented surrounding me that made me leave the theatre saying that it was smart, perfectly cast, yet utterly unimportant. My rating - B-minus. Wait for the rental, but surely check it out then.
One personal new web fave - The Daily Beast's "The Week in Culture" is Tina Brown boiled down into a spreadable paste. If you're looking to spin through 10-20 quick hits on what you should know according to the smarter-than-you NY intelligensia that surely hates our freedom, here you must go each weekend. Me likey.
Hope your own Sunday is also a long list of things "done" off the "to do" list with still a chunk of day left to enjoy. Rock on.
One personal new web fave - The Daily Beast's "The Week in Culture" is Tina Brown boiled down into a spreadable paste. If you're looking to spin through 10-20 quick hits on what you should know according to the smarter-than-you NY intelligensia that surely hates our freedom, here you must go each weekend. Me likey.
Hope your own Sunday is also a long list of things "done" off the "to do" list with still a chunk of day left to enjoy. Rock on.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
When your Nutella can be poured like maple syrup, your house may be a smidge on the warm side.
If you live in Seattle, you're up to your sweaty neck in conversation and collective kvetching about the heat. There's no question that it's hot. Yesterday broke the all-time record for a daytime high (dating back to and through 1891). That's for any day on the calendar. The prior record was an even 100, reached twice before. Yesterday was officially 103. Today it might also be 101 or thereabouts. Nighttime low highs have also been broken - the record for any day had been 69, yesterday's overnight low was 71. Our neighborhood even had its power go out last night at 9:30 until sometime between 1 and 2am for heat-related reasons. That's never happened to us here before. But for all the general discomfort and unwelcome moments of cranky people popping up with a cliched lament or two, it just ain't all that bad. I had a shirtless guy filling up his tank at the same time as I was this morning strike up a conversation about the weather after telling me he liked my hat. When has something that surprisingly pleasant last happened to anyone in an urban setting? Weather, after all, is the safest conversational avenue. And nothing gets people chattin' quite like extreme weather.
I believe the key to even-tempered survival is some degree of prior exposure to heat. Summers in Wisconsin would get swelteringly hot on those rare occasions - usually in direct inverse duration to those January way-below-zero cold snaps. But for this level of still, stifling heat I look to the period we lived in Dallas (Sarah for 4 years, me for two). Dallas can be ridiculously hot, while even the smallest store or office has the AC set for near 60. Where I worked, everyone had a "work sweater" waiting for them at their desk. When the difference between inside and outside is close to 50 degrees, your body is constantly confused. Which is partly why I think Dubya was so flummoxed by the English language...but that's a different topic for another time. The summer I moved to Big D, the entire month of July had daytime highs over 100 except for the 4th when an hour worth of light rain in the morning held the afternoon high at 99. I remember on July 11th walking across acres of blazing parking lot outside of a hideous, huge Fry's electronics superstore where the outside temp on their sign at just after noon was 111. If ever there was a moment when I considered hopping a freight train headed toward Canada or beyond, that was it. But it passed. Eventually. As will this sticky departure from the norm in the Great Northwest. Although, the planet is still screwed so...
Hope your own trip to Home Depot is for appliances that are fully stocked and priced to move. Rock on.
I believe the key to even-tempered survival is some degree of prior exposure to heat. Summers in Wisconsin would get swelteringly hot on those rare occasions - usually in direct inverse duration to those January way-below-zero cold snaps. But for this level of still, stifling heat I look to the period we lived in Dallas (Sarah for 4 years, me for two). Dallas can be ridiculously hot, while even the smallest store or office has the AC set for near 60. Where I worked, everyone had a "work sweater" waiting for them at their desk. When the difference between inside and outside is close to 50 degrees, your body is constantly confused. Which is partly why I think Dubya was so flummoxed by the English language...but that's a different topic for another time. The summer I moved to Big D, the entire month of July had daytime highs over 100 except for the 4th when an hour worth of light rain in the morning held the afternoon high at 99. I remember on July 11th walking across acres of blazing parking lot outside of a hideous, huge Fry's electronics superstore where the outside temp on their sign at just after noon was 111. If ever there was a moment when I considered hopping a freight train headed toward Canada or beyond, that was it. But it passed. Eventually. As will this sticky departure from the norm in the Great Northwest. Although, the planet is still screwed so...
Hope your own trip to Home Depot is for appliances that are fully stocked and priced to move. Rock on.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Please stop me before I see something starring a poorly animated creature, such as Katherine Heigl
We're heading back to Seattle tomorrow after a full, fun week. Maya seemed to enjoy her mornings spent at sea exploration camp through the Museum of Natural History, and all the attention from family otherwise. And on my side of the ledger, I have three more movie reviews to add. I saw a grand total of six flicks in the theatre over the week, which was a grand indulgence. With that said...
My favorite movie of the summer thus far was "Moon" - a very small, very well-conceived gem that is entirely Sam Rockwell's baby. Without giving anything away, the central conceit of Sam's time on the Moon becomes apparent less than halfway into the film. From there on out, it's an even more clever thriller. The director, Duncan Jones (the real life son of David Bowie), makes $5 million look cooler than a dozen sweaty Megan Foxes dry humping another dozen bewitched or besotted Daniel Radcliffes. My rating - B-plus. Check it out, although it should be coming soon on video.
My concession to Sarah for some of crap I drag her to was my reciprocity in seeing "The Proposal". Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock could read a bundle of Sarah Palin speeches and still get a few natural laughs. Which is about what they were asked to do here. Betty White is still alive, apparently, so she also got some pity laughs. But unless you're trying to pay off a similar debt to the one you love or are looking for barely two hours worth of air conditioning relief, I'd say wait for the rental. My rating - a C-plus. I padded the rating when I realized how much Ryan Reynolds and I look like twins with our shirts off.
"Public Enemies" was the last movie on my list of try-to-sees, and I'm not entirely sad that I did so. I generally love Johnnie Depp and Michael Mann films have always been action eye candy. This movie is shot beautifully, and the clothes look good enough to spread on a cracker. The problem is the soul. Or, rather, the complete lack thereof. They even completely wasted the actual location of a famous shootout with the FBI in northern Wisconsin (the Little Bohemia near Manitowish Waters) that I'd drive by with my parents every time we went to visit my Grandma in the town of Hurley, just a bit farther north to the border with the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In short, all style, glorious style. Bupkis on the real substance. My rating - B-minus. See it in a dollar theatre or wait for a rental.
So endeth my reviewing. I hope I've given you inspiration to spend more time reading this summer. Rock on.
My favorite movie of the summer thus far was "Moon" - a very small, very well-conceived gem that is entirely Sam Rockwell's baby. Without giving anything away, the central conceit of Sam's time on the Moon becomes apparent less than halfway into the film. From there on out, it's an even more clever thriller. The director, Duncan Jones (the real life son of David Bowie), makes $5 million look cooler than a dozen sweaty Megan Foxes dry humping another dozen bewitched or besotted Daniel Radcliffes. My rating - B-plus. Check it out, although it should be coming soon on video.
My concession to Sarah for some of crap I drag her to was my reciprocity in seeing "The Proposal". Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock could read a bundle of Sarah Palin speeches and still get a few natural laughs. Which is about what they were asked to do here. Betty White is still alive, apparently, so she also got some pity laughs. But unless you're trying to pay off a similar debt to the one you love or are looking for barely two hours worth of air conditioning relief, I'd say wait for the rental. My rating - a C-plus. I padded the rating when I realized how much Ryan Reynolds and I look like twins with our shirts off.
"Public Enemies" was the last movie on my list of try-to-sees, and I'm not entirely sad that I did so. I generally love Johnnie Depp and Michael Mann films have always been action eye candy. This movie is shot beautifully, and the clothes look good enough to spread on a cracker. The problem is the soul. Or, rather, the complete lack thereof. They even completely wasted the actual location of a famous shootout with the FBI in northern Wisconsin (the Little Bohemia near Manitowish Waters) that I'd drive by with my parents every time we went to visit my Grandma in the town of Hurley, just a bit farther north to the border with the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In short, all style, glorious style. Bupkis on the real substance. My rating - B-minus. See it in a dollar theatre or wait for a rental.
So endeth my reviewing. I hope I've given you inspiration to spend more time reading this summer. Rock on.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Looking beyond Harry Potter and the Half Interested Global Audience
Another quick movie review - the latest Harry Potter movie is about as much fun as waiting for a car wash to finish its cycle. Including a wax. And some other layers of fluff that are forgotten within a few days of regular life. I've given up on this series, even though we've got two more movies to go. All those actors need to move on and pick up the pieces of their lost childhood. Emma Watson is the only young actor that makes me at least pay attention and quit looking at my watch. And she's sane enough to move on and start college at Brown in the fall. Overall, see it if you're a huge fan of the books. Then, don't discuss it in public because you're uncool and people don't like you. Maybe that's a bit harsh. Oh well. My rating - C-minus.
Music-wise, I'm listening through three new albums. Grizzly Bear's "Veckatimist" is orchestral folk with a beautiful sound, Dirty Projectors's "Bitte Orca" is layered complexity and astonishingly weird new wavey rock, and Phoenix's "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" is a bunch of really normal seeming French dudes making extremely clever pop sound awfully easy, although it's certainly not. All three albums get a solid B-plus for very different reasons. Check them out if you've got some mad money burning a hole in your pocket.
Hope your own listening habits get a shake-up today. Rock on.
Music-wise, I'm listening through three new albums. Grizzly Bear's "Veckatimist" is orchestral folk with a beautiful sound, Dirty Projectors's "Bitte Orca" is layered complexity and astonishingly weird new wavey rock, and Phoenix's "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" is a bunch of really normal seeming French dudes making extremely clever pop sound awfully easy, although it's certainly not. All three albums get a solid B-plus for very different reasons. Check them out if you've got some mad money burning a hole in your pocket.
Hope your own listening habits get a shake-up today. Rock on.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Or maybe it's just that Austria's nowhere near as funny as Kazahkstan
Yet another great week in Santa Barbara that affords me the time to catch up on a backlog of thus far untouched cultural fun mixed in with runs along the beach and tasty summer foods. I'll post a bundle of reviews as the week goes on. But I'll start with a pair of movies.
"Bruno" is "Borat" without the core of sweetness or the surprises that made Sasha Baron Cohen's comedy seem so intensely original. My rating - D-plus. I knew what we were in for, and I went in wanting to find the silver thong amidst a cloud of intentionally bad fashion. Sadly, it ain't there. Save you cash and wait for cable.
"The Hurt Locker" has a more authentic feel than any of the other Iraq War movies that have largely disappointed over the last many years. The setting in both time (2004 going forward) and place (chaotic Baghdad) is spot on. The actors do everything that's asked of them in a tense, brutal storyline centered on a bomb disposal team. But it just doesn't feel like a modern, insightful, off-balance classic. For that designation, I'd go more for "Full Metal Jacket" or to a much lesser degree "Three Kings". My rating - B-minus. I still recommend it strongly as a rental.
Hope your own blast radius has more to do with the outer limits of a backyard barbeque party today. Rock on.
"Bruno" is "Borat" without the core of sweetness or the surprises that made Sasha Baron Cohen's comedy seem so intensely original. My rating - D-plus. I knew what we were in for, and I went in wanting to find the silver thong amidst a cloud of intentionally bad fashion. Sadly, it ain't there. Save you cash and wait for cable.
"The Hurt Locker" has a more authentic feel than any of the other Iraq War movies that have largely disappointed over the last many years. The setting in both time (2004 going forward) and place (chaotic Baghdad) is spot on. The actors do everything that's asked of them in a tense, brutal storyline centered on a bomb disposal team. But it just doesn't feel like a modern, insightful, off-balance classic. For that designation, I'd go more for "Full Metal Jacket" or to a much lesser degree "Three Kings". My rating - B-minus. I still recommend it strongly as a rental.
Hope your own blast radius has more to do with the outer limits of a backyard barbeque party today. Rock on.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Maya prepped for her first day as a "Sea Squirt" at camp.
We're in Santa Barbara for a blissed-out week of vacation. Maya's spending her weekday mornings at an ocean exploration camp organized by the Museum of Natural History here. She's a "Sea Squirt" and couldn't have been more psyched this morning to get dipped in sunscreen and dropped at the end of Stearns Wharf to meet up with the other "Sea Squirts". We're actually jealous of what she's getting to do, which is pretty damn cool.
Hope your own explorations involve a lunch on the beach today. Rock on.
Hope your own explorations involve a lunch on the beach today. Rock on.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Eat your heart out, Casey Kasem
The obvious points of interest (Sarah Palin's ridiculous final weeks on the job, the GOP's floundering assault on wise Latina women, Prince Fielder winning the otherwise unimportant Baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, the upcoming 40th anniversary of Apollo 11) seem a bit underwhelming to me. Today is that ultimate test one's own humility - my birthday. And a big one if the Hallmark corporation and its fellow guilt marketers are to be followed. Today I begin my 5th decade on the planet. The big four-oh. To be honest, it feels pretty good.
I like to think this is my George W. Bush moment. At 40, he quit drinking, found religion, got serious about getting new and exciting jobs he was also totally unqualified for, and eventually did everything in his power to bring down the country. But I'm no Dubya. I like to think big. So I'm going to say bring 'em on, make the pie higher, and don't misunderestimate me all in one tortured sentence. Still, for all those historians looking to analyze just what made me so, um, me...I offer a random list of things I love and thank the gawds for having created. In no particular order.
1. Hats, of all shapes, so long as they have a brim.
2. Sparkling water with juice and a touch of lime.
3. Sunglasses that work even on cloudy days.
4. King-sized beds with fresh sheets.
5. Lawnmowers that start on the first pull.
6. Movies in an air-conditioned theatre.
7. Saying "I love you" without a hint of a Fonzie stutter.
8. Throwing a perfect spiral with a freshly pumped-up football.
9. Writing a line that makes someone laugh out loud.
10. WiFi that doesn't require a password.
I hope y'all have a special day. Rock on.
I like to think this is my George W. Bush moment. At 40, he quit drinking, found religion, got serious about getting new and exciting jobs he was also totally unqualified for, and eventually did everything in his power to bring down the country. But I'm no Dubya. I like to think big. So I'm going to say bring 'em on, make the pie higher, and don't misunderestimate me all in one tortured sentence. Still, for all those historians looking to analyze just what made me so, um, me...I offer a random list of things I love and thank the gawds for having created. In no particular order.
1. Hats, of all shapes, so long as they have a brim.
2. Sparkling water with juice and a touch of lime.
3. Sunglasses that work even on cloudy days.
4. King-sized beds with fresh sheets.
5. Lawnmowers that start on the first pull.
6. Movies in an air-conditioned theatre.
7. Saying "I love you" without a hint of a Fonzie stutter.
8. Throwing a perfect spiral with a freshly pumped-up football.
9. Writing a line that makes someone laugh out loud.
10. WiFi that doesn't require a password.
I hope y'all have a special day. Rock on.
Friday, July 10, 2009
"In my country, it would be rude NOT to look."
When was the last time "Good Morning America" actually broke some news? Check that - when did they last break news WITH some actual wit? Doesn't matter, really. Today I'll give some props for what they did with the alleged booty check by Obama at the G-8. He's clean as the tears of a baby panda. Sarkozy, on the other hand, is a little perv who was probably wearing lifts at this photo op. Enjoy.
Hope you're also looking good from where I'm standing. Rock on.
Hope you're also looking good from where I'm standing. Rock on.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
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.
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.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Tap intro #1 - Toe, heel, running in place. Just warming up.
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.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
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.
Hope your own overseas shows are also recorded in a palace today. Rock on.
Friday, June 05, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
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.
Hope your own disappointments today go no further than the amount of sprinkles on your cupcake. Rock on.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
"Attention - please avoid the brown acid. Thank you."
I can't believe someone actually caught me on video doin' what I do.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Using the yoga cards.
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.
Monday, June 01, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
For now, let's just call it a break...
For those that have wondered, I have been slack for the last handful of months when it comes to blogging. If you visit regularly, thank you. Seriously. Thank you. I hope you will someday buy a book or two and let me buy you a drink as one of the few that paid attention way back when. But I don't think I'll be doing this much longer. Life's about transitions, and I've spent more than 4 years wearing out my welcome on a free template with not much to show for it. Other things are happening in my creative considerations and I don't know how often I'll be back here. Pictures of Maya and the whole famn damily in addition to occasional cultural reviews are surely going to be offered up. Maybe with more of an emphasis on RSS feeds, Tweets, and all manner of convenience so you can be better told when to check back. But I seriously mean this...thank you for checking in. I've always tried to walk something of a complex line between promoting how utterly proud I am of my family and how I want my family to be somewhat hidden from overt view. Maybe that's why I've never become one of those over-exposed ironies that then hides in the backyard clubhouse. This has been fun. It ain't over. Well, it sort of is over. Funny how that happens, doncha know.
Hope your own half-step away only gives you a better view of the whole picture today. Rock on.
Hope your own half-step away only gives you a better view of the whole picture today. Rock on.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
When's the Hot Karl protest, by the way?
With Tax Day in the rearview and Patriots Day on deck, this might be the time to offer my view of the utterly silly teabagging protests yesterday. Not that I actually saw a conservative commentator with testicles in his mouth to dissect their technique. But I digress. The whole Tea Party shtick is beyond mockable. How many people that made over $250K this past year do you think attended those varied gatherings nationwide? And how many of them do you think actually paid for a bushel or two of Lipton's (a British company to expand upon the ignorant irony) that after a few hours got tossed in a dumpster? My bet - 200. Tops. Hating taxes is as American as having come from somewhere else in the last few centuries. Acting like now is the time to finally rein in wasteful spending by tossing teabags over the fence at the White House - well, that's just plain reeks of having never read a history book.
Maya continues to be on break from her part-time daycare. Apparently, Passover warrants two weeks of closure. Where I grew up, we got more time for deer hunting season off from school than Easter. Obviously, perspective matters almost as much as denomination. Regardless, Maya and I are finishing up our hot chocolate at our local bakery before heading to the library. Lots of time for riding her newer new bike later.
Hope your own protests aren't strictly decaf today. Rock on.
Maya continues to be on break from her part-time daycare. Apparently, Passover warrants two weeks of closure. Where I grew up, we got more time for deer hunting season off from school than Easter. Obviously, perspective matters almost as much as denomination. Regardless, Maya and I are finishing up our hot chocolate at our local bakery before heading to the library. Lots of time for riding her newer new bike later.
Hope your own protests aren't strictly decaf today. Rock on.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
And no shoes were chucked at this particular Commander in Chief
Obama's tour through Europe was fascinating. Political impasses, minor chaotic protests, a constantly fawning public, and blossoming bromances across the spectrum of leaders. Not so much with Angela Merkel. But after doing a star turn in Turkey that we can already point to as a game-changer (they will once again let our military use their airspace as a pipeline in and out of Iraq) Obama flew into Iraq through that airspace. It wasn't much of a surprise to most of the press corps. Still, great theatre.
One quickie review - "Adventureland" is a bit over-rated. Great nostalgia for those of us that came of age in the late 80s. Great soundtrack, with both Husker Du and The Replacements in the mix. Jessie Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart are big stars in the making. Ryan Reynolds is lovable as always, even while playing a cad. But the middle was too muddled. My rating - B-minus.
Maya's on the leading edge of a two-week Passover break. So let the endless playdate scheduling begin! I'm sure by the end of next week we'll all be ready to get back to business. For now, it's fun though. Especially since Seattle's enjoying a serious dose of Springtime weather.
Hope your own windows are open and your juiceboxes are chillin'. Rock on.
One quickie review - "Adventureland" is a bit over-rated. Great nostalgia for those of us that came of age in the late 80s. Great soundtrack, with both Husker Du and The Replacements in the mix. Jessie Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart are big stars in the making. Ryan Reynolds is lovable as always, even while playing a cad. But the middle was too muddled. My rating - B-minus.
Maya's on the leading edge of a two-week Passover break. So let the endless playdate scheduling begin! I'm sure by the end of next week we'll all be ready to get back to business. For now, it's fun though. Especially since Seattle's enjoying a serious dose of Springtime weather.
Hope your own windows are open and your juiceboxes are chillin'. Rock on.
Friday, March 27, 2009
One word - brovorce
Time to catch up on a few things. Fasten your seat belts.
Barack Obama's media onslaught over the last week. Non pareil. This dude could sell Shamwows to the Shamwow dude. Snark all you want but I give it a full on A rating.
"I Love You, Man" - we saw it last weekend on a date night. My rating - C-plus. Funny. In a sort of "don't pick on the special kid" way of being funny.
The GOP Budget roll-out of their 19-page "blueprint" of a plan yet to be drafted. No rating. Once I clean the milk out of my sinuses I may have something to say about this upchuck of hilarity.
"Important Things" by Demetri Martin on Comedy Central. Wanted to love it. Want to know what Steven Wright thinks of his entire act being stolen by a guy half his age with an entire crew at the ready. Want it to go away. Rating - C-double-minus.
Maya caught a cold and is home today from daycare. Rating - D. Seeing Maya recovering mightily and acting like the cutest kid on the planet. Rating - A. Averaged grade - um...like a B-magic-unicorn or something.
Hope your own Friday afternoons don't include trying to explain why you haven't had prescient/funny/life-changing things to say over the past week plus. Rock on.
Barack Obama's media onslaught over the last week. Non pareil. This dude could sell Shamwows to the Shamwow dude. Snark all you want but I give it a full on A rating.
"I Love You, Man" - we saw it last weekend on a date night. My rating - C-plus. Funny. In a sort of "don't pick on the special kid" way of being funny.
The GOP Budget roll-out of their 19-page "blueprint" of a plan yet to be drafted. No rating. Once I clean the milk out of my sinuses I may have something to say about this upchuck of hilarity.
"Important Things" by Demetri Martin on Comedy Central. Wanted to love it. Want to know what Steven Wright thinks of his entire act being stolen by a guy half his age with an entire crew at the ready. Want it to go away. Rating - C-double-minus.
Maya caught a cold and is home today from daycare. Rating - D. Seeing Maya recovering mightily and acting like the cutest kid on the planet. Rating - A. Averaged grade - um...like a B-magic-unicorn or something.
Hope your own Friday afternoons don't include trying to explain why you haven't had prescient/funny/life-changing things to say over the past week plus. Rock on.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
It takes a Tucker to know a Tucker
Newsflash - Tucker Carlson jumped the shark 5 years ago. Double newsflash - he's still bitter about the bitch-slap-fest Jon Stewart delivered to him in the waning days of "Crossfire" on CNN (Tucker hosted, before being fired and sequentially being dumped by just about every other network besides Al Jezeera). I'm no fan of Tina Brown's new blog, The Daily Beast. But they are getting the buzz (e.g. Meghan McCain's work). So to connect the dots, Tucker Carlson has a rant posted there today that tries to take Jon Stewart to task for his recent dust-up with CNBC and Jim Cramer. If you've not already eaten a meal you enjoyed, you must read it. However you click through to things inconsequential, I must provide a personal memory of Tucker Carlson's career prior to jumping that shark like Fonzie in two leather jackets.
Way back when it was still cool, Tina Brown started up a magazine via Miramax called "Talk". She'd been dumped by "The New Yorker" (thankfully) and needed a new platform to ruin. "Talk" was inconsequential. But one profile sticks in my mind. A young and not quite as prickish Tucker Carlson interviewed the then Governor George W. Bush as he tested the waters of running for Prezidunt. In that piece, Tucker described a car ride conversation with Dubya wherein he asked about a hot-button issue from those halcyon days long ago - the scheduled execution of Karla Faye Tucker. When asked by Tucker what the female Tucker might say to gain an execution reprieve, Dubya responded mockingly with "please don't kill me" accompanied by frat guy disdain and unbridled assholery. And that, dear reader, is the man Tucker Carlson went on to defend time and time again. Now, after 5 years of being surely mocked by the same reporters he made so much hay from attacking, he's coming back at Jon Stewart. What. A. Dick. I only hope Jon Stewart takes the bait and lights that fuse. Because if we as a society of people willing to tilt at windmills, we might as well shoot for another feeble structure that's almost down on the ground already. Easy targets make Hulk happy.
Hope your own willingness to get in the scrum today isn't due to some sort of St. Patty's Day streetfight gone awry. Rock on.
Way back when it was still cool, Tina Brown started up a magazine via Miramax called "Talk". She'd been dumped by "The New Yorker" (thankfully) and needed a new platform to ruin. "Talk" was inconsequential. But one profile sticks in my mind. A young and not quite as prickish Tucker Carlson interviewed the then Governor George W. Bush as he tested the waters of running for Prezidunt. In that piece, Tucker described a car ride conversation with Dubya wherein he asked about a hot-button issue from those halcyon days long ago - the scheduled execution of Karla Faye Tucker. When asked by Tucker what the female Tucker might say to gain an execution reprieve, Dubya responded mockingly with "please don't kill me" accompanied by frat guy disdain and unbridled assholery. And that, dear reader, is the man Tucker Carlson went on to defend time and time again. Now, after 5 years of being surely mocked by the same reporters he made so much hay from attacking, he's coming back at Jon Stewart. What. A. Dick. I only hope Jon Stewart takes the bait and lights that fuse. Because if we as a society of people willing to tilt at windmills, we might as well shoot for another feeble structure that's almost down on the ground already. Easy targets make Hulk happy.
Hope your own willingness to get in the scrum today isn't due to some sort of St. Patty's Day streetfight gone awry. Rock on.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Goodbye, P-I
Seattle loses one of two daily papers tomorrow. After The Rocky Mountain News from Denver shut down recently. And it ain't over yet. Tough times to be a print journalist. Shutting down on St. Patty's Day? Oy. You won't be able to swing a limp shamrock without hitting a drunken ex-ink sniffer tomorrow.
Hope your own globe keeps on spinning tomorrow. Rock on.
Hope your own globe keeps on spinning tomorrow. Rock on.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Play with the bull, deal with the horns
Everyone's talking about it, so I need to follow the lemmings. Jon Stewart interviewed Jim Cramer last night after a week of shtick and dickish retorts. Anyone who regularly reads what I have to say in between impossibly cute pics of my family knows that I'm a big fan of "The Daily Show". I love where their writers and personalities have come from and I believe that they do a better job of media criticism than anyone in the muddled age we live in. Last night was one of their most exemplary moments deserving of said praise. First off - I won't feel sorry for Jim Cramer. I'm way too acquainted with his horrific dotcom venture - theStreet.com - which promoted, um...the dotcom bubble and little else. And his show "Mad Money" is the worst of the worst in terms of trying to expand an audience for business reporting using nothing but crappy gimicks and bombast. But that pinata got beat down like none other last night and I feel some of Cramer's pain. He's screwed. Let's not forget that Jon Stewart almost single-handedly destroyed Tucker Carlson and led to the cancellation of "Crossfire" on CNN. In this case, I don't see how CNBC can possibly run "Mad Money" using the same format as they did up until yesterday. Overstatement is the crazy aunt living in the basement of anyone that spends time blogging. But last night was a slaughter. Jon Stewart is the smartest man working in the media today. Hopefully he continues to do the same thing for many tomorrows to come. Don't take my word for it, though. Watch the whole unedited interview for yourself.
Hope your own media appearances don't change your life today. Rock on.
Hope your own media appearances don't change your life today. Rock on.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
"Also, don't talk about puppet farming."
Part of our morning routine, admittedly, includes letting Maya watch "Sesame Street" during breakfast. It's the perfect carrot and stick ("if you don't eat more Grape Nuts, I'll need to turn off the TV for a while"). And since it's on a non-TiVo TV, the threat sinks in and Maya always wants to get back to the Street. I've always loved "Sesame Street" including the vintage volumes we bought a while back that began the year I was born. The celebrity visits usually rock. But I haven't seen anything as funny in the outtake sense of that venue than when Ricky Gervais showed recently to tape a segment for next fall's 40th anniversary opener. Absolutely hilarious.
Hope your own puppets have a taste for improv today. Rock on.
Hope your own puppets have a taste for improv today. Rock on.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Ah, the raw elements of an inspired costume idea come together.
For all of you fans of Jewish holidays, today's probably the coolest. Purim. Jewish Halloween. To an extent. Maya decided weeks ago that she wanted to be a bunny. So I went a bit overboard with my vision. She probably would have been happy with only some face paint. But here's a few pics to show what we put together. Hope your own costumes hold together at least until lunch today.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Maya in the driver's seat of our local Station's engine.
The following trio of pics come courtesy our Maya's best friend's dad, who is a very skilled and famous photographer. He and an assistant shot many hundred great shots of this weekend's festivities. But it leaves me wondering, if you've got a fire truck and a few dozen cute kids to work with...well, even a blind squirrel can find a nut on occasion. Regardless, Jock rocks.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Double Birthday Party. Double Cakes.
Earlier this afternoon we had an utterly awesome Birthday Party for Maya and one of her friends (Marina). After some serious pole greasing (sorry, had to go for the inappropriate joke) we got our local fire station to send out a truck with four amazing crew members to excite the kids even beyond what the cake did thereafter. Any crew that uploads and unloads 20 4-year-olds for pics and the like deserves some sort of medal. Hopefully made from leftover carrots...because we've got a few.
Hope your own parties today feature firefighters, in whatever fashion (know what I mean). Rock on. And rock on Seattle Fire Department!
Hope your own parties today feature firefighters, in whatever fashion (know what I mean). Rock on. And rock on Seattle Fire Department!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
