Today is my co-worker Lynn's birthday. If you've had the pleasure of meeting her, she needs no introduction. But I should most certainly clarify. Co-worker Mireia took exception to being referred to as "co-worker" on this blog because it makes it sound like these people aren't my friends. Of course, if you've talked to me at all in the last 6 months, then you know that I simply adore my "co-workers." They are dear friends to me by this point and they are the number one reason I get out of bed in the morning to come into work (well, the pay check is a very close second). So, "co-worker" should just put it in context that I see these people every day at work, but one should remember that really, they are good friends of mine.
Back to Lynn. When I enter a new situation, I am reserved and somewhat shy. I have a quirky (some would say "moronic" or "difficult") personality that is not to everyone's taste, and so I hold back until I get to know the people around me. Lynn is the opposite. Aside from having a lovely and effervescent personality, she is sunny and outgoing from the start. Truth be told, it was my clipped attitude that deflated poor Lynn initially and made her complain to wonderful husband Kevin that her co-workers "sucked."
Obviously, I need to work on my attitude problem when I meet people in a new situation. Because I missed out on prime months of friendship with this woman while I acclimated to my surroundings.
One day while chatting with Lynn about her childhood dog Simba, I remarked that I loved the Westminster Dog Show. "We should go to that!" Lynn remarked. I agreed. But rather than just a statement of interest, Lynn went to work and got us tickets (Watermelanie came too), set up places for us to sleep at her house and made us coffee the next morning before work. At the show, we were able to get backstage and see the doggies. Later, Lynn went off to get a soda. She disappeared for over a half hour. Where had she gone? Back downstairs to play with the dogs, even though she's allergic and couldn't stop sneezing after that.
Lynn's fun-loving spirit meant that, even though she had lots of work to do and plenty of other things to worry about, she came with me to see the circus elephants walk through the Queens Midtown Tunnel back in March. And rather than moan and groan the next day about how tired she was.... she exclaimed, "That was awesome! We have to do that again next year!"
I've got other plans for Lynn, though.... like a trip to Vegas. There aren't too many people you can have that much fun with and tell your life story to with no regrets the next day. And to think of all the good times I was missing out on last fall. Happy birthday, girl.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
The Curse of the Cootie Hug
Last night I had dinner with Liana, her mother, and her sisters. More on that later. The topic of cootie hugs came up at one point. Lord, how I had the cootie hug.
A cootie hug (typically perpetrated by guys, although there are female offenders) occurs when friends of the opposite sex hug. My personal experience as a singleton is that it's almost always the married men who give the cootie hug. A cootie hug is the hug where there are about two feet between the huggers, the person barely put their arms around you, and then pats you on the back. It's as though the perpetrator is saying, "You have cooties, but you're my friend and I don't want to offend you, so here's the most sterile hug I can give you."
TK suggested that there might be a concern of a breast and shoulder touching. God forbid. Perhaps a married man's dad sat him down before the wedding and said, "Son, now that you're getting married, you can't hug another woman ever again." Particularly irritating is that most of my male friends consider me to be like a sister. But would you hug your sister like that? I don't have scabies, I swear! I have no communicable diseases that you could possibly get from giving me a real hug!
Are you concerned your wife or girlfriend will feel threatened if you give me a real hug? She won't be. No sane woman watches her fella give a good friend a normal hug hello or good-bye and thinks it means something. Your lady is not threatened by me at all, trust me. She might be a little threatened by my fantastic shoe collection, but she ain't threatened by a hug.
The answer now, of course, is that I frequently find myself throwing up a high five good-bye instead of receiving the dreaded cootie hug. There's something very friendly about a high five and if the gents in my life are going to insist on hugging me like I have bird flu, then a high five it is.
A cootie hug (typically perpetrated by guys, although there are female offenders) occurs when friends of the opposite sex hug. My personal experience as a singleton is that it's almost always the married men who give the cootie hug. A cootie hug is the hug where there are about two feet between the huggers, the person barely put their arms around you, and then pats you on the back. It's as though the perpetrator is saying, "You have cooties, but you're my friend and I don't want to offend you, so here's the most sterile hug I can give you."
TK suggested that there might be a concern of a breast and shoulder touching. God forbid. Perhaps a married man's dad sat him down before the wedding and said, "Son, now that you're getting married, you can't hug another woman ever again." Particularly irritating is that most of my male friends consider me to be like a sister. But would you hug your sister like that? I don't have scabies, I swear! I have no communicable diseases that you could possibly get from giving me a real hug!
Are you concerned your wife or girlfriend will feel threatened if you give me a real hug? She won't be. No sane woman watches her fella give a good friend a normal hug hello or good-bye and thinks it means something. Your lady is not threatened by me at all, trust me. She might be a little threatened by my fantastic shoe collection, but she ain't threatened by a hug.
The answer now, of course, is that I frequently find myself throwing up a high five good-bye instead of receiving the dreaded cootie hug. There's something very friendly about a high five and if the gents in my life are going to insist on hugging me like I have bird flu, then a high five it is.
BritBrit and K-Fed
Did anyone catch the premier of Britney and Kevin's reality show on UPN last night? I sadly missed it. If you caught it, let me know what you thought.
In the meantime, bless the hearts of Television Without Pity, who covered it. The recapper writes: "With his wimpy, vaginal beard, beady cobra eyes, and penchant for chillin' with his shirt off, K-Fed comes across as every bit the greasy dullard you would think he'd be, and then some."
Check out the recap here. I'm kind of happy I missed it, but then again, the busybody masochist in me wishes I had been home to see it.
In the meantime, bless the hearts of Television Without Pity, who covered it. The recapper writes: "With his wimpy, vaginal beard, beady cobra eyes, and penchant for chillin' with his shirt off, K-Fed comes across as every bit the greasy dullard you would think he'd be, and then some."
Check out the recap here. I'm kind of happy I missed it, but then again, the busybody masochist in me wishes I had been home to see it.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Go Banana!
“She’s like the J. Lo and you’re the Chris Judd.”
--TK on my relationship with Liana
This is a big birthday week for me. One old friend, one new friend, and one law school friend in a three day period. To celebrate this, I shall pay tribute to each lovely lady on her special day.
Today is Liana Banana’s birthday. I met Liana during freshman orientation at college. There’s a special bond that you forge with the people who knew you at 18, when you were away from home for the first time. It’s probably why Liana, Becks, Brian, Janet, Lauren, Roxey, Devon, and Jerusha are still such dear friends and why you can have dinner with any one of them nearly ten years later and still feel as close as you did when it was 4am the night before an exam. But I digress. The purpose of this is not to talk about college. Okay, it’s only part of the purpose.
During my sophomore year in college, Pablo and I went on a major Simpsons kick. I never watched the Simpsons when I was younger, so every night at 7pm, we would watch the repeats. There’s an ep where, during a bus trip, Nelson and Bart start racing an apple and an orange down to the front of the bus. Ralph Wiggum tries to get into the action by racing a banana. As the other kids cheer for the apple and orange, little Ralph plaintively yells out “Go Banana!” I can’t tell you whether it was Pablo or I who started it, but “Go Liana!” in a Ralph voice became a common call. And eventually, we started calling her “Liana Banana” or “Banana.”
Following college, Liana Banana had the curious distinction of being my roommate during my three years of law school. It is no exaggeration to say that I owe my graduation in some part to her. Constant cheerleader in my quest for studying and jobs, she literally would listen every night to the latest shenanigans at school. She learned the names of all my friends before she met them and laughed at all the stupid stories I told her.
I have my fair share of addictions – shoes, World Series of Poker on ESPN, unmentionables, shampoo and baseball to name a few. But there was never any judgment from Liana’s room…. probably because she had her own addictions – Saucony sneakers, World’s Wildest Police Chases, Swatch watches, shower gel, and oh, baseball. Good thing I always had her calling me up during playoffs when she was working the night shift.
We always joked that we were each other’s wives. It may seem silly, but in all honesty, when my classmates were calling girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, wives to check in, I was calling Liana. One night while I was out for a drink up in Suffern with Kate, my cell rang. “That’ll be your wife,” Kate predicted. She was right – Liana was checking to make sure I was accounted for. My mother slept easier in the years that I lived with Li – she knew that if I weren’t home, Liana would be on the case.
Wife isn’t as appropriate a moniker as super-supportive sister. That’s what Liana is. And aside from all the funnies and kindness she has shown me, she shines it on everyone. Liana is, simply put, the life of the party. And even though she has gotten far more than her fair share of bum shakes in life, no one would know it. She’s a trooper. Happy birthday, girl.
--TK on my relationship with Liana
This is a big birthday week for me. One old friend, one new friend, and one law school friend in a three day period. To celebrate this, I shall pay tribute to each lovely lady on her special day.
Today is Liana Banana’s birthday. I met Liana during freshman orientation at college. There’s a special bond that you forge with the people who knew you at 18, when you were away from home for the first time. It’s probably why Liana, Becks, Brian, Janet, Lauren, Roxey, Devon, and Jerusha are still such dear friends and why you can have dinner with any one of them nearly ten years later and still feel as close as you did when it was 4am the night before an exam. But I digress. The purpose of this is not to talk about college. Okay, it’s only part of the purpose.
During my sophomore year in college, Pablo and I went on a major Simpsons kick. I never watched the Simpsons when I was younger, so every night at 7pm, we would watch the repeats. There’s an ep where, during a bus trip, Nelson and Bart start racing an apple and an orange down to the front of the bus. Ralph Wiggum tries to get into the action by racing a banana. As the other kids cheer for the apple and orange, little Ralph plaintively yells out “Go Banana!” I can’t tell you whether it was Pablo or I who started it, but “Go Liana!” in a Ralph voice became a common call. And eventually, we started calling her “Liana Banana” or “Banana.”
Following college, Liana Banana had the curious distinction of being my roommate during my three years of law school. It is no exaggeration to say that I owe my graduation in some part to her. Constant cheerleader in my quest for studying and jobs, she literally would listen every night to the latest shenanigans at school. She learned the names of all my friends before she met them and laughed at all the stupid stories I told her.
I have my fair share of addictions – shoes, World Series of Poker on ESPN, unmentionables, shampoo and baseball to name a few. But there was never any judgment from Liana’s room…. probably because she had her own addictions – Saucony sneakers, World’s Wildest Police Chases, Swatch watches, shower gel, and oh, baseball. Good thing I always had her calling me up during playoffs when she was working the night shift.
We always joked that we were each other’s wives. It may seem silly, but in all honesty, when my classmates were calling girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, wives to check in, I was calling Liana. One night while I was out for a drink up in Suffern with Kate, my cell rang. “That’ll be your wife,” Kate predicted. She was right – Liana was checking to make sure I was accounted for. My mother slept easier in the years that I lived with Li – she knew that if I weren’t home, Liana would be on the case.
Wife isn’t as appropriate a moniker as super-supportive sister. That’s what Liana is. And aside from all the funnies and kindness she has shown me, she shines it on everyone. Liana is, simply put, the life of the party. And even though she has gotten far more than her fair share of bum shakes in life, no one would know it. She’s a trooper. Happy birthday, girl.
After the Bad, Here's the Good
Mel and I headed down to Dip, on 3rd Avenue between 29th and 30th Streets for the previously mentioned surprise party. Dip is mostly a bar, although they also have a nice selection of fondue, hence the name (which Mel had to point out because I’m too stupid to pick up on such things… Sure, sure, name your bar “Liquor Here” and I’ll be laughing for hours, but name it something non-dirty and I’ll stare blankly.).
Happy hour included $5 apple martinis, so we helped ourselves to a couple of those and gathered round Phil, Emily & co-worker Mireia, who managed to get seats (bless their hearts, as native/long-time New Yorkers, Phil and Emily really know what’s important in a bar…. a place to sit).
The party itself was a huge success – Lynn was completely shocked and surprised and it was well-worth the trip to see her have fun. The bar itself was a bit on the loud side, but not terribly so. The musical selection was…. odd I guess. There was a strange mix of new music along with older stuff… like Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.” Huh? Yeah, I have no idea.
There were a number of waitresses floating about and it was easy to grab one and get some food off the bar menu. We ordered chicken quesadillas (kessadillers to you Napolean Dynamite fans) but found that we were still hungry. After a five minute discussion on the power and the glory of cheese, it was agreed that we needed some fondue. The giant pot of bubbly Swiss cheese came quickly and was quite yummy. I personally would have preferred more bread and less icky broccoli, but on the whole, quite good.
As the night progressed, Mel and I decided to accompany Phil and Emily downtown to Zerza, a Moroccan restaurant on 6th Street, just around the corner from Second Avenue. Unfortunately, I was not hungry, so I didn’t eat anything there. The food looked really appetizing though. We had a couple of bottles of wine from Algeria called Medea, which I quite liked. And the atmosphere of Zerza was more to my liking than Dip – not surprisingly, Dip had a large after-work crowd and a lot of twenty-somethings out having fun. Zerza was more low-key and the lanterns, tiles, bellydancer and music made me nostalgic for my trip to Marakesh back in aughty-aught. Also, the waitstaff of Zerza was ridiculous friendly. Two thumbs up.
Mel and I stumbled back uptown to our jail cell at 2am, with enough wine to dull the cold and enough apple tobacco from the hookah to make the room smell less like feet. The following day as we trudged back to the car, Mel remarked, “Now I’m not so sure which is worse – driving back at night or in the morning.” Well, it may not have been fun on Saturday morning, but it was a jolly good Friday night.
Happy hour included $5 apple martinis, so we helped ourselves to a couple of those and gathered round Phil, Emily & co-worker Mireia, who managed to get seats (bless their hearts, as native/long-time New Yorkers, Phil and Emily really know what’s important in a bar…. a place to sit).
The party itself was a huge success – Lynn was completely shocked and surprised and it was well-worth the trip to see her have fun. The bar itself was a bit on the loud side, but not terribly so. The musical selection was…. odd I guess. There was a strange mix of new music along with older stuff… like Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.” Huh? Yeah, I have no idea.
There were a number of waitresses floating about and it was easy to grab one and get some food off the bar menu. We ordered chicken quesadillas (kessadillers to you Napolean Dynamite fans) but found that we were still hungry. After a five minute discussion on the power and the glory of cheese, it was agreed that we needed some fondue. The giant pot of bubbly Swiss cheese came quickly and was quite yummy. I personally would have preferred more bread and less icky broccoli, but on the whole, quite good.
As the night progressed, Mel and I decided to accompany Phil and Emily downtown to Zerza, a Moroccan restaurant on 6th Street, just around the corner from Second Avenue. Unfortunately, I was not hungry, so I didn’t eat anything there. The food looked really appetizing though. We had a couple of bottles of wine from Algeria called Medea, which I quite liked. And the atmosphere of Zerza was more to my liking than Dip – not surprisingly, Dip had a large after-work crowd and a lot of twenty-somethings out having fun. Zerza was more low-key and the lanterns, tiles, bellydancer and music made me nostalgic for my trip to Marakesh back in aughty-aught. Also, the waitstaff of Zerza was ridiculous friendly. Two thumbs up.
Mel and I stumbled back uptown to our jail cell at 2am, with enough wine to dull the cold and enough apple tobacco from the hookah to make the room smell less like feet. The following day as we trudged back to the car, Mel remarked, “Now I’m not so sure which is worse – driving back at night or in the morning.” Well, it may not have been fun on Saturday morning, but it was a jolly good Friday night.
Monday, May 16, 2005
There's budget... and then there's Habitat
This Friday past saw me headed into Manhattan after work with co-worker Watermelanie (aka Mel). The reason? Co-worker Lynn's surprise birthday party at Dip. Mel had approached me a couple of weeks before to see if I would be interested in getting a room so that we would not have to drive back to our far away homes. Back in the days of Belleville, a late-night drive back to the Jers would take 20 minutes. But living in Djibouti (aka Morris County or Sussex County as the case may be) it takes closer to an hour. Not a whole lot of fun at 2am. I agreed to the plan, and you have read about my hotel room woes with Priceline in the last two weeks.
I'm going to skip the details of the ride and the parking irritation that always accompanies a trip to the Isle of Manhats and go straight to the funnies. I had gotten us a room at the budget Habitat Hotel on East 57th Street between Park & Lex. We entered the building and took an elevator ride to the lobby where we were given our room assignment. There was a strangely loud bar/club adjoining the lobby called Opia. Mel pointed out a small sign at the front-desk that read "Strobe lights and smoke machines available here." Errr, okay.
We headed up to our room on the 10th floor which was more jail cell than hostel room. I have stayed in "European style" rooms before, people. I was not expecting anything great from this place. But let me just say that Europeans would be appalled at this joint being pooled into their style.
The room was about 8 x 10. Once you opened the trundle bed, though, you could not walk across the room. The windows are sealed shut, which is particularly rough since it was stuffy and smelled like feet. There was a sink, a box of tissues and a cable television. The bathrooms were typical stalls… but looked like they hadn't been cleaned. Ever. I lived in a dorm for three years of college and so, I am perfectly accustomed to somewhat grimy stalls, but this really takes the cake. Also, there were no sinks in the bathroom, so you had to head back to your room if you wanted to wash your hands. I won't go into the showers because I thought it'd be safer to bathe in New Jersey.
When Mel and I returned to our room around 2am, we quickly realized that there were no towels and we would have to dry our faces off with tissues. Good. Times. To be honest, I can't remember what we were laughing so hard at, other than Mel's terrified "Oh no! I knocked your tooth brush into the sink!" Yes, the room was that dirty. The entire place was that dirty. And the lighting in the hallways was straight out of Silence of the Lambs.
For a good laugh, read the Trip Advisor comments. "Filthy," "creepy," and "worst hotel I've been to" get thrown around. Apparently, there are residents at the hotel who are not far from institutionalization, but I didn't see any of that.
If I had paid $25 for this room, that would be one thing. But clearly, Manhattan is out of control if this place can charge $100 on a Friday night. On the bright side, every place from here on out will probably feel like it's four stars.
I'm going to skip the details of the ride and the parking irritation that always accompanies a trip to the Isle of Manhats and go straight to the funnies. I had gotten us a room at the budget Habitat Hotel on East 57th Street between Park & Lex. We entered the building and took an elevator ride to the lobby where we were given our room assignment. There was a strangely loud bar/club adjoining the lobby called Opia. Mel pointed out a small sign at the front-desk that read "Strobe lights and smoke machines available here." Errr, okay.
We headed up to our room on the 10th floor which was more jail cell than hostel room. I have stayed in "European style" rooms before, people. I was not expecting anything great from this place. But let me just say that Europeans would be appalled at this joint being pooled into their style.
The room was about 8 x 10. Once you opened the trundle bed, though, you could not walk across the room. The windows are sealed shut, which is particularly rough since it was stuffy and smelled like feet. There was a sink, a box of tissues and a cable television. The bathrooms were typical stalls… but looked like they hadn't been cleaned. Ever. I lived in a dorm for three years of college and so, I am perfectly accustomed to somewhat grimy stalls, but this really takes the cake. Also, there were no sinks in the bathroom, so you had to head back to your room if you wanted to wash your hands. I won't go into the showers because I thought it'd be safer to bathe in New Jersey.
When Mel and I returned to our room around 2am, we quickly realized that there were no towels and we would have to dry our faces off with tissues. Good. Times. To be honest, I can't remember what we were laughing so hard at, other than Mel's terrified "Oh no! I knocked your tooth brush into the sink!" Yes, the room was that dirty. The entire place was that dirty. And the lighting in the hallways was straight out of Silence of the Lambs.
For a good laugh, read the Trip Advisor comments. "Filthy," "creepy," and "worst hotel I've been to" get thrown around. Apparently, there are residents at the hotel who are not far from institutionalization, but I didn't see any of that.
If I had paid $25 for this room, that would be one thing. But clearly, Manhattan is out of control if this place can charge $100 on a Friday night. On the bright side, every place from here on out will probably feel like it's four stars.
Poor in New York
Just in case you thought Missouri was the only place where it sucks to be sick and poor, the Times is doing a series called "Class Matters." Today's article addresses how a heart attack was treated in three different people - a wealthy man from Park Slope, a middle-class man in Bed-Stuy, and a working-class woman in Queens. The article isn't the best of the sort I've ever read - they could have done a better job of combining statistics with the stories, but give it a shot. And if you can read Ewa Gora's (the working class woman) story without aching for her, then you're tougher than I.
Act civilized even if you ain't.
I have felt, for most of this season, that a "Lie Agreed Upon, Part 2," was the best episode of this season, and possibly of the entire series. But last night was a very close second to that. What an episode.
Last night was, for the most part, all about the ladies of Deadwood. It started off with the burning of the Chinese whores' corpses and wound it's way to the grief of Martha Bullock. From Jane and Joanie's new found friendship to Trixie's musings on human nature, the women really got a chance to shine last night.
Favorite scenes - Trixie, Trixie, Trixie. It should come as no surprise that Trixie is probably my favorite character on this show, and Milch has done a nice job of developing her subtly this season. Loved her explanation to Sol about why she went to Al after William was injured: "The pimp's a whore's familiar. So the sudden, strange or violent draws her to him. Not that I wouldn't learn another way." I was also pleased and touched when she visited Alma and told her that she was sorry she had butted in on the Ellsworth proposal. As she points out, women have so few choices in this life, that when they do have a choice to make, others ought to mind their own business. Classic touch when she sniffed Alma's glass to make sure she wasn't back on the laudanum. And Trixie bossing the Gem whores around as well as being overly superstitious about Dan's boots on the bar was another nice touch.
And where last week's ep failed to move me, this week certainly succeeded. Between Alma's talk with Sophia and Martha Bullock's barely contained rage and grief, I was definitely feeling it. I also though that Timothy Olyphant did a nice job as Bullock this week - he actually managed to make me feel something other than irritation for him. Between having to make his nephew's cophin, keeping up appearances with Jarrey and attempting to comfort/stay out of the way for Martha, well, he got me. I felt for him.
As to the theme of frontier women. This show has never shyed away from how women were treated in the west in the 1800s. This ain't no Laura Ingalls world and there's nothing romantic about it. But following the brutality of the treatment of the Chinese whores, it was nice to see the women of Deadwood acting or reacting in the most important roles in their lives - for Alma and Martha, it's motherhood; for Joanie and Jane, it's friendship; and for Trixie, it's a little bit of both.
Final thoughts, is a psychopath born or made? In the case of Swearengen, it appears to be the latter. I love it when he tells stories about his youth, and I always enjoy seeing a glimmer of humanity in him. Despite his skills at acting like he doesn't give a shit, to learn that he actually cannot stand funerals because of what they meant when he was a child was a bonus. And of course, I'm pleased that Alma accepted Ellsworth's proposal.
Next week is the season finale! Looks like Hearst will arrive and the shit is about to hit the fan between Wu and Lee.
Last night was, for the most part, all about the ladies of Deadwood. It started off with the burning of the Chinese whores' corpses and wound it's way to the grief of Martha Bullock. From Jane and Joanie's new found friendship to Trixie's musings on human nature, the women really got a chance to shine last night.
Favorite scenes - Trixie, Trixie, Trixie. It should come as no surprise that Trixie is probably my favorite character on this show, and Milch has done a nice job of developing her subtly this season. Loved her explanation to Sol about why she went to Al after William was injured: "The pimp's a whore's familiar. So the sudden, strange or violent draws her to him. Not that I wouldn't learn another way." I was also pleased and touched when she visited Alma and told her that she was sorry she had butted in on the Ellsworth proposal. As she points out, women have so few choices in this life, that when they do have a choice to make, others ought to mind their own business. Classic touch when she sniffed Alma's glass to make sure she wasn't back on the laudanum. And Trixie bossing the Gem whores around as well as being overly superstitious about Dan's boots on the bar was another nice touch.
And where last week's ep failed to move me, this week certainly succeeded. Between Alma's talk with Sophia and Martha Bullock's barely contained rage and grief, I was definitely feeling it. I also though that Timothy Olyphant did a nice job as Bullock this week - he actually managed to make me feel something other than irritation for him. Between having to make his nephew's cophin, keeping up appearances with Jarrey and attempting to comfort/stay out of the way for Martha, well, he got me. I felt for him.
As to the theme of frontier women. This show has never shyed away from how women were treated in the west in the 1800s. This ain't no Laura Ingalls world and there's nothing romantic about it. But following the brutality of the treatment of the Chinese whores, it was nice to see the women of Deadwood acting or reacting in the most important roles in their lives - for Alma and Martha, it's motherhood; for Joanie and Jane, it's friendship; and for Trixie, it's a little bit of both.
Final thoughts, is a psychopath born or made? In the case of Swearengen, it appears to be the latter. I love it when he tells stories about his youth, and I always enjoy seeing a glimmer of humanity in him. Despite his skills at acting like he doesn't give a shit, to learn that he actually cannot stand funerals because of what they meant when he was a child was a bonus. And of course, I'm pleased that Alma accepted Ellsworth's proposal.
Next week is the season finale! Looks like Hearst will arrive and the shit is about to hit the fan between Wu and Lee.
Miscellany for a Monday Morning
Before I launch into my exposition on Deadwood and this weekend, I thought I'd give you some random information, most of which I gleened from this week's issue of Entertainment Weekly.
Acccording to the aforementioned magazine's exclusive on the Dave Chappelle situation, the show is pretty much over for good. Staffers are looking for new jobs. Horrible, I know. BUT, according to a Time mag article, in which Dave spoke out for the first time since he left, he's actually on a "spiritual retreat" with a Muslim friend in South Africa, and "he has not checked himself into a mental health facility, though he acknowledges spending a single 40-minute session with a psychiatrist." He also says the show is not over and he intends to resume production when he returns.... whenever that is. Read about it here.
In the good news department, Chappelle's Show season 2 DVD will be out May 24th.
Another favorite in the funny television section, Scrubs season 1 will be out on DVD tomorrow, May 17th.
EW also reviewed John Burdett's latest book, Bangkok Tattoo. Burdett wrote Bangkok 8 which came out in 2003 and followed the exploits of a Eurasian Thai cop investigating the murder of his partner and best friend. I read 8 earlier this year and it was definitely one of the more interesting books I've read in awhile, let alone pot-boilers. Burdett has a certain James Ellroy sensibility, but what makes his stuff so engrossing is his knowledge of Thai culture and Buddhism. I can't account for the latest book, although I will certainly pick it up when it comes out in paper back, but I highly recommend Bangkok 8.
An last but not least, believe it or not, dum da da duuummmm! The Yankees have reached .500! So now, I'm impressed. Yes, yes, they still have their problems and just because Giambi got a hit yesterday doesn't mean that I don't think he should be handed a one-way ticket to AAA-ville, but I said I'd be impressed when they got to .500, and so, color me impressed.
Acccording to the aforementioned magazine's exclusive on the Dave Chappelle situation, the show is pretty much over for good. Staffers are looking for new jobs. Horrible, I know. BUT, according to a Time mag article, in which Dave spoke out for the first time since he left, he's actually on a "spiritual retreat" with a Muslim friend in South Africa, and "he has not checked himself into a mental health facility, though he acknowledges spending a single 40-minute session with a psychiatrist." He also says the show is not over and he intends to resume production when he returns.... whenever that is. Read about it here.
In the good news department, Chappelle's Show season 2 DVD will be out May 24th.
Another favorite in the funny television section, Scrubs season 1 will be out on DVD tomorrow, May 17th.
EW also reviewed John Burdett's latest book, Bangkok Tattoo. Burdett wrote Bangkok 8 which came out in 2003 and followed the exploits of a Eurasian Thai cop investigating the murder of his partner and best friend. I read 8 earlier this year and it was definitely one of the more interesting books I've read in awhile, let alone pot-boilers. Burdett has a certain James Ellroy sensibility, but what makes his stuff so engrossing is his knowledge of Thai culture and Buddhism. I can't account for the latest book, although I will certainly pick it up when it comes out in paper back, but I highly recommend Bangkok 8.
An last but not least, believe it or not, dum da da duuummmm! The Yankees have reached .500! So now, I'm impressed. Yes, yes, they still have their problems and just because Giambi got a hit yesterday doesn't mean that I don't think he should be handed a one-way ticket to AAA-ville, but I said I'd be impressed when they got to .500, and so, color me impressed.
Friday, May 13, 2005
Another Reason I'm Not a Professional Gambler
I was reading Us Weekly yesterday (yeah, I know, give me a break, all right? How else am I supposed to find out about Jennifer Garner's homeless chic baby with Ben Affleck?) and I found out that Cuba Gooding Jr. bet $100 on the Derby last weekend for total winnings of.... $1.5 million.
I was initially very sad, I mean, come on! He doesn't need that! But then Phil reminded me of Snow Dogs and Boat Trip. So maybe this is a little karma. Seriously, will they take an Academy Award away from someone?
Have a great weekend, kids.
I was initially very sad, I mean, come on! He doesn't need that! But then Phil reminded me of Snow Dogs and Boat Trip. So maybe this is a little karma. Seriously, will they take an Academy Award away from someone?
Have a great weekend, kids.
For the Ladies
Here's a heads up. Vickie's is having one of those fantastic semi-annual sales on unmentionables. I would link to it for you, but you know, Websense filters it. Enraging. I would own so many more unmentionables if I could just order them at work.
Co-worker Watermelanie agrees that she owns mostly Vickie's, but feels angry because they are a) not cheap and b) kind of poorly made. I tend to agree, although I think the price is right if you buy only on sale. Also, let's face facts, women's unmentionables are way over-priced everywhere. I have bought some $11 bras from Target, only to have them disintegrate after three wearings. Unacceptable. It really doesn't help that places like the Gap are getting involved in the market, but charging $36 a pop.
So I guess what we need is a solid line of unmentionables under $20 that won't fall apart. I'm going to go sit in the corner and hold my breath now.
Co-worker Watermelanie agrees that she owns mostly Vickie's, but feels angry because they are a) not cheap and b) kind of poorly made. I tend to agree, although I think the price is right if you buy only on sale. Also, let's face facts, women's unmentionables are way over-priced everywhere. I have bought some $11 bras from Target, only to have them disintegrate after three wearings. Unacceptable. It really doesn't help that places like the Gap are getting involved in the market, but charging $36 a pop.
So I guess what we need is a solid line of unmentionables under $20 that won't fall apart. I'm going to go sit in the corner and hold my breath now.
To Hotter
Let me take you back to the fall of 2000. I was living in a slummy apartment in New Brunswick, with 4 other ladies - two were not baseball fans (despite my constant attempts to teach them about curve balls) and the other two were. Lauren hearts the Mets and has since she was a wee babe. And Elana is a Yank like me, also from infancy, thanks to her brother and her pops. So clearly, this was an exciting fall in our home.
One night, when the Yanks were playing the A's, the cursed shortstop Miguel Tejada kept smacking our pitchers around like they were hos who owed him money. And when he wasn't slapping the ball around the outfield, he was making amazing defensive plays. For a Yankee fan, he was really freakin' annoying.
Anyway, as Elana and I sat watching the game, the announcer said:
"Tejada is really on a tear in this series. He's gone from HOT TEJADA!"
Yeah, I'm serious. He really said that. It became a long-running joke for Elana and I, and to this day, we will still call each other if Tejada gets a hit against the Yankees and repeat the line.
Anyway, Tejada made the move across country last season to play for the O's and things just keep getting better for the kid. He's batting .345 so far this season (leads the AL with RBIs and is 5th in batting average...effing Johnny Damon is the BA leader). Anyway, the Times has a profile on Tejada today. Normally, I'd feel animosity towards him, but given the Yankees current situation, and my hope that the O's will keep the BoSox out of the Series, I'm warming towards him.
In Yankee news, Anhabelle sent me Lupica's column about the Bombers. He really summed up my feelings on the matter:
"But on a day when Jeter and Martinez and Posada and Williams had eight hits among them and three home runs and seven RBI and four runs scored, this was what all Yankee fans really want:
The way things used to be. The way they were.
Tino was still at first in those days and Paul O'Neill was in right and Scott Brosius was at third and it didn't seem as if the Yankees were trying to buy everything, every single year. "
Amen to that, brother. Read the rest of it here.
One night, when the Yanks were playing the A's, the cursed shortstop Miguel Tejada kept smacking our pitchers around like they were hos who owed him money. And when he wasn't slapping the ball around the outfield, he was making amazing defensive plays. For a Yankee fan, he was really freakin' annoying.
Anyway, as Elana and I sat watching the game, the announcer said:
"Tejada is really on a tear in this series. He's gone from HOT TEJADA!"
Yeah, I'm serious. He really said that. It became a long-running joke for Elana and I, and to this day, we will still call each other if Tejada gets a hit against the Yankees and repeat the line.
Anyway, Tejada made the move across country last season to play for the O's and things just keep getting better for the kid. He's batting .345 so far this season (leads the AL with RBIs and is 5th in batting average...effing Johnny Damon is the BA leader). Anyway, the Times has a profile on Tejada today. Normally, I'd feel animosity towards him, but given the Yankees current situation, and my hope that the O's will keep the BoSox out of the Series, I'm warming towards him.
In Yankee news, Anhabelle sent me Lupica's column about the Bombers. He really summed up my feelings on the matter:
"But on a day when Jeter and Martinez and Posada and Williams had eight hits among them and three home runs and seven RBI and four runs scored, this was what all Yankee fans really want:
The way things used to be. The way they were.
Tino was still at first in those days and Paul O'Neill was in right and Scott Brosius was at third and it didn't seem as if the Yankees were trying to buy everything, every single year. "
Amen to that, brother. Read the rest of it here.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
I've got nothin'
Today we took a co-worker out to lunch to celebrate the impending birth of her baby. Apparently chocolate cake makes me stupid. I think I had something to say about judicial filibusters and Bill Frist and New Jersey, but I can't remember any of it now. Sorry.
New O.C. tonight kids! Wooooo! Kirsten is in trrroouuuuubbbllllle! I'm psyched. Also, I still want someone to smack Marissa, mainly because I'm jealous of her Anthropologie-heavy wardrobe. I have generally accepted that I will never be rich and will probably spend the rest of my clothing whore days shopping at Target, Kohl's and Old Navy (with an occasional stop at the sales rack in Gap). But when I see an Anthropologie catalogue, or Marissa's skirts on The O.C., well, it makes me sad that I am such a pobrecito.
Yankees have won five in a row, so let's see if, now that .500 is within striking distance, they'll eff it up.
New O.C. tonight kids! Wooooo! Kirsten is in trrroouuuuubbbllllle! I'm psyched. Also, I still want someone to smack Marissa, mainly because I'm jealous of her Anthropologie-heavy wardrobe. I have generally accepted that I will never be rich and will probably spend the rest of my clothing whore days shopping at Target, Kohl's and Old Navy (with an occasional stop at the sales rack in Gap). But when I see an Anthropologie catalogue, or Marissa's skirts on The O.C., well, it makes me sad that I am such a pobrecito.
Yankees have won five in a row, so let's see if, now that .500 is within striking distance, they'll eff it up.
I'll say it anyway
Question for everyone to ponder and cast a vote on.
Following Weezer, my fellow law slaves and I stopped for a drink. The bar where we wound up played a strange mix of music (Dre & Snoop's "Next Episode" and G n' R's "Sweet Child o' Mine"). Anyhoo, when we entered, they were playing Simple Minds's "Don't You (Forget About Me)."
Phil was all about the hyperbole last night (Different Class is the best album of the '90s! Happiness is the greatest New Jersey movie ever!) and I suspect that it was done partially to irk me. The point is, he declared "Don't You" to be the greatest song of '80s. When I disagreed, and was subsequently told to "Name one song that's better!" I came up with A-ha's "Take On Me." Daniel wisely sided with me and Phil's buddy came up with his own selection of Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child o' Mine."
Any other selections?
Following Weezer, my fellow law slaves and I stopped for a drink. The bar where we wound up played a strange mix of music (Dre & Snoop's "Next Episode" and G n' R's "Sweet Child o' Mine"). Anyhoo, when we entered, they were playing Simple Minds's "Don't You (Forget About Me)."
Phil was all about the hyperbole last night (Different Class is the best album of the '90s! Happiness is the greatest New Jersey movie ever!) and I suspect that it was done partially to irk me. The point is, he declared "Don't You" to be the greatest song of '80s. When I disagreed, and was subsequently told to "Name one song that's better!" I came up with A-ha's "Take On Me." Daniel wisely sided with me and Phil's buddy came up with his own selection of Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child o' Mine."
Any other selections?
We're still making noise, making noise
So, last night I saw Weezer in concert at Roseland. It was my first time seeing Weezer, and my first time at Roseland. I generally don't go into concerts with any sort of expectations anymore - I too frequently love love love a song that doesn't get played at the show, and then I'm sad. The last time I was really pumped for a concert was Bruce and the E Street Band at Giants Stadium. But I think it's safe to get pumped for Bruce - you know going in that he's going to play for three hours at a minimum, that he'll pull out some excellent classics (on the night I saw him, my highlight was definitely "Rosalita," although "Born to Run" and "Thunder Road" were also fantastic).
Oh right, I'm supposed to be talking about Weezer. First off, I had low expectations of Roseland, as Philly had said it sucked. With due deference to my much wiser friend when it comes to all things musical or concert-related, I respectfully dissent. I liked Roseland. Not too big, not too small. The sound was fine. We skipped the opening acts and were still able to get right in the middle and I could see the stage without standing on tippy toes. So, thumbs up on the venue.
I am pleased to report that I did indeed feel like I was 16 again (and in a good way). The show was definitely tailored to long-time fans - the boys only played five songs off of the new album, Make Believe, and I enjoyed them all, despite having low expectations after reading Pitchfork's review. I didn't spot anything off of Maladroit (which made me a little sad because I actually like that album), and they only played "Photograph," "Hash Pipe," and "Island in the Sun" off of the Green Album. I personally would have liked to hear "Knock Down Drag Out" off of the Green instead of "Photograph." Whatevs. That's just me being a Nitty McNitpick.
But what really made the show a good one for me was all the Blue Album. "My Name is Jonas," "No One Else," "Say It Ain't So," "Buddy Holly," "In the Garage," and of course, "The Sweater Song." Solid. I sang my little heart out, particularly on "No One Else" as that's Wendy's favorite Weezer song and I felt I needed to sing extra on her behalf. It's funny because my favorite songs off of that album now are "Holiday" and "Surf Wax America" (probably has something to do with the fact that those songs are about shirking work and responsibility) which were sadly not played.
The only downside was that during certain songs ("Hash Pipe," "Jonas" etc.) an improptu mosh pit started right next to us. Last weekend, my nephew accidentally punched me in the nose, and damn, that hurts. So I was a little nervous about getting punched. Plus, I never think of Weezer nerds as moshers, but hey, to each his own.
Opening and closing were Pinkerton's "Tired of Sex" and "The Good Life." Excellent. So, with the tiny addition of Surf Wax or Holiday, it really would have been the perfect set list for me.
Oh, and Wendy, you'll be happy to know that Rivers looked and acted as awkward and nerdy as ever... even at the ripe old age of 34. So apparently you never outgrow such things.
Oh right, I'm supposed to be talking about Weezer. First off, I had low expectations of Roseland, as Philly had said it sucked. With due deference to my much wiser friend when it comes to all things musical or concert-related, I respectfully dissent. I liked Roseland. Not too big, not too small. The sound was fine. We skipped the opening acts and were still able to get right in the middle and I could see the stage without standing on tippy toes. So, thumbs up on the venue.
I am pleased to report that I did indeed feel like I was 16 again (and in a good way). The show was definitely tailored to long-time fans - the boys only played five songs off of the new album, Make Believe, and I enjoyed them all, despite having low expectations after reading Pitchfork's review. I didn't spot anything off of Maladroit (which made me a little sad because I actually like that album), and they only played "Photograph," "Hash Pipe," and "Island in the Sun" off of the Green Album. I personally would have liked to hear "Knock Down Drag Out" off of the Green instead of "Photograph." Whatevs. That's just me being a Nitty McNitpick.
But what really made the show a good one for me was all the Blue Album. "My Name is Jonas," "No One Else," "Say It Ain't So," "Buddy Holly," "In the Garage," and of course, "The Sweater Song." Solid. I sang my little heart out, particularly on "No One Else" as that's Wendy's favorite Weezer song and I felt I needed to sing extra on her behalf. It's funny because my favorite songs off of that album now are "Holiday" and "Surf Wax America" (probably has something to do with the fact that those songs are about shirking work and responsibility) which were sadly not played.
The only downside was that during certain songs ("Hash Pipe," "Jonas" etc.) an improptu mosh pit started right next to us. Last weekend, my nephew accidentally punched me in the nose, and damn, that hurts. So I was a little nervous about getting punched. Plus, I never think of Weezer nerds as moshers, but hey, to each his own.
Opening and closing were Pinkerton's "Tired of Sex" and "The Good Life." Excellent. So, with the tiny addition of Surf Wax or Holiday, it really would have been the perfect set list for me.
Oh, and Wendy, you'll be happy to know that Rivers looked and acted as awkward and nerdy as ever... even at the ripe old age of 34. So apparently you never outgrow such things.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Admitting You're Wrong
On Monday, I heard about Bush's Yalta comments in Latvia. Long story short, Bush said that Yalta was a great big mistake on the part of Roosevelt and Churchill and that it's wrong to choose stability over freedom and blah blah blahbetty blah.
I'm certainly not saying it's wrong to apologize for mistakes our country has made (although calling Yalta one of the greatest wrongs of history seems a little extreme.... I mean, 300 years of slavery in the US? 100 years of Jim Crow? Atom bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Darfur? Rwanda? The Versailles Treaty following World War I? Seriously, I can keep going.) and I'm certainly not saying that Yalta was fair or right. I understand Eastern Europeans who felt and still feel rage towards us for that - for Pete's sake, Latvia lost 48% of its population, thanks to Stalin.
But there's something to be said for the "other" side. Professor of history at Cornell, Walter LeFebre, was on WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show, and as he pointed out, victory in Europe was hardly assured at the time of Yalta, the Soviet Union had over 7 million(!) troops occupying Eastern Europe and the battle in the Pacific was taking a heavy toll on the US. So, it's really easy to say now that we traded "stability" for freedom, but I wouldn't say that was the case at the time.
And I find it interesting that in many respects, Yalta could be paralleled to the US's decision to drop the bomb on Japan, but plenty of people get up in arms if you suggest that we apologize for that. "We had no choice!" they yell. Well, maybe we had no choice at Yalta too, then.
Anne Applebaum of the Washington Post offers her typically tepid opinion on the matter, but I will give her a nod for pointing out that Tom DeLay threw a shit fit when President Clinton apologized in Uganda in 1998 for the slave trade.
I'm certainly not saying it's wrong to apologize for mistakes our country has made (although calling Yalta one of the greatest wrongs of history seems a little extreme.... I mean, 300 years of slavery in the US? 100 years of Jim Crow? Atom bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Darfur? Rwanda? The Versailles Treaty following World War I? Seriously, I can keep going.) and I'm certainly not saying that Yalta was fair or right. I understand Eastern Europeans who felt and still feel rage towards us for that - for Pete's sake, Latvia lost 48% of its population, thanks to Stalin.
But there's something to be said for the "other" side. Professor of history at Cornell, Walter LeFebre, was on WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show, and as he pointed out, victory in Europe was hardly assured at the time of Yalta, the Soviet Union had over 7 million(!) troops occupying Eastern Europe and the battle in the Pacific was taking a heavy toll on the US. So, it's really easy to say now that we traded "stability" for freedom, but I wouldn't say that was the case at the time.
And I find it interesting that in many respects, Yalta could be paralleled to the US's decision to drop the bomb on Japan, but plenty of people get up in arms if you suggest that we apologize for that. "We had no choice!" they yell. Well, maybe we had no choice at Yalta too, then.
Anne Applebaum of the Washington Post offers her typically tepid opinion on the matter, but I will give her a nod for pointing out that Tom DeLay threw a shit fit when President Clinton apologized in Uganda in 1998 for the slave trade.
Poor in Missouri
Well, it's official. The worst place to be poor in this country is Missouri. NPR did a piece this morning about how Missouri is cutting way back on Medicaid, with the intention of getting rid of it all together by 2008.
The part that made the story particularly interesting was how Mizzou's Christian population has reacted. Preacher Sam Man came right out during a rally and said that the governor was committing a sin. Now, I personally bristle anytime the word "sinner" or "sin" is tossed out to condemn legislation, policy or a politician. But I have to say that it made me feel good to hear a Christian leader condemning a politician for cutting aid to the poor for a change, instead of the typical condemnations of homosexuality, abortion, etc.
The governor's response? Well, in order to keep Medicaid funded, he'd have to raise taxes. The governor, who is also a devout Christian, countered that raising taxes is a worse sin than cutting Medicaid.
Then NPR went out and did what it does best, interviewed people on Medicaid who are about to lose their coverage. Currently, Medicaid in Missouri covers 1 in 5 citizens. One woman, who works at McDonald's for a whopping $6.70 an hour, used to qualify for Medicaid at her $300 a week salary. Now she would have to make $86 a week to qualify. The problem is, this woman is supporting 3 children, and if she tries to go out and get a better job that might have insurance, she'll lose the subsidies she gets for child care and housing.
We are screwing our working poor over every day and our "compassionate" conservative government is trying to take the moral high ground? They're the party of faith and values? Spare me.
The governor thinks that booting people off of Medicaid will spur them on to improve their lives, all the while ignoring that most of the people receiving Medicaid right now in his state are working full time. Will someone please hand this man a copy of Nickel and Dimed and tell him to shut his yap about what is and is not a sin? Thanks.
The part that made the story particularly interesting was how Mizzou's Christian population has reacted. Preacher Sam Man came right out during a rally and said that the governor was committing a sin. Now, I personally bristle anytime the word "sinner" or "sin" is tossed out to condemn legislation, policy or a politician. But I have to say that it made me feel good to hear a Christian leader condemning a politician for cutting aid to the poor for a change, instead of the typical condemnations of homosexuality, abortion, etc.
The governor's response? Well, in order to keep Medicaid funded, he'd have to raise taxes. The governor, who is also a devout Christian, countered that raising taxes is a worse sin than cutting Medicaid.
Then NPR went out and did what it does best, interviewed people on Medicaid who are about to lose their coverage. Currently, Medicaid in Missouri covers 1 in 5 citizens. One woman, who works at McDonald's for a whopping $6.70 an hour, used to qualify for Medicaid at her $300 a week salary. Now she would have to make $86 a week to qualify. The problem is, this woman is supporting 3 children, and if she tries to go out and get a better job that might have insurance, she'll lose the subsidies she gets for child care and housing.
We are screwing our working poor over every day and our "compassionate" conservative government is trying to take the moral high ground? They're the party of faith and values? Spare me.
The governor thinks that booting people off of Medicaid will spur them on to improve their lives, all the while ignoring that most of the people receiving Medicaid right now in his state are working full time. Will someone please hand this man a copy of Nickel and Dimed and tell him to shut his yap about what is and is not a sin? Thanks.
Here boy!
So, I have joked in the past that I write this blog primarily for the amusement of Kate, but since Anhabelle is the one who gets on my case when I don't post, I think I'll have to change that policy. So, sorry for the delay, and here is my random thoughts to kick off the day.
The Plainfield Dog Track in Connecticut is shutting down as of May 14. It's expected that hundreds of greyhounds will need homes. The adoption fee is $50, which includes all vaccinations and spay/neuter. I'm a fan of greyhounds - they are tremendously sweet and well-behaved dogs. I'd get one if it weren't for my apartment's rules and poor Abbott, who would be very cranky with me if I brought in a dog. Anyway, if you can welcome a doggy into your home, look into it. The track has a toll free number about adoption. Thanks to Lynn for the heads up on this.
And following the Yankees fourth win in a row last night, those lousy cakesniffers are only 4 games under .500. As I told my mother, color me unimpressed until they hit the .500 mark. Although, I will admit that it is heartening to see them on a winning streak for a change. And I'm still going to boo them if they tank against the Tigers on May 24. Best record in baseball belongs to the Chi-Town White Sox at the moment (24-9). The Os are playing the White Sox, starting tomorrow, so hopefully they'll knock the Os down a few pegs... then again, the Mariners will be facing the BoSox and lord knows, I don't want them racking up any wins.
Meanwhile, Giambi is pitching a fit and won't head down to the minors, at least for the time being. Phil says I'm fickle, but I've never been a Giambi fan, so I don't think it's fickle to say that I'd like Giambi to take a long walk off a short pier right now.
And last but not least, tonight I am headed to Nueva York's Roseland Ballroom to see Weezer. I am very excited - I expect to feel like I'm 16 again, since that's how old I was when the Blue Album came out. And I mean 16 in a good way, not in a rocking back and forth in a corner, saying "Please leave me alone, stop making fun of me" sort of way.
The Plainfield Dog Track in Connecticut is shutting down as of May 14. It's expected that hundreds of greyhounds will need homes. The adoption fee is $50, which includes all vaccinations and spay/neuter. I'm a fan of greyhounds - they are tremendously sweet and well-behaved dogs. I'd get one if it weren't for my apartment's rules and poor Abbott, who would be very cranky with me if I brought in a dog. Anyway, if you can welcome a doggy into your home, look into it. The track has a toll free number about adoption. Thanks to Lynn for the heads up on this.
And following the Yankees fourth win in a row last night, those lousy cakesniffers are only 4 games under .500. As I told my mother, color me unimpressed until they hit the .500 mark. Although, I will admit that it is heartening to see them on a winning streak for a change. And I'm still going to boo them if they tank against the Tigers on May 24. Best record in baseball belongs to the Chi-Town White Sox at the moment (24-9). The Os are playing the White Sox, starting tomorrow, so hopefully they'll knock the Os down a few pegs... then again, the Mariners will be facing the BoSox and lord knows, I don't want them racking up any wins.
Meanwhile, Giambi is pitching a fit and won't head down to the minors, at least for the time being. Phil says I'm fickle, but I've never been a Giambi fan, so I don't think it's fickle to say that I'd like Giambi to take a long walk off a short pier right now.
And last but not least, tonight I am headed to Nueva York's Roseland Ballroom to see Weezer. I am very excited - I expect to feel like I'm 16 again, since that's how old I was when the Blue Album came out. And I mean 16 in a good way, not in a rocking back and forth in a corner, saying "Please leave me alone, stop making fun of me" sort of way.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
I'll be the judge of that
Yesterday, following a completely useless day at work, I had a lovely pedicure and dinner with a lovely co-worker. When I got home, there were no bills in the mail, but there was a birthday gift from college roommate Janet - she sent me a copy of Ruth Reichl's Garlic and Sapphires, which is a memoir about her time as the New York Times' food critic. Thanks to Reichl, the Times finally started reviewing sushi, Chinese, and Indian restaurants. And since food critic for the New York Times is my dream job, I was very pleased to have received this.
The other surprise in the mail was my free copy of Zagat's New Jersey restaurants survey. Last fall, during a really slow day at work, I became a surveyor for Zagat's. At the time, they weren't surveying New York, but they were taking votes for the Jers. I have been very disappointed with past Zagat's reviews for New Jersey, so I saw this as my opportunity to put in my two cents.
My complaints about the New Jersey Zagat's are the same as they ever were, unfortunately. It seems like every restaurant, good or bad, is getting over a 20 rating for food, which simply can't be true. Apparently New York reviewers are more critical, which I like when it comes to food. Second, they insist on giving excellent reviews to restaurants that I think are over-priced and mediocre - New Brunswick's Frog & the Peach anyone? One of the worst meals I've ever had. Same goes for Soho on George. Strangely, both of these places get better reviews than Makeda's, which is the restaurant love of my life. On the plus side, I thought that the reviews of Clydz (in New Brunswick), The Irish Pub (AC), Indigo Smoke (Montclair) and Origin (Morristown) were very good and pretty much nailed each place.
The true shocker, though, is how many great places get left off of the survey. American Bistro, which may be my favorite restaurant in New Jersey, and continually serves up solid Italian classics, along with a nice wine list, cozy atmosphere, good service, and the sweetest complementary antipasto, is a gem and has once again been left off the survey. I mean, come on, if the Times has reviewed it, shouldn't it be in the survey? I even wrote it in, but to no avail.
Another left off shocker - Tawara in Ramsey. In my sushi-eating opinion, you just can't get a nicer cut of fish, or better fried tofu. Savini's in Allendale was left off. These aren't hole in the wall places.... all the restaurants I've rattled off are full every night of the week. Go figure. Collins didn't make the list either, although second-rate Arthur's is on the list. And Newark is almost completely ignored, except for Ironbound restaurants. Granted, Ironbound has some great places to eat, but it is possible to get other types of food besides Spanish/Portuguese.
Anyway, the survey is currently taking votes for New York restaurants until May 15. I really recommend trying it out if you have the time. At the very least, you'll get a free guide out of it!
The other surprise in the mail was my free copy of Zagat's New Jersey restaurants survey. Last fall, during a really slow day at work, I became a surveyor for Zagat's. At the time, they weren't surveying New York, but they were taking votes for the Jers. I have been very disappointed with past Zagat's reviews for New Jersey, so I saw this as my opportunity to put in my two cents.
My complaints about the New Jersey Zagat's are the same as they ever were, unfortunately. It seems like every restaurant, good or bad, is getting over a 20 rating for food, which simply can't be true. Apparently New York reviewers are more critical, which I like when it comes to food. Second, they insist on giving excellent reviews to restaurants that I think are over-priced and mediocre - New Brunswick's Frog & the Peach anyone? One of the worst meals I've ever had. Same goes for Soho on George. Strangely, both of these places get better reviews than Makeda's, which is the restaurant love of my life. On the plus side, I thought that the reviews of Clydz (in New Brunswick), The Irish Pub (AC), Indigo Smoke (Montclair) and Origin (Morristown) were very good and pretty much nailed each place.
The true shocker, though, is how many great places get left off of the survey. American Bistro, which may be my favorite restaurant in New Jersey, and continually serves up solid Italian classics, along with a nice wine list, cozy atmosphere, good service, and the sweetest complementary antipasto, is a gem and has once again been left off the survey. I mean, come on, if the Times has reviewed it, shouldn't it be in the survey? I even wrote it in, but to no avail.
Another left off shocker - Tawara in Ramsey. In my sushi-eating opinion, you just can't get a nicer cut of fish, or better fried tofu. Savini's in Allendale was left off. These aren't hole in the wall places.... all the restaurants I've rattled off are full every night of the week. Go figure. Collins didn't make the list either, although second-rate Arthur's is on the list. And Newark is almost completely ignored, except for Ironbound restaurants. Granted, Ironbound has some great places to eat, but it is possible to get other types of food besides Spanish/Portuguese.
Anyway, the survey is currently taking votes for New York restaurants until May 15. I really recommend trying it out if you have the time. At the very least, you'll get a free guide out of it!
Monday, May 09, 2005
When I can.
"I am a sinner who does not expect forgiveness. But I'm not a government official."
Francis Wolcott, Deadwood
I've heard some mixed reviews about last night's Deadwood. I'll agree that it wasn't the best episode of the season, but it was pretty damn great in my opinion. With one notable exception, there was great scene after great scene.
The funny. This episode did not lack humor. The standouts were Richardson standing in front of the large antlers and "praying" to them for little William Bullock's well-being. Farnum's quip to the new Rev. Cramed that he should not look to the left if he finds idolatry offensive, followed by a cut to Richardson had me laughing out loud. The exchange between Commissioner Jarry and Silas Adams was priceless. And Doc Cochran explaining that he would be at Joanie Stubbs', operating on a whale? Awesome.
The poignant. Trixie's meltdown throughout the entirety of the episode and her argument with Sol in the Gem saloon. Sol is always so level-headed, it's fun to watch him lose his cool, snap at Al, tell Dorrity to get lost and call Trixie out on her motives for working at the hardware store. Tom Nutall crying behind his bar - no good deed goes unpunished in this camp and he removes the offending bicycle that had previously given everyone in the camp a laugh. Hostetler and the NG discussing their options out by the campfire. Hostetler's commentary on why he would rather kill himself than be killed by the settlers was touching and under the circumstances, completely understandable.
Supposed to be poignant, but wasn't. Of course, the scene where the Bullocks talk to young William while he lies unconscious and near death. I think I might have been moved if Seth hadn't been there. He annoys me.... I couldn't help but feel that his own sadness at what happened has more to do with his self-centered attitude than anything else. It would be nice if he could stop thinking about himself for two minutes and maybe lend some support to Martha. And really, I'd like to see a little rage with the grief from Martha. But when they were talking to William, I felt nothing.... the whole thing felt very contrived and over-done, which is not a criticism that I frequently have of this show.
What's next? Is Miss Isringhausen really gone? Will Al get his elections? FYI, we can expect the imminent arrival of George Hearst, who will be played by Major Dad Gerald McRaney.
Francis Wolcott, Deadwood
I've heard some mixed reviews about last night's Deadwood. I'll agree that it wasn't the best episode of the season, but it was pretty damn great in my opinion. With one notable exception, there was great scene after great scene.
The funny. This episode did not lack humor. The standouts were Richardson standing in front of the large antlers and "praying" to them for little William Bullock's well-being. Farnum's quip to the new Rev. Cramed that he should not look to the left if he finds idolatry offensive, followed by a cut to Richardson had me laughing out loud. The exchange between Commissioner Jarry and Silas Adams was priceless. And Doc Cochran explaining that he would be at Joanie Stubbs', operating on a whale? Awesome.
The poignant. Trixie's meltdown throughout the entirety of the episode and her argument with Sol in the Gem saloon. Sol is always so level-headed, it's fun to watch him lose his cool, snap at Al, tell Dorrity to get lost and call Trixie out on her motives for working at the hardware store. Tom Nutall crying behind his bar - no good deed goes unpunished in this camp and he removes the offending bicycle that had previously given everyone in the camp a laugh. Hostetler and the NG discussing their options out by the campfire. Hostetler's commentary on why he would rather kill himself than be killed by the settlers was touching and under the circumstances, completely understandable.
Supposed to be poignant, but wasn't. Of course, the scene where the Bullocks talk to young William while he lies unconscious and near death. I think I might have been moved if Seth hadn't been there. He annoys me.... I couldn't help but feel that his own sadness at what happened has more to do with his self-centered attitude than anything else. It would be nice if he could stop thinking about himself for two minutes and maybe lend some support to Martha. And really, I'd like to see a little rage with the grief from Martha. But when they were talking to William, I felt nothing.... the whole thing felt very contrived and over-done, which is not a criticism that I frequently have of this show.
What's next? Is Miss Isringhausen really gone? Will Al get his elections? FYI, we can expect the imminent arrival of George Hearst, who will be played by Major Dad Gerald McRaney.
Friggin' Manhattan Redux
I am so full of rage-ahol right now. I received helpful advice last week from some of you regarding my overnight in Manhattan. I decided, though, to give Priceline another go-around at the $100 mark, for all Manhattan neighborhoods, at all star levels. I again struck out. I wrote a song about it which I will share with you now and which I repeated over and over in my head as I tried more Priceline options.
I haaaattte youuuu soooooo much. You fucker, you fucking suuuuuucccckkkk. Doo de doo doo. I hate yoooouuuu. If you have heard my not-so melodic singing voice before, well, feel free to imagine me serenading the computer. The song is geared towards Priceline and all Manhattan hotels. If my desk weren't so heavy and ladened down with a state-owned computer, I probably would have upended it. But rest assured, while singing my song, I upended the desk in my head.
Long story short, I have booked a room at Habitat Hotel for $100. Twin trundle beds (yessss. I haven't slept in a trundle bed since the 4th grade) and a shared bathroom and I seriously could not do better for that price.
When I drove down to New Orleans a few years ago, J-Dawg and I stayed at a Quality Inn for $45 on a Saturday night in the weird town of Gaffney, South Carolina. The hotel had a restaurant called the Peach Pit, I shit you not. The Pit was replete with a dude playing the keyboard and a mulleted drunkard on the dance floor who would yell "Whooooo!" and shook his ass every time he played a Neil Diamond song. The women of the Pit were all wearing lace outfits like they had just stepped out of Desperately Seeking Susan. It was, in a word, awesome.
Now, while I would never expect a hotel in Manhattan to cost that little, I also would never expect a hotel to provide such entertainment (along with a clean room, a bathroom and fruit loops for breakfast). So can someone please explain to me how the 2 star Quality Hotel Times Square can charge $532 for one night? Hmmm? Because I'm wondering if maybe they resurrected George and John and there's going to be a Beatles reunion in the lobby.
I haaaattte youuuu soooooo much. You fucker, you fucking suuuuuucccckkkk. Doo de doo doo. I hate yoooouuuu. If you have heard my not-so melodic singing voice before, well, feel free to imagine me serenading the computer. The song is geared towards Priceline and all Manhattan hotels. If my desk weren't so heavy and ladened down with a state-owned computer, I probably would have upended it. But rest assured, while singing my song, I upended the desk in my head.
Long story short, I have booked a room at Habitat Hotel for $100. Twin trundle beds (yessss. I haven't slept in a trundle bed since the 4th grade) and a shared bathroom and I seriously could not do better for that price.
When I drove down to New Orleans a few years ago, J-Dawg and I stayed at a Quality Inn for $45 on a Saturday night in the weird town of Gaffney, South Carolina. The hotel had a restaurant called the Peach Pit, I shit you not. The Pit was replete with a dude playing the keyboard and a mulleted drunkard on the dance floor who would yell "Whooooo!" and shook his ass every time he played a Neil Diamond song. The women of the Pit were all wearing lace outfits like they had just stepped out of Desperately Seeking Susan. It was, in a word, awesome.
Now, while I would never expect a hotel in Manhattan to cost that little, I also would never expect a hotel to provide such entertainment (along with a clean room, a bathroom and fruit loops for breakfast). So can someone please explain to me how the 2 star Quality Hotel Times Square can charge $532 for one night? Hmmm? Because I'm wondering if maybe they resurrected George and John and there's going to be a Beatles reunion in the lobby.
Why I am not a professional gambler
Welcome to Monday, cakesniffers. Imagine my chagrin that I took work home this weekend and I still have a ton of work to do today and tomorrow. Crappy crap crap.
A Deadwood review will be forthcoming as well as my current rage regarding the Prez, but first a comment on the Kentucky Derby.
Here's a little lesson in gambling, in case you've never bet on the ponies. There are three types of bets that one can make beyond just betting for a horse to win, place or show. These bets are called the exacta, trifecta and superfecta. (I won't go into daily doubles) In an exacta, you choose the horse that will win and the horse that will place. For the trifecta, you select win, place and show. And for the superfecta (can you guess?) you pick the first four finishers.
The odds were so long on Giacamo (50-1) and Closing Argument, that a $2 exacta bet paid off over $9,000. And the trifecta? A $2 trifecta paid off over $133,000. Yeah, the thought makes me want to puke. You don't want to know what the superfecta pay-off was.
My friend Lauren asked yesterday why a person wouldn't go through and just pick every combination, if the pay-off is that great. Well, the last time that a horse won with odds as long as Giacamo was in 1913. Simply put, it almost never happens that you will have a pay-off like that. And if it had been Bellamy Road and Afleet Alex as one and two, then all the money you spent on the other combinations would put you in the hole because the exacta pay-off would have been minimal.
Suffice it to say, there aren't too many people who made money on the Derby this weekend, but those who did are probably rolling around in a huge pile of money right now.
A Deadwood review will be forthcoming as well as my current rage regarding the Prez, but first a comment on the Kentucky Derby.
Here's a little lesson in gambling, in case you've never bet on the ponies. There are three types of bets that one can make beyond just betting for a horse to win, place or show. These bets are called the exacta, trifecta and superfecta. (I won't go into daily doubles) In an exacta, you choose the horse that will win and the horse that will place. For the trifecta, you select win, place and show. And for the superfecta (can you guess?) you pick the first four finishers.
The odds were so long on Giacamo (50-1) and Closing Argument, that a $2 exacta bet paid off over $9,000. And the trifecta? A $2 trifecta paid off over $133,000. Yeah, the thought makes me want to puke. You don't want to know what the superfecta pay-off was.
My friend Lauren asked yesterday why a person wouldn't go through and just pick every combination, if the pay-off is that great. Well, the last time that a horse won with odds as long as Giacamo was in 1913. Simply put, it almost never happens that you will have a pay-off like that. And if it had been Bellamy Road and Afleet Alex as one and two, then all the money you spent on the other combinations would put you in the hole because the exacta pay-off would have been minimal.
Suffice it to say, there aren't too many people who made money on the Derby this weekend, but those who did are probably rolling around in a huge pile of money right now.
Friday, May 06, 2005
Ode to a Filmmaker
So, I watched Project Greenlight last night and I have to say that this may go down as one of my favorite reality shows, and not because it's a whole lotta fun. Unlike the "trashier" reality series I love, there isn't much scheming or conniving. But this show is so multilayered and features artists and execs in all their complexities. That you can see someone like John Gulager, the director, with all his foibles, and walk away both liking and respecting him, is a credit to this program for portraying, well, reality.
Last night, John's dad, Clu, asked him what his mother would think if she could see him now (John's mom/Clu's wife died last year). John gruffly says that he doesn't know - he hasn't thought about it. At a quieter moment, he admits that he has thought about it, and that he thinks she'd be proud. (Yes, I teared up).
Wes Craven (who still has the English teacher aura from his younger days.... seriously, that guy is so cool) remarks that he is impressed with a man who can keep doing what he's passionate about (namely, filmmaking) for so many years with no payoff. He, and everyone else who really pulled for Gulager to get the job (including Matt Damon, who was adorable in this episode - I just wanted to pinch his face off) clearly "gets" this guy. Even if Gulager had never gotten a studio movie, he would have kept plugging away. But is sweet victory to see someone so deserving finally be rewarded.
And that's the best part of this show. It shows how filmmaking is an art, albeit a very expensive one. I walk away with so much respect for people who make a good movie because writers and directors in the field have so many people to answer to. And the editing process? Sweet Jesus! If you're on a low budget film and can't do reshoots, that's stressful. I could only liken it to writing a book and then being told that you could not add anything new, you could only move it around and delete stuff. That's rough.
So, that's it for me this week. Have a great weekend.
PS - Ben Affleck is such a tool.
Last night, John's dad, Clu, asked him what his mother would think if she could see him now (John's mom/Clu's wife died last year). John gruffly says that he doesn't know - he hasn't thought about it. At a quieter moment, he admits that he has thought about it, and that he thinks she'd be proud. (Yes, I teared up).
Wes Craven (who still has the English teacher aura from his younger days.... seriously, that guy is so cool) remarks that he is impressed with a man who can keep doing what he's passionate about (namely, filmmaking) for so many years with no payoff. He, and everyone else who really pulled for Gulager to get the job (including Matt Damon, who was adorable in this episode - I just wanted to pinch his face off) clearly "gets" this guy. Even if Gulager had never gotten a studio movie, he would have kept plugging away. But is sweet victory to see someone so deserving finally be rewarded.
And that's the best part of this show. It shows how filmmaking is an art, albeit a very expensive one. I walk away with so much respect for people who make a good movie because writers and directors in the field have so many people to answer to. And the editing process? Sweet Jesus! If you're on a low budget film and can't do reshoots, that's stressful. I could only liken it to writing a book and then being told that you could not add anything new, you could only move it around and delete stuff. That's rough.
So, that's it for me this week. Have a great weekend.
PS - Ben Affleck is such a tool.
All Derby, All the Time
The Star-Ledger, which usually does a nice job covering the ponies, has an excellent section handicapping the field of the Run for the Roses. Check it out here.
After some careful consideration, I do declare that my selections on the trifecta are Afleet Alex to win, Bandini to place and Bellamy Road to show. I think High Fly is out of the money and I wouldn't put it past Bandini to win it all, so I might consider an exacta box on Afleet and Bandini. If you have no clue what I'm talking about, then we clearly need to go spend some time at the Big M.
Oh, and my long shot across the board is probably Sun King (his sire is 1999 Derby & Preakness winner Charismatic, whom I really loved).
After some careful consideration, I do declare that my selections on the trifecta are Afleet Alex to win, Bandini to place and Bellamy Road to show. I think High Fly is out of the money and I wouldn't put it past Bandini to win it all, so I might consider an exacta box on Afleet and Bandini. If you have no clue what I'm talking about, then we clearly need to go spend some time at the Big M.
Oh, and my long shot across the board is probably Sun King (his sire is 1999 Derby & Preakness winner Charismatic, whom I really loved).
Giddyup
Okay race fans, tomorrow is (in the words of Marketplace's Diana Nyad) the Superbowl of horse racing - the Kentucky Derby. Nyad did a nice job of outlining the decline of horse racing in recent decades and the impact on the sport's three biggest races.
Post positions were drawn the other day with Afleet Alex (my sentimental favorite) running right next to High Fly, which I think could be helpful to both horses. AA has morning line odds of 9-2, with High Fly (another Nick Zito trained horse) currently at 8-1. There are no scratches, so we've got a full field of 20.
Bellamy Road (Steinbrenner's horse) is still the favorite with 5-2 odds, but the Times' Joe Drape predicts that he'll lead for most of the race, but then fade and finish 3rd. Bellamy has only run in two prep races this year, and apparently the last horse to win with only two preps was in 1983. (For the record, Drape picks High Fly to win, Afleet Alex to place, and Bellamy Road to show).
In all of this, no one has really been talking about Bandini, who's run four races this year and won three of them. He's a beautiful horse, and massive - apparently he used to be a really cranky bastard, but has settled down. In The Fountain of Youth race, even after a bad break, he managed to finish second, so I intend to keep an eye on him, especially with morning line odds of 6-1.
Post positions were drawn the other day with Afleet Alex (my sentimental favorite) running right next to High Fly, which I think could be helpful to both horses. AA has morning line odds of 9-2, with High Fly (another Nick Zito trained horse) currently at 8-1. There are no scratches, so we've got a full field of 20.
Bellamy Road (Steinbrenner's horse) is still the favorite with 5-2 odds, but the Times' Joe Drape predicts that he'll lead for most of the race, but then fade and finish 3rd. Bellamy has only run in two prep races this year, and apparently the last horse to win with only two preps was in 1983. (For the record, Drape picks High Fly to win, Afleet Alex to place, and Bellamy Road to show).
In all of this, no one has really been talking about Bandini, who's run four races this year and won three of them. He's a beautiful horse, and massive - apparently he used to be a really cranky bastard, but has settled down. In The Fountain of Youth race, even after a bad break, he managed to finish second, so I intend to keep an eye on him, especially with morning line odds of 6-1.
And you thought your apartment was small....
Sorry for the posting delinquency this morning - I wasn't doing work or anything. The fellow law slaves and I were discussing the beauty of Jennifer Connelly and the pros and cons of pornography. This was followed by a continuing game of chess with my boss (who is still kicking my ass). My life is so hard.
Phil frequently spouts the virtues of Curbed, a New York real estate blog. It's relatively interesting, although less so if you don't live and die by the NYC real estate market. Annnnyyywaaayy, today on Curbed, they linked to this awesome site called Apartment Therapy where they are having a smallest, coolest apartment contest. These places range in size from 186 sq/ft to 485 sq/ft. It is completely amazing what some people have managed to do with that miniscule space.
I personally think my two favorites are Paul & Robert. Paul has a really eclectic style, although he dropped the ball on the sleeping area. Robert's also has a cosmopolitan style, although I think has more space and he works better with the architecture of his apartment, which, by the by, is really lovely.
Hillary is lacking - girlfriend looks like she rolled on over to IKEA and bought one of everything. Her place is way too college dorm room. And Patrick, who's in second place, is guilty of the same sin, except that he has more money and therefore went to Crate & Barrell.
More from me after lunch - Project Greenlight was really interesting last night and I have some stuff to say about it.
Phil frequently spouts the virtues of Curbed, a New York real estate blog. It's relatively interesting, although less so if you don't live and die by the NYC real estate market. Annnnyyywaaayy, today on Curbed, they linked to this awesome site called Apartment Therapy where they are having a smallest, coolest apartment contest. These places range in size from 186 sq/ft to 485 sq/ft. It is completely amazing what some people have managed to do with that miniscule space.
I personally think my two favorites are Paul & Robert. Paul has a really eclectic style, although he dropped the ball on the sleeping area. Robert's also has a cosmopolitan style, although I think has more space and he works better with the architecture of his apartment, which, by the by, is really lovely.
Hillary is lacking - girlfriend looks like she rolled on over to IKEA and bought one of everything. Her place is way too college dorm room. And Patrick, who's in second place, is guilty of the same sin, except that he has more money and therefore went to Crate & Barrell.
More from me after lunch - Project Greenlight was really interesting last night and I have some stuff to say about it.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Yessssss
I made Gawker Stalker!
I am completely in love with gawker.com. They do two of my favorite things - make fun of famous people and make fun of the Times. So on Saturday, when Anhabelle and I were getting drenched at the Revlon Run/Walk for Women and I saw Mariska Hargitay not 5 feet away, Anhabelle reminded me that I could finally write into the Stalker.
Granted, seeing Mariska was not as cool as seeing Mary Louise Parker and actually talking to her at the Balducci's on 9th Street (Balducci's is sadly gone now), but it did give me something to write in about.
As for the Run/Walk itself, we got very wet, but it's always inspiring to see so many people come out in crappy weather to raise money for a very worthy cause. And as Anhabelle's fella can attest, we made up for our discomfort by complaining incessantly like we were 80 year olds who had just had hip replacement surgery.
I am completely in love with gawker.com. They do two of my favorite things - make fun of famous people and make fun of the Times. So on Saturday, when Anhabelle and I were getting drenched at the Revlon Run/Walk for Women and I saw Mariska Hargitay not 5 feet away, Anhabelle reminded me that I could finally write into the Stalker.
Granted, seeing Mariska was not as cool as seeing Mary Louise Parker and actually talking to her at the Balducci's on 9th Street (Balducci's is sadly gone now), but it did give me something to write in about.
As for the Run/Walk itself, we got very wet, but it's always inspiring to see so many people come out in crappy weather to raise money for a very worthy cause. And as Anhabelle's fella can attest, we made up for our discomfort by complaining incessantly like we were 80 year olds who had just had hip replacement surgery.
Two Midday Questions
(From the ridiculous number of posts today, I'm sure you can see that I have work to do, but I'm procrastinating).
Two questions posed.
One. Who is your inappropriate crush? This question was asked by a co-worker a couple of weeks ago. I realized the other day that I am so in love with Victor Garber. He's rather old and puffy, but I find him dreamy. Please mull yours over and report back.
Two. If you found yourself unattached from life's encumbrances, what crazy things would you do? I have a friend who says that if his wife suddenly died (not that he wants her to, as he loves her very much), he would join the French Foreign Legion. Or become a Thai boxer. Another friend dreams of moving into the cliffside monastery at Mt. Athos in Greece where he'd sit and read all day.
As I am mostly unattached, I have decided that my pipe dream (no, I don't mean the one about me becoming a pai gow dealer, a professional poker player, or a bartender in St. Thomas) is entirely attainable. I plan to quit this line of work, go on a world tour, and open my own Irish pub. Try not to be too jealous.
Two questions posed.
One. Who is your inappropriate crush? This question was asked by a co-worker a couple of weeks ago. I realized the other day that I am so in love with Victor Garber. He's rather old and puffy, but I find him dreamy. Please mull yours over and report back.
Two. If you found yourself unattached from life's encumbrances, what crazy things would you do? I have a friend who says that if his wife suddenly died (not that he wants her to, as he loves her very much), he would join the French Foreign Legion. Or become a Thai boxer. Another friend dreams of moving into the cliffside monastery at Mt. Athos in Greece where he'd sit and read all day.
As I am mostly unattached, I have decided that my pipe dream (no, I don't mean the one about me becoming a pai gow dealer, a professional poker player, or a bartender in St. Thomas) is entirely attainable. I plan to quit this line of work, go on a world tour, and open my own Irish pub. Try not to be too jealous.
More Yankee Hater Gloating
Can't Stop the Bleeding posted this Trenton Times column about what's wrong with the Yanks and how the author is so delighted that Yankee fans have nothing to be "arrogant" about these days. Everything he says about what's wrong with the Yanks is true and has been said by many others. As for the arrogance part.... it's not the job of a fan to be humble. If you want to argue that there are Yankee fans who have no respect for other teams when they really ought to, fine. But humility? Please.
Viva Zaragoza!
Today is Cinco de Mayo, and as I am a Mexican history buff, I thought I'd post about it. And allow me to say that by buff, I really mean enthusiast, certainly not expert.
Contrary to popular American belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day or any other such nonsense. The Mexicans have a number of independence days actually, given the number of revolutions they've sustained. But the traditional Mexican independence, or the Grito de Delores, is celebrated on September 16th - that is when the official call for independence from Spain went out in 1810.
Cinco de Mayo celebrates General Zaragoza's victory over the French in 1862 when those bastards sent troops in (with the help of the Brits and the Spanish) to force payment of Mexico's crippling debt. President Juarez had made arrangements with the countries for the repayment, the Brits and the Spaniards left, but the French refused to go. Por que? Because Emperor Napolean III wanted to take over Mexico. Zaragoza's outnumbered army spanked the French and sent them on their way, although the French did eventually take over Mexico a couple years later.
It's impossible to read about the rich history of Mexico and not feel a deep and abiding respect for her people. Talk about a country that's been shit on by the rest of the world. Wikipedia's Mexican history entry is actually pretty good and I recommend it if you're interested. In the meantime, as the Mexican presidential election approaches (Mexican presidents are held to one term of 6 years, so Vincente Fox cannot run again) I'll have more to say on the matter.
Also, for an insightful look into what it's like to live in Mexico today for a cross-section of people, I highly recommend Mexican Lives by Judith Adler Hellman.
Contrary to popular American belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day or any other such nonsense. The Mexicans have a number of independence days actually, given the number of revolutions they've sustained. But the traditional Mexican independence, or the Grito de Delores, is celebrated on September 16th - that is when the official call for independence from Spain went out in 1810.
Cinco de Mayo celebrates General Zaragoza's victory over the French in 1862 when those bastards sent troops in (with the help of the Brits and the Spanish) to force payment of Mexico's crippling debt. President Juarez had made arrangements with the countries for the repayment, the Brits and the Spaniards left, but the French refused to go. Por que? Because Emperor Napolean III wanted to take over Mexico. Zaragoza's outnumbered army spanked the French and sent them on their way, although the French did eventually take over Mexico a couple years later.
It's impossible to read about the rich history of Mexico and not feel a deep and abiding respect for her people. Talk about a country that's been shit on by the rest of the world. Wikipedia's Mexican history entry is actually pretty good and I recommend it if you're interested. In the meantime, as the Mexican presidential election approaches (Mexican presidents are held to one term of 6 years, so Vincente Fox cannot run again) I'll have more to say on the matter.
Also, for an insightful look into what it's like to live in Mexico today for a cross-section of people, I highly recommend Mexican Lives by Judith Adler Hellman.
I know! Let's find another over-priced, past-his-prime pitcher!
You may have noticed that I have said nothing about my boys, aka the Yankees, for awhile. It's because they're killing me. Killing me! I find that when I try to speak about them, nothing comes out except for "I just... I can't.... I, I, I....."
The Times' headline about last night's game is "Sinking Yankees Nearly Hit Bottom." Nearly? Dude, they hit bottom a few days ago. And then the bottom dropped out and they kept on falling.
Phil says it's about time the dynasty crumbled... all while saying it's only May, blah, blah, blah, maybe they'll turn it around, blah blah blah, don't be fickle, blah blah blah. Easy for him to say - the Mets are at .500. I will admit that the Yankees, and stupid stupid Steinbrenner have had this coming, ever since he decided that it's actually the 1980s. I wish he would do something really wrong and get suspended from the game, so that maybe we would have a chance of building up from the bottom again. God, I am totally rooting against Bellamy Road this Saturday.
Pretty soon, my sincerest wish, other than that the Yankees will miraculously start kicking ass, is that B-more will crush the BoSox. Go O's!
I am going to a game at the end of this month and we'll be sitting in the bleachers. One false move from the Yanks, and I will be booing my little heart out, which sounds downright therapeutic right now.
The Times' headline about last night's game is "Sinking Yankees Nearly Hit Bottom." Nearly? Dude, they hit bottom a few days ago. And then the bottom dropped out and they kept on falling.
Phil says it's about time the dynasty crumbled... all while saying it's only May, blah, blah, blah, maybe they'll turn it around, blah blah blah, don't be fickle, blah blah blah. Easy for him to say - the Mets are at .500. I will admit that the Yankees, and stupid stupid Steinbrenner have had this coming, ever since he decided that it's actually the 1980s. I wish he would do something really wrong and get suspended from the game, so that maybe we would have a chance of building up from the bottom again. God, I am totally rooting against Bellamy Road this Saturday.
Pretty soon, my sincerest wish, other than that the Yankees will miraculously start kicking ass, is that B-more will crush the BoSox. Go O's!
I am going to a game at the end of this month and we'll be sitting in the bleachers. One false move from the Yanks, and I will be booing my little heart out, which sounds downright therapeutic right now.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Friggin' Manhattan
A friend and I are looking to book a room in Manhattan to save us a trip back to the Jers after a party. The problem with Manhattan is that even when you have friends who live there, their closets are never big enough to share. My friend Vanessa has a cute two bedroom in the East Village, but her living room can barely fit a small couch, let alone a person to sleep on it.
As such, I thought I'd try Priceline for a room. People! I could not get a room for $100 in ANY star range, in any Manhattan neighborhood. Can you believe that shit? Budget Travel recommends looking into the B&Bs, but it's not looking good there either, as they appear to be all booked up between now and for the rest of my life.
I love New York as much as the next gal, but come on, where does Best Western and Comfort Inn get off charging $250 for one night? As you can see, my rage-ahol addiction is in full swing and I clearly need to get my butt to a yoga class.
As such, I thought I'd try Priceline for a room. People! I could not get a room for $100 in ANY star range, in any Manhattan neighborhood. Can you believe that shit? Budget Travel recommends looking into the B&Bs, but it's not looking good there either, as they appear to be all booked up between now and for the rest of my life.
I love New York as much as the next gal, but come on, where does Best Western and Comfort Inn get off charging $250 for one night? As you can see, my rage-ahol addiction is in full swing and I clearly need to get my butt to a yoga class.
The Sport of Kings
This Saturday marks the 131st running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. I am so pumped. For the last three years, I've been holed up in a library on Derby day, so I fully intend to enjoy this race.
There are currently 20 horses in the field, although there are typically one or two scratches before the race. Post positions aren't selected until later today.
So much of the Derby and horse racing in general is about the story behind the horse - the owners, the trainer, the jockey. It's why horses like Funny Cide get people excited - everyone loves a story about a bunch of high school buddies buying a horse and making a run at the Triple Crown all while riding around in a yellow school bus. Who wouldn't want to root for a Funny Cide or a Smarty Jones over a War Emblem or Darth Steinbrenner's Bellamy Road (the favorite to win this year)?
The number two choice for the morning odds is Afleet Alex, who has some cool owners and a bittersweet story about how his breeder has outlasted his cancer prognosis with the hopes of seeing the horse win the Derby. Read about it here. I'll probably root for him, although it's hard to not respect a horse like Bellamy Road, who won his last race by 17.5 lengths.
And the celebrated trainer Nick Zito has five potential horses running on Sunday. I have a lot of respect for Zito - the man knows his horses, although it's tough to root for a guy who represents all the super rich people in racing today. I always have a soft spot for the little guy in racing. It's the Seabiscuit syndrome.
Of course, my favorite thing about horse racing has always been selecting a long-shot across the board. Stuff like that doesn't happen too often in a race like the Derby, but if I do make a wager on this weekend, I think I'll bet across on Wilko. His trainer is spunky and he's raced a lot more than the other three-year-olds.
Expect more Derby coverage in the coming days. I'm pretty obsessed and I love seersucker and mint juleps.
There are currently 20 horses in the field, although there are typically one or two scratches before the race. Post positions aren't selected until later today.
So much of the Derby and horse racing in general is about the story behind the horse - the owners, the trainer, the jockey. It's why horses like Funny Cide get people excited - everyone loves a story about a bunch of high school buddies buying a horse and making a run at the Triple Crown all while riding around in a yellow school bus. Who wouldn't want to root for a Funny Cide or a Smarty Jones over a War Emblem or Darth Steinbrenner's Bellamy Road (the favorite to win this year)?
The number two choice for the morning odds is Afleet Alex, who has some cool owners and a bittersweet story about how his breeder has outlasted his cancer prognosis with the hopes of seeing the horse win the Derby. Read about it here. I'll probably root for him, although it's hard to not respect a horse like Bellamy Road, who won his last race by 17.5 lengths.
And the celebrated trainer Nick Zito has five potential horses running on Sunday. I have a lot of respect for Zito - the man knows his horses, although it's tough to root for a guy who represents all the super rich people in racing today. I always have a soft spot for the little guy in racing. It's the Seabiscuit syndrome.
Of course, my favorite thing about horse racing has always been selecting a long-shot across the board. Stuff like that doesn't happen too often in a race like the Derby, but if I do make a wager on this weekend, I think I'll bet across on Wilko. His trainer is spunky and he's raced a lot more than the other three-year-olds.
Expect more Derby coverage in the coming days. I'm pretty obsessed and I love seersucker and mint juleps.
Konichiwa, Bitches!
Are you detecting a theme here? Anyway, I watched a very funny episode of Chappelle's Show last night and I learned that the new season starts May 31st. Do you remember the days when there was nothing on TV in the summer time? Bless cable's little heart for keeping me from reading a book.
Dave Chappelle is clearly hysterical, but he frequently makes me laugh out loud when he acts like a nerd. He did a sketch about slow motion and how everything looks cooler in slow motion, especially being in a club. The ensuing scene had him getting jostled and yelled at by everyone in the club.... I suppose it strikes a chord with my nerdy self.
Of course, the highlight of the episode was the Racial Draft sketch, in which every race drafts people who are biracial.... or otherwise. Wacky hijinks and crass racial stereotyping result. The Black contingent chooses Tiger Woods ("Goodbye fried rice, hello fried chicken!") The Whites choose Colin Powell, but the Blacks make them take Condoleeza Rice too. And the Asians select the Wu Tang Clan. Oh so funny.
Anyway, it's interesting and completely understandable to me that Chappelle's Show is the number 1 selling television DVD of all time. I really ought to go buy it.
Dave Chappelle is clearly hysterical, but he frequently makes me laugh out loud when he acts like a nerd. He did a sketch about slow motion and how everything looks cooler in slow motion, especially being in a club. The ensuing scene had him getting jostled and yelled at by everyone in the club.... I suppose it strikes a chord with my nerdy self.
Of course, the highlight of the episode was the Racial Draft sketch, in which every race drafts people who are biracial.... or otherwise. Wacky hijinks and crass racial stereotyping result. The Black contingent chooses Tiger Woods ("Goodbye fried rice, hello fried chicken!") The Whites choose Colin Powell, but the Blacks make them take Condoleeza Rice too. And the Asians select the Wu Tang Clan. Oh so funny.
Anyway, it's interesting and completely understandable to me that Chappelle's Show is the number 1 selling television DVD of all time. I really ought to go buy it.
Hug It Out, Bitch
If you are a fan of HBO's Entourage, then you'll probably recognize the title. I watched a repeat of Entourage last night, thus rekindling my affection for the show and learning that the new season starts June 5. You'll recall that we left off last season with Vince and the gang heading out to Queens to make an independent movie and Eric finally getting his due when Vince officially hired him as his manager.
Jeremy Piven told Entertainment Weekly that his role as Vince's agent has finally been getting him recognized - apparently people will yell "Hug it out, bitch!" across the street at him. I'm sure he appreciates that. (On a side note, he improvised that line). I'm glad that Jeremy Piven has gotten some accolades for his role on this show - he really does steal every scene he's in.
Another thing I enjoy about Entourage - the music is great. I probably wouldn't have bought The Black Album if it weren't for all the play it got on the show. And they frequently throw in some Faith Evans, Method Man, Snoop Dogg, ODB, and a bunch of people and groups I've never heard of before, but enjoy nonetheless.
And occasionally there are some great guest spots - Val Kilmer as the crazy sherpa with a gun was perfect and very funny. And Gary Busey being, well, Gary Busey, was also amusing. Anyway, thumbs up to Entourage and I'm looking forward to June 5.
Jeremy Piven told Entertainment Weekly that his role as Vince's agent has finally been getting him recognized - apparently people will yell "Hug it out, bitch!" across the street at him. I'm sure he appreciates that. (On a side note, he improvised that line). I'm glad that Jeremy Piven has gotten some accolades for his role on this show - he really does steal every scene he's in.
Another thing I enjoy about Entourage - the music is great. I probably wouldn't have bought The Black Album if it weren't for all the play it got on the show. And they frequently throw in some Faith Evans, Method Man, Snoop Dogg, ODB, and a bunch of people and groups I've never heard of before, but enjoy nonetheless.
And occasionally there are some great guest spots - Val Kilmer as the crazy sherpa with a gun was perfect and very funny. And Gary Busey being, well, Gary Busey, was also amusing. Anyway, thumbs up to Entourage and I'm looking forward to June 5.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Respect to the Teachers
As I have been working hard today, I thought I'd take a break and post. Lucky you.
This post is for Pablo, my buddy who is a dedicated (if by dedicated you mean cranky, overworked and underpaid) New York City public school teacher. Today is, after all, National Teacher Day. In honor of that, Pablo convinced his students that there is a pool on the roof of the school which all of the teachers have keys to and the straight A students get to use instead of going to gym class. This won't surprise you if you know Paulito - he is, after all, the kid who convinced our Spanish class in college that he was 40 years old (he was in fact 20) and he preserved himself by sleeping in a custom-made tupperware bed every night.
So yes, National Teacher Day. NPR's New York affiliate WNYC had an excellent story this morning about police in classrooms in Bronx schools. As usual, WNYC did a nice job of showing both sides - how the cops have made the schools safer, but they've also managed to piss off the students and crap all over the teachers. When one teacher questioned a cop who was handcuffing one of the students, the cop accused the teacher of obstructing and arrested him. And when the Bronx Guild principal tried to stop an officer from physically restraining a student who had cursed in the hall, he was arrested and charged with assault. The charges were later dropped. As the principal remarked: "Almost any behavior can be deemed as criminal. When is a kid’s emotional outburst an educational matter and when is it a criminal matter?"
Good question.
In other teacher news, giant red state Utah gives the finger to No Child Left Behind.
This post is for Pablo, my buddy who is a dedicated (if by dedicated you mean cranky, overworked and underpaid) New York City public school teacher. Today is, after all, National Teacher Day. In honor of that, Pablo convinced his students that there is a pool on the roof of the school which all of the teachers have keys to and the straight A students get to use instead of going to gym class. This won't surprise you if you know Paulito - he is, after all, the kid who convinced our Spanish class in college that he was 40 years old (he was in fact 20) and he preserved himself by sleeping in a custom-made tupperware bed every night.
So yes, National Teacher Day. NPR's New York affiliate WNYC had an excellent story this morning about police in classrooms in Bronx schools. As usual, WNYC did a nice job of showing both sides - how the cops have made the schools safer, but they've also managed to piss off the students and crap all over the teachers. When one teacher questioned a cop who was handcuffing one of the students, the cop accused the teacher of obstructing and arrested him. And when the Bronx Guild principal tried to stop an officer from physically restraining a student who had cursed in the hall, he was arrested and charged with assault. The charges were later dropped. As the principal remarked: "Almost any behavior can be deemed as criminal. When is a kid’s emotional outburst an educational matter and when is it a criminal matter?"
Good question.
In other teacher news, giant red state Utah gives the finger to No Child Left Behind.
But will they get a real tiger to play Richard Parker?
So like, you guys? I have so much work to do today! I shall try my best to take breaks and post, as I still haven't finished all my comments from the weekend, but bear in mind that the Halls of Justice waits for no man. Or me.
But I couldn't let the morning pass without this bit of movie news!
I am an avid reader, and sadly, in recent years, I haven't read that many books which really moved/impressed me. A notable exception is Life of Pi by Yann Martel. If I haven't already pressed a copy of it into your hand, consider yourself warned and now you know what you're getting next Arbor Day. If you don't know the story, basically a sixteen-year-old Indian boy finds himself in a life raft in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with an orangutan, a hyena, an injured zebra and a Bengal tiger (named Richard Parker).
In late 2003, it was announced that M. Night Shyamalan of Sixth Sense and Signs fame was going to write and direct the movie version of Pi. I had mixed emotions. On the one hand, Shyamalan apparently was born in Pondicherry, India, where the first third of the book takes place. And I thought it would be interesting to see what he did with material that he had not originally written, and the themes of Pi are very similar to themes that Shyamalan likes to explore. On the other hand, I could see him really effing it up, and I can't explain why without giving away key stuff about the book.
Now, apparently, Shyamalan is off the project and Alfonso Cuaron will direct. To this, I say, "Hooray!" I like Cuaron and I think he knows a lot more about adapting source material (see Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). But apparently, it's not entirely done deal yet, so I'm going to try and not get too excited. Read about it here.
But I couldn't let the morning pass without this bit of movie news!
I am an avid reader, and sadly, in recent years, I haven't read that many books which really moved/impressed me. A notable exception is Life of Pi by Yann Martel. If I haven't already pressed a copy of it into your hand, consider yourself warned and now you know what you're getting next Arbor Day. If you don't know the story, basically a sixteen-year-old Indian boy finds himself in a life raft in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with an orangutan, a hyena, an injured zebra and a Bengal tiger (named Richard Parker).
In late 2003, it was announced that M. Night Shyamalan of Sixth Sense and Signs fame was going to write and direct the movie version of Pi. I had mixed emotions. On the one hand, Shyamalan apparently was born in Pondicherry, India, where the first third of the book takes place. And I thought it would be interesting to see what he did with material that he had not originally written, and the themes of Pi are very similar to themes that Shyamalan likes to explore. On the other hand, I could see him really effing it up, and I can't explain why without giving away key stuff about the book.
Now, apparently, Shyamalan is off the project and Alfonso Cuaron will direct. To this, I say, "Hooray!" I like Cuaron and I think he knows a lot more about adapting source material (see Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). But apparently, it's not entirely done deal yet, so I'm going to try and not get too excited. Read about it here.
Monday, May 02, 2005
Shhh, the show is back on.
So, Saturday was a big day for me, between the very wet Revlon Run/Walk, room painting at my sister's house, and being a general cranky pants for having to wake up early on a Saturday. As such, I rewarded myself by going to see The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Kate also saw it this weekend, and we had a long talk about it, so bear in mind that some of my comments are stolen from her (as usual).
I would say that my opinion of the movie was middling, at best. I found it enjoyable, and felt that what they did right was quite excellent. On the other hand, I walked away feeling like a book such as Hitchhiker's does not translate well to a film. It certainly wasn't the most disappointing adaptation that I've seen (I'm relatively certain that Seabiscuit fills those shoes), but it could have been better. Kate, on the other hand, really disliked it.
First, what they did well. Mos Def was an inspired choice to play Ford Prefect - he was the perfect combination of quirky and cool, and I just can't imagine a better selection. Martin Freeman was also a nice choice as Arthur. The effects and set design were dead on and really well done. It was wise to have a narrator and the animated segments that dealt with the actual Guide were a smart device, and also included some of the funnier parts of the film. Also, Henson's Creature Shop did an amazing job with the grotesque and sluglike Vogons.
Kate didn't like the personification of Marvin, but I thought the Paranoid Android looked great. And Alan Rickman was predictably funny as the morose voice of Marvin. I also really enjoyed Helen Mirren's small part as the voice of Deep Thought. The few parts where I laughed out loud were usually attributed to her (I may have been the only person who laughed out loud when she shushes Zaphod because her television show is back on... but that has more to do with my former roommate and her sister.).
As for what I didn't like. Number one with a bullet, definitely Zooey Deschanel as Trillian. She was entirely the wrong choice. Trillian, in my opinion, is probably the least developed or interesting character in the book, but what we do know about her is that she's very smart and rather bitchy. And a little immoral. She most certainly wouldn't get huffy about the earth being blown up. Granted, sci fi writers have a tendency to make all their female characters saints or sluts, and it wouldn't bother me if Trillian in the movie were better developed. But movie Trillian is just annoying and not remotely developed as anything other than the doe-eyed love interest of Martin Freeman's Arthur Dent. And don't get me started on the cheesy love story which was tossed in there.
And as Kate pointed out, it definitely felt like the overarching themes of the book were lost in the saccharine ending.
I'm really curious what someone who has never read the book thought about the movie. If you saw the movie without reading the book, do let me know.
I would say that my opinion of the movie was middling, at best. I found it enjoyable, and felt that what they did right was quite excellent. On the other hand, I walked away feeling like a book such as Hitchhiker's does not translate well to a film. It certainly wasn't the most disappointing adaptation that I've seen (I'm relatively certain that Seabiscuit fills those shoes), but it could have been better. Kate, on the other hand, really disliked it.
First, what they did well. Mos Def was an inspired choice to play Ford Prefect - he was the perfect combination of quirky and cool, and I just can't imagine a better selection. Martin Freeman was also a nice choice as Arthur. The effects and set design were dead on and really well done. It was wise to have a narrator and the animated segments that dealt with the actual Guide were a smart device, and also included some of the funnier parts of the film. Also, Henson's Creature Shop did an amazing job with the grotesque and sluglike Vogons.
Kate didn't like the personification of Marvin, but I thought the Paranoid Android looked great. And Alan Rickman was predictably funny as the morose voice of Marvin. I also really enjoyed Helen Mirren's small part as the voice of Deep Thought. The few parts where I laughed out loud were usually attributed to her (I may have been the only person who laughed out loud when she shushes Zaphod because her television show is back on... but that has more to do with my former roommate and her sister.).
As for what I didn't like. Number one with a bullet, definitely Zooey Deschanel as Trillian. She was entirely the wrong choice. Trillian, in my opinion, is probably the least developed or interesting character in the book, but what we do know about her is that she's very smart and rather bitchy. And a little immoral. She most certainly wouldn't get huffy about the earth being blown up. Granted, sci fi writers have a tendency to make all their female characters saints or sluts, and it wouldn't bother me if Trillian in the movie were better developed. But movie Trillian is just annoying and not remotely developed as anything other than the doe-eyed love interest of Martin Freeman's Arthur Dent. And don't get me started on the cheesy love story which was tossed in there.
And as Kate pointed out, it definitely felt like the overarching themes of the book were lost in the saccharine ending.
I'm really curious what someone who has never read the book thought about the movie. If you saw the movie without reading the book, do let me know.
I read the Times, so you don't have to
Yesterday I co-opted my parents Sunday Times and found out all sorts of interesting stuff for you. I hope you're happy.
First off, remember when I wrote about the Tribeca Grand Hotel and that Annie character from Norway? Well, the Times profiled her. Sure, sure, they're always slow to hop on the bandwagon, but considering that I wouldn't have a clue who she (or the majority of hipster beloved musicians) was without Philly, I won't make fun of the Times for their pokiness.
The best part of the Sunday Times, though (besides Frank Rich's op-ed about South Park) was the summer guide to music festivals around the country. Oh, and they also had theater festivals too. Which is where I learned that Delacorte Theater (home of Shakespeare in the Park) is celebrating its 50th anniversary by putting on 2 productions - As You Like It from June 25-July 17 and A Midsummer Night's Dream from August 9-September 4. This means I will have to take 2 days off from work this summer to catch both. If you're interested, let me know and I'll snag you a ticket while I'm standing in the hot and sticky line.
In the music festival department, NPR is always blathering about the River to River Festival in lower Manhattan.
And I must mention, as the Times, as usual, decided to shit all over her dirty step-sister New Jersey and ignored the NJPac Absolut Sounds of the City festival in Newark. I went there a couple of times a few summers ago and it was fun. The lineup hasn't been announced yet, but I'll keep an eye out.
Also of interest, the JVC Jazz Festival from June 14-25 will pay tribute to Mahwah's own Les Paul, as well as my man Dave Brubeck and a whole bunch of other worthy people. Also in the jazz department, Lincoln Center will have its Midsummer Night Swing series (June 15-July 16), which I've been to (stop laughing, Phil) and certainly recommend. In the classical department, Lincoln Center also hosts the Mostly Mozart series - this year they will be focusing on Mozart's travels throughout Europe.
First off, remember when I wrote about the Tribeca Grand Hotel and that Annie character from Norway? Well, the Times profiled her. Sure, sure, they're always slow to hop on the bandwagon, but considering that I wouldn't have a clue who she (or the majority of hipster beloved musicians) was without Philly, I won't make fun of the Times for their pokiness.
The best part of the Sunday Times, though (besides Frank Rich's op-ed about South Park) was the summer guide to music festivals around the country. Oh, and they also had theater festivals too. Which is where I learned that Delacorte Theater (home of Shakespeare in the Park) is celebrating its 50th anniversary by putting on 2 productions - As You Like It from June 25-July 17 and A Midsummer Night's Dream from August 9-September 4. This means I will have to take 2 days off from work this summer to catch both. If you're interested, let me know and I'll snag you a ticket while I'm standing in the hot and sticky line.
In the music festival department, NPR is always blathering about the River to River Festival in lower Manhattan.
And I must mention, as the Times, as usual, decided to shit all over her dirty step-sister New Jersey and ignored the NJPac Absolut Sounds of the City festival in Newark. I went there a couple of times a few summers ago and it was fun. The lineup hasn't been announced yet, but I'll keep an eye out.
Also of interest, the JVC Jazz Festival from June 14-25 will pay tribute to Mahwah's own Les Paul, as well as my man Dave Brubeck and a whole bunch of other worthy people. Also in the jazz department, Lincoln Center will have its Midsummer Night Swing series (June 15-July 16), which I've been to (stop laughing, Phil) and certainly recommend. In the classical department, Lincoln Center also hosts the Mostly Mozart series - this year they will be focusing on Mozart's travels throughout Europe.
Not sure how I missed this
Okay, apparently Deadwood was renewed for a third season. Twleve episode will air in 2006. Hooray! That gives all y'all who haven't been watching plenty of time to catch up - season one is on DVD and I suspect season two will be out by the fall.
Do We Dare to Ride Two?
Well, after a slightly slow episode of Deadwood last week, this week was back with a vengeance. And while it wasn’t my favorite episode of this season (it’s hard to be super enthusiastic about an epi with so much of the Bullocks) it moved at its usual quick pace and left me with as many questions as answers.
As Charlie pointed out, this episode was all about amalgamation and capital (thanks to the writers for naming the episode that and making it easier to pick up the theme.... although it does spoil some of the fun). From Merrick’s paper, Mose Manual’s death, the N***er General and his really misguided attempt to geld a horse, the opening of the bank and more shenanigans between Swearengen and Miss Isringhausen, there was an awful lot of money considered and exchanged.
Questions? Alma and Ellsworth’s proposal. Why exactly is she delaying? Clearly, she knows that Martha Bullock is here to stay and there’s no hope for her and Seth. Of course, after the possible death of young William, that could all change. Does she tarry because she thinks she can have a baby on her own in Deadwood? In all of this, I can’t help but feel sympathy for the sweet Ellsworth. Remember last season before he got involved in the Garret claim and he would just pan for gold and drink away the rest of the day at the Gem? I bet he misses those days.
Looks like Trixie is just as frustrated with Alma’s delay and it appears she’ll confront her next week. Wonderful Trixie – she can’t keep up with Swearengen in the scheming department, but she does well enough on her own and she clearly does not enjoy it when pawns don’t follow her plans.
I was surprised by Al and Miss Insringhausen. Who knew he would tell her to take her money and get the eff out of town, unless she wanted her throat cut? I was expecting something more nuanced. But I suppose he couldn’t beat around the bush after Miss I’s telegraph to her employers. There haven’t been too many deaths by Al’s hand this season, so I’m starting to think that this cunning lady is in trouble.
Anyhoo, only three episodes left in the season. David Milch decided long ago that each season would handle a period of weeks in a given year. So assuming that the show comes back for a season 3, it's possible that at the start Alma will already have a baby, which kind of shoots my latest theory that they might kill Alma off in childbirth and have the Bullocks raise the baby. That's probably a little too soapy for this class act anyway.
Anyone think little William is dead? I'm betting he is.... if he isn't, he'll probably be brain damaged or something.
As Charlie pointed out, this episode was all about amalgamation and capital (thanks to the writers for naming the episode that and making it easier to pick up the theme.... although it does spoil some of the fun). From Merrick’s paper, Mose Manual’s death, the N***er General and his really misguided attempt to geld a horse, the opening of the bank and more shenanigans between Swearengen and Miss Isringhausen, there was an awful lot of money considered and exchanged.
Questions? Alma and Ellsworth’s proposal. Why exactly is she delaying? Clearly, she knows that Martha Bullock is here to stay and there’s no hope for her and Seth. Of course, after the possible death of young William, that could all change. Does she tarry because she thinks she can have a baby on her own in Deadwood? In all of this, I can’t help but feel sympathy for the sweet Ellsworth. Remember last season before he got involved in the Garret claim and he would just pan for gold and drink away the rest of the day at the Gem? I bet he misses those days.
Looks like Trixie is just as frustrated with Alma’s delay and it appears she’ll confront her next week. Wonderful Trixie – she can’t keep up with Swearengen in the scheming department, but she does well enough on her own and she clearly does not enjoy it when pawns don’t follow her plans.
I was surprised by Al and Miss Insringhausen. Who knew he would tell her to take her money and get the eff out of town, unless she wanted her throat cut? I was expecting something more nuanced. But I suppose he couldn’t beat around the bush after Miss I’s telegraph to her employers. There haven’t been too many deaths by Al’s hand this season, so I’m starting to think that this cunning lady is in trouble.
Anyhoo, only three episodes left in the season. David Milch decided long ago that each season would handle a period of weeks in a given year. So assuming that the show comes back for a season 3, it's possible that at the start Alma will already have a baby, which kind of shoots my latest theory that they might kill Alma off in childbirth and have the Bullocks raise the baby. That's probably a little too soapy for this class act anyway.
Anyone think little William is dead? I'm betting he is.... if he isn't, he'll probably be brain damaged or something.
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