Just off the top of my head, this year I...
...got to see Frank Ferrante's brilliant re-creation of Groucho Marx.
...got to visit with Jim, Mark, and Kent again after far too long.
...got to go to theme parks in Florida again.
...started trying my hand at video blogging.
...got a temporary job, held it, and has a few more months to see if it will become permanent or not.
...watched some good TV and bad.
...watched some good movies, bad movies, and some good bad movies.
...added to the collections.
...wrote a lot but not as much as I wanted.
...watched a lot of baseball. Again. And loved it.
Was it a perfect year? Probably not. Could it have gone worse? Certainly. At a glance, I end the year satisfied and hungry for more.
Maybe 2011 will be the year I finish something in my written career. It would be about time.
Thanks for reading. See you next year!
31 December 2010
27 December 2010
25 December 2010
13 December 2010
Green Who?
'Character' (played by an actor normally known for his comedic roles) is known by those around him as having issues, he's not living up to his potential. When (someone) dies, he's thrust into a position of responsibility and suddenly has to decide what to make of himself. He decides to fight for good and wisecracks his way into a more responsible role in life, even if he hide this from normal people as part of his secret identity.
I know I've cut the stories from the trailer to their core but am I talking about Green Lantern or Green Hornet? I don't know either but it might explain my current lack of interest in both movies.
I know I've cut the stories from the trailer to their core but am I talking about Green Lantern or Green Hornet? I don't know either but it might explain my current lack of interest in both movies.
07 December 2010
05 December 2010
GLCW Blizzard Brawl VI – December 4th, 2010
I didn't take notes this year so it's possible I'll misremember something.
Beginning of the Show Chatter:
A Proclamation from Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is read, praising promoter Dave Herro.
Dave acknowledges we tend to boo ring announcer Jeff Lynne but defends his friend for all the good he's done in the past for GLCW and getting Blizzard Brawl off the ground six years ago. Dave calls him 'Capable' Jeff Lynne.
Armando Alejandro Estrada returns, reminds us that he retired last Blizzard Brawl, and then informs us that he's here to unretire. Somehow he refrains from making a Brett Farve joke. He promises something big later in the show in his regained position as Commissioner.
This all took time but doesn't last forever. It didn't feel as long as some opens in the past.
Match One: Trios Match – Dysfunction, Tony Scarponi (sp?), and Chase McCoy vs 'El Vato' Jose Guerrero, Billy Goat, and El Grande Something or Other
Dysfunction, Tony, and Chase come out playing three distinct heels: Dysfunction loud and obnoxious, Tony quiet and dismissive, and Chase intense with outbursts of anger.
'El Vato', looking a bit out of shape, had a problem or two with some moves, but generally did fine, mostly playing Ricky Morton (spent time as a face being beat up by the bad guys during a tag match). 'Billy Goat', wore a goat mask and worked that gimmick but butting his head into people and such. I guessed it was local worker Bobby Valentino and was later told I was right. He also played Ricky Morton for awhile. I thought he was the best worker on his team. El Grande Whatever was just a fat guy in a mask.
Hot fun opener to get the crowd going and it worked. All three faces pinned the heels at once.
Match Two: Matt Longtime vs Scotty Too Hotty
Crowd, as normal, are pro-Scotty. We, as normal, were pro-Longtime. Our 'Heel Corner' fully fired up at this point as the guys around us turned out to have a similar attitude to us. We also discovered that a dozen kids does not equal One Herman. A rest hold spot ran longer than it may have been planned for as these kids started cheering for Scotty and our Mr. Herman shouted over them, killing the growing face heat and silencing the kids. After a minute or two the crowd realized they needed to cheer for Scotty in order for things to progress and did. While I missed seeing it, apparently Scotty grabbed Longtime's tights to get the win.
Scotty celebrated the win with the owner's son Kal who'd accompanied him to the ring but Longtime returned for revenge. He knocked Scotty down to the ring and began to chase Kal. We chanted 'Hurt the Kid' which just felt wrong and clearly would have been anywhere but in wrestling. Scotty recovered to save him and was able to dance and pose with Kal.
Match Three: Ego Fantastico vs Silas Young vs the Hurricane
Silas played a grumpy heel, doing his best to not participate at first so Hurricane could mock him. Ego (announced as being from Mexico City, Wisconsin, also wearing a mask) and Hurricane were faces but willing to wrestle each other. Ego over-rotated on a couple of his flips but these were minor flubs in an excellent match. Hot match filled with good spots and a decent story. I wish I had more to say about this match but it just clicked and worked. My Best Match of the Night.
Brief Hall of Fame moment:
Daemon Nelson gave a little speech inducting them into the PWR (Pro Wrestling Report) Hall of Fame. He kept dragging the crowd into his thoughts as if he spoke for us all. He didn't say 'I think we'd all agree...' but rather 'all of us here say...' or words more to that effect. While I like Demolition a lot and think they're a great tag-team but 'Best Ever' is a bit of a stretch. I quickly rattled off a half-dozen tag-teams that I'd declare as better in some way, no offense meant to Demolition. I also thought taking the opportunity to complain about the state of tag-team wrestling in a company that Demolition hasn't worked for in nearly 20 years was similarly pointless to me. Still, it was Daemon's moment to say what he wanted.
Match Four: Tag-Team Championship Match: Demolition (champ) vs the Urban Assault Team w/manager Angel Armoni vs Electric Eric Freedom and Psychotic Someone or Other w/ manager Joey Eastman vs 'The Dream Team' Brutus Beefcake and Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine
I might have the managers associated with the wrong teams. Greg Valentine needed some help getting into the ring. Brother Bruti had a ring in each nipple. The match was announced as a 'fatal four way' which should mean that the first pinfall would win the match but it played out as an elimination match. The Urban Assault Team was eliminated by Demolition. Freedom and Psychotic were eliminated by Zodiac and Hammer. The Demos then pinned Disciple and Valentine to retain their belts. This was a good fun match, if busy, especially considering the average age in the ring was probably about 50.
Intermission.
During intermission our Mr. Herman discovered that an old high school chum is a promoter on the South Side. While we talked to him, Angel Armoni approached to say hi and we got to interact with him. Funny guy.
Match Five: Ladies Championship Match: Traci Brooks vs ODB vs Sarena vs Mike Some Radio Guy (champ)
Mike Some Radio Guy makes sexist remarks and brings out an actual lady wrestler (Something Cruz I think) to represent him in the match. Women wrestling over a women's belt; what a concept! Traci and ODB get eliminated. Some Radio Guy returns to take over, directing his representative to go make him a sandwich while he takes care of business. She slugs him low and leaves him. Sarena spears him and gets the pin. She has an emotional moment over the belt upon receiving it. Nice match with good action and some comedy but not as comedic as some previous GLCW Ladies matches.
Match Six: GLCW Heavyweight Championship: Rhino vs Al Snow (champ)
Armando Alejandro Estrada appears to announce himself the number 1 contender to the belt. Rhino attacks Al Snow outside the ring with a chair before the match, laying him out. Al gets rolled into the ring and Estrada forces the referee to start the match and count the fall. He does and Rhino wins.
This is where the show gets derailed. Small things can add up and make a mess of good intentions. While the crowd was confused by this turn of events, Rhino grabs a microphone and says... something. The mic doesn't work and, even though we weren't that far back, I couldn't hear a thing he said. We began chanting 'What?' trying to get his attention but it didn't work. No one explains what happened but a minute or so later Al manages to roll Rhino up and Al is announced as the winner of the second fall. The match continues.
The match continues well enough but I got the feeling that the crowd is still largely lost and confused. Al manages to win the match and 'Capable' Jeff Lynne announces the end of the second fall again before quickly and unclimatically announcing the match is over and Al won. The combination of the confusion with this mistake triggered a rather energetic from the crowd, at least from our section. We immediately and lustily booed.
Estrada attacks Al, knocking him out, pins him, and becomes Champ. This is one step too far. Security and Medical personnel come out to check on Al and carry him from the ring. When we should have been applauding Al or concerned for him, we were too busy griping about the way things didn't come together. We were disappointed.
Match Seven: Mr. Anderson vs Matt Hardy
Ken Anderson comes to the ring wearing an Aaron Rodgers Packer jersey (earlier he was wearing a Clay Matthews throwback jersey) and explains he can't wrestle, blaming it on his current employers and not a recent chairshot to the head that went wrong and left him with a concussion. He removes his jersey to reveal a referee shirt. The crowd warms to the local boy coming home.
Match Seven: Shawn Davari vs Matt Hardy
Davari comes out with a rant that quickly gets the crowd hating him. Matt Hardy is easily the face once he emerges. The match is about to start but Davari grabs the microphone in order to ask Anderson to call things down the middle. He calls upon various pieces of wrestling continuity referencing how the Hardy Boys have caused him grief in the past. All this is starting to go a little long and then Matt and Shawn start having a crowd cheer off, pointing to different parts of the crowd to get a reaction from them. While the crowd generally reacts positively to Matt as opposed to Shawn, there is a moment where the cheers fade and one loud boo follows them, to the amusement of Mr. Anderson.
All this goes on for a bit long. Once the match actually starts, Davari and Hardy brawl in the crowd on the other side of the ring, making it impossible for us to see what's going on. Around this time we notice that it's already after 11, which seems late for one of these shows, and most of the children have been taken home, no doubt due to the lateness of the hour. By the time the match returns to the ring, it's too late for our section of the crowd, perhaps the entire crowd as most of the match continues in a weird, tired quiet with the occasional outburst. Matt Hardy ends up with the win. He calls Mr. Anderson to the ring to finish out the show as this is his turf. Ken talks a bit more and then the show is over, round about 11:30.
It was a really good show with great moments up until the last couple matches. The problems with the title match as well as Estrada 'stealing' the title did feel like a drain on the crowd that never completely faded. In general, the crowd seemed to die partway through the main event, but I'm not sure how much of that opinion is due to our section, and especially our group, going 'eh' after the stalling and the talking and the brawling we couldn't see. We expected better of the main event and the combination of issues during the title match derailed it. It was a great show that just stumbled severely enough at the end to make you walk out with a sour taste in your mouth.
There was no announcement of the next card which I thought was odd.
Beginning of the Show Chatter:
A Proclamation from Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is read, praising promoter Dave Herro.
Dave acknowledges we tend to boo ring announcer Jeff Lynne but defends his friend for all the good he's done in the past for GLCW and getting Blizzard Brawl off the ground six years ago. Dave calls him 'Capable' Jeff Lynne.
Armando Alejandro Estrada returns, reminds us that he retired last Blizzard Brawl, and then informs us that he's here to unretire. Somehow he refrains from making a Brett Farve joke. He promises something big later in the show in his regained position as Commissioner.
This all took time but doesn't last forever. It didn't feel as long as some opens in the past.
Match One: Trios Match – Dysfunction, Tony Scarponi (sp?), and Chase McCoy vs 'El Vato' Jose Guerrero, Billy Goat, and El Grande Something or Other
Dysfunction, Tony, and Chase come out playing three distinct heels: Dysfunction loud and obnoxious, Tony quiet and dismissive, and Chase intense with outbursts of anger.
'El Vato', looking a bit out of shape, had a problem or two with some moves, but generally did fine, mostly playing Ricky Morton (spent time as a face being beat up by the bad guys during a tag match). 'Billy Goat', wore a goat mask and worked that gimmick but butting his head into people and such. I guessed it was local worker Bobby Valentino and was later told I was right. He also played Ricky Morton for awhile. I thought he was the best worker on his team. El Grande Whatever was just a fat guy in a mask.
Hot fun opener to get the crowd going and it worked. All three faces pinned the heels at once.
Match Two: Matt Longtime vs Scotty Too Hotty
Crowd, as normal, are pro-Scotty. We, as normal, were pro-Longtime. Our 'Heel Corner' fully fired up at this point as the guys around us turned out to have a similar attitude to us. We also discovered that a dozen kids does not equal One Herman. A rest hold spot ran longer than it may have been planned for as these kids started cheering for Scotty and our Mr. Herman shouted over them, killing the growing face heat and silencing the kids. After a minute or two the crowd realized they needed to cheer for Scotty in order for things to progress and did. While I missed seeing it, apparently Scotty grabbed Longtime's tights to get the win.
Scotty celebrated the win with the owner's son Kal who'd accompanied him to the ring but Longtime returned for revenge. He knocked Scotty down to the ring and began to chase Kal. We chanted 'Hurt the Kid' which just felt wrong and clearly would have been anywhere but in wrestling. Scotty recovered to save him and was able to dance and pose with Kal.
Match Three: Ego Fantastico vs Silas Young vs the Hurricane
Silas played a grumpy heel, doing his best to not participate at first so Hurricane could mock him. Ego (announced as being from Mexico City, Wisconsin, also wearing a mask) and Hurricane were faces but willing to wrestle each other. Ego over-rotated on a couple of his flips but these were minor flubs in an excellent match. Hot match filled with good spots and a decent story. I wish I had more to say about this match but it just clicked and worked. My Best Match of the Night.
Brief Hall of Fame moment:
Daemon Nelson gave a little speech inducting them into the PWR (Pro Wrestling Report) Hall of Fame. He kept dragging the crowd into his thoughts as if he spoke for us all. He didn't say 'I think we'd all agree...' but rather 'all of us here say...' or words more to that effect. While I like Demolition a lot and think they're a great tag-team but 'Best Ever' is a bit of a stretch. I quickly rattled off a half-dozen tag-teams that I'd declare as better in some way, no offense meant to Demolition. I also thought taking the opportunity to complain about the state of tag-team wrestling in a company that Demolition hasn't worked for in nearly 20 years was similarly pointless to me. Still, it was Daemon's moment to say what he wanted.
Match Four: Tag-Team Championship Match: Demolition (champ) vs the Urban Assault Team w/manager Angel Armoni vs Electric Eric Freedom and Psychotic Someone or Other w/ manager Joey Eastman vs 'The Dream Team' Brutus Beefcake and Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine
I might have the managers associated with the wrong teams. Greg Valentine needed some help getting into the ring. Brother Bruti had a ring in each nipple. The match was announced as a 'fatal four way' which should mean that the first pinfall would win the match but it played out as an elimination match. The Urban Assault Team was eliminated by Demolition. Freedom and Psychotic were eliminated by Zodiac and Hammer. The Demos then pinned Disciple and Valentine to retain their belts. This was a good fun match, if busy, especially considering the average age in the ring was probably about 50.
Intermission.
During intermission our Mr. Herman discovered that an old high school chum is a promoter on the South Side. While we talked to him, Angel Armoni approached to say hi and we got to interact with him. Funny guy.
Match Five: Ladies Championship Match: Traci Brooks vs ODB vs Sarena vs Mike Some Radio Guy (champ)
Mike Some Radio Guy makes sexist remarks and brings out an actual lady wrestler (Something Cruz I think) to represent him in the match. Women wrestling over a women's belt; what a concept! Traci and ODB get eliminated. Some Radio Guy returns to take over, directing his representative to go make him a sandwich while he takes care of business. She slugs him low and leaves him. Sarena spears him and gets the pin. She has an emotional moment over the belt upon receiving it. Nice match with good action and some comedy but not as comedic as some previous GLCW Ladies matches.
Match Six: GLCW Heavyweight Championship: Rhino vs Al Snow (champ)
Armando Alejandro Estrada appears to announce himself the number 1 contender to the belt. Rhino attacks Al Snow outside the ring with a chair before the match, laying him out. Al gets rolled into the ring and Estrada forces the referee to start the match and count the fall. He does and Rhino wins.
This is where the show gets derailed. Small things can add up and make a mess of good intentions. While the crowd was confused by this turn of events, Rhino grabs a microphone and says... something. The mic doesn't work and, even though we weren't that far back, I couldn't hear a thing he said. We began chanting 'What?' trying to get his attention but it didn't work. No one explains what happened but a minute or so later Al manages to roll Rhino up and Al is announced as the winner of the second fall. The match continues.
The match continues well enough but I got the feeling that the crowd is still largely lost and confused. Al manages to win the match and 'Capable' Jeff Lynne announces the end of the second fall again before quickly and unclimatically announcing the match is over and Al won. The combination of the confusion with this mistake triggered a rather energetic from the crowd, at least from our section. We immediately and lustily booed.
Estrada attacks Al, knocking him out, pins him, and becomes Champ. This is one step too far. Security and Medical personnel come out to check on Al and carry him from the ring. When we should have been applauding Al or concerned for him, we were too busy griping about the way things didn't come together. We were disappointed.
Match Seven: Mr. Anderson vs Matt Hardy
Ken Anderson comes to the ring wearing an Aaron Rodgers Packer jersey (earlier he was wearing a Clay Matthews throwback jersey) and explains he can't wrestle, blaming it on his current employers and not a recent chairshot to the head that went wrong and left him with a concussion. He removes his jersey to reveal a referee shirt. The crowd warms to the local boy coming home.
Match Seven: Shawn Davari vs Matt Hardy
Davari comes out with a rant that quickly gets the crowd hating him. Matt Hardy is easily the face once he emerges. The match is about to start but Davari grabs the microphone in order to ask Anderson to call things down the middle. He calls upon various pieces of wrestling continuity referencing how the Hardy Boys have caused him grief in the past. All this is starting to go a little long and then Matt and Shawn start having a crowd cheer off, pointing to different parts of the crowd to get a reaction from them. While the crowd generally reacts positively to Matt as opposed to Shawn, there is a moment where the cheers fade and one loud boo follows them, to the amusement of Mr. Anderson.
All this goes on for a bit long. Once the match actually starts, Davari and Hardy brawl in the crowd on the other side of the ring, making it impossible for us to see what's going on. Around this time we notice that it's already after 11, which seems late for one of these shows, and most of the children have been taken home, no doubt due to the lateness of the hour. By the time the match returns to the ring, it's too late for our section of the crowd, perhaps the entire crowd as most of the match continues in a weird, tired quiet with the occasional outburst. Matt Hardy ends up with the win. He calls Mr. Anderson to the ring to finish out the show as this is his turf. Ken talks a bit more and then the show is over, round about 11:30.
It was a really good show with great moments up until the last couple matches. The problems with the title match as well as Estrada 'stealing' the title did feel like a drain on the crowd that never completely faded. In general, the crowd seemed to die partway through the main event, but I'm not sure how much of that opinion is due to our section, and especially our group, going 'eh' after the stalling and the talking and the brawling we couldn't see. We expected better of the main event and the combination of issues during the title match derailed it. It was a great show that just stumbled severely enough at the end to make you walk out with a sour taste in your mouth.
There was no announcement of the next card which I thought was odd.
28 November 2010
25 November 2010
'What is Gum?'
I am reasonably comfortable with my skills and where their limits lie. My inability to update this blog on a more consistent basis is a fine display of those limits. It is very possible that I am too modest regarding these skills. On many occasions I've told a story or pitched a movie or worked out some wrestling booking and been told how I should be working more professionally in some of those venues. While perhaps true, I generally demure from such comments. I know I'm not up to that speed. If put in that setting, I might get up to that speed but I don't know that would be so.
My week in Florida reminded me of that lack of 'speed'. It made me feel like I've lost a step. Normally speaking, I'm the abnormal one. I'm the one that's 'playing'. This can cause some frustration in others and I've had to become more 'serious', especially in the workplace.
Then I go to Disney where everyone plays. You don't really think about it but the Cast Members, even those 'just' funneling you in and out of a ride, are always one. In fact some of the best rides are the ones where the Cast Members add a little something; whether that be a Pirate 'accent' or loudly smacking a wall during a quiet moment at the Haunted Mansion. I was chatting with 'Muppet Labs Technicians' at the MuppetVision 3D show and they even stayed in character when we were talking normally. It managed to throw me off. They were doing my 'thing' back at me.
I got thrown in deep early on in my trip. Most of the characters you meet are silent as they wear costumes that prevent speech. Mickey and Donald and such communicate via gestures. The human characters don't have that impediment and are eager to interact with you, give you a moment.
On my first day of the trip, we were heading for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride when we saw Ariel was at the Meet and Greet spot in Adventureland. As we had a six year old girl with us and the line wasn't long, we stopped. As Ariel is a pretty red headed girl, I also got in line. In an effort to not take too much of her time and trying to not be too creepy, my pal and I decided to approach her together. I expected to say hi, make a joke about Neptune or something undersea, get my picture taken and move on. That's not what she had in mind.
“What are you chewing?” she asked me as I approached.
“Gum,” I answered, suddenly backpedaling because I didn't know if I could chew gum in the presence of royalty. She was totally confused by my declaration and it led me to showing her the wad of gum within my mouth, which really had to be a bad idea when interacting with a Princess.
Her face crinkled up at this sight. “Did it look like that when you put it in your mouth?” I assured her that it looked better beforehand when it was still a stick of gum. “A stick?” Despite my gestures, it became clear to me that our concepts of the word 'stick' were not the same. “Why?” she questioned. I pointed to the fact that it made my breath minty. This was also lost on her. “Are you going to swallow it?” she wondered. I offered to do so but explained that this wasn't the normal procedure.
By this point, she was totally confused. “You put a stick in your mouth to make your breath minty but you don't eat it?” She turned to my buddy standing behind her, adding “No offense but you humans are weird.”
Then we politely linked arms and took a picture together.
I was on the defensive the entire time. I kept up, essentially playing the straight man, but never took control of the situation and turned it back to her, asking her about life under the sea. I didn't think of it quickly enough.
I wasn't ready. I've lost a step. Or perhaps I never had the step.
I also think she's awesome and have a crush on her. Me like a pretty redheaded girl that messed with me so successfully? No shock there.
My week in Florida reminded me of that lack of 'speed'. It made me feel like I've lost a step. Normally speaking, I'm the abnormal one. I'm the one that's 'playing'. This can cause some frustration in others and I've had to become more 'serious', especially in the workplace.
Then I go to Disney where everyone plays. You don't really think about it but the Cast Members, even those 'just' funneling you in and out of a ride, are always one. In fact some of the best rides are the ones where the Cast Members add a little something; whether that be a Pirate 'accent' or loudly smacking a wall during a quiet moment at the Haunted Mansion. I was chatting with 'Muppet Labs Technicians' at the MuppetVision 3D show and they even stayed in character when we were talking normally. It managed to throw me off. They were doing my 'thing' back at me.
I got thrown in deep early on in my trip. Most of the characters you meet are silent as they wear costumes that prevent speech. Mickey and Donald and such communicate via gestures. The human characters don't have that impediment and are eager to interact with you, give you a moment.
On my first day of the trip, we were heading for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride when we saw Ariel was at the Meet and Greet spot in Adventureland. As we had a six year old girl with us and the line wasn't long, we stopped. As Ariel is a pretty red headed girl, I also got in line. In an effort to not take too much of her time and trying to not be too creepy, my pal and I decided to approach her together. I expected to say hi, make a joke about Neptune or something undersea, get my picture taken and move on. That's not what she had in mind.
“What are you chewing?” she asked me as I approached.
“Gum,” I answered, suddenly backpedaling because I didn't know if I could chew gum in the presence of royalty. She was totally confused by my declaration and it led me to showing her the wad of gum within my mouth, which really had to be a bad idea when interacting with a Princess.
Her face crinkled up at this sight. “Did it look like that when you put it in your mouth?” I assured her that it looked better beforehand when it was still a stick of gum. “A stick?” Despite my gestures, it became clear to me that our concepts of the word 'stick' were not the same. “Why?” she questioned. I pointed to the fact that it made my breath minty. This was also lost on her. “Are you going to swallow it?” she wondered. I offered to do so but explained that this wasn't the normal procedure.
By this point, she was totally confused. “You put a stick in your mouth to make your breath minty but you don't eat it?” She turned to my buddy standing behind her, adding “No offense but you humans are weird.”
Then we politely linked arms and took a picture together.
I was on the defensive the entire time. I kept up, essentially playing the straight man, but never took control of the situation and turned it back to her, asking her about life under the sea. I didn't think of it quickly enough.
I wasn't ready. I've lost a step. Or perhaps I never had the step.
I also think she's awesome and have a crush on her. Me like a pretty redheaded girl that messed with me so successfully? No shock there.
16 November 2010
Rule No 1
If you're planning a trip to theme parks, get some exercise before you go and make sure you have some comfortable shoes. I hadn't been walking enough and apparently hadn't broken these shoes in properly. Massive blisters. Very unpleasant.
Beyond that, great time so far. Have tried new stuff and it's panning out. This is a Good Thing.
Beyond that, great time so far. Have tried new stuff and it's panning out. This is a Good Thing.
07 November 2010
Looking Forward
This time next week, unless something horrible happens, I'll be in Florida. Yep, more Disney and Universal Studios for me! I can't wait. For the past couple months, my brain has been giving me bursts of memories of Main Street USA while at work. I'd pick up the phone, someone would start talking to me, and, boom, there'd be this vivid memory in my head, like my brain was reminding me why I was doing this and that it would be okay. For about a month it was always Main Street USA, which I thought was odd. Of late, it's become more random: walking to Pirates, getting on the ET ride at Universal, being in the restaurant in Tomorrowland, all different, all enjoyable.
I'm sure it'll impede my posting for the week I'm gone. It will give me something to talk about. If you're not in the mood for another discussion of the Theme Parks, be warned that's coming.
I can't avoid that. It'll be too much fun to not review.
I'm sure it'll impede my posting for the week I'm gone. It will give me something to talk about. If you're not in the mood for another discussion of the Theme Parks, be warned that's coming.
I can't avoid that. It'll be too much fun to not review.
25 October 2010
Music Monday - Scary Time
I'm gonna scare you but not with monsters and such. I'm looking for the truly frightening.
Like a British sequel to 'Convoy'
'Live action' Smurfs?
And, what is clearly played constantly in the lowest levels of Hell (if Hell existed, which it doesn't unless you count the DMV)...
I have clearly lost control here. I can't stand the chicken dance...
Like a British sequel to 'Convoy'
'Live action' Smurfs?
And, what is clearly played constantly in the lowest levels of Hell (if Hell existed, which it doesn't unless you count the DMV)...
I have clearly lost control here. I can't stand the chicken dance...
22 October 2010
'Frankenstein's Daughter' Review
'Frankenstein's Daughter' – 1958
Synopsis:
A descendant of Doctor Frankenstein uses chemicals and good old-fashioned cadaver pieces to follow in the family tradition.
Thoughts:
I was a Monster Kid. I read books about old Horror movies. Every week I watched 'Shock Theater' with the local horror host Toolouse NoNeck and the classic film he had to present. I don't know how many films I saw that way. I clearly remember seeing three: 'The Green Slime', the original 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers', and 'Frankenstein's Daughter'. It was a movie clearly trying to tap into the teen monster trends of the time. I didn't remember it being a very good movie but vividly remembered a sequence where a character gets run over by a car in order to be added to the creature being assembled. After a long day of this and that, I popped in this movie, curled up on the couch, and fully expected the movie to interact with my existing tiredness to assist me in dozing off.
The movie woke me up. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to claim its a lost classic or anything like that. As tired as I was that night for the movie to engage me to the level that it woke me up is quite an accomplishment. It gets points for that.
Its not a perfect movie but it has a lot going for it. The story is reasonably solid for what it is, with a feeling of progression. The 'bad guys' aren't immediately evident as they aren't caricatures. At the same time they are 'updated' versions of the characters as we'd see them in a movie set in the 1700s or 1800s. Loyalties and levels of sanity alter as the story progresses so that the characters move forward. Stories of monsters are dismissed as stories until proof is received.
I was also impressed with the makeups. The creatures are rather hideous looking. It gave me the impression that the filmmakers knew they needed to deliver something wild here and spent enough of their budget making this right.
On the downside, there's a character or two that just disappears, removed from the story by dialogue rather than action. There's also an acceptable but pointless party sequence with a song.
I've seen better films and plenty that were worse. If you have an interest in older monster movies, this may appeal to you more than you expect. If you can't deal with black and white films or horror movies where people don't get ripped in half while on screen, well, then this won't work for you.
Recommended with reservations.
Synopsis:
A descendant of Doctor Frankenstein uses chemicals and good old-fashioned cadaver pieces to follow in the family tradition.
Thoughts:
I was a Monster Kid. I read books about old Horror movies. Every week I watched 'Shock Theater' with the local horror host Toolouse NoNeck and the classic film he had to present. I don't know how many films I saw that way. I clearly remember seeing three: 'The Green Slime', the original 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers', and 'Frankenstein's Daughter'. It was a movie clearly trying to tap into the teen monster trends of the time. I didn't remember it being a very good movie but vividly remembered a sequence where a character gets run over by a car in order to be added to the creature being assembled. After a long day of this and that, I popped in this movie, curled up on the couch, and fully expected the movie to interact with my existing tiredness to assist me in dozing off.
The movie woke me up. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to claim its a lost classic or anything like that. As tired as I was that night for the movie to engage me to the level that it woke me up is quite an accomplishment. It gets points for that.
Its not a perfect movie but it has a lot going for it. The story is reasonably solid for what it is, with a feeling of progression. The 'bad guys' aren't immediately evident as they aren't caricatures. At the same time they are 'updated' versions of the characters as we'd see them in a movie set in the 1700s or 1800s. Loyalties and levels of sanity alter as the story progresses so that the characters move forward. Stories of monsters are dismissed as stories until proof is received.
I was also impressed with the makeups. The creatures are rather hideous looking. It gave me the impression that the filmmakers knew they needed to deliver something wild here and spent enough of their budget making this right.
On the downside, there's a character or two that just disappears, removed from the story by dialogue rather than action. There's also an acceptable but pointless party sequence with a song.
I've seen better films and plenty that were worse. If you have an interest in older monster movies, this may appeal to you more than you expect. If you can't deal with black and white films or horror movies where people don't get ripped in half while on screen, well, then this won't work for you.
Recommended with reservations.
19 October 2010
What Am I? Seven?
My sinuses have been giving me issues for the past couple months. I dunno if it's an issue I've always had that's just worse this year, or me getting old, or allergies or what exactly. It's not the biggest deal in the world but it's something I've been more aware of lately than years past. I've been taking some herbal remedies to combat the congestion but, for awhile, wasn't as consistent as I should have been.
My mom told me a story of a friend of hers that took these herbs for a couple months and then leaned weird or something and had all this green fluid ooze out of her nose and sinuses. It sounded really gross.
It made me more consistent with my herb taking. I want green ooze too.
My mom told me a story of a friend of hers that took these herbs for a couple months and then leaned weird or something and had all this green fluid ooze out of her nose and sinuses. It sounded really gross.
It made me more consistent with my herb taking. I want green ooze too.
18 October 2010
Music Monday - Doctorlike?
Things occur to me in strange ways. I also have a habit of seeing things just through the filter of my Crazy World. Like where everything relates to Doctor Who.
Thomas Dolby? He kinda looks like Peter Davison.
And in this twisted world of mine, the lead singer of A Flock of Seagulls looks like Colin Baker, or at least his mopy brother.
Yes. I am not right.
Thomas Dolby? He kinda looks like Peter Davison.
And in this twisted world of mine, the lead singer of A Flock of Seagulls looks like Colin Baker, or at least his mopy brother.
Yes. I am not right.
12 October 2010
A PSA from Brett Favre
Hi. I'm Brett Favre and I've been playing football for a long time. I've gotten my share of injuries over the years but the worst one may be the hidden one. I've got postal... connie... well, I can't say the word but Dr. Nick says I got it. It's this brain thing from taking all those hits over the years. I forget how old I am or what's going on or who people really are. It can be embarrassing, like when you realize you're with a girl that looks like your wife, but isn't. Football is slowly killing me, like when I drink beer while taking pills, I mean when I DID do that, cause I don't anymore. I won't quit football because I have nothing else to do with my life. So when you see me under a pile of Viking defenders, remember I'm putting myself out there for your entertainment.
Dang, that's right. I play for the Vikings now. No wonder Coach gets upset when I throw towards a green jersey. Well heck, I only had to do that for like a billion years. Old habits are hard to break...
Dang, that's right. I play for the Vikings now. No wonder Coach gets upset when I throw towards a green jersey. Well heck, I only had to do that for like a billion years. Old habits are hard to break...
11 October 2010
Music Monday - Minnesota Music is Not Just Prince and Bob Dylan
Timing is everything. The 1980s and early 1990s were a hotbed of music around the nation. Grunge would become the dominate musical style and the Seattle 'scene' became the in thing.
It wasn't the only scene. What might have happened if the next big thing was... Minneapolis?
Information Society's brand of techno pop was both of the time and of the future. Change the colors in the video, heavy up them beats a bit and you might still have a hit today, even if the lead singer looks like a young Vince McMahon with a weird haircut.
I remember watching Trip Shakespeare videos quite often on 120 Minutes, you know, back when the M in MTV stood for 'Music'. I remember liking them but not enough to grab an album. A different formation of this band would later hit the big time under the name SemiSonic.
Powermad brings the metal! Long hair, squealing vocals, powerful guitars. Where's Strong Bad to love this?
The Replacements were one of those bands that I thought everyone knew about. Maybe they did then but they don't now. I should know them better. Paul Westerberg is full of awesome.
Aw what the heck, I covered Husker Du already so I shouldn't again. Ah! After Husker Du, Bob Mould formed Sugar and cranked out an excellent album in Copper Blue. 'How can I explain away/something that I've never done?' Love that lyric!
It wasn't the only scene. What might have happened if the next big thing was... Minneapolis?
Information Society's brand of techno pop was both of the time and of the future. Change the colors in the video, heavy up them beats a bit and you might still have a hit today, even if the lead singer looks like a young Vince McMahon with a weird haircut.
I remember watching Trip Shakespeare videos quite often on 120 Minutes, you know, back when the M in MTV stood for 'Music'. I remember liking them but not enough to grab an album. A different formation of this band would later hit the big time under the name SemiSonic.
Powermad brings the metal! Long hair, squealing vocals, powerful guitars. Where's Strong Bad to love this?
The Replacements were one of those bands that I thought everyone knew about. Maybe they did then but they don't now. I should know them better. Paul Westerberg is full of awesome.
Aw what the heck, I covered Husker Du already so I shouldn't again. Ah! After Husker Du, Bob Mould formed Sugar and cranked out an excellent album in Copper Blue. 'How can I explain away/something that I've never done?' Love that lyric!
04 October 2010
Music Monday - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
I gravitate to what is called 'novelty' records: parodies of songs, stuff not meant to be taken seriously, or stuff that's just weird. I collected tv show theme songs as a kid. Probably still would except there aren't any anymore. I also like monsters: Frankensteins (I know the name belongs to the Doctor, bear with me here), vampires, kaiju, and such. The good naturedly creepy.
When they combine, oh boy!
I've got an Elvira's Monster Hits tape somewhere I've had for years but I'm sure I heard 'I Put a Spell On You' on the radio as a kid. It's the sort of song that all sorts of people have covered over the years. For my money, nobody puts the creepy in it better than Screamin' Jay Hawkins!
Seriously, what is going on there? I don't know but I love it and it sounds like he's in tune. Classic.
Also on that tape was his 'Little Demon'. I think Mojo Nixon took Jay's 'gotta have at least one freak out in every song' theme but who cares? This dude is nuts!
Love. It.
When they combine, oh boy!
I've got an Elvira's Monster Hits tape somewhere I've had for years but I'm sure I heard 'I Put a Spell On You' on the radio as a kid. It's the sort of song that all sorts of people have covered over the years. For my money, nobody puts the creepy in it better than Screamin' Jay Hawkins!
Seriously, what is going on there? I don't know but I love it and it sounds like he's in tune. Classic.
Also on that tape was his 'Little Demon'. I think Mojo Nixon took Jay's 'gotta have at least one freak out in every song' theme but who cares? This dude is nuts!
Love. It.
02 October 2010
It'll Be November Soon
At lunch the other day, I leaned back from my exciting peanut butter sandwich and closed my eyes. It's nice to be working but it does wear me out some days. I sighed and tried to get comfortable in my car.
I tasted barbeque sauce.
Why would I taste barbeque sauce? Peanut butter tastes nothing like barbeque sauce. Why would I even be thinking about it?
Suddenly, it wasn't even the taste of barbeque sauce, it was barbeque sauce on a hamburger with bacon. It was a happy taste. Suddenly, I was elsewhere.
What was the name of that restaurant? It's in Frontierland, near Splash Mountain. Casey Jones maybe. It's getting later in the day. I'm hungry. The burger is good. I'm surrounded by items made of wood. The table, the chairs, the walls are all made of wood. I'm very comfortable. I lean over the table as we chat and eat.
When we walk outside, it's grown dark. The Magic Kingdom lights up, glowing in the dusk. Things are good.
I tasted barbeque sauce.
Why would I taste barbeque sauce? Peanut butter tastes nothing like barbeque sauce. Why would I even be thinking about it?
Suddenly, it wasn't even the taste of barbeque sauce, it was barbeque sauce on a hamburger with bacon. It was a happy taste. Suddenly, I was elsewhere.
What was the name of that restaurant? It's in Frontierland, near Splash Mountain. Casey Jones maybe. It's getting later in the day. I'm hungry. The burger is good. I'm surrounded by items made of wood. The table, the chairs, the walls are all made of wood. I'm very comfortable. I lean over the table as we chat and eat.
When we walk outside, it's grown dark. The Magic Kingdom lights up, glowing in the dusk. Things are good.
27 September 2010
20 September 2010
Music Monday - Covers
Cover songs can be fun. Sometimes they're just a cheap way to be a familiar song into a movie without paying the big money for the original. I say booo to that. Do something to make the song your own. This week I'm keen to feature a few songs that take that concept to a whole new level.
Disco is dead. Do you know what killed it? DEATH METAL!
Bert and Ernie. Peanut Butter and Jelly. Electric Guitars and Bagpipes? Yes, really. If you've ever wanted to hear a bagpipe play the guitar riff from an AC/DC song, this is the place to see it!
Rap and Metal have intermingled since the 1980s but Rage Against the Machine threw a bit ol' slab of Funk in there as well.
Stir your brain up. Mix things together and see what happens when two things collide. Get chocolate in your peanut butter, sucka!
Disco is dead. Do you know what killed it? DEATH METAL!
Bert and Ernie. Peanut Butter and Jelly. Electric Guitars and Bagpipes? Yes, really. If you've ever wanted to hear a bagpipe play the guitar riff from an AC/DC song, this is the place to see it!
Rap and Metal have intermingled since the 1980s but Rage Against the Machine threw a bit ol' slab of Funk in there as well.
Stir your brain up. Mix things together and see what happens when two things collide. Get chocolate in your peanut butter, sucka!
13 September 2010
Music Monday - Caroll Spinney
I am thirty-six and a half years old, more or less. I've been a Muppet fan since before I can remember. I do not remember a time when that switch was not flipped into the 'on' position. Finally last Saturday I met a Muppeteer. Not just any old Muppeteer but one of the longest serving ones and, arguably, one of the most popular. I met the man behind Big Bird and Oscar, Caroll Spinney.
I had no great expectations for the experience, just the hopes that I wouldn't make too much of a fool of myself. It worked out great. There was no mad rush for him and I ended up spending an hour or so, off and on, with him and his wife, watching him draw and chatting. It was like meeting an uncle you'd never met before and finding out he's a really neat guy, just like you hoped.
Caroll and his characters go back to the beginning of Sesame Street when things were a bit different. Apparently Oscar hadn't been exposed to his trash for as long and had yet to turn green. But he could sing.
Big Bird was different in those early days as well, a little smaller of head, literally and figuratively. Early on, he was 'younger' and played more as a more learning, simple character than the innocent he would become. Ah, days when words had different meanings and before government cutbacks would eliminate Q and Z from the alphabet...
I love Oscar for many reasons. This song and the thoughts behind it may be most of the reason why.
Mr. Spinney, good health! And have a rotten day! heh heh heh
Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days
Sesame Street: Old School, Vol. 1 (1969-1974)
I had no great expectations for the experience, just the hopes that I wouldn't make too much of a fool of myself. It worked out great. There was no mad rush for him and I ended up spending an hour or so, off and on, with him and his wife, watching him draw and chatting. It was like meeting an uncle you'd never met before and finding out he's a really neat guy, just like you hoped.
Caroll and his characters go back to the beginning of Sesame Street when things were a bit different. Apparently Oscar hadn't been exposed to his trash for as long and had yet to turn green. But he could sing.
Big Bird was different in those early days as well, a little smaller of head, literally and figuratively. Early on, he was 'younger' and played more as a more learning, simple character than the innocent he would become. Ah, days when words had different meanings and before government cutbacks would eliminate Q and Z from the alphabet...
I love Oscar for many reasons. This song and the thoughts behind it may be most of the reason why.
Mr. Spinney, good health! And have a rotten day! heh heh heh
Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days
Sesame Street: Old School, Vol. 1 (1969-1974)
12 September 2010
Helping Out
Saturday was largely spent in Illinois at a Card Show. Not long after arriving, I headed for the restroom before I started exploring the show in earnest. As I went to open the door, I saw there was a gentleman in a personal motor scooter inside, working to get the door open so he could exit. Quickly I pushed the door open as widely as I could, holding it open so this gentleman could exit with greater ease. As he thanked me, I looked up at him.
It was Richard Kiel. Jaws from the 70s Bond films amongst other things. He was a guest of the show.
And that was my good deed for the day.
It was Richard Kiel. Jaws from the 70s Bond films amongst other things. He was a guest of the show.
And that was my good deed for the day.
06 September 2010
Music Monday - Scythian
I remember a rainy weekend at Irish Fest a few years ago. The rain had driven away my friends and I wandered the Fest alone. At the Celtic Rock Stage Scythian played to about 20 others braving the weather. Due to the wet, they couldn't use the amps and the band struggled to be heard. Yet, they were smiling, thankful, and working to have a good time. I sat in the drizzle for a bit and listened. Despite the obstacles in front of them, they were still communicating fun to the crowd. I bought their CD which was good but didn't quite grab their live entertainment. They faded into my background.
Then Irish Fest 2009 they popped up in the packed Tipperary Tea Room and blew the roof off of it. Not literally mind. They'd also released a live album. When I got it signed, I was complimented on my sideburns.
In short, this band is awesome. And has good taste in facial hair.
They take music from various areas of the world and can play it 'straight' but also fuse it with other forms. Greek style violin can go gypsy or have an accordion added and get somewhat... techno...
They can also cover songs, and cover them well.
And they remember their 'days in prison'...
They have their little schticks, stuff they pull out of a bag of tricks at concerts because they work. This past Irish Fest they headlined a stage themselves because they are now officially That Good. Yet, it's not all silly. They can be serious as well.
I have yet to see them in front of an audience that wasn't on their side, if not when they walked on stage, at least by the time they walked off. Even the toughest crowds are not immune to their charm.
These guys do good work.
Immigrant Road Show
Scythian Live, Vol. 1
Scythian Live, Vol. 2
Then Irish Fest 2009 they popped up in the packed Tipperary Tea Room and blew the roof off of it. Not literally mind. They'd also released a live album. When I got it signed, I was complimented on my sideburns.
In short, this band is awesome. And has good taste in facial hair.
They take music from various areas of the world and can play it 'straight' but also fuse it with other forms. Greek style violin can go gypsy or have an accordion added and get somewhat... techno...
They can also cover songs, and cover them well.
And they remember their 'days in prison'...
They have their little schticks, stuff they pull out of a bag of tricks at concerts because they work. This past Irish Fest they headlined a stage themselves because they are now officially That Good. Yet, it's not all silly. They can be serious as well.
I have yet to see them in front of an audience that wasn't on their side, if not when they walked on stage, at least by the time they walked off. Even the toughest crowds are not immune to their charm.
These guys do good work.
Immigrant Road Show
Scythian Live, Vol. 1 Scythian Live, Vol. 2
01 September 2010
Ode to August
August.
August is always action packed. I may not know which weekend has what event but I know I'll be busy.
August is the only month I know I'm busy. Next August? Already booked. Can I tell you what's happening next weekend? No. August 20, 2011? Irish Fest.
August keep me running.
August tires me out so that I miss standard weekly events.
August always brings memories that I will cherish for years to come.
August is fun.
I love August.
At the same time, I'm looking forward to being able to sit a little in September. Maybe just a little...
August is always action packed. I may not know which weekend has what event but I know I'll be busy.
August is the only month I know I'm busy. Next August? Already booked. Can I tell you what's happening next weekend? No. August 20, 2011? Irish Fest.
August keep me running.
August tires me out so that I miss standard weekly events.
August always brings memories that I will cherish for years to come.
August is fun.
I love August.
At the same time, I'm looking forward to being able to sit a little in September. Maybe just a little...
23 August 2010
19 August 2010
Music Monday - Gaelic Storm (on a Thursday)
Irish Fest started today! No I'm not there! I won't be there until Saturday! Why are we shouting! I don't know!
I do know that Gaelic Storm is awesome.
One of the advantages of Irish Fest is that a lot of the bands play multiple times during the weekend. If two bands you're interested in are playing at the same time, you can always schedule to see one later on. Also, if you like a band, you can see them again. Gaelic Storm's been a regular visitor to the Fest for the past few years and they've been closing down their stage consistently cause no one wants to follow them. They put on a great show full of fun and energy. They sing songs you don't need to know the words to because you'll learn them quick enough. I might have seen them a dozen times now. Last year I saw them at least three times in five days. Maybe more.
The crowd around the Gaelic Storm stage is massive every time they play. The band seems to love the attention. They end up playing Wisconsin a couple times a year. The other year when they released their 'What's the Rumpus?' album, you got a free live track to download if you preordered it. It was 'Born to be a Bachelor' from the Pabst Theatre, downtown Milwaukee. So cool!
If you can't sing along, you can clap along, can't you?
At least that's what I heard but I wouldn't trust a person like me if I was you...
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go die of thirst.
I do know that Gaelic Storm is awesome.
One of the advantages of Irish Fest is that a lot of the bands play multiple times during the weekend. If two bands you're interested in are playing at the same time, you can always schedule to see one later on. Also, if you like a band, you can see them again. Gaelic Storm's been a regular visitor to the Fest for the past few years and they've been closing down their stage consistently cause no one wants to follow them. They put on a great show full of fun and energy. They sing songs you don't need to know the words to because you'll learn them quick enough. I might have seen them a dozen times now. Last year I saw them at least three times in five days. Maybe more.
The crowd around the Gaelic Storm stage is massive every time they play. The band seems to love the attention. They end up playing Wisconsin a couple times a year. The other year when they released their 'What's the Rumpus?' album, you got a free live track to download if you preordered it. It was 'Born to be a Bachelor' from the Pabst Theatre, downtown Milwaukee. So cool!
If you can't sing along, you can clap along, can't you?
At least that's what I heard but I wouldn't trust a person like me if I was you...
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go die of thirst.
09 August 2010
Music Monday - The Young Dubliners
It's been a week already? Bugger.
It's August and it occurs to me that Irish Fest 2010 is the weekend after this one. Wow! Finally! Can't wait. As my mind heads in that direction, that's where we're going.
We saw the Young Dubliners at Irish Fest a year or three ago. They return this year and I'm looking forward to it. They work in that punked/rocked up version of folk music that I rather love. Speedy guitars and fiddles at the same time. Good stuff.
Oh and a flute. Not enough flutes in rock music.
The Irish Sessions album referred to in the Early Show video is an album of covers. They cover two Pogues songs. Unfortunately (sorry fellas) this is the one I like less. It's still quite good, but I enjoy their cover of 'Tuesday Morning' more.
This is my favorite song that they do. It just gets me somewhere. It gets inside and stays there.
Why are they the YOUNG Dubliners when they're clearly not that young? Well, cause there's already a Dubliners and, well, they're older. Still AWESOME though.
It's August and it occurs to me that Irish Fest 2010 is the weekend after this one. Wow! Finally! Can't wait. As my mind heads in that direction, that's where we're going.
We saw the Young Dubliners at Irish Fest a year or three ago. They return this year and I'm looking forward to it. They work in that punked/rocked up version of folk music that I rather love. Speedy guitars and fiddles at the same time. Good stuff.
Oh and a flute. Not enough flutes in rock music.
The Irish Sessions album referred to in the Early Show video is an album of covers. They cover two Pogues songs. Unfortunately (sorry fellas) this is the one I like less. It's still quite good, but I enjoy their cover of 'Tuesday Morning' more.
This is my favorite song that they do. It just gets me somewhere. It gets inside and stays there.
Why are they the YOUNG Dubliners when they're clearly not that young? Well, cause there's already a Dubliners and, well, they're older. Still AWESOME though.
02 August 2010
Music Monday - Pop Will Eat Itself
Pop Will Eat Itself aka PWEI aka the Poppies were a late 80s/early 90s band, mostly known in the UK. The majority of their music is electronic dance with samples all over the place, with geek references all over the place. If you remember Information Society, they're kinda like that. Oooh, Information Society, gotta remember to write about them too.
So, beats for geeks. Well, not only geeks, but the geek references add a layer.
Sampling Rod Serling is not enough. Let's list all the things we like. Oooh, and center the song around a chant from one of the most comic book movies to not actually be based on a comic book, The Warriors. Great fun movie about a gang getting accused of killing the wanna-be kingpin of town at a meeting and then having to fight their way to their home turf, through gangs like the Baseball Furies (wearing pinstrip uniforms and Kiss style makeup), and that lesbian gang and...oh yeah, the Riffs! The video is FULL of panels from 'Watchmen' because, as everyone knows, Alan Moore knows the score.
This may be the geekiest video apart from one of those Matthew Sweet video with the anime clips in it. Oooh, Matthew Sweet, another good call there. She loves me, she loves me not...
Anyway, I found out about all this after the fact. I came into the band with the first single off of 1994's 'Dos Dedos Mis Amigos'. With this album, the band became less dance and more industrial. Very heavy. This song just blew me away. I was instantly hooked. That it had a message didn't hurt any.
I love this entire album as, while it's heavy and more 'serious', there are certainly light moments to be had. It's not all the doom and gloom of 'Everything's Cool'. I'm not much for fan made videos, but at least they chose reasonably logical subject matter for this one.
Unfortunately for me, this new direction didn't go very far. Apart from an album that was solely made up of remixes of 'Amigos', there would be nothing. The band broke up, forming other groups (like Bentley Rhythm Ace) and lead singer Clint Mansell is known more now as maker of soundtracks. With the 25th anniversary of the Poppies approaching there's suddenly talk of a reunion. A new single came out earlier this year which I must now find.
It's also an awesome band name. So terribly true...
Dos Dedos Mis Amigos
This Is The Day...This Is The Hour... This Is This
Cure for Sanity
So, beats for geeks. Well, not only geeks, but the geek references add a layer.
Sampling Rod Serling is not enough. Let's list all the things we like. Oooh, and center the song around a chant from one of the most comic book movies to not actually be based on a comic book, The Warriors. Great fun movie about a gang getting accused of killing the wanna-be kingpin of town at a meeting and then having to fight their way to their home turf, through gangs like the Baseball Furies (wearing pinstrip uniforms and Kiss style makeup), and that lesbian gang and...oh yeah, the Riffs! The video is FULL of panels from 'Watchmen' because, as everyone knows, Alan Moore knows the score.
This may be the geekiest video apart from one of those Matthew Sweet video with the anime clips in it. Oooh, Matthew Sweet, another good call there. She loves me, she loves me not...
Anyway, I found out about all this after the fact. I came into the band with the first single off of 1994's 'Dos Dedos Mis Amigos'. With this album, the band became less dance and more industrial. Very heavy. This song just blew me away. I was instantly hooked. That it had a message didn't hurt any.
I love this entire album as, while it's heavy and more 'serious', there are certainly light moments to be had. It's not all the doom and gloom of 'Everything's Cool'. I'm not much for fan made videos, but at least they chose reasonably logical subject matter for this one.
Unfortunately for me, this new direction didn't go very far. Apart from an album that was solely made up of remixes of 'Amigos', there would be nothing. The band broke up, forming other groups (like Bentley Rhythm Ace) and lead singer Clint Mansell is known more now as maker of soundtracks. With the 25th anniversary of the Poppies approaching there's suddenly talk of a reunion. A new single came out earlier this year which I must now find.
It's also an awesome band name. So terribly true...
Dos Dedos Mis Amigos
This Is The Day...This Is The Hour... This Is This Cure for Sanity
26 July 2010
Music Monday - Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry's music is in my blood. As a baby, my play pen was by the speakers to the stereo where my Dad would play Chuck and Little Richard and assorted other awesome bands from when Rock n Roll was Rock n Roll! In middle school, I managed to weave a biography of Chuck into a project for history class. Chuck Berry stamped Rock n Roll forever. Elvis may have been called the King (and Little Richard the Queen) but Chuck Berry was the MAN!
As much as I love punk rock and it's 'you can do it, just try' attitude, Chuck Berry has the advantage over all of them. The early days of rock are often considered to be filled with 'simple' songs but listen to Chuck not just play his guitar but have the skills involved to RIP IT UP!
The thing that gets me about Chuck is that he's clearly skilled but doesn't seem to be showing off when he's playing. He may go into some wild unexpected version of the riff you know but he doesn't seem to be trying to impress you. He's having fun. He's having a great time and he's trying to share it with you. I love that.
And his verbiage! His confidence to create words as a poet might. 'Motorvating' and 'botheration'... I use botheration all the time. I love that word.
Is Chuck Berry crazy? Probably. He has every right to be. He was mistreated as a black performer during a still segregated county. He spent time in jail at the peak of his career on what may or may not have been a trumped up charge in an effort to 'kill off' Rock n Roll. He certainly seems to have some... interesting ideas about life and ladies.
But man o man does he have a good time.
As much as I love punk rock and it's 'you can do it, just try' attitude, Chuck Berry has the advantage over all of them. The early days of rock are often considered to be filled with 'simple' songs but listen to Chuck not just play his guitar but have the skills involved to RIP IT UP!
The thing that gets me about Chuck is that he's clearly skilled but doesn't seem to be showing off when he's playing. He may go into some wild unexpected version of the riff you know but he doesn't seem to be trying to impress you. He's having fun. He's having a great time and he's trying to share it with you. I love that.
And his verbiage! His confidence to create words as a poet might. 'Motorvating' and 'botheration'... I use botheration all the time. I love that word.
Is Chuck Berry crazy? Probably. He has every right to be. He was mistreated as a black performer during a still segregated county. He spent time in jail at the peak of his career on what may or may not have been a trumped up charge in an effort to 'kill off' Rock n Roll. He certainly seems to have some... interesting ideas about life and ladies.
But man o man does he have a good time.
24 July 2010
I Don't Know About This
I have done very little to see what the plan is for the 'Green Lantern' movie. I've not really dug around the rumor mill or anything like that. I know who the lead is and now I've seen the picture of the costume and I'm concerned.
I like Ryan Reynolds. I think he's funny. He's good at the style he does. That's the whole thing; Ryan has the image of being the smart-aleck. Most of roles he's best known for have him playing that guy. Now, I'm guessing that his Green Lantern will be Hal Jordan. This causes my concern. I'm not terribly familiar with the details of the DC characters but when I think of Hal Jordan I think of someone that's very serious, not without a sense of humor, but more of a quiet wit than the sarcastic characters Ryan is known to play. It's not that Ryan can't play that style, but will the Ryan Reynolds fans accept that? If he plays Hal Jordan like a standard Ryan character, will Green Lantern fans turn on it? If he's not playing Hal Jordan, then why not? Isn't Hal the primary Green Lantern of the DCU now?
The Green Lantern costume is a triumph of simple design. It is classic, green and black. It is the uniform of an Intergalactic Police Officer. As I understand it, the mask is Hal's addition, to protect his identity while on Earth. So what is with the weird lighting effects on display in the movie costume? It looks like it has ground effects? It looks more like a Tron costume that Green Lantern. If it only glows on occasion, why let that be the first picture of the costume to be released? If it's lit like that constantly, it's gonna look ridiculous.
This all makes me worry that Warner Brothers is trying to make this their Iron Man movie, to the point of altering the main character to make him more sharp and funny.
For DC fans, this movie HAS to work. If this movie doesn't do well, doesn't make money, then you will get nothing apart from Batman movies for the next decade. If Green Lantern doesn't succeed, what other DC hero will succeed? What other character will get the nod?
Then again, even if it fails, maybe Warner Brothers will make another DC movie. I mean, they made Catwoman.
19 July 2010
Music Monday - Peter Sellers
Between the Pink Panther movies that I watched with my Dad as I was a kid and the Muppet Show appearance burned into my memory thanks to the record, I was very familiar with Peter Sellers as a child, enough to be a bit sad when he died. I was only six. That sort of thing doesn't mean that much when you're six. Seven maybe.
Peter Sellers was a comedy genius. A comedian with an ear for voices and the ability to mimic them, he first hit big in the 1950s with fellow geniuses Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan as a member of the ever mobile Goon Show! Witty, fast, cartoons on the radio, there was also songs in the mix on occasion, including this bit of nonsense.
By the 1960s, Peter Sellers had become a movie star, racing Alec Guinness for who could play the most different characters in one film. Peter wasn't the only British export to make in big in that era and when these two things clashed, there was beautiful silliness to be had.
In the late 60s and early 70s, Peter's star waned a bit but reviving the Pink Panther movies also revived Peter's career. Clouseau got him a shot on that furry, free wheeling, fast, and frantic Muppet Show where he was able to be, well, whomever he wanted to be.
There may well have been two Peter Sellers. In 1964, Peter suffered a series of devastating heart attacks. He was not expected to recover but did. His heart was never strong after that and it would finally give out on him in 1980, at the young age of 54.
Did Peter Sellers, as he was known before the heart attacks, die in 1964, survived by a 'weaker' version. He was certainly funny after that but people that knew him indicate that there may be some truth in the joke he tells Kermit backstage on the Muppet Show...
Ah, let's end on a laugh.
Peter Sellers was a comedy genius. A comedian with an ear for voices and the ability to mimic them, he first hit big in the 1950s with fellow geniuses Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan as a member of the ever mobile Goon Show! Witty, fast, cartoons on the radio, there was also songs in the mix on occasion, including this bit of nonsense.
By the 1960s, Peter Sellers had become a movie star, racing Alec Guinness for who could play the most different characters in one film. Peter wasn't the only British export to make in big in that era and when these two things clashed, there was beautiful silliness to be had.
In the late 60s and early 70s, Peter's star waned a bit but reviving the Pink Panther movies also revived Peter's career. Clouseau got him a shot on that furry, free wheeling, fast, and frantic Muppet Show where he was able to be, well, whomever he wanted to be.
There may well have been two Peter Sellers. In 1964, Peter suffered a series of devastating heart attacks. He was not expected to recover but did. His heart was never strong after that and it would finally give out on him in 1980, at the young age of 54.
Did Peter Sellers, as he was known before the heart attacks, die in 1964, survived by a 'weaker' version. He was certainly funny after that but people that knew him indicate that there may be some truth in the joke he tells Kermit backstage on the Muppet Show...
Ah, let's end on a laugh.
18 July 2010
Old Wrestling Magazine Weirdness
At the New Year's Sale this past January, I picked up some wrestling magazines that are about as old as I am. One is even cover dated March 1974 which is kinda neat. I've only just started reading through them in the past few days and they're still a lot of fun. Many of the wrestlers are written very well, translating their vocal style well to paper, Bobby Heenan especially.
The design of these magazines did not change much for over a decade. Most articles start with a couple pages in the front half of the magazine and then to get to the rest of the article you have to flip to the back half. Since it's not complicated reading and there are a lot of pictures, it feels like there's a constant back and forth. The bulk of the advertisements are in the back half of the magazines and the ads confuse me.
Who were the audience of this magazines?
For periods of time, wrestling captures the interest of the general public. I'm not completely sure but I don't think the seventies were one of those times. Admittedly tastes change but the seventies were an often hardcore and bloody period of wrestling. The color photos on the covers were often gorier than the average Fangoria cover. There's the occasional mild swear, nothing too fancy, possibly still teenage friendly I guess. Some of the magazines have 'pen pals' or 'fan club' pages that are mostly kid orientated. Mixed amongst the X-Ray spec or junk jewelry ads are ads for muscle building, learning deadly arts like karate, correspondence courses, franchises. Nothing too weird there, something for the young adult perhaps. Then there are the 'personal viewing' movie projectors, ads that ask you if you're 'half a man', and some rather adult 'companion' dolls. The ads for these are pretty way-hey-hey, especially next to those X-Ray specs ads. In a few years, ladies wrestling would devolve into 'apartment wrestling' and the less said about that the better.
Wonder how many kids got busted reading these and protested 'ma, it's just a wrestling magazine' and meant it? Until they turned twelve at least.
Sheesh!
12 July 2010
Looking for My Swing
My back’s been acting up again. Mostly it’s been in small, subtle ways, just annoying enough that I’d notice the complaint but not enough to be a big concern. I was more bothered by other physical issues that were dragging me down, things that seem more obviously caused by this back muscle issue in retrospect: the weakness in vision, the tummy trouble, the tiredness. Once those signals start getting delayed or muffled as they travel your spine, it can cause a lot of havoc. I’m not broken down or crippled or anything like that but the combination of issues just leaves one tired after a long day at work. You know you’re getting old when the primary reason you’d like a young lady around the place is to rub your back.
Please note the use of ‘primary’ in the above sentence as opposed to ‘solitary’. I’m not that old yet. It would be nice if she could cook a little too.
Since there’s no queue of ladies waiting to apply for the job of rubbing my back…
Hang on, let me check before I say that for sure. Yep, no line.
Since there’s no queue and I’m not really taking applicants, I’ll just have to return to stretching and heating pads like always. At least the muscles had the dignity to flare up properly yesterday and let me know I’d neglected them. Now I know what needs to be done. Once they relax, I’ll probably get busy and neglect them again. It’s the way of things. Not right, not without trying, but true.
Please note the use of ‘primary’ in the above sentence as opposed to ‘solitary’. I’m not that old yet. It would be nice if she could cook a little too.
Since there’s no queue of ladies waiting to apply for the job of rubbing my back…
Hang on, let me check before I say that for sure. Yep, no line.
Since there’s no queue and I’m not really taking applicants, I’ll just have to return to stretching and heating pads like always. At least the muscles had the dignity to flare up properly yesterday and let me know I’d neglected them. Now I know what needs to be done. Once they relax, I’ll probably get busy and neglect them again. It’s the way of things. Not right, not without trying, but true.
29 June 2010
Doctor Who Series Five Finale Comments
Faithful readers, all two of you, I'm sure you are aware that I work to keep this as spoiler free a zone as possible. In order to discuss these episodes properly, there will be details reviewed. If you've not seen these episodes, then these comments will be spoilers. You have been warned.
'The Pandorica Opens' makes no sense. At all.
The trouble is started by a Vincent Van Gogh painting that gets collected by Winston Churchill. who ends up getting in contact with River Song on accident. She then breaks out of jail and steals the painting from the Queen of Spaceship UK in order to take it to the Doctor. Complicated much? Lucky that painting survived 3000 years. Are we to understand now that Vincent Van Gogh's suicide was brought on by visions of the TARDIS exploding and fearing his friends were inside? Dark beginning.
This leads to 100AD and a Roman Legion around Stonehenge. The Pandorica is here and is opening. Why now of all times?
Around the Pandorica itself are the remains of a Cyberman, broken into sections. This creature is considered the remnants of a scout destroyed in the battles over the Pandorica and its contents. Indeed, the ships of multiple races are in the night sky, jockeying for position. Wait. How did they get here? Daleks have long had time travel capabilities but no one else, traditionally at least. There was talk that time travel technology slipped out to the greater universe as part of the Time War but is it this out and about now? Any everyone knows to show up now?
Amy's fiance Rory reappears with the Roman Legion but it turns out that they are all Nestene duplicates. The situation is a trap, built out of the interests of Amy. How did they get an imprint of Rory's mind? If they took it before Rory was erased from history, it would have been erased with him. If they scanned Amy's mind after he was erased from history, and since he knows he was erased from history this seems likely, he wouldn't have appeared as an important figure as she can't remember him. Even when she sees him, it takes time for her to remember him. So why copy Rory then?
The big payoff to the episode is that the Pandorica is empty. Its meant as a prison for the Doctor as the assembled creatures have projected that the TARDIS will explode, destroying the universe. Since 'the Doctor is the only one that can pilot the TARDIS', they will cage the Doctor and fix things themselves. So they don't know about River Song then? If they were setting up the Doctor, then where does the damaged Cyberman that almost killed the Doctor and Amy come from then? It wouldn't have been from infighting. And why almost kill the Doctor if you're planning to cage him? For that matter, why cage him at all? Why don't the Daleks just kill him? Do they think he can't be killed? It's not like they haven't tried before.
And why are the Silurians there? When Earth becomes the only planet left in the universe, why do they disappear? They're from Earth!
It makes no sense!!!
Wait. It makes no sense.
When Replica Rory first makes himself known to the Doctor, he goes unnoticed as the Doctor mutters that he's missing something obvious. Rory, and the viewer, knows it's his presence and we laugh at the Doctor's absentmindedness.
What if Rory isn't what the Doctor was thinking about? What if the Doctor was realizing that this situation isn't making sense and Rory is a distraction from that realization? What if all this is a distraction? I mean, once the Doctor is safely caged, the universe disappears immediately. It's not long after that that the Doctor's free again. It can't be that great a prison if the Doctor can get free that quickly. As it turns out, the Pandorica holds the tools to 'reboot' the universe as it was, with some modifications. Handy that.
By the end of the episode, the universe is restored, Amy brings back her 'lost' parents, Rory is human again, and the Doctor is returned from the Void. While the universe is restored, Time can be rewritten, allowing these changes to be made. Hmm.
At the end of the episode, we still don't know who caused the TARDIS to explode or why. There's more to come, it isn't a forgotten point.
That's the key. It's not 'what' caused the TARDIS to explode but 'who'. Some one did this and this is why it makes so little sense. This mastermind's plot is designed to destroy the universe knowing that the Doctor will restore it successfully. To what end? To bring someone or something back, to rewrite history, as Amy did. The Pandorica plot is designed to distract the Doctor, keep him off guard, but keep him from preventing the destruction of the universe so that he'll have to fix it.
Who would do this? Visibly we have two likely options: the Doctor's 'dark' subconscious from 'Amy's Choice' and River Song. The Doctor remembered Rory and could have replicated him. River's appearance at Amy and Rory's wedding is odd, a bit suspect. It's almost implied that she knows to drop the diary off to trigger Amy to remember the Doctor but that would mean she might remember the Doctor. If River remembers the Doctor, then why does Amy have to remember him? Tricky.
But to what end? What might be restored? Well there is something currently missing from the mythos.
Perhaps this 'reboot' erased the Time War from happening. Perhaps Gallifrey is back.
Or perhaps not.
'The Pandorica Opens' makes no sense. At all.
The trouble is started by a Vincent Van Gogh painting that gets collected by Winston Churchill. who ends up getting in contact with River Song on accident. She then breaks out of jail and steals the painting from the Queen of Spaceship UK in order to take it to the Doctor. Complicated much? Lucky that painting survived 3000 years. Are we to understand now that Vincent Van Gogh's suicide was brought on by visions of the TARDIS exploding and fearing his friends were inside? Dark beginning.
This leads to 100AD and a Roman Legion around Stonehenge. The Pandorica is here and is opening. Why now of all times?
Around the Pandorica itself are the remains of a Cyberman, broken into sections. This creature is considered the remnants of a scout destroyed in the battles over the Pandorica and its contents. Indeed, the ships of multiple races are in the night sky, jockeying for position. Wait. How did they get here? Daleks have long had time travel capabilities but no one else, traditionally at least. There was talk that time travel technology slipped out to the greater universe as part of the Time War but is it this out and about now? Any everyone knows to show up now?
Amy's fiance Rory reappears with the Roman Legion but it turns out that they are all Nestene duplicates. The situation is a trap, built out of the interests of Amy. How did they get an imprint of Rory's mind? If they took it before Rory was erased from history, it would have been erased with him. If they scanned Amy's mind after he was erased from history, and since he knows he was erased from history this seems likely, he wouldn't have appeared as an important figure as she can't remember him. Even when she sees him, it takes time for her to remember him. So why copy Rory then?
The big payoff to the episode is that the Pandorica is empty. Its meant as a prison for the Doctor as the assembled creatures have projected that the TARDIS will explode, destroying the universe. Since 'the Doctor is the only one that can pilot the TARDIS', they will cage the Doctor and fix things themselves. So they don't know about River Song then? If they were setting up the Doctor, then where does the damaged Cyberman that almost killed the Doctor and Amy come from then? It wouldn't have been from infighting. And why almost kill the Doctor if you're planning to cage him? For that matter, why cage him at all? Why don't the Daleks just kill him? Do they think he can't be killed? It's not like they haven't tried before.
And why are the Silurians there? When Earth becomes the only planet left in the universe, why do they disappear? They're from Earth!
It makes no sense!!!
Wait. It makes no sense.
When Replica Rory first makes himself known to the Doctor, he goes unnoticed as the Doctor mutters that he's missing something obvious. Rory, and the viewer, knows it's his presence and we laugh at the Doctor's absentmindedness.
What if Rory isn't what the Doctor was thinking about? What if the Doctor was realizing that this situation isn't making sense and Rory is a distraction from that realization? What if all this is a distraction? I mean, once the Doctor is safely caged, the universe disappears immediately. It's not long after that that the Doctor's free again. It can't be that great a prison if the Doctor can get free that quickly. As it turns out, the Pandorica holds the tools to 'reboot' the universe as it was, with some modifications. Handy that.
By the end of the episode, the universe is restored, Amy brings back her 'lost' parents, Rory is human again, and the Doctor is returned from the Void. While the universe is restored, Time can be rewritten, allowing these changes to be made. Hmm.
At the end of the episode, we still don't know who caused the TARDIS to explode or why. There's more to come, it isn't a forgotten point.
That's the key. It's not 'what' caused the TARDIS to explode but 'who'. Some one did this and this is why it makes so little sense. This mastermind's plot is designed to destroy the universe knowing that the Doctor will restore it successfully. To what end? To bring someone or something back, to rewrite history, as Amy did. The Pandorica plot is designed to distract the Doctor, keep him off guard, but keep him from preventing the destruction of the universe so that he'll have to fix it.
Who would do this? Visibly we have two likely options: the Doctor's 'dark' subconscious from 'Amy's Choice' and River Song. The Doctor remembered Rory and could have replicated him. River's appearance at Amy and Rory's wedding is odd, a bit suspect. It's almost implied that she knows to drop the diary off to trigger Amy to remember the Doctor but that would mean she might remember the Doctor. If River remembers the Doctor, then why does Amy have to remember him? Tricky.
But to what end? What might be restored? Well there is something currently missing from the mythos.
Perhaps this 'reboot' erased the Time War from happening. Perhaps Gallifrey is back.
Or perhaps not.
28 June 2010
Music Monday - Husker Du
Remember Night Flight? Anyone? I didn't have cable as a kid but they'd repeat the show in the middle of the night on NBC and I'd tape it once (a) I got a VCR and (2) I figured out it was a weird show that needed taping. The musical acts I picked up on from that show! Before I had access to 120 Minutes on MTV, when MTV played music videos back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, I had Night Flight. One night they did a piece on Minneapolis and there was Husker Du!
The band was so janglely I didn't even realize that they were thrash punk. I mean, Night Flight said they were thrash but I was all 'am I gonna trust my ears or this late night show clearly assembled by drunks?' Trust the ears!
I bought what turned out to be their last studio album 'Warehouse: Songs and Stories' at the Camelot that used to be up by what used to be Northridge Mall. The store's a Half Price Books now so I still love the place. 20 tracks and I don't think there's a clunker in the lot. As time went on, I picked up older albums here and there but none of them entranced me the same way that 'Warehouse' did.
Punk rock needs more guys with handlebar mustaches. That's what'll revitalize the genre! More punk bands with mustaches! Doing covers of television theme songs!
You know how punk rock Bob Mould is? He was a writer for WCW for awhile. Sure that's when WCW was spending money on all sorts of crazy things but having a college rock icon write for wrestling is just full of awesome.
Warehouse: Songs & Stories
Metal Circus
Living End (Jewl)
The band was so janglely I didn't even realize that they were thrash punk. I mean, Night Flight said they were thrash but I was all 'am I gonna trust my ears or this late night show clearly assembled by drunks?' Trust the ears!
I bought what turned out to be their last studio album 'Warehouse: Songs and Stories' at the Camelot that used to be up by what used to be Northridge Mall. The store's a Half Price Books now so I still love the place. 20 tracks and I don't think there's a clunker in the lot. As time went on, I picked up older albums here and there but none of them entranced me the same way that 'Warehouse' did.
Punk rock needs more guys with handlebar mustaches. That's what'll revitalize the genre! More punk bands with mustaches! Doing covers of television theme songs!
You know how punk rock Bob Mould is? He was a writer for WCW for awhile. Sure that's when WCW was spending money on all sorts of crazy things but having a college rock icon write for wrestling is just full of awesome.
Warehouse: Songs & Stories
Metal Circus Living End (Jewl)
22 June 2010
For the Record...
Yes, I am caught up on Doctor Who. No, I will not be discussing this week's episode until I've had a chance to see next week's episode. At all. There's too much lingering out there at the moment to treat this episode on its own.
21 June 2010
Music Monday - Johnny Cash
I'm wearing one of my Johnny Cash t-shirts and my deluxe edition of the 'Cash - The Legend' box set showed up in the mail today. Hmm, who should I feature today?
Johnny Cash was Johnny Cash. He's not really country, but he was for awhile. He's not really Western, but he was for awhile. He's not really folk, but you could argue he was for awhile. Johnny Cash made people happy being Johnny Cash, expressing himself in the way he enjoyed expressing himself and, like him or not, you've got to admire someone that can accomplish that in their life. I surely do.
'I liked those hotels in Europe where they had the beautiful paintings on the walls. This one painting, this woman had this beautiful cleavage and I tried to throw my Bowie knife in between her breasts. Sometimes I made it, sometimes I'd miss a little bit. That cost me a thousand dollars.' - Johnny Cash
'CBS were laying their money on the young people. If you were over a certain age and your body didn't look just right, the record companies wouldn't put money on you. Problem was, there are a lot of beautiful people, and a lot of talented people, but there aren't that many that are both.' - Johnny Cash
'Don't break your tap root, or you'll die. That's the root that's tapped in to the divine -- into the sacred, the holy, the power. Into life.' - Johnny Cash
Forever the Man in Black.
The Essential Johnny Cash
At Folsom Prison
The Johnny Cash Show: The Best of Johnny Cash 1969-1971
Johnny Cash was Johnny Cash. He's not really country, but he was for awhile. He's not really Western, but he was for awhile. He's not really folk, but you could argue he was for awhile. Johnny Cash made people happy being Johnny Cash, expressing himself in the way he enjoyed expressing himself and, like him or not, you've got to admire someone that can accomplish that in their life. I surely do.
'I liked those hotels in Europe where they had the beautiful paintings on the walls. This one painting, this woman had this beautiful cleavage and I tried to throw my Bowie knife in between her breasts. Sometimes I made it, sometimes I'd miss a little bit. That cost me a thousand dollars.' - Johnny Cash
'CBS were laying their money on the young people. If you were over a certain age and your body didn't look just right, the record companies wouldn't put money on you. Problem was, there are a lot of beautiful people, and a lot of talented people, but there aren't that many that are both.' - Johnny Cash
'Don't break your tap root, or you'll die. That's the root that's tapped in to the divine -- into the sacred, the holy, the power. Into life.' - Johnny Cash
Forever the Man in Black.
The Essential Johnny Cash
At Folsom Prison The Johnny Cash Show: The Best of Johnny Cash 1969-1971
16 June 2010
Doctor Who - Pocket Reviews (aka Catching Up)
'The Vampires of Venice' in which the TARDIS crew go back in time and deal with some creatures that are feeding on humans. Not a bad episode, some good running about. some good explanations, some good character building, but I wasn't completely happy with the Doctor's reaction to the creatures. He seemed to jump to 'realistic but hopeless' too quickly for me but that's just me. Not bad not not really great either.
'Amy's Choice' in which the TARDIS crew exist in two realities at once, not knowing which is the true reality they should try to stay in. Great episode, funny, kept you on your toes as to what was going on, some really strong character moments. Very solid and very enjoyable. I think this may have something to do with the finale but that's just a thought.
'The Hungry Earth' and 'Cold Blood' in which the TARDIS crew encounter creatures that sleep below the Earth. Good story with excellent effects (I want a theme park ride that lets you walk through the underground city as part of the queue as it was beautiful) but was let down ever so slightly by my familiarity with the show's history. The very basic plot felt like 'Inferno' connected with 'Doctor Who and the Silurians'. There's even the young creature that wants to wipe out the apes while the older creatures are willing to talk things over. Good scares, well put together, but a bit familiar.
'Vincent and the Doctor' in which the TARDIS crew meet Vincent Van Gogh. Wow. Sensitive, moving, sad, depressing, invigorating. The Doctor does something that I've dreamed of doing for a creator. This is a high point for the season in my book.
'The Lodger' in which the TARDIS gets stuck and the Doctor gets bored. The Doctor has to pretend to be a 'normal' human while investigating roommate Craig's upstairs flat. Funny, a bit clever, a little scary, and heartwarming. A fun buffer episode before the finale hits us.
All in all, it's been a great season so far. Moffat has been clicking on all cylinders as far as I'm concerned. Two episodes left. Can't wait until Saturday...
'Amy's Choice' in which the TARDIS crew exist in two realities at once, not knowing which is the true reality they should try to stay in. Great episode, funny, kept you on your toes as to what was going on, some really strong character moments. Very solid and very enjoyable. I think this may have something to do with the finale but that's just a thought.
'The Hungry Earth' and 'Cold Blood' in which the TARDIS crew encounter creatures that sleep below the Earth. Good story with excellent effects (I want a theme park ride that lets you walk through the underground city as part of the queue as it was beautiful) but was let down ever so slightly by my familiarity with the show's history. The very basic plot felt like 'Inferno' connected with 'Doctor Who and the Silurians'. There's even the young creature that wants to wipe out the apes while the older creatures are willing to talk things over. Good scares, well put together, but a bit familiar.
'Vincent and the Doctor' in which the TARDIS crew meet Vincent Van Gogh. Wow. Sensitive, moving, sad, depressing, invigorating. The Doctor does something that I've dreamed of doing for a creator. This is a high point for the season in my book.
'The Lodger' in which the TARDIS gets stuck and the Doctor gets bored. The Doctor has to pretend to be a 'normal' human while investigating roommate Craig's upstairs flat. Funny, a bit clever, a little scary, and heartwarming. A fun buffer episode before the finale hits us.
All in all, it's been a great season so far. Moffat has been clicking on all cylinders as far as I'm concerned. Two episodes left. Can't wait until Saturday...
14 June 2010
Music Monday - Strange Land
Last Saturday I attended what is expected to be the last time that Strange Land will play together live. It was a great time. Of course I didn't think to do this last week when it could have been an encouragement to attend so, well, sorry for that Chad.
Strange Land proudly identified itself as a prog-metal band. They played loud, inventive music that sought to sound different but not at the expensive of harmonies and hooks. As such, it has the ability to get stuck in your head.
I'm working with live recordings this week and the quality here will vary from normal due to the recording. Our first song, 'Asinine', is even incomplete. Not only is it a great song but I just adore the 'spend your time, wasting mine' lyric. It's so cutting and clear. Of course now I've probably misunderstood it and the entire song so you'd better check it out yourself.
Lament. Wailing. Pain. All on display while the music soars.
'Evolve' is part of the epic song 'Catharsis' from the album of the same name. I love this song for many reasons. I mean, listen to all the expensive learning words Chad spits out. He's had some learnin'! Somewhat more seriously, this song strikes me as the band's mission statement. They were eagerly doing what they did, not so much for any personal gain (not that it would have been a bad thing as such) but it was for the music in general. Music deserves better than the wasteland that is radio. Stretch out a bit. It's not easy and supporting new things can be difficult (I claim no great skill in this regard either) but it's rewarding.
I need to get out more. Good times.
http://www.strange-land.net/
Anomaly
Blaming Season
Catharsis
Strange Land proudly identified itself as a prog-metal band. They played loud, inventive music that sought to sound different but not at the expensive of harmonies and hooks. As such, it has the ability to get stuck in your head.
I'm working with live recordings this week and the quality here will vary from normal due to the recording. Our first song, 'Asinine', is even incomplete. Not only is it a great song but I just adore the 'spend your time, wasting mine' lyric. It's so cutting and clear. Of course now I've probably misunderstood it and the entire song so you'd better check it out yourself.
Lament. Wailing. Pain. All on display while the music soars.
'Evolve' is part of the epic song 'Catharsis' from the album of the same name. I love this song for many reasons. I mean, listen to all the expensive learning words Chad spits out. He's had some learnin'! Somewhat more seriously, this song strikes me as the band's mission statement. They were eagerly doing what they did, not so much for any personal gain (not that it would have been a bad thing as such) but it was for the music in general. Music deserves better than the wasteland that is radio. Stretch out a bit. It's not easy and supporting new things can be difficult (I claim no great skill in this regard either) but it's rewarding.
I need to get out more. Good times.
http://www.strange-land.net/
Anomaly
Blaming Season Catharsis
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