If you head read either Part One or Part Two of this post, you would have read about my job-related efforts to pass legislation in Arnold. There was a petition initiative to essentially undermine these efforts, as well as to undercut the city council's authority.
Luckily, their petition drive was 200 signatures short, meaning that the city council's decision stands. Oh, I know, the opponents of such legislation have other tricks up their sleeve, but last night mean a quick trip to Target, a night of rest, relaxation, and The Tao of Steve. (Reviewed next time)
[One quick note - the gentleman who served as spokesman for the opposition, at least in the media, was claimed to be a "bar owner", "computer technician", and "private citizen". If he wants the man-of-many-tags like, he should be more like my friend Brian, who is a "blogger", "computer expert", "Trivia buff", "World-renowned last of the tough guys", and "international ladies' man". If you're gonna do something, do it right!]
Oh, and my office is 70% furnished - the big furniture, computer, etc. is in. Now, all I have to do is put up pictures/bulletin boards/stock shelves, and I'm done.
(For all the comic dudes, I would like suggestions for an Alex Ross poster to put up. Trust me - having his art inspires me. Suggest a piece for the office of a community-minded, substance abuse prevention dude - I'm at a loss)
August 19, 2004
August 18, 2004
Day 21: Office Under Siege
After a long vacation (posted on elsewhere), I came into the office this morning with all too few, "Hey, Gordon, how was your vacation?" (For many, it was as if I never left - boy, just love knowing that I'm appreciated, but that's neither here nor there)
Anyway, some good news - my office is just about finished. New drywall, ceiling tiles, light fixtures, paint job - it's almost as good as new. Just need to get the carpet shampooed (hopefully tonight), and tomorrow morning, I can make my way back into the office.
Which leads to the toughest question of all - mirrored disco ball or Spider-Man wallpaper?
Anyway, some good news - my office is just about finished. New drywall, ceiling tiles, light fixtures, paint job - it's almost as good as new. Just need to get the carpet shampooed (hopefully tonight), and tomorrow morning, I can make my way back into the office.
Which leads to the toughest question of all - mirrored disco ball or Spider-Man wallpaper?
August 17, 2004
We're All Normal, and We Want Our Freedom
Music has always been a lifeline in my life - from listening to my mother's collection of 1960's music, to ransacking the used bins at Kroozin Music (now torn down for an addition to Kelly High School), to the occasional trip to Vintage Vinyl, I have always wanted to discover some treasure, some unheard masterpiece, and yet later, be able to rediscover it...thanks to my vacation, I was able to get reacquainted with one of my favorite albums, one that I had not listened to in over a year...Love's Forever Changes.
I actually discovered the band in high school - Rhino (then an uppity reissue/obscurity label, and not Time Warner's reissue arm) was releasing Nuggets compilations, and on one of them was "My Little Red Book". Never has a band made Bacharach/David sound so rocking, so threatening, so funky. Fast forward to the early '90s: poor and in grad school, I discover Rhino's two CD Love Story compilation...and listened intently, for it had a "properly mixed" version of Forever Changes spread out over two discs.
Forever Changes is, quite simply, the closest thing an American band has come to Sgt. Pepper. Not even the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds approaches this album - lush strings, clever arrangements, just sheer creativity, this is the sound of what the 1960's could have become.
This is an album that takes bold leaps and bounds, that is great for a nice, Sunday afternoon listen - the kind of album that headphones were invented for. It starts with the Spanish-guitar stylings of "Aloneagainor" (probably the most covered song on this compilation, and throughout the album, genres mix and mingle without a forethought. The gentle assertiveness of "A House Is Not A Motel", the resignation of "Andmoreagain", the way the final words of each line of "The Red Telephone" are slurred, the gentle hoping of "The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This" - don't let the song titles deter you: this record is not some drugged-out psychedelic mismash. The only other record with such gorgeous, almost near-perfect songwriting (from the same period) is Odessey & Oracle by the Zombies.
Want examples, you may ask? First, "Live and Let Live" - you would never think that words like
could ever be sung to such a gorgeous melody...but Arthur Lee (the closest thing to a soft-rock Hendrix we have) pulls it off. However, the boldest move is the final song on the album, "You Set the Scene", which moves from Motown-esque to Broadway finale in the space of a few bars.
Ultimately, this is an album of almost total, complete freedom - the words "you can't do that" never seemed to enter the musician's mind. It was a tough listen for me - I listened to it while developing feelings for a dear friend. (It was unrequited). The last time I saw her - on her birthday - I gave her this record as a gift, as well as a card. She's with someone else, and I hope she gives this the occasional listen.
However, it's the line at the end of the "Red Telephone" on side one - We're All Normal and We Want Our Freedom" - that still effects me, maybe for reasons I don't want to admit.
In an age where pristine, prepackaged, precision is prioritized over raw, naked expression, this album is worthy in more ways than one. It is probably one of the most life-affirmining, beautiful experiences you could ever have.
Trust me on this - you will love this album.
I actually discovered the band in high school - Rhino (then an uppity reissue/obscurity label, and not Time Warner's reissue arm) was releasing Nuggets compilations, and on one of them was "My Little Red Book". Never has a band made Bacharach/David sound so rocking, so threatening, so funky. Fast forward to the early '90s: poor and in grad school, I discover Rhino's two CD Love Story compilation...and listened intently, for it had a "properly mixed" version of Forever Changes spread out over two discs.
Forever Changes is, quite simply, the closest thing an American band has come to Sgt. Pepper. Not even the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds approaches this album - lush strings, clever arrangements, just sheer creativity, this is the sound of what the 1960's could have become.
This is an album that takes bold leaps and bounds, that is great for a nice, Sunday afternoon listen - the kind of album that headphones were invented for. It starts with the Spanish-guitar stylings of "Aloneagainor" (probably the most covered song on this compilation, and throughout the album, genres mix and mingle without a forethought. The gentle assertiveness of "A House Is Not A Motel", the resignation of "Andmoreagain", the way the final words of each line of "The Red Telephone" are slurred, the gentle hoping of "The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This" - don't let the song titles deter you: this record is not some drugged-out psychedelic mismash. The only other record with such gorgeous, almost near-perfect songwriting (from the same period) is Odessey & Oracle by the Zombies.
Want examples, you may ask? First, "Live and Let Live" - you would never think that words like
"Oh the snot has caked against my pants,
It has turned into crystal"
could ever be sung to such a gorgeous melody...but Arthur Lee (the closest thing to a soft-rock Hendrix we have) pulls it off. However, the boldest move is the final song on the album, "You Set the Scene", which moves from Motown-esque to Broadway finale in the space of a few bars.
Ultimately, this is an album of almost total, complete freedom - the words "you can't do that" never seemed to enter the musician's mind. It was a tough listen for me - I listened to it while developing feelings for a dear friend. (It was unrequited). The last time I saw her - on her birthday - I gave her this record as a gift, as well as a card. She's with someone else, and I hope she gives this the occasional listen.
However, it's the line at the end of the "Red Telephone" on side one - We're All Normal and We Want Our Freedom" - that still effects me, maybe for reasons I don't want to admit.
In an age where pristine, prepackaged, precision is prioritized over raw, naked expression, this album is worthy in more ways than one. It is probably one of the most life-affirmining, beautiful experiences you could ever have.
Trust me on this - you will love this album.
August 15, 2004
I Was Gonna Blog about Identity Crisis # 3....
...but this post just makes my points more clearly
(Thanks to Progressive Ruin for posting the link - and for some fun at other's expense, please check out this Newsarama Discussion Thread)
(Thanks to Progressive Ruin for posting the link - and for some fun at other's expense, please check out this Newsarama Discussion Thread)
August 14, 2004
One Good Reason to Watch American Idol Next Season...
His name is Quentin. He's about 19 years old, and he lives here in St. Louis. He's a great kid - a graduate of one of our youth programs, he is a very talented, bright, outgoing individual. Watching he and I interact is interesting, with me "denying" that I'm a "pimp and a playa", and Quentin countering that those are good things, not bad.
(I wasn't insulted, by the way - just wanted to provide a good counterexample).
Anyway, he came to the final day of our conference last weekend. On Friday, he had visited to announce that he was going to camp out to audition for American Idol, and that he would come by Sunday with the results. I have to admit that I wasn't in the most pleasant of moods - a twisted ankle, plus being slightly pushed to do more physically after expressing my inability to do so, left me in a very not-so-pleasant mood. (My supervisor later remarked that I seemed "out of it", and that two of my colleagues - without even checking to see what the problem was - thought I was "uncooperative").
I also have to point out that this is one of my biggest character flaws - the tendency to focus on the negative aspects of my life. It's something that my current friends have never seen full-on, or experienced with me - mostly because I've crashed and burned many previous friendships that way. My mood after the brouhaha over recent Metropolis elections didn't help - when you're the target of someone else's crap tornado, an umbrella just won't cut it.
That Sunday, Quentin came by to announce that he had passed the first round of auditions, and was heading for the next round. Noticing my mood, he asked what was wrong, and I lied, claiming "I'm just tired." Sensing that I was in an unpleasant, down mood, Quentin said one of the most uplifting things I had ever heard:
It was a momentary glimpse of hope...but a glimpse nonetheless. I continued with my wallowing for a little bit, had lunch, and then went home, nearly chewing out a parking attendant because...well, I forgot to get a parking pass, and had to pay to park by the hotel.
Yes, please send all flames to me directly.
It's almost a full week after the end of the conference - several days of work, followed by a well-deserved vacation (I have been on the go since about February of this year without a significant break). Today, I was fortunate - after a gathering with some of my friends, I went home, lit some incense, sat in my sun chair (aka, my cat's "throne"), and took a nice power nap.
My mood is much better, thanks to the gift of clarity. I keep forgetting that, in the midst of everything, other people's stuff is theirs, not mine, and that I have worth.
One of my best friends keeps reminding me, "You're a good man, Gordon."
Now, I'm finally starting to believe it.
(I wasn't insulted, by the way - just wanted to provide a good counterexample).
Anyway, he came to the final day of our conference last weekend. On Friday, he had visited to announce that he was going to camp out to audition for American Idol, and that he would come by Sunday with the results. I have to admit that I wasn't in the most pleasant of moods - a twisted ankle, plus being slightly pushed to do more physically after expressing my inability to do so, left me in a very not-so-pleasant mood. (My supervisor later remarked that I seemed "out of it", and that two of my colleagues - without even checking to see what the problem was - thought I was "uncooperative").
I also have to point out that this is one of my biggest character flaws - the tendency to focus on the negative aspects of my life. It's something that my current friends have never seen full-on, or experienced with me - mostly because I've crashed and burned many previous friendships that way. My mood after the brouhaha over recent Metropolis elections didn't help - when you're the target of someone else's crap tornado, an umbrella just won't cut it.
That Sunday, Quentin came by to announce that he had passed the first round of auditions, and was heading for the next round. Noticing my mood, he asked what was wrong, and I lied, claiming "I'm just tired." Sensing that I was in an unpleasant, down mood, Quentin said one of the most uplifting things I had ever heard:
"You're my third favorite person at the agency, Gordon...if it wasn't for your work, I wouldn't be here. It's a thankless job, dude, but you really helped me see what I could be."
It was a momentary glimpse of hope...but a glimpse nonetheless. I continued with my wallowing for a little bit, had lunch, and then went home, nearly chewing out a parking attendant because...well, I forgot to get a parking pass, and had to pay to park by the hotel.
Yes, please send all flames to me directly.
It's almost a full week after the end of the conference - several days of work, followed by a well-deserved vacation (I have been on the go since about February of this year without a significant break). Today, I was fortunate - after a gathering with some of my friends, I went home, lit some incense, sat in my sun chair (aka, my cat's "throne"), and took a nice power nap.
My mood is much better, thanks to the gift of clarity. I keep forgetting that, in the midst of everything, other people's stuff is theirs, not mine, and that I have worth.
One of my best friends keeps reminding me, "You're a good man, Gordon."
Now, I'm finally starting to believe it.
Funk It Up, Shatner!
You'll Need Quick Time - Must Be Heard to Be Believed
Oh, and i'm taking the class. Nothing says, "romantically desperate dude" quite like it.
Oh, and i'm taking the class. Nothing says, "romantically desperate dude" quite like it.
August 13, 2004
The Three Greatest Music Sites of All Time!
Let's see...I'm on vacation, getting some rest, cleanin' the old Casa De Gordo, annoying my cat,
and web surfin. Here are, in my opinion, the best music sites:
Fufkin.com
Perfect Sound Forever,
and number one:
The Big Takeover (the greatest music
magazine known to mankind. Honest).
NP: Elvis Costello, "Trust"
and web surfin. Here are, in my opinion, the best music sites:
Fufkin.com
Perfect Sound Forever,
and number one:
The Big Takeover (the greatest music
magazine known to mankind. Honest).
NP: Elvis Costello, "Trust"
Ahead, Lame Factor 7!
OK, I admit it, I'm a Trekkie (although it's been sorely tested as of late), and here are two items of interest.
1) In perusing the Continuing Ed catalog from St. Louis Community College, I noticed that there is a five-week course on Star Trek. For under $40, you can learn all about the show. I'm not kidding; e-mail me for details. (And for you pals o'mine, think it's worth checking out, if only for the cheese factor?)
2) Have you ever been stuck in a conversation with someone - maybe even two people - where, mentally, you are screaming "Get me the [expletive] out of here!", but you are somehow morbidly fascinated with the conversation, as if it were an intellectual train wreck?
Then my suggestion is to rent MindMeld, which is 75 minutes of Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner talking about Star Trek, the "phenomenon", and basically, well, chewin' a lot of scenery.
My conclusions from watching this are as follows:
Luckily, though, I found the antidote...Waiting for Guffman. This movies is flat-out funny. Rent it today!
1) In perusing the Continuing Ed catalog from St. Louis Community College, I noticed that there is a five-week course on Star Trek. For under $40, you can learn all about the show. I'm not kidding; e-mail me for details. (And for you pals o'mine, think it's worth checking out, if only for the cheese factor?)
2) Have you ever been stuck in a conversation with someone - maybe even two people - where, mentally, you are screaming "Get me the [expletive] out of here!", but you are somehow morbidly fascinated with the conversation, as if it were an intellectual train wreck?
Then my suggestion is to rent MindMeld, which is 75 minutes of Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner talking about Star Trek, the "phenomenon", and basically, well, chewin' a lot of scenery.
My conclusions from watching this are as follows:
- A friend of mine from the old Prodigy online service once sponsored online "appearances" from Mr. Shatner and Mr. Nimoy. Her conclusion (and Karin, if you're out there, send me an e-mail) was that Mr. Nimoy "made Mr. Shatner look humble." This DVD proves it.
- I'm all for bonus features, but when you need to do a "making of" for a DVD like this...there's something seriously wrong with you.
- Finally, the only thing of worth - Billy West's beginning narration. I kid you not.
Luckily, though, I found the antidote...Waiting for Guffman. This movies is flat-out funny. Rent it today!
August 12, 2004
The JibJab Times
Yes, the guys who brought you more waffles than a house of pancakes, who offer flipflops while others offer tax breaks, have their own blog. Enjoy!
August 11, 2004
August 10, 2004
Getcher Stinkin' Paws Off Me, You Damn Dirty Ape!
You probably think that I had said this last weekend, after working an intense convention at a hotel that (presumably) never sponsored a youth conference, limping around with a bad ankle, telling people in charge that I was sore but being pushed anyway, and then getting lectured by my supervisor about taking care of myself - the same woman who, when I had a really bad case of flu, called me into the office for a work-related emergency. (And, hopefully, if my coworkers read this, they'll have a sense of humor about it - I'm letting go. Honest). However, this is a story about how a little franchise lost steam and died an ignoble death.
When I was a kid, one of my favorite pastimes was the 3:30 movie on Channel 7, WLS in Chicago. It was there when I fell in love with my second favorite movie series, Planet of the Apes. Of course, I started with the movies edited from the tv series ("hosted" by Roddy McDowall in ape makeup"), and made my way with "Gorilla My Dreams Week" - that's right, baby, all five movies in one week. I owned the action figures, the comic books, the toothpaste, the dishwashing detergent...it was my in-thing as a kid (besides Star Trek).
Recently, I chanced upon the documentary, Behind the Planet of the Apes, which is entertaining, informative, and is a good lesson in how to kill a franchise in five easy years. It's the kind of DVD that Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, John Byrne, and anyone who wishes to 'revamp' a franchise or character should watch, if only to avoid making the same mistakes. (And if you click on the original movie title above, you get the documentary with a reissued DVD of the 1968 classic). It's telling that the 1968 movie with Charlton Heston gets approximately one hour of narrative time, and the other movies have to share forty-five minutes.
Basically, it turns into "going to the well" once too often - diminishing budgets, decreasing creativity (if someone can tell me the difference between Beneath the Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of the Apes, I would really appreciate it). It also typifies the kind of thinking prevalent in Hollywood - if it's good, let's keep repeating it until it is bad.
Luckily, I have the initial DVD release for Planet of the Apes, and watching it again reminds me of just how shocking it was...and how devastatingly disappointing Tim Burton's "reimagining" turned out. Although Burton's film looks better, it doesn't have the same sparkle or all-out surprise of the original...and although Tim Burton had an original ending, nobody out-Serlings Rod Serling (who worked on the original ape screenplay, and whose ideas were played out in the final product).
So, kids, what have we learned? Originality is in short supply in Hollywood, and if you are going to remake movies, remake bad ones, not classics.
On that note, I'm going to call my friends, and we're going to steal some camcorders and redo Cannonball Run as a Beckett-esque comedy.
When I was a kid, one of my favorite pastimes was the 3:30 movie on Channel 7, WLS in Chicago. It was there when I fell in love with my second favorite movie series, Planet of the Apes. Of course, I started with the movies edited from the tv series ("hosted" by Roddy McDowall in ape makeup"), and made my way with "Gorilla My Dreams Week" - that's right, baby, all five movies in one week. I owned the action figures, the comic books, the toothpaste, the dishwashing detergent...it was my in-thing as a kid (besides Star Trek).
Recently, I chanced upon the documentary, Behind the Planet of the Apes, which is entertaining, informative, and is a good lesson in how to kill a franchise in five easy years. It's the kind of DVD that Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, John Byrne, and anyone who wishes to 'revamp' a franchise or character should watch, if only to avoid making the same mistakes. (And if you click on the original movie title above, you get the documentary with a reissued DVD of the 1968 classic). It's telling that the 1968 movie with Charlton Heston gets approximately one hour of narrative time, and the other movies have to share forty-five minutes.
Basically, it turns into "going to the well" once too often - diminishing budgets, decreasing creativity (if someone can tell me the difference between Beneath the Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of the Apes, I would really appreciate it). It also typifies the kind of thinking prevalent in Hollywood - if it's good, let's keep repeating it until it is bad.
Luckily, I have the initial DVD release for Planet of the Apes, and watching it again reminds me of just how shocking it was...and how devastatingly disappointing Tim Burton's "reimagining" turned out. Although Burton's film looks better, it doesn't have the same sparkle or all-out surprise of the original...and although Tim Burton had an original ending, nobody out-Serlings Rod Serling (who worked on the original ape screenplay, and whose ideas were played out in the final product).
So, kids, what have we learned? Originality is in short supply in Hollywood, and if you are going to remake movies, remake bad ones, not classics.
On that note, I'm going to call my friends, and we're going to steal some camcorders and redo Cannonball Run as a Beckett-esque comedy.
Luck Be a Lady Tonight
Right now, I'm recovering from a really busy (and slightly traumatic) weekend - had to work a huge conference, and I limped through it. Literally - twisted my ankle badly coming up from the MetroLink station, and it just went downhill from there. Not much I can report without risk of job loss, but I can always discuss it offline.
Anyway, one of my job duties was to chaperone one of the alternative activities for Friday. Like my good friend, the witty and perpetually sweaty Ajay, I enjoy musicals. (Although, dude, I have to draw the line at Annie - my mom played it way too many times during my childhood). So seeing Guys and Dolls at the Muny was, well, quite a treat.
First, the Muny itself - we were lucky enough to get a tour of the theater (followed by a buffet!), and it is really impressive. Standing on the stage in front of all the empty chairs...quite an experience. Plus, the sound system - it was so crystal clear, you would have thought you were listening to a CD.
When live music "sounds like" a CD, you're living in a very jaded age.
Anyway, the performers were spot-on, and were even able to turn the most minor of mistakes into semi-scripted gems. And, of course, the actor who played Nicely-Nicely Johnson was superb. It ain't Guys and Dolls unless you have a great Nicely-Nicely Johnson. I know these things.
The weather was nice, the show was outstanding, and the atmosphere was...it was worth it. An oasis of sanity in an otherwise busy weekend.
Oh, and the shocker - a 17 year old girl was familiar with the movie starring Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando, and didn't ask, "What else have they done?"
All in all, a gem of an evening.
Anyway, one of my job duties was to chaperone one of the alternative activities for Friday. Like my good friend, the witty and perpetually sweaty Ajay, I enjoy musicals. (Although, dude, I have to draw the line at Annie - my mom played it way too many times during my childhood). So seeing Guys and Dolls at the Muny was, well, quite a treat.
First, the Muny itself - we were lucky enough to get a tour of the theater (followed by a buffet!), and it is really impressive. Standing on the stage in front of all the empty chairs...quite an experience. Plus, the sound system - it was so crystal clear, you would have thought you were listening to a CD.
When live music "sounds like" a CD, you're living in a very jaded age.
Anyway, the performers were spot-on, and were even able to turn the most minor of mistakes into semi-scripted gems. And, of course, the actor who played Nicely-Nicely Johnson was superb. It ain't Guys and Dolls unless you have a great Nicely-Nicely Johnson. I know these things.
The weather was nice, the show was outstanding, and the atmosphere was...it was worth it. An oasis of sanity in an otherwise busy weekend.
Oh, and the shocker - a 17 year old girl was familiar with the movie starring Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando, and didn't ask, "What else have they done?"
All in all, a gem of an evening.
August 8, 2004
Single Guys Beware!
Forewarned is forearmed
(By the way, I'll blog about this weekend later - trust me, it ain't pretty)
(By the way, I'll blog about this weekend later - trust me, it ain't pretty)
August 4, 2004
Day 7: Office Under Siege
It's official - yesterday, I had to clean out my office, due to the extensive rain damage. So, for the next two weeks, I will be a man without an office...floating around our agency, living out of my briefcase, doing paperwork and copies on the run. In short, like grad school without the Oreos and Mountain Dew. Although I have worked in a vacationing coworker's office, soon I will have to leave, since she will have returned on Monday.
But folks, the damage in my office is bad - tiles bulging inward and colored in various shades of yellow and brown; several papers and posters tossed due to them being damp and moist; my belongings boxed and hidden in a little cubbyhole. Thanks to some foresight, a curriculm which I had promised to one of my colleagues (and was packed away) arrived via mail yesterday, meaning that I can actually *gasp* perform my job.
Also, fortunately, I will be out of my office more frequently than I will be in the office within the next few weeks. This weekend is a huge, statewide prevention conference (so check out the archive if you want to read more stuff for the next few days), then next Thursday through Tuesday I'm on vacation - a well-needed break after the events of the past six months.
Luckily, today is more of a catch-up/finalizing day: getting things done and completed before I go off. In addition, the damage to my office isn't as extensive as that done to one of our directors - she lost so much in terms of records, papers, etc, it is not even funny. Our executive director is also not happy - lost productivity, lost time, and potential replacement of materials is not fun.
If you don't see or hear from me for awhile, please understand - I'm not ignoring you. Just going to be busy...
But folks, the damage in my office is bad - tiles bulging inward and colored in various shades of yellow and brown; several papers and posters tossed due to them being damp and moist; my belongings boxed and hidden in a little cubbyhole. Thanks to some foresight, a curriculm which I had promised to one of my colleagues (and was packed away) arrived via mail yesterday, meaning that I can actually *gasp* perform my job.
Also, fortunately, I will be out of my office more frequently than I will be in the office within the next few weeks. This weekend is a huge, statewide prevention conference (so check out the archive if you want to read more stuff for the next few days), then next Thursday through Tuesday I'm on vacation - a well-needed break after the events of the past six months.
Luckily, today is more of a catch-up/finalizing day: getting things done and completed before I go off. In addition, the damage to my office isn't as extensive as that done to one of our directors - she lost so much in terms of records, papers, etc, it is not even funny. Our executive director is also not happy - lost productivity, lost time, and potential replacement of materials is not fun.
If you don't see or hear from me for awhile, please understand - I'm not ignoring you. Just going to be busy...
Hey, Kids! Comic Blogs!
As you've probably read in these very posts, I am a comic fanboy...and I have kissed a girl. Several, in fact, but that's neither here nor there. When I'm not working or doing social stuff, I peruse several comics-related blogs: here are my three faves, in no particular order:
Comic Treadmill - reviews of comics both old and new, and currently focusing on the little reprint digests that DC used to put out. Not about nostalgia; it's all about the comics.
PostModern Barney - news, reviews, rantings, and snarky comments about comic covers of the past. And no, I'm not including it because he linked to me - honest!
Progressive Ruin - The Greatest Comics Blog in the Multiverse. I am not kidding.
Yes, they are all part of my blogroll, but go forth and enjoy. They're more fun - and informative - than you can conceive.
Comic Treadmill - reviews of comics both old and new, and currently focusing on the little reprint digests that DC used to put out. Not about nostalgia; it's all about the comics.
PostModern Barney - news, reviews, rantings, and snarky comments about comic covers of the past. And no, I'm not including it because he linked to me - honest!
Progressive Ruin - The Greatest Comics Blog in the Multiverse. I am not kidding.
Yes, they are all part of my blogroll, but go forth and enjoy. They're more fun - and informative - than you can conceive.
August 3, 2004
Reefer Madness (book review)
Quite often, I have to read information about my field (substance abuse) in order to keep current. Although I love reading, I try not to read too many books about the field - mostly because, if I have to live it 40 hours a week, I would rather focus on something else. However, when I saw that the author of Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser, was writing about the underground market (including marijuana), it was just too good to pass up.
Luckily, thanks to plenty of free time this weekend, I was able to make my way through Reefer Madness, which focuses on three primary underground markets: marijuana, immigrant labor, and pornography. (Don't worry - although it's adult in content, there's no graphic sex or violence). Schlosser examines some of the forces at work within these three areas, and how they impact the "mainstream" economy.
The book's two essays about the "hotter" issues - marijuana and pornography - are the strongest, with the labor trade a close second. (In all fairness, all three essays are well-researched and well-written). Schlosser finishes the book with a capsule summary and argument about how all three have impacted the mainstream. It is a very informative, enlightening book that comes to some somewhat problematic conclusions about its subject matter. (Read: I disagree with some of his conclusions, but I respect the fact that he has taken the time to consider the facts, which is often not the case in these areas).
Is this an easy read? No, because it provides a really strong historical context (especially for pornography), and in our cut-to-the-chase culture, his book demands careful attention. However, like Fast Food Nation, Schlosser's commentary provides illuminating insight not only into these phenomena, but into our entire culture as well.
Definitely worth pursuing.
Luckily, thanks to plenty of free time this weekend, I was able to make my way through Reefer Madness, which focuses on three primary underground markets: marijuana, immigrant labor, and pornography. (Don't worry - although it's adult in content, there's no graphic sex or violence). Schlosser examines some of the forces at work within these three areas, and how they impact the "mainstream" economy.
The book's two essays about the "hotter" issues - marijuana and pornography - are the strongest, with the labor trade a close second. (In all fairness, all three essays are well-researched and well-written). Schlosser finishes the book with a capsule summary and argument about how all three have impacted the mainstream. It is a very informative, enlightening book that comes to some somewhat problematic conclusions about its subject matter. (Read: I disagree with some of his conclusions, but I respect the fact that he has taken the time to consider the facts, which is often not the case in these areas).
Is this an easy read? No, because it provides a really strong historical context (especially for pornography), and in our cut-to-the-chase culture, his book demands careful attention. However, like Fast Food Nation, Schlosser's commentary provides illuminating insight not only into these phenomena, but into our entire culture as well.
Definitely worth pursuing.
August 2, 2004
Monday, Monday...Can't Trust That Day
Admittedly, this past weekend totally rocked - Saturday night was a benefit for the Missouri Coalition for Budget Policy & Priorities, which works towards making sure that state fiscal policy reflects the needs of low and middle income families. Like much in St. Louis, there is the "social worker" clique - luckily, since I don't have an MSW (only an MEd), I am granted special privileges in this clique. Got to see Old Man Joe (a band comprised of several welfare/Medicaid/social work policy wonks), saw a Congressional candidate totally rock the house, and really noticed that a former colleague of mine was...well, attractive. As Wayne and Garth might say, "If she were a cult science fiction program, she'd be Babe-ylon 5."
(And if she ever reads this, I meant the above in a totally professional and dignified manner. Honestly. She has my utmost professional respect)
Sunday was spent taking a nice, long, well-deserved nap - since the next week are so will be busy, I wanted to get my rest in, and take in as much down time as possible. It seemed like the perfect weekend...
...Until I got into the office this morning. Thanks to last week's rains, my office is still flooded, and I am "camping out" in a vacationing coworker's office. Sadly, our executive director had to give me the bad news - I'm going to be exiled for awhile, and will need to pack up my stuff and move it out. The landlords are going to totally rehab my office, from floor to ceiling, due to the extensive water damage. No problem - I will only be in five and a half of the next fourteen days, so I don't have to sweat it.
And, being the "tobacco guy" at my agency, I am currently working on insuring some legislation passes and/or stays put. Arnold, Ballwin are coming up, and pretty soon may be Florissant and St. Peters. Although it's not the most glamorous (or well-paying) job, it's nice to know that my work actually gets results, and isn't just, well, lining the pockets of "The Man".
Thanks for reading, and hopefully, we'll touch base again...
(And if she ever reads this, I meant the above in a totally professional and dignified manner. Honestly. She has my utmost professional respect)
Sunday was spent taking a nice, long, well-deserved nap - since the next week are so will be busy, I wanted to get my rest in, and take in as much down time as possible. It seemed like the perfect weekend...
...Until I got into the office this morning. Thanks to last week's rains, my office is still flooded, and I am "camping out" in a vacationing coworker's office. Sadly, our executive director had to give me the bad news - I'm going to be exiled for awhile, and will need to pack up my stuff and move it out. The landlords are going to totally rehab my office, from floor to ceiling, due to the extensive water damage. No problem - I will only be in five and a half of the next fourteen days, so I don't have to sweat it.
And, being the "tobacco guy" at my agency, I am currently working on insuring some legislation passes and/or stays put. Arnold, Ballwin are coming up, and pretty soon may be Florissant and St. Peters. Although it's not the most glamorous (or well-paying) job, it's nice to know that my work actually gets results, and isn't just, well, lining the pockets of "The Man".
Thanks for reading, and hopefully, we'll touch base again...
August 1, 2004
It's Couch Potato Time!
...aka DVD reviews. Nothing major - just some recommendations should Blockbuster not have your fave new release, or if you want to start a Netflix queue.
Doctor Who: The Curse of Fenric - When I first saw this episode from the 1989 (and final) season of DW, I thought it was, well, pretentious crap. I had no idea what the heck was going on...thank BBC Home Video (through Warner Brothers) for not only providing the episodic version, but a reedited "Special Edition" on Disc 2, which has now convinced me that this is a flat-out masterpiece. Get this disc, watch the special edition on disc 2, and...well, I am more than willing to argue that Joss Whedon watched this constantly when he was formulating the Buffy series. This, plus all the extra goodies (including a revealing interview with Ian Briggs, the writer) make it a must-have and must-watch.
Shadow of a Doubt - According to reputation (and the testimonials on the making-of featurette), this was Alfred Hitchcock's favorite film. It's mixture of sinister happenings in small-town America make it an instant classic. It won't get the ink of, say, Vertigo or Psycho, but this shows the master of suspense at his finest.
Justice League: Starcrossed - This animated DVD, taken from the 2nd series closer, packs more character development/drama/overall action punch in 63 minutes than most Hollywood fare. It's basically a reintroduction of the Hawkman character (although not introduced as such), it's a setup for the Justice League Unlimited series to air this fall on Cartoon Network. However, don't let that stop you from getting this disc...
The Killing - The first collaboration between Stanley Kubrick and Jim Thompson, author of The Killer Inside Me, The Grifters, A Hell of A Woman, and other excellent novels. This noir masterpiece - an admitted influence on Pulp Fiction - features a racetrack robbery, a non-linear storyline, one of Thompson's best endings, and great acting. It's done something that very few movies do - makes me want to reread Thompson's books. (Also, check out their second and last collaboration, Paths to Glory - a classic antiwar film).
Founding Fathers - My mother and I kid my father, who enjoys the History Channel, because there's very little suspense. "Hey, Dad, who do you think will win World War II?" However, this documentary - focusing on the American Revolution, is very revelatory about the forces that shaped our country. (By the way, you might also want to read Founding Brothers and Walter Isaacson's biography of Benjamin Franklin - great reads, and very insightful). You will learn a lot more from this DVD than you did in history class. That's a promise.
Doctor Who: The Curse of Fenric - When I first saw this episode from the 1989 (and final) season of DW, I thought it was, well, pretentious crap. I had no idea what the heck was going on...thank BBC Home Video (through Warner Brothers) for not only providing the episodic version, but a reedited "Special Edition" on Disc 2, which has now convinced me that this is a flat-out masterpiece. Get this disc, watch the special edition on disc 2, and...well, I am more than willing to argue that Joss Whedon watched this constantly when he was formulating the Buffy series. This, plus all the extra goodies (including a revealing interview with Ian Briggs, the writer) make it a must-have and must-watch.
Shadow of a Doubt - According to reputation (and the testimonials on the making-of featurette), this was Alfred Hitchcock's favorite film. It's mixture of sinister happenings in small-town America make it an instant classic. It won't get the ink of, say, Vertigo or Psycho, but this shows the master of suspense at his finest.
Justice League: Starcrossed - This animated DVD, taken from the 2nd series closer, packs more character development/drama/overall action punch in 63 minutes than most Hollywood fare. It's basically a reintroduction of the Hawkman character (although not introduced as such), it's a setup for the Justice League Unlimited series to air this fall on Cartoon Network. However, don't let that stop you from getting this disc...
The Killing - The first collaboration between Stanley Kubrick and Jim Thompson, author of The Killer Inside Me, The Grifters, A Hell of A Woman, and other excellent novels. This noir masterpiece - an admitted influence on Pulp Fiction - features a racetrack robbery, a non-linear storyline, one of Thompson's best endings, and great acting. It's done something that very few movies do - makes me want to reread Thompson's books. (Also, check out their second and last collaboration, Paths to Glory - a classic antiwar film).
Founding Fathers - My mother and I kid my father, who enjoys the History Channel, because there's very little suspense. "Hey, Dad, who do you think will win World War II?" However, this documentary - focusing on the American Revolution, is very revelatory about the forces that shaped our country. (By the way, you might also want to read Founding Brothers and Walter Isaacson's biography of Benjamin Franklin - great reads, and very insightful). You will learn a lot more from this DVD than you did in history class. That's a promise.
July 31, 2004
July 30, 2004
Day 5: Office Under Siege
This morning, I had a feeling I shouldn't go into work - that I should just have stayed home, drank coffee, and just enjoyed a rainy day. Unfortunately, I didn't have any comp time, my vacation's already booked, and I couldn't think of a good sick day excuse. My call into work would have been really lame, something like,
"Hi, it's Gordon. I can't come into the office today - I have the disease Ali McGraw had in Love Story"
It didn't help that, this past week, my office had been "cleaned out" due to rain flooding. Although the initial flood happened on the 4th of July, we were told that the roofers had "fixed" the problem. After the second time, and having to endure huge, noisy, industrial-strength dehumidifiers, I thought it was safe to go back. This morning, my office - as well as the two offices beside me - were flooded again.
Admittedly, much of my time in the office has been spent helping prepare for a huge conference next weekend, as well as several smaller projects - nothing as major as the conference, and even that, I had copied the Power Point presentation onto diskette and writing notes on hard copy. Having been an "exile" from my office due to meetings, noise, etc, I was looking forward to a long day of, well, doing small work and goofing off. Maybe even getting my stats in early, and then leaving...or even writing another chapter or two (I'm two and a half chapters in - yay for me!)
Unfortunately, the damage is great - there is a huge tarf running from the roof of my office, and the water is flowing into one of those huge carriers. The kind of Rubbermaid carrier that you use to carry loads of laundry. Yes, it was that much water.
And, of course, the only work area that was available was the computer & work area in the front of the office...so much for privacy.
Luckily, our executive director was going around, and (obviously) he was not too happy about matters - one of the offices hit was our main prevention secretary; the other was a director's office, and several key documents were destroyed. In addition, two computers
were wet, meaning that they would have to be replaced. (My only real "loss" was a copy of Guerilla Publicity, but if someone wants to purchase a replacement as a gift, please be my guest).
When our executive director asked me what kind of car I wanted (read: we're going to get everything that was damaged replaced), I quickly answered, "A '76 Cadillac...black with red interior."
(Aka, the car I learned to drive in). When he said that he wanted to get me a new car, and announced an Escalade, I asked, "Can I have some bling-bling with that?"
I know, nothing sadder than a guy tryin' too hard to be hip.
Right now, I'm trying to decide between a happy hour, meeting some other friends, laundry, and/or sleep - it's been that kind of week, folks. Even if I don't make anything tonight, there's tomorrow night's benefit concert.
Some days, I really regret not becoming an accountant, like my dad wanted.
"Hi, it's Gordon. I can't come into the office today - I have the disease Ali McGraw had in Love Story"
It didn't help that, this past week, my office had been "cleaned out" due to rain flooding. Although the initial flood happened on the 4th of July, we were told that the roofers had "fixed" the problem. After the second time, and having to endure huge, noisy, industrial-strength dehumidifiers, I thought it was safe to go back. This morning, my office - as well as the two offices beside me - were flooded again.
Admittedly, much of my time in the office has been spent helping prepare for a huge conference next weekend, as well as several smaller projects - nothing as major as the conference, and even that, I had copied the Power Point presentation onto diskette and writing notes on hard copy. Having been an "exile" from my office due to meetings, noise, etc, I was looking forward to a long day of, well, doing small work and goofing off. Maybe even getting my stats in early, and then leaving...or even writing another chapter or two (I'm two and a half chapters in - yay for me!)
Unfortunately, the damage is great - there is a huge tarf running from the roof of my office, and the water is flowing into one of those huge carriers. The kind of Rubbermaid carrier that you use to carry loads of laundry. Yes, it was that much water.
And, of course, the only work area that was available was the computer & work area in the front of the office...so much for privacy.
Luckily, our executive director was going around, and (obviously) he was not too happy about matters - one of the offices hit was our main prevention secretary; the other was a director's office, and several key documents were destroyed. In addition, two computers
were wet, meaning that they would have to be replaced. (My only real "loss" was a copy of Guerilla Publicity, but if someone wants to purchase a replacement as a gift, please be my guest).
When our executive director asked me what kind of car I wanted (read: we're going to get everything that was damaged replaced), I quickly answered, "A '76 Cadillac...black with red interior."
(Aka, the car I learned to drive in). When he said that he wanted to get me a new car, and announced an Escalade, I asked, "Can I have some bling-bling with that?"
I know, nothing sadder than a guy tryin' too hard to be hip.
Right now, I'm trying to decide between a happy hour, meeting some other friends, laundry, and/or sleep - it's been that kind of week, folks. Even if I don't make anything tonight, there's tomorrow night's benefit concert.
Some days, I really regret not becoming an accountant, like my dad wanted.
July 29, 2004
Worthy Causes
Just some upcoming events & opportunities to "Pay It Forward".
(Please Note: In the interests of full disclosure, I either know and/or am involved with several of the events posted. Just want to keep it honest, folks)
Thanks for your help, and for reading!
(Please Note: In the interests of full disclosure, I either know and/or am involved with several of the events posted. Just want to keep it honest, folks)
- First, Boys and Girls Town of Missouri is having a really cool event at Harry's on Clayton on August 9th, as well as a golf tournament in late September. (I'll be attending a meeting in University City on the 9th). For more information, head to the BGTM web site)
- Something a little sooner - this Saturday, July 31st, at 7:00 pm, there will be benefit concert for the Missouri Budget Project, which committed to making sure that state fiscal policy helps low to moderate income households. The concert, featuring the band Old Man Joe, will be held at Off Broadway on Lemp. (Click here for a map). It's 10 bucks, and will be my last hurrah before I move into the Milennium for a conference.
- The Penrose O'Fallon Family Initiative (whose board I just joined) is in dire straits. As in "Klingons are surrounding the Enterprise, Scotty's totally bugnuts, and phasers are offline" kind of straits. If you know of any funding/other 501c3 resources, please e-mail me. Or, feel free to come to our next board meeting, Tuesday, August 24th, at 6:00 pm - click here for the location).
- Finally, on Monday, November 1st, please head down to Arnold, MO for lunch and/or dinner. It's the day their smoke-free ordinance goes into effect, and we wouldn't want them to lose business.
Thanks for your help, and for reading!
July 28, 2004
July 27, 2004
What a Catalyst You Turned Out To Be...
Last night, I ended up giving testimony in Ballwin for smoke free legislation as part of my job. My experiences in Arnold (read here and here) had, I thought, prepared me for whatever would happen. Not even a musty office, and six hours straight (!) of work-related meetings would deter me. I was ready to roll.
Of course, the first rule of advocacy is leave your expectations at the door.
The meeting began with the Mayor announcing that they were changing the format, and allowing for public comment before discussing the legislation. Luckily, several people in favor of smokefree legislation were there...but the opponents were there, and they quickly drew blood.
At times, it got nasty - as one person left, someone shouted, "Don't start your car in the parking lot." People openly grumbled, defied the mayor's "no applause" policy, and then began asserting that their rights were being violated. I always find it a little more than ironic when asserting their rights somehow means trampling on the rights of their opposition. Of course, I gave testimony - normally, I get a little nervous before speaking in public, but can shake it off. However, last night seemed different, and I was extremely nervous. I managed to get my facts out, and then sat down.
Of course, the night was not without its more humorous aspects - at one point, an older gentleman carrying a briefcase approached the council. He was a retired pharmacist, and proposed that since the Library of Congress did research into secondhand smoke, and had to truthfully testify before their congressman, that they were right in that secondhand smoke was not harmful. (Trust me, I am not making this up). In addition, a young lady who worked at a very popular restaurant on Ballwin brought all sorts of kids' drawings, proving once again that family friendly = tobacco friendly.
The interesting point of the night was that a gentleman from Arnold - the one who presented a ton of reports to the Arnold City Council - gave testimony (and documents) to the Ballwin City Council. Amazingly, for an ordinance that does not go into effect until November 1st, Arnold is already a vast economic wasteland. This gentleman also, after the meeting, attempted to attack my resources, even after I calmly (but firmly) debunked his information. The city council chose to revisit the discussion in their August meeting; three aldermen were ready to go, three others had reservations, and that's all right - it just provides more preparation time.
Quite frankly, it always surprises me that there is so much venom in the pro-smoking movement, and that it comes out so broadly. Granted, it is funded by an industry that doesn't want to lose profits...but it's also a little disconcerting. Disagreement is one thing, but character attacks are simply unwarranted. (Plus, admittedly, recent events have me gunshy about taking public stances of any kind).
What's the lesson, I always ask myself. Maybe it's learning how to develop a thicker skin; maybe it's realizing that more people need to speak up...or maybe there is no lesson. Just things that happen.
At the very least, thanks to our staff meeting raffle, I now have free dinner for two at Cracker Barrel. Please e-mail if interested.
Of course, the first rule of advocacy is leave your expectations at the door.
The meeting began with the Mayor announcing that they were changing the format, and allowing for public comment before discussing the legislation. Luckily, several people in favor of smokefree legislation were there...but the opponents were there, and they quickly drew blood.
At times, it got nasty - as one person left, someone shouted, "Don't start your car in the parking lot." People openly grumbled, defied the mayor's "no applause" policy, and then began asserting that their rights were being violated. I always find it a little more than ironic when asserting their rights somehow means trampling on the rights of their opposition. Of course, I gave testimony - normally, I get a little nervous before speaking in public, but can shake it off. However, last night seemed different, and I was extremely nervous. I managed to get my facts out, and then sat down.
Of course, the night was not without its more humorous aspects - at one point, an older gentleman carrying a briefcase approached the council. He was a retired pharmacist, and proposed that since the Library of Congress did research into secondhand smoke, and had to truthfully testify before their congressman, that they were right in that secondhand smoke was not harmful. (Trust me, I am not making this up). In addition, a young lady who worked at a very popular restaurant on Ballwin brought all sorts of kids' drawings, proving once again that family friendly = tobacco friendly.
The interesting point of the night was that a gentleman from Arnold - the one who presented a ton of reports to the Arnold City Council - gave testimony (and documents) to the Ballwin City Council. Amazingly, for an ordinance that does not go into effect until November 1st, Arnold is already a vast economic wasteland. This gentleman also, after the meeting, attempted to attack my resources, even after I calmly (but firmly) debunked his information. The city council chose to revisit the discussion in their August meeting; three aldermen were ready to go, three others had reservations, and that's all right - it just provides more preparation time.
Quite frankly, it always surprises me that there is so much venom in the pro-smoking movement, and that it comes out so broadly. Granted, it is funded by an industry that doesn't want to lose profits...but it's also a little disconcerting. Disagreement is one thing, but character attacks are simply unwarranted. (Plus, admittedly, recent events have me gunshy about taking public stances of any kind).
What's the lesson, I always ask myself. Maybe it's learning how to develop a thicker skin; maybe it's realizing that more people need to speak up...or maybe there is no lesson. Just things that happen.
At the very least, thanks to our staff meeting raffle, I now have free dinner for two at Cracker Barrel. Please e-mail if interested.
July 26, 2004
I'm A Nutty Bunny!
Just a riff on an old Kids in the Hall sketch, and taken from
Lime Girl's Blog:
Lime Girl's Blog:
you are the cute but psycho happy bunny. You
adorable, but a little out there. It's alright,
you might not have it all, but there are worse
which happy bunny are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Welcome to the Working Week!
Oh, boy, some fun things to reflect on as this Monday draws to a
close...
close...
- First, thanks to this weekend's rain (and less-than-satisfactory
work from our roofers), my office was damp, musty, and smelled like the inside of a worn sweatsock. - According to news, the creator of Babylon 5 wrote a treatment for a Star Trek series. Unfortunately, the best Trek is coming out of this really cool fan site
- Just began reading Reefer Madness,and so far, so good.
- This past weekend, I managed to see Liz Phair live in concert,
and took the time to watch both Blade movies with Wesley Snipes. Nothin' like watching ol' Wes kick vampire butt - Gave testimony in Ballwin about smoke-free legislation, to be blogged later (I am kinda tired, and need to get my beauty rest); and
- I completely rock at playing Uno.
July 23, 2004
Exile in Da Lou-Ville
OK, so it's been an emotionally ragged week, I have to prepare to give testimony in Ballwin on Monday for legislation, and what does a boy do?
Take up a pal's offer to see Liz Phair at the Riversplash concert series.
First, have to admit that I was one of the first on my block to own Exile in Guyville - of course, Chicago in the early 90's was happening, with bands like Urge Overkill (who overdid the we-love-Neil-Diamond schtick) and Smashing Pumpkins (not one of my faves - hardcore Replacements/Husker Du man). The production was, well, tinny (it was an indie record). Live, she just...you would never have thought that she got married, divorced, had a child, and recorded several albums between then and now.
What was more impressive was the St. Louis riverfront being used as an entertainment venue. The show, and the laser/water/fireworks extravaganza were all really top notch, but the most impressive was that, for the first time (that I remember), St. Louis actually used one of its assets. It reminded me of Chicago using Navy Pier and the lake shore - it was just one of those "why-the-heck-didn't-we-think-of-that" before moments that make one glad to live in the Lou.
Now, if we can only develop holographic technology to hide the garish Casino Queen across the river, we would be set...
Take up a pal's offer to see Liz Phair at the Riversplash concert series.
First, have to admit that I was one of the first on my block to own Exile in Guyville - of course, Chicago in the early 90's was happening, with bands like Urge Overkill (who overdid the we-love-Neil-Diamond schtick) and Smashing Pumpkins (not one of my faves - hardcore Replacements/Husker Du man). The production was, well, tinny (it was an indie record). Live, she just...you would never have thought that she got married, divorced, had a child, and recorded several albums between then and now.
What was more impressive was the St. Louis riverfront being used as an entertainment venue. The show, and the laser/water/fireworks extravaganza were all really top notch, but the most impressive was that, for the first time (that I remember), St. Louis actually used one of its assets. It reminded me of Chicago using Navy Pier and the lake shore - it was just one of those "why-the-heck-didn't-we-think-of-that" before moments that make one glad to live in the Lou.
Now, if we can only develop holographic technology to hide the garish Casino Queen across the river, we would be set...
Hi, Bob!
I can't believe I went to the same high school as this guy. (And it's meant as a compliment)
July 22, 2004
This One's For the Ladies
Just a little something that was, at the time, laugh-out-loud
funny; hopefully, I can share it appropriately.
Two days ago, Quentin visited us at our office - we do a lot
of work with youth, and Quentin is considered a "successful
graduate." He's one of those individuals who proves that you
can overcome any obstacle in order to achieve what you wish.
He had visited during lunch, and with me being the only 1) male
and 2) under-40 person at the table, it took a lot to keep
quiet. Quentin was talking to the lunch crowd about his dietary
habits, and how he really loves McDonalds. He also claimed he was
"getting old" (read: 20), and that he couldn't handle White
Castle hamburgers anymore.
Cut to the chase: during the course of this conversation, Quentin
announced that if his girlfriend smelled like a McDonald's
french fry, he would "never leave her again." In fact, he
stated that "the perfume companies would make a killing;
instead of CK, you have McDonald's French Fry." We then
talked about the various permutations - Domino's pizza
for men, new pick up lines like, "Hey baby, I'm wearing...
Quarter Pounder with Cheese."
Just a little humor to lighten everyone's day.
funny; hopefully, I can share it appropriately.
Two days ago, Quentin visited us at our office - we do a lot
of work with youth, and Quentin is considered a "successful
graduate." He's one of those individuals who proves that you
can overcome any obstacle in order to achieve what you wish.
He had visited during lunch, and with me being the only 1) male
and 2) under-40 person at the table, it took a lot to keep
quiet. Quentin was talking to the lunch crowd about his dietary
habits, and how he really loves McDonalds. He also claimed he was
"getting old" (read: 20), and that he couldn't handle White
Castle hamburgers anymore.
Cut to the chase: during the course of this conversation, Quentin
announced that if his girlfriend smelled like a McDonald's
french fry, he would "never leave her again." In fact, he
stated that "the perfume companies would make a killing;
instead of CK, you have McDonald's French Fry." We then
talked about the various permutations - Domino's pizza
for men, new pick up lines like, "Hey baby, I'm wearing...
Quarter Pounder with Cheese."
Just a little humor to lighten everyone's day.
Lessons My Friends Are Teaching Me
In the past few days, several of my friends have been giving me some
great advice, which I would like to share. I will not identify them,
but they know who they are.
great advice, which I would like to share. I will not identify them,
but they know who they are.
- "If you are not making mistakes, it means that you're not being
productive or doing anything of value" - (From Aristotle) - "If you want to avoid criticism, say nothing.
Do nothing. Be nothing." - "In the end, your friends like you, your enemies hate you, and it's all
irrelevant because it's all external"
July 21, 2004
Kevin's Year At The Movies
Given all the personal malarkey in my life, I should have made more
time to read, whether it was Reefer Madness by Eric Schlosser, or even
Understanding Marijuana
So, in my hour of darkness (or, at least, dimness), what do I do?
I head on down to Left Bank Books, browse a little, purchase a used copy of Kevin Murphy's A Year At the Movies and read it cover to cover.
That's right - Tom Servo himself, the man, the myth, the dessert topping,
actually spent one whole year (2001) watching movies...and sharing his
experiences in book form, and this is easily one of the best books about
movies that I have read.
It's hard to encapsulate how wonderful, how life affirming, how whiz-
bang fun this book is...and it's not just that Mr. Murphy discusses
really cool places he's seen movies, but it's an ultimate reminder about
the power of good filmmaking. Ranging from a theater where a guy sells
tickets out of his bedroom window, to an igloo in northern Canada,
and the best essay on 9/11 (the event) that I have ever read...
this book is a treat. It is an easy read, and Mr. Murphy's comments
about the state of filmmaking, Cannes, Sundance, etc, are well worth it.
(Personally, my favorite chapter - and where I wish I had "been there" - was
where he and Mike Nelson, his former Mystery Science Theater 3000 costar, risk life, limb, and sanity to watch Corky Romano in a theater.
Although they may have experience with bad movies, Corky Romano -
much like Monkeybone - is the cinematic equivalent of slow, painful torture. It is not a movie to be taken lighty -it is pure evil on film.
I hereby nominate Kevin Murphy and Michael J. Nelson for the Congressional Medal of Honor. I kid you not.)
At a time where movies are becoming less movie-ish, where films like
Farenheit 9/11 and The Village are becoming better
known as stunts than actual filmmaking, this book is sorely needed.
Reading this book will change your life, your outlook, and help you
appreciate the movies a little bit more.
Thanks, Kevin. We really needed it.
time to read, whether it was Reefer Madness by Eric Schlosser, or even
Understanding Marijuana
So, in my hour of darkness (or, at least, dimness), what do I do?
I head on down to Left Bank Books, browse a little, purchase a used copy of Kevin Murphy's A Year At the Movies and read it cover to cover.
That's right - Tom Servo himself, the man, the myth, the dessert topping,
actually spent one whole year (2001) watching movies...and sharing his
experiences in book form, and this is easily one of the best books about
movies that I have read.
It's hard to encapsulate how wonderful, how life affirming, how whiz-
bang fun this book is...and it's not just that Mr. Murphy discusses
really cool places he's seen movies, but it's an ultimate reminder about
the power of good filmmaking. Ranging from a theater where a guy sells
tickets out of his bedroom window, to an igloo in northern Canada,
and the best essay on 9/11 (the event) that I have ever read...
this book is a treat. It is an easy read, and Mr. Murphy's comments
about the state of filmmaking, Cannes, Sundance, etc, are well worth it.
(Personally, my favorite chapter - and where I wish I had "been there" - was
where he and Mike Nelson, his former Mystery Science Theater 3000 costar, risk life, limb, and sanity to watch Corky Romano in a theater.
Although they may have experience with bad movies, Corky Romano -
much like Monkeybone - is the cinematic equivalent of slow, painful torture. It is not a movie to be taken lighty -it is pure evil on film.
I hereby nominate Kevin Murphy and Michael J. Nelson for the Congressional Medal of Honor. I kid you not.)
At a time where movies are becoming less movie-ish, where films like
Farenheit 9/11 and The Village are becoming better
known as stunts than actual filmmaking, this book is sorely needed.
Reading this book will change your life, your outlook, and help you
appreciate the movies a little bit more.
Thanks, Kevin. We really needed it.
July 19, 2004
Since All *That's* Over...
Whew, boy, after the sturm-und-drang of this week, it will be good
to have a relatively low-key week...OK, so my employer
is planning a big conference the first weekend of August,
and I'm trying to get as much down time as possible. However,
last night was really rough - a bad leg cramp kept me awake,
so I'm a little out-of it.
If you haven't been there already, check out Pin-Up Bowl
on Delmar. I planned a happy hour for this singles club,
and...ok, they lost my reservations, and we had to switch lanes,
but hey - it's all good. (Plus, if you do per person per game,
it's actually cheaper). Great place, great food, great bowling.
Plus, if I'm going to change my marital status...gotta, like,
do stuff with people, especially single people.
Also got to make a sorely needed visit to mypal Craig. It's
nice to take a break and withdraw from the world for awhile,
play with a 2 year old (his granddaughter), and just have a
nice, adult conversation (with him and his wife).
One where I don't feel like I'm stuck in a bad episode of
The Prisoner, and I'm Patrick McGoohan.
This week's been a real ride - from volunteering for Viva Vox's
Flipping the Soul Switch event to fun and games in Arnold.
(Read this and this for more details).
As you may have noticed, my blog has changed, and is
slightly off-kilter (in IE; it looks fine in Mozilla; hopefully,
it will soon look normal.
Plus, I've switched from Bloglinker to Blogrolling.
Much of it was due to the Hot Ambercrombie Chick deal -
partly, sites I wouldn't link to in a million years
(like a "Get a Thai Wife now!" site) automatically
linked to me...since I'm learning more, and know what I'm
doing, it's all good.
Oh, and as always, I do requests, so share 'em.
to have a relatively low-key week...OK, so my employer
is planning a big conference the first weekend of August,
and I'm trying to get as much down time as possible. However,
last night was really rough - a bad leg cramp kept me awake,
so I'm a little out-of it.
If you haven't been there already, check out Pin-Up Bowl
on Delmar. I planned a happy hour for this singles club,
and...ok, they lost my reservations, and we had to switch lanes,
but hey - it's all good. (Plus, if you do per person per game,
it's actually cheaper). Great place, great food, great bowling.
Plus, if I'm going to change my marital status...gotta, like,
do stuff with people, especially single people.
Also got to make a sorely needed visit to mypal Craig. It's
nice to take a break and withdraw from the world for awhile,
play with a 2 year old (his granddaughter), and just have a
nice, adult conversation (with him and his wife).
One where I don't feel like I'm stuck in a bad episode of
The Prisoner, and I'm Patrick McGoohan.
This week's been a real ride - from volunteering for Viva Vox's
Flipping the Soul Switch event to fun and games in Arnold.
(Read this and this for more details).
As you may have noticed, my blog has changed, and is
slightly off-kilter (in IE; it looks fine in Mozilla; hopefully,
it will soon look normal.
Plus, I've switched from Bloglinker to Blogrolling.
Much of it was due to the Hot Ambercrombie Chick deal -
partly, sites I wouldn't link to in a million years
(like a "Get a Thai Wife now!" site) automatically
linked to me...since I'm learning more, and know what I'm
doing, it's all good.
Oh, and as always, I do requests, so share 'em.
July 17, 2004
...This Town..., Part Two
When last I blogged, we had gone through a contentious give-and-take with several people protesting that they were not allowed to vote on a smoke-free ordinance. Now, the public input session has ended, and the real fun is beginning.
The council deliberations started when the mayor asked the council for input. The alderman opposing the bill (let's call him Mr. J) had cited the fact that the ordinance was essentially "slid under the rug", and that no business owners had been contacted. He argued (and quite validly) that the council had no right to make such a radical change without notifying the business community, and that the people should have the right to vote on a bill (i.e., make it a petition initiative). And, of course, how dare we public health officials come in and tell the city of Arnold what to do?
In the spirit of democracy, the council decided to move this item up on the agenda, and have a full discussion. The only way this law could be repealed is if one of the aldermen who voted for the ordinance (it won 5 - 2) "reconsidered" his position. As the discussion progressed, some claws came out - one of the aldermen informed Mr. J that he (Mr. J) had been there the evening of the ordinance, and that he could have called supporters in - why didn't he? Another pointed out that, in his five years as city alderman, nobody showed up to city council meetings...until that evening. Mr. P (the alderman who proposed the ordinance, and yes, I could use real names - but what would be the point? This is just a blog, not a news article) reiterated that this ordinance was for the health of the community, and that it was meant to give people with breathing disorders (like asthma) equal access to dining. (Half of the restaurants in Arnold are smoke-free; most of them are fast food restaurants like McDonald's, Hardee's, etc). Most of the pro-smoking contingent threatened the council that they (the council) might not be reelected next year.
During all this, the anti-ordinance contingent's behavior was relatively less-than-civil, with rude comments, blatant insults, etc., being thrown during the proceedings. (Several times, the Mayor had to remind people to conduct themselves in a civil manner). At our end, we attempted to keep our spirits up, and we really worked to avoid throwing stones under our breath. (Talk about mixed metaphors). Yes, this is a contentious issue, and instead of rising to the occasion, it was devolving. At one point, Mr. J - sitting directly in front of myself and a worker from the Jefferson County Health Department - seemed to want to make it very personal. Here's what was said:
Mr. J - You health people, who pays your salary?Eventually, the meeting died down, and the mayor offered to the pro-smoking group that, if they could acquire 902 registered voter signatures by August, the referendum would be put on the ballot. However, they quickly got upset - and extremely vocal - when Mr. P asked that, since the ordinance would take effect on 11/01, and the election was 11/03, if they could try to pass a smokefree workplace ordinance. The pro-smoking crowd, so willing to fight for their right to smoke and dine, quickly left, not wanting to fight for their right to vote for (or against) smoke-free workplaces.
Me: Excuse me?
Mr. J - Where does your salary come from
Me: I think this is about the ordinance and not about where my check comes from...
The buzz around Arnold City Hall was negative - unfortunately, the local media chose to leave before the meat of the conversation (or even in support). But it made one thing clear to me - standing up for oneself (even when it's for the job) often leaves a bullseye on your chest. Or, as GK Chesterton once said, "I enjoy being in hot water - it keeps me clean."
So, if you don't have plans for November 1st, please feel free to come down to Arnold and dine at a fine eatery. Thank them for being smoke free, and let them know that you would encourage your friends to come on down. Just don't be suprised if, while dining at the same place I am, I get some dirty stares.
(And also, please feel free to make comments, either pro or con. Democracy - like revolution - begins at home, preferably in the bathroom mirror).
...This Town..., Part One
You're nobody 'til everybody in this town
Knows you're poison, Got your Number,
Knows it must be avoided...
You're nobody 'til everybody in this town
Thinks you're a bastard...
Elvis Costello, ...This Town....
No, this blog is not about what you might think it is; however, it may be about it. It could be about anything. However, it's about my Thursday night in Arnold, MO.
It all started with a phone call from a colleague - some smoke-free legislation which we had helped pass was in danger of being repealed. There was going to be a "packed house" of people who would protest, and we were needed. Since the only major activity I had planned that Thursday night was my laundry, it was an easy choice, and so I prepared, studied up, and put on my game face.
Later that evening, after arriving in Arnold, meeting with the alderman who sponsored the bill (and got some preliminary strategic information), and conferring amongst ourselves, we went in, prepared for conflict. Of course, we weren't going to be nasty or insulting about it - we were just going to be calm, give the facts, and let the chips fall where they may.
However, always expect the unexpected - at the beginning of "business from the floor" (where citizens get to provide input), a gentleman approached the microphone. He admitted that he was in favor of the ban, but that he didn't appreciate the fact that restaurants were not advised beforehand (despite several notices in the local paper). He also then asked why I - stating my name, occupation, and residency - was there (as well as other people) when this was passed, but why business owners weren't invited.
For some reason, this time...it was personal. Normally (despite some people's opinion), I'm not seeking self-promotion; I'm more than content being a background guy. However, I was singled out first...but I needed to bide my time. See what would happen.
Testimony progressed, and it was a continual back-and-forth: testimony about "rights to smoke" vs. scientific data about the health costs of secondhand smoke. People not voting on this vs. public health matters (like asbestos) not voted on. Parents of asthmatic children vs. older people wanting their right to smoke publicly. (Of course, the pro-smoking individuals couldn't consider putting their cigarettes out before dining).
After about an hour of give-and-take, I rose to give my testimony. Although I had prepared a dry, clinical presentation about health benefits, I decided to improvise. I thanked the council for their boldness, and reminded them that the public was behind this legislation. Businesses wouldn't suffer - in fact, businesses tend to thrive and improve. Finally, citing my employer's mission, I informed them that this was a key first step towards safe, healthy, drug-free communities. (E-mail me privately and I'll explain & debate)
Then, after some more testimony, including a gentleman who had researched all sorts of information against smokefree policies (and sounding like he had watched too many episodes of The X-Files) provided volumes of information for the city council. And then...the real fun began.
(Stay tuned, kids - it gets better)
July 15, 2004
Identity Crisis # 2 & JMS
Have to edit a blog that I was going to post yesterday - it's a little *too* up-close-and-personal, and was the result of too much stress, too much caffeine, not enough solid food. It's a kind of "romantic travails" essay...but more on that later.
First, after all of yesterday's hassles and triumphs, I got to pick up my weekly comics stash - JSA (man, I admire Geoff Johns - he can take all sorts of DC minutiae and whip 'em into a good story), The Escapist (and why haven't you read Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay yet?)...and Identity Crisis # 2. As I was discussing with the clerk at the Fantasy Shop in Maplewood (free plug!), this is the first time in a long time that I have wondered what would happen next in a comic. The JLA's "secret" is revealed, which explains a lot about certain aspects of DC Continuity...and a twist is revealed. Brad Meltzer really shows his mettle, and this simply is a pure joy, and another reason to keep living. I kid you not.
Speaking on the other end...J. Michael Straczynski (or JMS) has always, in my opinion, been a rather spotty writer. I appreciated what he tried to do on Babylon 5, and I have found his comic writing to be rather hit-or-miss.
It's hard for me to believe that the same guy who is writing a razor-sharp Supreme Power, a riff on an obscure Marvel group (itself a riff on the Justice League) also writes the Showtime original series Jeremiah, aka "Apocalypse 90210" (available through Netflix).
One is an intelligent real-world, Watchmen-esque study of super powered beings among us. The other is a slightly above average survey of life after "The Big Death", where all the adults died and the kids grew up to inherit...a mess. Luke Perry and Malcolm Jamal Warner play two men who meet in these circumstances, and deal with the outside world. This series has its moments, but pretty much foreshadows with a broad brush and...it's entertaining, but encourages me to seek out the Hermann Hueppen graphic novels which it is based on.
Enough of my yakkin' for now...
First, after all of yesterday's hassles and triumphs, I got to pick up my weekly comics stash - JSA (man, I admire Geoff Johns - he can take all sorts of DC minutiae and whip 'em into a good story), The Escapist (and why haven't you read Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay yet?)...and Identity Crisis # 2. As I was discussing with the clerk at the Fantasy Shop in Maplewood (free plug!), this is the first time in a long time that I have wondered what would happen next in a comic. The JLA's "secret" is revealed, which explains a lot about certain aspects of DC Continuity...and a twist is revealed. Brad Meltzer really shows his mettle, and this simply is a pure joy, and another reason to keep living. I kid you not.
Speaking on the other end...J. Michael Straczynski (or JMS) has always, in my opinion, been a rather spotty writer. I appreciated what he tried to do on Babylon 5, and I have found his comic writing to be rather hit-or-miss.
It's hard for me to believe that the same guy who is writing a razor-sharp Supreme Power, a riff on an obscure Marvel group (itself a riff on the Justice League) also writes the Showtime original series Jeremiah, aka "Apocalypse 90210" (available through Netflix).
One is an intelligent real-world, Watchmen-esque study of super powered beings among us. The other is a slightly above average survey of life after "The Big Death", where all the adults died and the kids grew up to inherit...a mess. Luke Perry and Malcolm Jamal Warner play two men who meet in these circumstances, and deal with the outside world. This series has its moments, but pretty much foreshadows with a broad brush and...it's entertaining, but encourages me to seek out the Hermann Hueppen graphic novels which it is based on.
Enough of my yakkin' for now...
July 12, 2004
Close Call
Thanks to my pal Ajay, I soon learned that the "Hot Ambercrombie Chick" is actually a guy...now, I'm all for freedom of speech, but not for freedom to assume another identity online.
(See the comments to "Sunday Evening Blog" for more details).
(See the comments to "Sunday Evening Blog" for more details).
July 11, 2004
Sunday Evening Blog
You know, when I started this, I thought it would be one of those fly-by-night things; after all, I kept a personal journal on my computer, so it wasn't like I would be posting my innermost secrets - just wanted to see where it took me, and it's an interesting process, to say the least.
Finished Hitchhiker - unless you're a hardcore Douglas Adams fan, I would avoid it. It's kind of, well, dull, and that's the last thing you would expect from Douglas Adams. Plus, I'm looking forward to making my way through some continually unread books I own, such as Reefer Madness, The Corrections, and a three-book Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series. (Of course, work will be keeping me busy, recovering from a big project and moving into a four-day conference in the city).
I'm also glad that many of my pals are bloggers - hell, I'm just glad I have friends. My sanity's been a little ragged lately, with all the drama that's going on...the brightest part of my weekend has been reading that a "Hot Ambercrombie Chick" linked to my blog. (Just click on her link - it's actually pretty cool).
Also watched Election, and it may be hitting too close to home, but it is one of the most evil, unwatchable movies I have ever seen. None of the characters are redeemable, and did we really need an erotic scene with Matthew Broderick? I think not.
Until next time, kids...
Finished Hitchhiker - unless you're a hardcore Douglas Adams fan, I would avoid it. It's kind of, well, dull, and that's the last thing you would expect from Douglas Adams. Plus, I'm looking forward to making my way through some continually unread books I own, such as Reefer Madness, The Corrections, and a three-book Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series. (Of course, work will be keeping me busy, recovering from a big project and moving into a four-day conference in the city).
I'm also glad that many of my pals are bloggers - hell, I'm just glad I have friends. My sanity's been a little ragged lately, with all the drama that's going on...the brightest part of my weekend has been reading that a "Hot Ambercrombie Chick" linked to my blog. (Just click on her link - it's actually pretty cool).
Also watched Election, and it may be hitting too close to home, but it is one of the most evil, unwatchable movies I have ever seen. None of the characters are redeemable, and did we really need an erotic scene with Matthew Broderick? I think not.
Until next time, kids...
July 9, 2004
Creativity in Action!
First, after a really short but intense week (Tuesday night in Jefferson County, Wednesday night in Chesterfield, Thursday night shuttling from Arnold to Fenton), I am proud to say that I completed the first draft of my novel! Yes, I didn't announce this previously, but sometimes, having a little drama in your personal life can be a good thing.
I also changed the look of my blog - nothing major; just wanted it to have a little bit more snap to it. (Of course, I had to import all the codes from my previous blog, so note to self: always save your old template code before making changes).
Finally, I sat and watched The Last Supper - no, Mel Gibson didn't make a prequel, but in these political times, it is very...interesting, and still very dark. Cameron Diaz, Ron Eldard, Ron Perlman, and a cast of others are featured in this comedy/drama about a group of friends who invite a guest every week for dinner. Released at the height of the PC era, it hits some very painful areas...but is well worth seeing. Rent it today.
And now, to bed.
I also changed the look of my blog - nothing major; just wanted it to have a little bit more snap to it. (Of course, I had to import all the codes from my previous blog, so note to self: always save your old template code before making changes).
Finally, I sat and watched The Last Supper - no, Mel Gibson didn't make a prequel, but in these political times, it is very...interesting, and still very dark. Cameron Diaz, Ron Eldard, Ron Perlman, and a cast of others are featured in this comedy/drama about a group of friends who invite a guest every week for dinner. Released at the height of the PC era, it hits some very painful areas...but is well worth seeing. Rent it today.
And now, to bed.
My Matt Groening Life
And no, I don't mean "The Simpsons" or "Futurama" - more like "Life in Hell".
This has been a very busy week for me - providing testimony for some city council meetings in the county, being election commissioner for a very contentious local election, trying to catch up on work, attending a SIDS health fair, feeling overworked, underpaid, and tired...but it was Wednesday night, at Chesterfield Mall, killing time before a meeting, when I realized that I really was in hell. Nothing could prepare me for the worst, for this soul-searing revelation.
Punky Brewster is out on CD...and you can buy it at Suncoast.
What sick, twisted mind devised this idea? What corner of freshly fallen hell did this individual come out of who thought this was smart? Punky Brewster is about this annoying little kid, her doddering old grandpa, and (I believe) a little robot monkey. The only thing worse than Punky Brewster is Small Wonder, where it's about an annoying little kid, his doddering dad, and a robot girl, and they fight crime, or something.
Right now, the best thing would be an all-expense paid trip to some exotic island where I can be pampered, catered to, and generally gain an ego reboost.
This has been a very busy week for me - providing testimony for some city council meetings in the county, being election commissioner for a very contentious local election, trying to catch up on work, attending a SIDS health fair, feeling overworked, underpaid, and tired...but it was Wednesday night, at Chesterfield Mall, killing time before a meeting, when I realized that I really was in hell. Nothing could prepare me for the worst, for this soul-searing revelation.
Punky Brewster is out on CD...and you can buy it at Suncoast.
What sick, twisted mind devised this idea? What corner of freshly fallen hell did this individual come out of who thought this was smart? Punky Brewster is about this annoying little kid, her doddering old grandpa, and (I believe) a little robot monkey. The only thing worse than Punky Brewster is Small Wonder, where it's about an annoying little kid, his doddering dad, and a robot girl, and they fight crime, or something.
Right now, the best thing would be an all-expense paid trip to some exotic island where I can be pampered, catered to, and generally gain an ego reboost.
July 7, 2004
My Five O'Clock World...
In my humble opinion, storms really frickin' suck. Monday, my power flipped out twice (and for some reason, my fridge was working but my freezer...let's just say warm Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey ain't pretty), and I ended up spending most of the day asleep, recovering from my 4th of July partay-ing.
However, it wasn't all bad - started reading Hitchhiker by MJ Simpson (It's a biography of Douglas Adams, and it looks OK so far). Note to myself - quit
the frequent trips to the library and start reading the books you own. That way,
you can't be arrested for library card fraud. Also slogged my way through
Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani (Robert Holmes is a frickin' genius - he
wrote the ultimate Doctor debut in "Spearhead from Space"; this is the ultimate
Doctor regeneration story), and took a lot of naps.
Tuesday at work - ugh! The roof in my office was drippy, the air was musty, and I spent half a day in Jefferson County. Whatever I did in a previous life, I'm getting karmically kicked in the heinie.
And finally, the world must be coming to an end - Simon & Simon is coming out on DVD.
However, it wasn't all bad - started reading Hitchhiker by MJ Simpson (It's a biography of Douglas Adams, and it looks OK so far). Note to myself - quit
the frequent trips to the library and start reading the books you own. That way,
you can't be arrested for library card fraud. Also slogged my way through
Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani (Robert Holmes is a frickin' genius - he
wrote the ultimate Doctor debut in "Spearhead from Space"; this is the ultimate
Doctor regeneration story), and took a lot of naps.
Tuesday at work - ugh! The roof in my office was drippy, the air was musty, and I spent half a day in Jefferson County. Whatever I did in a previous life, I'm getting karmically kicked in the heinie.
And finally, the world must be coming to an end - Simon & Simon is coming out on DVD.
July 5, 2004
5th of July
Most of today I have spent napping, trying to wade through H.P. Lovecraft, cleaning up my apartment, and recovering from Fair St. Louis.
No, it wasn't chemically induced - last night, I went to see the Wallflowers play a free show, followed by a really intense fireworks display. I have to admit that I'm not exactly the Wallflower's biggest fan - enjoy their work, but Jakob Dylan's Springsteenish habits never appealed. Last night, however, I have to admit - they kicked out the jams. You know you're dealing with a really good band when 1) you don't check your watch during the show; 2) you're impressed when they encore with "The Kids are Alright" by the Who and "Peace, Love, and Understanding" by Elvis Costello (via Nick Lowe); and 3) you are willing to go and buy their records rather than download illegally.
(Just kidding about # 3, RIAA...or am I?
That was followed, after a seemingly eternal commercial, by a really intense fireworks display. I love big fireworks displays - why buy cheap fireworks and risk bodily injury when the professionals do it for you? Bright explosions of color so intense you actually feel the ground shake...man, that's it for me.
Other notable things: a friend and I walking through Laclede's Landing, trying to find a place to hang until the MetroLink lines thin out....running to a half-empty bar charging a $3 cover charge (!)...passing by a much smaller stage, hearing a very lame band, and realizing that it's the Gin Blossoms (aka the "Hey, Jealousy!" guys - how sad)...and then finishing up the night sitting in the basement of the Bi-State building eating really cheap Chinese food and digging the crowd...and finally, waking up in the morning to some really intense thunderstorms, and being able to just feed the cat and head back to bed.
If that doesn't say "fun", I don't know what does.
No, it wasn't chemically induced - last night, I went to see the Wallflowers play a free show, followed by a really intense fireworks display. I have to admit that I'm not exactly the Wallflower's biggest fan - enjoy their work, but Jakob Dylan's Springsteenish habits never appealed. Last night, however, I have to admit - they kicked out the jams. You know you're dealing with a really good band when 1) you don't check your watch during the show; 2) you're impressed when they encore with "The Kids are Alright" by the Who and "Peace, Love, and Understanding" by Elvis Costello (via Nick Lowe); and 3) you are willing to go and buy their records rather than download illegally.
(Just kidding about # 3, RIAA...or am I?
That was followed, after a seemingly eternal commercial, by a really intense fireworks display. I love big fireworks displays - why buy cheap fireworks and risk bodily injury when the professionals do it for you? Bright explosions of color so intense you actually feel the ground shake...man, that's it for me.
Other notable things: a friend and I walking through Laclede's Landing, trying to find a place to hang until the MetroLink lines thin out....running to a half-empty bar charging a $3 cover charge (!)...passing by a much smaller stage, hearing a very lame band, and realizing that it's the Gin Blossoms (aka the "Hey, Jealousy!" guys - how sad)...and then finishing up the night sitting in the basement of the Bi-State building eating really cheap Chinese food and digging the crowd...and finally, waking up in the morning to some really intense thunderstorms, and being able to just feed the cat and head back to bed.
If that doesn't say "fun", I don't know what does.
July 4, 2004
Two Cool Comics, er, I mean, "Graphic Novels"....
If you're looking for two cool reads, don't want to slog through a lot of texts, and you still can't locate that copy of The DaVinci Code, here are two really cool graphic novels you might enjoy.
First, I checked Fables: Animal Farm out of the public library (something which was not considered when I was small and wee). The premise is simple: all our favorite fairy tale characters were ridden out, and have made lives among us. When I saw the book, I thought it was a lame premise...but reading the 2nd story arc, I am really wanting to get the collected first arc, or (honor or honors) have it in my pull file at the Fantasy Shop in Maplewood.
(BTW, if you work there, just give me a slight percent discount for the free plug)
Anyway, another really good book is Kurt Busiek's Astro City, and after discussing it with some of my coworkers, I submitted to temptation and purchased Astro City: Confession, the trade paperback of the first extended arc. It's about a young man who comes to Astro City and becomes a hero's apprentice. It has everything: high drama, great characterization, a still-can't-see-it-coming twist in the middle...and a lame dude named Crackerjack. If that doesn't spell good reading, I don't know what does.
First, I checked Fables: Animal Farm out of the public library (something which was not considered when I was small and wee). The premise is simple: all our favorite fairy tale characters were ridden out, and have made lives among us. When I saw the book, I thought it was a lame premise...but reading the 2nd story arc, I am really wanting to get the collected first arc, or (honor or honors) have it in my pull file at the Fantasy Shop in Maplewood.
(BTW, if you work there, just give me a slight percent discount for the free plug)
Anyway, another really good book is Kurt Busiek's Astro City, and after discussing it with some of my coworkers, I submitted to temptation and purchased Astro City: Confession, the trade paperback of the first extended arc. It's about a young man who comes to Astro City and becomes a hero's apprentice. It has everything: high drama, great characterization, a still-can't-see-it-coming twist in the middle...and a lame dude named Crackerjack. If that doesn't spell good reading, I don't know what does.
No More Heroes Anymore?
(Quick note - although it claims you have to subscribe to read the article cited, you can get a "day pass" - you have to click through a brief web commercial, but you get to read this...and a really kewl article on Husker Du's classic album, ZenArcade)
To be honest, I had strange heroes growing up - most kids liked baseball, basketball, football...except for Walter Payton, my role models were Doctor Who (the Jon Pertwee version), John Steed of the Avengers, and Ralph Nader. There was something inherently cool about guys who took on bigger causes, fought evil, and were able to do it (although maybe not in Nader's case) with charm, flair, and wit.
When I was looking up an article on a favorite album, I came across this
Salon article about Ralph Nader, and quite frankly...if half of what is said is true, I'm disappointed, but not surprised.
It's easy to see oneself as the kind of Raymond Chandler-esque, "down these mean streets a man must walk who is himself not mean, neither tarnished nor afraid" kind of person, that taking on great causes means that you yourself are indestructibe or beyond reproach. (Look at what has happened/is happening with Michael Moore. It's considering yourself the only bastion of truth, justice, and the American way...and making sure everyone knows it. (In all fairness, I've pulled this kind of thing myself).
I guess the Stranglers were right - no more heroes anymore...
To be honest, I had strange heroes growing up - most kids liked baseball, basketball, football...except for Walter Payton, my role models were Doctor Who (the Jon Pertwee version), John Steed of the Avengers, and Ralph Nader. There was something inherently cool about guys who took on bigger causes, fought evil, and were able to do it (although maybe not in Nader's case) with charm, flair, and wit.
When I was looking up an article on a favorite album, I came across this
Salon article about Ralph Nader, and quite frankly...if half of what is said is true, I'm disappointed, but not surprised.
It's easy to see oneself as the kind of Raymond Chandler-esque, "down these mean streets a man must walk who is himself not mean, neither tarnished nor afraid" kind of person, that taking on great causes means that you yourself are indestructibe or beyond reproach. (Look at what has happened/is happening with Michael Moore. It's considering yourself the only bastion of truth, justice, and the American way...and making sure everyone knows it. (In all fairness, I've pulled this kind of thing myself).
I guess the Stranglers were right - no more heroes anymore...
July 2, 2004
Instant Stress Relievers - Just in Time for the 4th of July!
First, I just had to blog about this - a big frickin' hot dog. Hot Dogs = Power Food
Ok, I haven't been as blogworthy as usual - between a very contentious election for Metropolis (which I really didn't want to do, but got suckered, er, I mean, volunteered), finishing up a major tobacco education project for work, giving testimony last night in Arnold (the bill we were working on passed 5 - 2), working on a novel, and other various life activities, things have been busy and stressful. Of course, I have found the perfect stress reliever....
Futurama on DVD - nothing eases your stress quite like a robot saying, "Bite my shiny metal @$$"
Ok, I haven't been as blogworthy as usual - between a very contentious election for Metropolis (which I really didn't want to do, but got suckered, er, I mean, volunteered), finishing up a major tobacco education project for work, giving testimony last night in Arnold (the bill we were working on passed 5 - 2), working on a novel, and other various life activities, things have been busy and stressful. Of course, I have found the perfect stress reliever....
Futurama on DVD - nothing eases your stress quite like a robot saying, "Bite my shiny metal @$$"
June 27, 2004
Manic DVD Party !
Thanks to a really nasty case of dehydration (following an intensive end to a work project), I was able to watch more DVDs than a human being should in one weekend. (Of course, between Netflix and the library, it's a wonder I get anything done...)
Anyway, here goes:
Doctor Who:The Two Doctors - I wasn't a big fan when this story was first shown in America, but watching the DVD, I actually enjoyed it. Patrick Troughton and Colin Baker have a great chemistry, and although it's no Talons of Weng-Chiang, this is probably Robert Holmes' last gasp of greatness.
61* - I have never really liked Billy Crystal, except for Analyze This, and so I wasn't sure how to take this baseball movie he directed. Needless to say, it's an instant classic, focusing on the 1961 Yankees. This is one of those guy movies that women can enjoy. (Gee, is that patronizing or what?)
A Man For All Seasons - this would be the last film that I would expect would be an influence on Kevin Smith, but in two hours, it deals with so many issues of religion vs. the state...and shows why Leo McKown was the best number 2 on The Prisoner.
These are all really cool, and if the new releases at Blockbuster are all checked out...you have alternates!
Anyway, here goes:
Doctor Who:The Two Doctors - I wasn't a big fan when this story was first shown in America, but watching the DVD, I actually enjoyed it. Patrick Troughton and Colin Baker have a great chemistry, and although it's no Talons of Weng-Chiang, this is probably Robert Holmes' last gasp of greatness.
61* - I have never really liked Billy Crystal, except for Analyze This, and so I wasn't sure how to take this baseball movie he directed. Needless to say, it's an instant classic, focusing on the 1961 Yankees. This is one of those guy movies that women can enjoy. (Gee, is that patronizing or what?)
A Man For All Seasons - this would be the last film that I would expect would be an influence on Kevin Smith, but in two hours, it deals with so many issues of religion vs. the state...and shows why Leo McKown was the best number 2 on The Prisoner.
These are all really cool, and if the new releases at Blockbuster are all checked out...you have alternates!
June 25, 2004
I Wanted to be Wolverine!
This is one of those kewl online quiz thingies, and you should head there. Personally, this wanker came long after I dug X-Men, and will have to do it again.
(Aside to Louie - and you know which Louie I'm talking about - this isn't me, is it? I would rather be Wolverine...or even Mr. Fantastic)
(Aside to Louie - and you know which Louie I'm talking about - this isn't me, is it? I would rather be Wolverine...or even Mr. Fantastic)
Important - click this now!
This is a cut-and-paste job; if you dig historic buildings, or just want to do something that's right, head on down, read, and take action. Thanks.
------------------------------
Dear Friends,
I have just read and signed the online petition:
"The National Trust's Indictment in the Crime of the Century"
hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition
service, at:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/63004cb/
I personally agree with what this petition says, and I think you might
agree, too. If you can spare a moment, please take a look, and consider
signing yourself.
------------------------------
Dear Friends,
I have just read and signed the online petition:
"The National Trust's Indictment in the Crime of the Century"
hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition
service, at:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/63004cb/
I personally agree with what this petition says, and I think you might
agree, too. If you can spare a moment, please take a look, and consider
signing yourself.
June 20, 2004
A Tribute to Dad
Since it's Father's Day, I decided to take this test, and lo and behold! Dad's favorite movie! Now, since that movie reflects my personality, it's time for the Afterschool Special Moment!
June 19, 2004
Identity Crisis # 1 (Review)
First, I have to admit - I love comics. Had started as a kid with three books (Superman, X-Men, and Hawkman), remember the three-coverless-in-a-plastic-baggie-for-29-cents package deal, and fell back in love during the Watchmen/Dark Night/Crisis on Infinite Earths revival. Yes, I read "literature", but I also really enjoy graphic literature...and right now, I am still in semi-shock over how good comics have become.
I am talking about the first issue of the well-hyped Identity Crisis mini-series by DC. Brad Meltzer (who wrote the book) has created a really cool mystery featuring super heroes. (For those of you who aren't familiar with his work - and I suggest you do so - he has a very clean, very gripping style - in short, like John Grisham with talent). This is the kind of comic you want to give friends to show them not just that comics aren't for kids...but that the best writing isn't necessarily in prose.
It's hard to discuss without spoiling, but I will give it a shot - it begins with two heroes on patrol, with great back-and-forth dialogue that you don't find in comic books (and slightly reminiscent of James Robinson's Starman). The story progresses in snapshots of time - between "now" and selected fragments from "now". Ultimately, 2/3 of the way into the book, we see the first sign of a mystery - a corpse.
The deceased...several people have commented on how inappropriate/cheesy/unnecessary the death is...which I think is Mr. Meltzer's intention. If he had killed off, say, Crazy Quilt (a bottom-tier villain), it would not have the kick-in-the-gut resonance that it does. It then goes into the investigation, a funeral...and then one of the best, couldn't-see-it-coming cliffhangers that I have ever experienced. (Having read issue one about 4 times, it still crackles and surprises).
Kudos also to Rags Morales - I've always been a fan of his DC art (in both Hourman and Hawman), and here, his art is really crisp and allows the heroes to shine at the forefront. (My only quibble - his Metal Men don't seem all that impressive; but hey, it's only the first issue). His art serves to compliment the plot: here, the heroes seem both larger-than-life and human all at the same time.
In short, this comic has done what very few comics have done for a long time - make me wish the days would go by faster, so that I could pick up the next issue. (And shame to Marvel for putting out the amazingly sucky Identity Disc at the same time - that book is a crime against nature). There are very few pleasures left in this world...thank God Identity Crisis is one of them.
I am talking about the first issue of the well-hyped Identity Crisis mini-series by DC. Brad Meltzer (who wrote the book) has created a really cool mystery featuring super heroes. (For those of you who aren't familiar with his work - and I suggest you do so - he has a very clean, very gripping style - in short, like John Grisham with talent). This is the kind of comic you want to give friends to show them not just that comics aren't for kids...but that the best writing isn't necessarily in prose.
It's hard to discuss without spoiling, but I will give it a shot - it begins with two heroes on patrol, with great back-and-forth dialogue that you don't find in comic books (and slightly reminiscent of James Robinson's Starman). The story progresses in snapshots of time - between "now" and selected fragments from "now". Ultimately, 2/3 of the way into the book, we see the first sign of a mystery - a corpse.
The deceased...several people have commented on how inappropriate/cheesy/unnecessary the death is...which I think is Mr. Meltzer's intention. If he had killed off, say, Crazy Quilt (a bottom-tier villain), it would not have the kick-in-the-gut resonance that it does. It then goes into the investigation, a funeral...and then one of the best, couldn't-see-it-coming cliffhangers that I have ever experienced. (Having read issue one about 4 times, it still crackles and surprises).
Kudos also to Rags Morales - I've always been a fan of his DC art (in both Hourman and Hawman), and here, his art is really crisp and allows the heroes to shine at the forefront. (My only quibble - his Metal Men don't seem all that impressive; but hey, it's only the first issue). His art serves to compliment the plot: here, the heroes seem both larger-than-life and human all at the same time.
In short, this comic has done what very few comics have done for a long time - make me wish the days would go by faster, so that I could pick up the next issue. (And shame to Marvel for putting out the amazingly sucky Identity Disc at the same time - that book is a crime against nature). There are very few pleasures left in this world...thank God Identity Crisis is one of them.
June 17, 2004
June 16, 2004
Hey, Ho, Let's Go...But Not Into That Good Night
I have to admit, I didn't really get into the Ramones until college (hearing "Rock & Roll High School" at the occasional HS dance notwithstanding), but I got a little chill when I heard that Johnny Ramone had cancer.
It is kind of strange - Joey contracts lymphoma, Dee Dee dies of a heroin overdose a year later, and the third crucial "brudder" is going down (but not without a fight). It's also funny, because I just watched Rock and Roll High School again for...well, I bought the DVD used for ten dollars. It is not only a great pastiche of 50's "rock is the enemy" movies, but is probably one of the best rock films of all time...at the very least, the best film Timothy Van Patten has ever starred in. There's some datedness to the film, but it is proof that Roger Corman -who wanted to initially do "Disco High" - could be talked into a better, even lower-budget, idea.
It's easy to ignore the sheer brattiness and genius of the Ramones - after all, juvenile song subjects over a grinding 4/4 beat sounds, well, dumb. However, not only in context, but even now, with cookie cutter punk bands prevalent, it sounds like a well needed breath of fresh air. They never did disco mixes, or rap tracks, or even high concept albums (unless you count Acid Eaters, their covers album). They were always about hey, ho, let's go, and no song lasted more than two minutes, making their CDs a bargain.
Also, many conservatives (maybe even my good friend Mark K don't realize that Johnny was a very staunch conservative and an articulate spokesman. (Coming from a leftie pinko liberal like myself, that's quite...something) Yes, it's hard to believe that in a realm of leftist values, here was a rocker who could speak on conservative issues who didn't come across as, well, crazy. (And yes, I'm talking about Ted Nugent).
Hard to believe they're gone...I wanted them around for my kids to play, so that they could drive their old man.
In tribute, the only words I have to say are...gabba gabba hey!
It is kind of strange - Joey contracts lymphoma, Dee Dee dies of a heroin overdose a year later, and the third crucial "brudder" is going down (but not without a fight). It's also funny, because I just watched Rock and Roll High School again for...well, I bought the DVD used for ten dollars. It is not only a great pastiche of 50's "rock is the enemy" movies, but is probably one of the best rock films of all time...at the very least, the best film Timothy Van Patten has ever starred in. There's some datedness to the film, but it is proof that Roger Corman -who wanted to initially do "Disco High" - could be talked into a better, even lower-budget, idea.
It's easy to ignore the sheer brattiness and genius of the Ramones - after all, juvenile song subjects over a grinding 4/4 beat sounds, well, dumb. However, not only in context, but even now, with cookie cutter punk bands prevalent, it sounds like a well needed breath of fresh air. They never did disco mixes, or rap tracks, or even high concept albums (unless you count Acid Eaters, their covers album). They were always about hey, ho, let's go, and no song lasted more than two minutes, making their CDs a bargain.
Also, many conservatives (maybe even my good friend Mark K don't realize that Johnny was a very staunch conservative and an articulate spokesman. (Coming from a leftie pinko liberal like myself, that's quite...something) Yes, it's hard to believe that in a realm of leftist values, here was a rocker who could speak on conservative issues who didn't come across as, well, crazy. (And yes, I'm talking about Ted Nugent).
Hard to believe they're gone...I wanted them around for my kids to play, so that they could drive their old man.
In tribute, the only words I have to say are...gabba gabba hey!
Passion Is No Ordinary Word
A change of pace - a note that's more personal than critical or looking at the outside world.
The above is the title of one of my favorite songs by Graham Parker. In recent times, I've been wondering "why am I doing what I am doing? Am I just engaging in insane behavior - doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result"
In the past few days, the answer has hit me - from other people - and it's passion.
Passion is something lacking in our culture - irony, cynicism, distance, detachment, postmodernism are all prevalent. Our culture reinforces the idea that if we believe in something strongly, we have somehow "sold out to the Man".
Well, there is no "Man". Or "Woman". Things just are the way they are - it is tough to be passionate about something that may not pay well, or where great sacrifice is necessary. But somehow, it all seems worth it - it is as if passion can provide the motivation to move forward. It makes every fight, every argument, every dealing with a difficult person meaningful, and helps build towards a greater good.
Thanks for letting me share.
The above is the title of one of my favorite songs by Graham Parker. In recent times, I've been wondering "why am I doing what I am doing? Am I just engaging in insane behavior - doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result"
In the past few days, the answer has hit me - from other people - and it's passion.
Passion is something lacking in our culture - irony, cynicism, distance, detachment, postmodernism are all prevalent. Our culture reinforces the idea that if we believe in something strongly, we have somehow "sold out to the Man".
Well, there is no "Man". Or "Woman". Things just are the way they are - it is tough to be passionate about something that may not pay well, or where great sacrifice is necessary. But somehow, it all seems worth it - it is as if passion can provide the motivation to move forward. It makes every fight, every argument, every dealing with a difficult person meaningful, and helps build towards a greater good.
Thanks for letting me share.
June 15, 2004
Hey, kids! My first follow-up to a previous post!
One of my first posts back in may was about
Yahoo increasing their storage size, and so here's my first follow-up blog. Hooray for me!
Of course, I still stand behind my words, and I checked my e-mail this morning. Although Yahoo Pops! no longer works with it (and I'll have to see if I can still pop my mail), it's a slightly less appealing interface...and my SBC account has two GB storage.
Wow, just think - they could have done this all along...
Yahoo increasing their storage size, and so here's my first follow-up blog. Hooray for me!
Of course, I still stand behind my words, and I checked my e-mail this morning. Although Yahoo Pops! no longer works with it (and I'll have to see if I can still pop my mail), it's a slightly less appealing interface...and my SBC account has two GB storage.
Wow, just think - they could have done this all along...
June 14, 2004
Mom Always Liked You Best
Sometimes, you come across something in your youth - a favorite record, a book, a film - that makes you reflect as an adult. You learn some new aspect of that piece, and then you realize there was a much greater richness and resonance resulting from greater sacrifice than you previously thought.
Case in point: The Smothers Brothers.
My mother had most of their mid-1960's albums - Think Ethnic, Greatest Hits Vol. 2, Mom Always Liked You Best - and, like her Beatles, Bill Cosby, and other 1960s records, I listened to them voraciously. I always liked the Smothers - two brothers who had an unusual give-and-take on folk music. (Kind of like George and Gracie, only a little more hip). As a child, I always dug some of their best, most off-kilter lines, like
"There were pumas in that crevasse!"Tommy served as "buffoon" to his brother, Dick (who, for my money, is a fine example of the Bob Newhart/Jack Benny school of comedians - keep a straight face and let everyone else get the laugh). For those of you who wish to sample, purchase a copy of Rhino's compilation, Sibling Revelry: The Best of the Smothers Brothers
"I don't like cream of asparakeet!"
"My brother, super-sibling Dickie, put termites in my Lincoln Logs"
"My old man's a refrigerator repairman, whaddaya think about that?"
. It's too bad Rhino is now Warner's de facto reissue label; we won't get a volume 2 with "My Old Man", "The Fox" and "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair", but the CD is well worth the cost.Recently, I caught Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
which focused on their censorship battles with their 1967 - 1969 CBS show. After watching it (and strongly considered illegally taping off of a DVD....and which is now available via YouTube), I have to say that now, their comedy resonates even more strongly...because now I realize that they didn't just use humor to entertain, but they made an honest effort to use it to change the world.The documentary is just the right length (90 minutes) and hits all the familiar marks. (The whole brouhaha starts with a clever sketch about censorship, features a Democratic president who didn't like the show, and devolves into a one man vs. the network fight. However, what shines through isn't that the Smothers were groundbreakers in delivering social satire on television...but that, even now, they are still quite clever and smart. (Unlike reruns of Laugh-In, which show it to be dated and too fixed in their time). For example, in one clever juxtaposition, two classic Smothers routines combine into a statement on race relations, bigotry, and acceptance. The tone of the documentary is casual, but what is revealed isn't about the nature of censorship...but of the power of humor.
It's a question of growing up - it's not about leaving the recklessness of youth behind, but being able to temper that anti-establishment spirit with a good dose of maturity and intelligence. Or, in other words, knowing who needs to hear "**** you" and how to say it well.
And for that, we need to thank Tom and Dick. They may only do yo-yo tricks now, but considering what they started...it's well worth it.
[February 4, 2017 Edit - in reviewing this on the 50th Anniversary of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, this documentary still holds up. Watch before it's pulled]
June 11, 2004
More Fun With Reading...
Since today is a national day of mourning for President Reagan's death, and since most of my work contacts are off, I'm pretty much stuck in front of the computer...so I thought I would engage in this little activity first posted on my friend and fellow science-fiction enthusiast Brian's blog.
Basically, the books in bold are all "classic" literature which I have read. (Tried this as a comment on the aforementioned blog, and all I have to say is...gee, I need to get the hang of this "blogging" thang.) Enjoy!
Beowulf
Achebe, Chinua - Things Fall Apart
Agee, James - A Death in the Family
Austen, Jane - Pride and Prejudice
Baldwin, James - Go Tell It on the Mountain
Beckett, Samuel - Waiting for Godot
Bellow, Saul - The Adventures of Augie March
Brontë, Charlotte - Jane Eyre
Brontë, Emily - Wuthering Heights
Camus, Albert - The Stranger
Cather, Willa - Death Comes for the Archbishop
Chaucer, Geoffrey - The Canterbury Tales
Chekhov, Anton - The Cherry Orchard
Chopin, Kate - The Awakening
Conrad, Joseph - Heart of Darkness
Cooper, James Fenimore - The Last of the Mohicans
Crane, Stephen - The Red Badge of Courage
Dante - Inferno
de Cervantes, Miguel - Don Quixote
Defoe, Daniel - Robinson Crusoe
Dickens, Charles - A Tale of Two Cities
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor - Crime and Punishment
Douglass, Frederick - Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Dreiser, Theodore - An American Tragedy
Dumas, Alexandre - The Three Musketeers
Eliot, George - The Mill on the Floss
Ellison, Ralph - Invisible Man
Emerson, Ralph Waldo - Selected Essays
Faulkner, William - As I Lay Dying
Faulkner, William - The Sound and the Fury
Fielding, Henry - Tom Jones
Fitzgerald, F. Scott - The Great Gatsby
Flaubert, Gustave - Madame Bovary
Ford, Ford Madox - The Good Soldier
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von - Faust
Golding, William - Lord of the Flies
Hardy, Thomas - Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Hawthorne, Nathaniel - The Scarlet Letter
Heller, Joseph - Catch 22
Hemingway, Ernest - A Farewell to Arms
Homer - The Iliad
Homer - The Odyssey
Hugo, Victor - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Hurston, Zora Neale - Their Eyes Were Watching God
Huxley, Aldous - Brave New World
Ibsen, Henrik - A Doll's House
James, Henry - The Portrait of a Lady
James, Henry - The Turn of the Screw
Joyce, James - A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Kafka, Franz - The Metamorphosis
Kingston, Maxine Hong - The Woman Warrior
Lee, Harper - To Kill a Mockingbird
Lewis, Sinclair - Babbitt
London, Jack - The Call of the Wild
Mann, Thomas - The Magic Mountain
Marquez, Gabriel GarcÃa - One Hundred Years of Solitude
Melville, Herman - Bartleby the Scrivener
Melville, Herman - Moby Dick
Miller, Arthur - The Crucible
Morrison, Toni - Beloved
O'Connor, Flannery - A Good Man is Hard to Find
O'Neill, Eugene - Long Day's Journey into Night
Orwell, George - Animal Farm
Pasternak, Boris - Doctor Zhivago
Plath, Sylvia - The Bell Jar
Poe, Edgar Allan - Selected Tales
Proust, Marcel - Swann's Way
Pynchon, Thomas - The Crying of Lot 49
Remarque, Erich Maria - All Quiet on the Western Front
Rostand, Edmond - Cyrano de Bergerac
Roth, Henry - Call It Sleep
Salinger, J.D. - The Catcher in the Rye
Shakespeare, William - Hamlet
Shakespeare, William - Macbeth
Shakespeare, William - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare, William - Romeo and Juliet
Shaw, George Bernard - Pygmalion
Shelley, Mary - Frankenstein
Silko, Leslie Marmon - Ceremony
Solzhenitsyn, Alexander - One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Sophocles - Antigone
Sophocles - Oedipus Rex
Steinbeck, John - The Grapes of Wrath
Stevenson, Robert Louis - Treasure Island
Stowe, Harriet Beecher - Uncle Tom's Cabin
Swift, Jonathan - Gulliver's Travels
Thackeray, William - Vanity Fair
Thoreau, Henry David - Walden
Tolstoy, Leo - War and Peace
Turgenev, Ivan - Fathers and Sons
Twain, Mark - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Voltaire - Candide
Vonnegut, Kurt Jr. - Slaughterhouse-Five
Walker, Alice - The Color Purple
Wharton, Edith - The House of Mirth
Welty, Eudora - Collected Stories
Whitman, Walt - Leaves of Grass
Wilde, Oscar - The Picture of Dorian Gray
Williams, Tennessee - The Glass Menagerie
Woolf, Virginia - To the Lighthouse
Wright, Richard - Native Son
Basically, the books in bold are all "classic" literature which I have read. (Tried this as a comment on the aforementioned blog, and all I have to say is...gee, I need to get the hang of this "blogging" thang.) Enjoy!
Beowulf
Achebe, Chinua - Things Fall Apart
Agee, James - A Death in the Family
Austen, Jane - Pride and Prejudice
Baldwin, James - Go Tell It on the Mountain
Beckett, Samuel - Waiting for Godot
Bellow, Saul - The Adventures of Augie March
Brontë, Charlotte - Jane Eyre
Brontë, Emily - Wuthering Heights
Camus, Albert - The Stranger
Cather, Willa - Death Comes for the Archbishop
Chaucer, Geoffrey - The Canterbury Tales
Chekhov, Anton - The Cherry Orchard
Chopin, Kate - The Awakening
Conrad, Joseph - Heart of Darkness
Cooper, James Fenimore - The Last of the Mohicans
Crane, Stephen - The Red Badge of Courage
Dante - Inferno
de Cervantes, Miguel - Don Quixote
Defoe, Daniel - Robinson Crusoe
Dickens, Charles - A Tale of Two Cities
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor - Crime and Punishment
Douglass, Frederick - Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Dreiser, Theodore - An American Tragedy
Dumas, Alexandre - The Three Musketeers
Eliot, George - The Mill on the Floss
Ellison, Ralph - Invisible Man
Emerson, Ralph Waldo - Selected Essays
Faulkner, William - As I Lay Dying
Faulkner, William - The Sound and the Fury
Fielding, Henry - Tom Jones
Fitzgerald, F. Scott - The Great Gatsby
Flaubert, Gustave - Madame Bovary
Ford, Ford Madox - The Good Soldier
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von - Faust
Golding, William - Lord of the Flies
Hardy, Thomas - Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Hawthorne, Nathaniel - The Scarlet Letter
Heller, Joseph - Catch 22
Hemingway, Ernest - A Farewell to Arms
Homer - The Iliad
Homer - The Odyssey
Hugo, Victor - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Hurston, Zora Neale - Their Eyes Were Watching God
Huxley, Aldous - Brave New World
Ibsen, Henrik - A Doll's House
James, Henry - The Portrait of a Lady
James, Henry - The Turn of the Screw
Joyce, James - A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Kafka, Franz - The Metamorphosis
Kingston, Maxine Hong - The Woman Warrior
Lee, Harper - To Kill a Mockingbird
Lewis, Sinclair - Babbitt
London, Jack - The Call of the Wild
Mann, Thomas - The Magic Mountain
Marquez, Gabriel GarcÃa - One Hundred Years of Solitude
Melville, Herman - Bartleby the Scrivener
Melville, Herman - Moby Dick
Miller, Arthur - The Crucible
Morrison, Toni - Beloved
O'Connor, Flannery - A Good Man is Hard to Find
O'Neill, Eugene - Long Day's Journey into Night
Orwell, George - Animal Farm
Pasternak, Boris - Doctor Zhivago
Plath, Sylvia - The Bell Jar
Poe, Edgar Allan - Selected Tales
Proust, Marcel - Swann's Way
Pynchon, Thomas - The Crying of Lot 49
Remarque, Erich Maria - All Quiet on the Western Front
Rostand, Edmond - Cyrano de Bergerac
Roth, Henry - Call It Sleep
Salinger, J.D. - The Catcher in the Rye
Shakespeare, William - Hamlet
Shakespeare, William - Macbeth
Shakespeare, William - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare, William - Romeo and Juliet
Shaw, George Bernard - Pygmalion
Shelley, Mary - Frankenstein
Silko, Leslie Marmon - Ceremony
Solzhenitsyn, Alexander - One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Sophocles - Antigone
Sophocles - Oedipus Rex
Steinbeck, John - The Grapes of Wrath
Stevenson, Robert Louis - Treasure Island
Stowe, Harriet Beecher - Uncle Tom's Cabin
Swift, Jonathan - Gulliver's Travels
Thackeray, William - Vanity Fair
Thoreau, Henry David - Walden
Tolstoy, Leo - War and Peace
Turgenev, Ivan - Fathers and Sons
Twain, Mark - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Voltaire - Candide
Vonnegut, Kurt Jr. - Slaughterhouse-Five
Walker, Alice - The Color Purple
Wharton, Edith - The House of Mirth
Welty, Eudora - Collected Stories
Whitman, Walt - Leaves of Grass
Wilde, Oscar - The Picture of Dorian Gray
Williams, Tennessee - The Glass Menagerie
Woolf, Virginia - To the Lighthouse
Wright, Richard - Native Son
June 8, 2004
Nutted By Reality...
You know, maybe I'm becoming cynical (or a bad stand-up comic), but I am just a wee bit tired of reality shows...
Ok, I admit, I got a little hooked on The Apprentice (OK, the season finale), but it just seems a little...well, futile. Recently, here in St. Louis, we had a call for Average Jane - that's right, Average Joe with a woman as the "central interest." Between that and the improbably titled Who Will Marry My Dad?
Personally, if you are going to do reality, do it right - do a day in the life of the President of the United States. Do the training room at my office at lunch time (trust me, it is laugh-out-loud funny). Do something educational, or uplifting.
Unfortunately, most "reality" shows are just as contrived as their fictional cousins. Let's face it - in real life, do you think Donald Trump would just call someone into his office and say, "You're fired"? Or, if set out in the wild, be able to bring one "special" object?
It's times like this that make me glad I have a library card...and that I'm too cheap to get cable, but can easily afford Netflix
Ok, I admit, I got a little hooked on The Apprentice (OK, the season finale), but it just seems a little...well, futile. Recently, here in St. Louis, we had a call for Average Jane - that's right, Average Joe with a woman as the "central interest." Between that and the improbably titled Who Will Marry My Dad?
Personally, if you are going to do reality, do it right - do a day in the life of the President of the United States. Do the training room at my office at lunch time (trust me, it is laugh-out-loud funny). Do something educational, or uplifting.
Unfortunately, most "reality" shows are just as contrived as their fictional cousins. Let's face it - in real life, do you think Donald Trump would just call someone into his office and say, "You're fired"? Or, if set out in the wild, be able to bring one "special" object?
It's times like this that make me glad I have a library card...and that I'm too cheap to get cable, but can easily afford Netflix
Soundtrack of My Life
In other words, "Songs which I can't stop from playing in the past few days, either on my computer or CD player", in no particular order:
Boomtown Rats, Elephant's Graveyard
Luscious Jackson, Naked Eye
The Jam, Burning Sky
Led Zeppelin, The Immigrant Song
Faces, Cindy Incidentally
Effigies, Mob Clash
Isaac Hayes, Theme From Shaft
Beatles, Across the Universe (from Let It Be Naked)
Dead Boys, Ain't It Fun
Clarence Carter, Slip Away
Monkees, Can You Dig It?
Replacements, Temptation Eyes
So, folks, you can get some insight into the kind of music I dig...
Boomtown Rats, Elephant's Graveyard
Luscious Jackson, Naked Eye
The Jam, Burning Sky
Led Zeppelin, The Immigrant Song
Faces, Cindy Incidentally
Effigies, Mob Clash
Isaac Hayes, Theme From Shaft
Beatles, Across the Universe (from Let It Be Naked)
Dead Boys, Ain't It Fun
Clarence Carter, Slip Away
Monkees, Can You Dig It?
Replacements, Temptation Eyes
So, folks, you can get some insight into the kind of music I dig...
June 7, 2004
Fun, creative time killer!
(this is HTML code pasted in from about.com - try it and see!)
I took the Blogging Personality Quiz at About Web logs and I am...
The Writer
Words captivate me. And, I like to capture words. Blogging enables me to write often. It also provides a place for me to share what I write with a reading public. I can be funny, inspiring, intelligent, cynical, or morbid. It doesn't matter what I write about in my blog. It only matters that I write.
June 6, 2004
You're Not Hardcore...Unless You Live Hardcore
Or, Another Way To Spend a Saturday Afternoon...
Just finished watching the soon-to-be classic School of Rock, and this movie, well, rocks. It's hard to believe that Jack Black and Richard Linklater could make a movie that is 1) so incredibly mainstream, 2) so sweet, and 3) gives such a cool counterculture message.
You all know the plot - Jack Black's a failed rocker, he becomes a substitute teacher, and he encourages his class to develop their hidden talents. First, props to these kids - they got talent, and none of them engage in "movie cute" behaviors. There are also so many ways that this movie could have gone wrong...and didn't. It's pretty much entertainment for the whole family, without being cloying, annoying, or sugary. You can see the plot points a-comin' at times, but somehow, the cast and crew managed to make them work towards its advantage.
Definitely one of those movies that I'll own on DVD (hey, the pitch to Led Zeppelin for "The Immigrant Song" is worth the price of admission..)
Just finished watching the soon-to-be classic School of Rock, and this movie, well, rocks. It's hard to believe that Jack Black and Richard Linklater could make a movie that is 1) so incredibly mainstream, 2) so sweet, and 3) gives such a cool counterculture message.
You all know the plot - Jack Black's a failed rocker, he becomes a substitute teacher, and he encourages his class to develop their hidden talents. First, props to these kids - they got talent, and none of them engage in "movie cute" behaviors. There are also so many ways that this movie could have gone wrong...and didn't. It's pretty much entertainment for the whole family, without being cloying, annoying, or sugary. You can see the plot points a-comin' at times, but somehow, the cast and crew managed to make them work towards its advantage.
Definitely one of those movies that I'll own on DVD (hey, the pitch to Led Zeppelin for "The Immigrant Song" is worth the price of admission..)
June 5, 2004
A Fun Way to Pass A Saturday Afternoon...
I have to admit that, on the look of things, it seems unusual - after all, I'm not really in the acting/writing profession (unless you count my numerous attempts at trying to write). So when I heard about some improv workshops as part of the St. Louis Fringe Festival through Ed Reggi, I engaged in my semi-regular hobby of attending improv classes.
You would think that a Chicago boy would have taken said classes through Second City, but I never had the courage (or the money). Again, I'm just a community development/substance abuse/civically-minded guy: why take a class - albeit, cool - on short form improv?
Because...it's probably the safest form of play on the planet. It's a confidence builder that only involves threatening the imagination - no worries about bumps, bruises, or broken bones. It's about being able to mentally turn on a dime, on earning trust with another person, about doing the invisible dance of turning nothing into a symphony of action, motion, and laughter.
The stage acts as a laboratory, as a safe way to engage in hairpin turns. As an added bonus, it allows for creativity on the job, clearing out the mental cobwebs, and just allows for pure fun - entertainment for its own sake. A high that almost never gives out, and a few moments of joy in an otherwise overstructured world.
You would think that a Chicago boy would have taken said classes through Second City, but I never had the courage (or the money). Again, I'm just a community development/substance abuse/civically-minded guy: why take a class - albeit, cool - on short form improv?
Because...it's probably the safest form of play on the planet. It's a confidence builder that only involves threatening the imagination - no worries about bumps, bruises, or broken bones. It's about being able to mentally turn on a dime, on earning trust with another person, about doing the invisible dance of turning nothing into a symphony of action, motion, and laughter.
The stage acts as a laboratory, as a safe way to engage in hairpin turns. As an added bonus, it allows for creativity on the job, clearing out the mental cobwebs, and just allows for pure fun - entertainment for its own sake. A high that almost never gives out, and a few moments of joy in an otherwise overstructured world.
June 3, 2004
Hey, kids? Do you dig music?
You know, some things come when I least expect them, but are very pleasant when I receive them. The attention of a beautiful woman, the affection of my cat...and my regular issue of The Big Takeover.
The Big Takeover is a music fanzine, but it's not your typical rag like Rolling Stone or Spin, or even Blender (which does for music criticism what Charles Manson did for Beatles music). It's an intelligent, half-yearly (almost yearly) compendium of all that is hip and happening in music. It's subtitle is "Music With Heart", and that's precisely what this magazine is about. It opposes a statement made by one of my favorite musicians, Graham Parker, who declared, "I have seen the future of rock...and it sucks!!!"
But what makes it great is not the editorials by Jack Rabid (who is one of the most intelligent, insightful individuals I have ever read), or even the value for the money (tons of interviews and reviews). It's the philosophy - to give you an idea, issue 54 (currently out) focuses on
Modest Mouse
Pernice Brothers
Killing Joke
Rocket from the Tombs
Poster Children
Weirdos
The Mekons
Jim DeRogatis
TSOL
Leatherface
Undertones
Greg Dulli
The Zombies
Stereolab (featured on the cover!)
This magazine, in a non-nostalgic way, takes me back to high school, when I would head to Kroozin Music in Chicago (now gone) and just browse the racks, finding some obscure treasure...or just something that I had never heard before. In a time when modern music is oriented towards pushing product, towards moving units, this is always a timely reminder that music (like much of life) is always best when it comes from the finest parts of ourselves.
So head to the website, check out the sample articles, and subscribe. Tell them you were referred from me - I don't get a kickback, other than the joy of bring a hidden treasure to light.
The Big Takeover is a music fanzine, but it's not your typical rag like Rolling Stone or Spin, or even Blender (which does for music criticism what Charles Manson did for Beatles music). It's an intelligent, half-yearly (almost yearly) compendium of all that is hip and happening in music. It's subtitle is "Music With Heart", and that's precisely what this magazine is about. It opposes a statement made by one of my favorite musicians, Graham Parker, who declared, "I have seen the future of rock...and it sucks!!!"
But what makes it great is not the editorials by Jack Rabid (who is one of the most intelligent, insightful individuals I have ever read), or even the value for the money (tons of interviews and reviews). It's the philosophy - to give you an idea, issue 54 (currently out) focuses on
Modest Mouse
Pernice Brothers
Killing Joke
Rocket from the Tombs
Poster Children
Weirdos
The Mekons
Jim DeRogatis
TSOL
Leatherface
Undertones
Greg Dulli
The Zombies
Stereolab (featured on the cover!)
This magazine, in a non-nostalgic way, takes me back to high school, when I would head to Kroozin Music in Chicago (now gone) and just browse the racks, finding some obscure treasure...or just something that I had never heard before. In a time when modern music is oriented towards pushing product, towards moving units, this is always a timely reminder that music (like much of life) is always best when it comes from the finest parts of ourselves.
So head to the website, check out the sample articles, and subscribe. Tell them you were referred from me - I don't get a kickback, other than the joy of bring a hidden treasure to light.
For Your Browsin' Pleasure...
I'll post something a little more in-depth later, but first....
The Skeptic's Dictionary and
something to put the cream in your coffee...
The Skeptic's Dictionary and
something to put the cream in your coffee...
June 1, 2004
Blogmania Abounds!
Hey, I am in between projects at work, and need to be a little silly:
Blogging is fun. It's cool as stuff. For all of you who want to blog, first, head to Blogger.com and get an account. Trust me, it's more fun than frying bologna.
Want to promote your blog? Then head to Blogarama, Blogrolling, and BlogLinker - it's that easy.
(Plus, you get to read other people's cool blogs - how sweet is that?)
OK, it's back-to-work now!
Blogging is fun. It's cool as stuff. For all of you who want to blog, first, head to Blogger.com and get an account. Trust me, it's more fun than frying bologna.
Want to promote your blog? Then head to Blogarama, Blogrolling, and BlogLinker - it's that easy.
(Plus, you get to read other people's cool blogs - how sweet is that?)
OK, it's back-to-work now!
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