최고 호쾌한 미친 회의 밤

Once Upon a Time, Craig, Josh, Enrico, Chris D. , Dave S. , Kari, Dave, Jere, Polt and myself......

A day was set for a Puntabulous meetup. Polt and Dave S. had been contacted secretly to appear as surprise guests. What wonders (and horrors) would await in the night?

The walk across town was uneventful, save for Polt yelling out "Signal!" every few minutes. At first, I thought he was in awe of traffic lights as his hometown sadly has not yet gained electricity; however, it was his message that a guy he found to be attractive was passing by. Given the number of times he spun around to point out various signals, it's clear that Polt has a future in Ballet.

The karaoke place was reached. Eventually all filtered in. The surprise was sprung and surprise was attained. The night began.

At first, things started off slow as David was confused by the microphone:



Hmmm....Polt thought to himself. Time to take advantage of the situation.....:



First, a photo with Enrico was taken. The two then disappeared outside and were gone for 7m33s:



Upon their return, a photo with Josh. The two then disappeared outside and were gone for 12m53s:



Upon their return, a photo with Jere. The two then disappeared outside and were gone for 7m21s:



Upon their return, a photo with Craig. The two then disappeared outside for infinity. Shortly, a woman ran past screaming: "My eyes! My eyes!" Connected?:



Upon their return, a photo with me. However, as you can tell by the photo, I had recently watched a blank VHS tape and received a call telling me "Seven Days...", so Polt was hesitant to go outside. No matter, the singing began!



Dave took the microphone first and wowed us with his rendition of the instrumental theme to "Peanuts":



Kari was up next with his take on a Bubbi Morthens classic: Kannski Varð Bylting Vorið:



Next up was Josh singing some forgettable pop song released in the last 5 minutes. At least his voice is mellifluous:



Craig took his turn with his take on the theme song to "Small Wonder":



Poor Enrico just realized that Mariah Carey will not be nominated for "Precious". Polt comforts him while Dave S. mocks from afar:



The "Lady Marmalade" number!. Everyone did a fine job until Jere took the microphone, channeled his inner Young Jeezy and busted forth with a rap that had the power to reignite the West Coast/East Coast feud. If in danger, he can always move to Kalamazoo to live with Tupac and Biggie (also Elvis and James Dean.):



Sadly, my awesome spoken-word poetry version of "9 to 5" was not to be. Time had run out. We moved outside for a group shot:



Then it was off to dinner. (Well, at least for Jere.):







After dinner at the restaurant, we headed downtown to go to....another restaurant. On the subway down, I had the opportunity to listen in to Enrico and Josh's conversation. Paraphrase follows:



"So I'm totez going to buy a churchez, and gutz it and make it a house. Then I can adoptez 3 kids."
"3? Like Britney's 3? It's number 1!"
"Defferz, so I can adoptez a little white girl, a little black gurl and a little asain gyrl."
"OMG, it's a rainbow of colors!"
"Totez! It's like I'm adopting a bag of skittlez."
"What would happen if Pink chokez on skittlez?"
"Noez! I would so cry, then die then get dragged to hell."
"Totez dragged to hell."

And who would drag them to hell? Kari!:



Proving what that crazy guy on the street told me. "Icelandiandians are evil."

Back to Enrico and Josh, I can only imagine them as friends during my growing up era of the 80's:



"So I'm totally going to buy a church, then gut it apart and make the most gnarly house out of it. Then I'm going to adopt 99 kids."
"99? Like Nena's 99? That's number 1!"
"Awesome! So I'm going to adopt from every country I can think of."
"Tubular! It's like you're adopting a pack of Dynamints."
"What would happen if Martika choked on a Dynamint?"
"Barf me out! I would totally cry, then die, then go Back to the Future."
"Totally Back to the Future"


We reached the second restaurant of the evening: Room Service. Their attempt at different came in the idea that 1 chair at every table should have an entire actual door acting as the back of the chair. I was the lucky one to sit at the special seat, and it was extremely comfortable for a monk. Meanwhile, once we got to the restaurant, Polt took a picture of himself. He then disappeared by himself outside for 2m12s:



A few last rounds of drinks were consumed. Craig was engrossed by a discussion on the semantics of---HOLY CRAP! His hand is huge! That thing could swat a mouse to death:



Josh took advantage of a break in conversation to practice his version of "Blue Steel":



Sadly, Jere is oblivious to the creeping hand from the mirror dimension in the background headed to snatch his soul:



Eventually though, all good things must come to an end. Hugs were shared, as were taxis, apartment floors and hotel beds. The evening concluded and we all made our way home while telling the person next to us what we really thought about the others who were now out of earshot.

What did I take from the evening?

Well....

Irish people dress funny (and look homicidal):



Kari was birthed from a 1980's European perfume commercial:



Polt's smile never stops, mostly from all the (CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED) he engages in.



Josh and Enrico have developed their own language to be studied by future anthropologists:



Chris D. and Dave S. can wear anything and make it look good:



Dave will punch those who are not B-52's fans:



Jere will never get a break from law school work:



This night could only have happened in NYC!:

Thank You Ellen

Question

What is it about the Canadian Penny? I understand that Canada is right next to the U.S. and is on relatively good terms with us, however, their penny is technically foreign currency. Still, nearly every store I go to is more than willing to either take a Canadian Penny from me or give one back in change, as if it's interchangeable with our Lincoln Penny. I've never found any other currency that will work this way. Our neighbor to the South, Mexico, doesn't have coinage that works it's way into the cash registers. I don't see Euro cents or other European coinage ever appear in cash registers, but I come across more Canadian Pennies that I can keep track of. What bizarre hold does this foreign coin have on the retail workers of America that is can be used so easily? Color me confused (which I believe is a shade of fuchsia).

NYFF Schedule

So I've set up my schedule for the NYFF this year. Between my weekend job and an impending visit by a cousin from out west, I've had to curtail the number of films I see from roughly 20 down to 7 this year. Oh well. If anyone (by some magic chance) happens to be at the films or in the vicinity of Lincoln Center, say hi!

Friday, September 25: Wild Grass 6pm

Saturday, September 26: The Wizard of Oz 11am

Saturday, September 26: Eccentricities of a Blond Haired Girl 5:30pm

Saturday, September 26: Vincere 8:30pm

Monday, September 28: Police, Adjective 9:15pm

Thursday, October 1: Lebanon 9:30pm

Friday, October 2: Antichrist 9:00pm

Farewell, Mary

Jeez, this song still can bring a tear to my eye.

Well, that blew.

So my trip down to the city for the Kathy Griffin signing turned into an unmitigated disaster. After checking the Barnes and Noble website to make sure the event was on, I made my way down to Manhattan.

First stop was Lincoln Center to pick up my tickets for the New York Film Festival. I paid last Monday (8/31) and was told the tickets would be at the box office waiting for me. They weren't. Nobody had brought any of the tickets down for pickup. In the only nice thing that was to happen that evening, Rob, the point man for the tickets, personally came down with just my set to hand them to me and chat for a few seconds. That was incredibly nice of him, I was half expecting to be told just to come back another day.

I then hopped on the subway and made the 30 minute trek down to Warren Street and the B&N. Upon arriving, we were told the following. 1. We HAD to purchase a copy of the book prior to attending the event. 2. If we wanted a book signed, we had to have a colored wristband in order to stand in line. Well, neither of those stipulations were mentioned on the website. It turned out that people had been buying books and lining up since 6:00AM. There were nearly 1000 people in line, and the chances of a signature were almost nil. Undaunted, I hopped on line to get the book. With only 4 people left in front of me, the store announced that they had run out of copies of the book, but I could buy an audio copy if I wished. No thanks, I'll wait until I'm blind for audio books.

Ok, I figured I'd still stand by the crowd and watch the event, just not be able to get anything signed. Sigh. The line for the event snaked in and out of nearly every aisle of the store. Then it turned out that the event was being held in a small corner, one that was unviewable unless you were directly in front of it, which the people aced out of books could not get to. So I stood there and listened to Kathy talk for only 6 minutes before sitting down to sign.

Dejected, I made my way back uptown and went to the Barnes and Noble on 67th Street and bought a copy of the book there. I got home and went to look through it only to discover that a printing error covered a number of the pages in large ink blotches, rendering the book worthless. I'll need to exchange it.

So basically, I blew $50 on a trip to the city to listen to Kathy Griffin speak for 6 minutes without being able to see her. Not a pleasant evening.

I'm There!

Finally! I hear about an event before it actually happens. I've lost count of the number of concerts or book signings from people/groups I like because I didn't find out about it until after it took place.

So Kathy Griffin will be signing her new autobiography at the Barnes & Noble on Warren Street somewhere in NYC (must be in lower Manhattan, I've never heard of it)next Tuesday the 8th. This I can make. Who wants to come?

Oh man

WTF? The tennis has barely started and Tipsy's already out? I need to find better players to follow. Jeez, Wawrinka's out too. Hopefully Safin or Roddick can make a serious go at it this year. I'm attending Thursday night, fingers crossed for somebody good to watch.

Too good to pass up.

Well, at least one person won't be seeing Avatar.

I'm somewhere else.

So today I can be found over at Craig's blog Puntabulous. This will mark my second guest appearance over there this month. The first appearance happened while I was out of town, hence the lack of mention.

Basically, a description of today's guest post can be boiled down to me acting as a total dweeb. Head over and enjoy.

Ph3ar my dweebiness.

ingergay ogersray

Starting at the 1:38 mark , I have absolutely no idea how she managed to pull it off. I would have broken down crying if I had to try to learn this version of the lyrics.

Simplicity Itself

Amazing how sometimes the simplest thing can provide such pleasure.

Sad Trombone

NYFF!

And the list is up. I already see about 15 I'm going to get a ticket for...maybe 4 or 5 others. Ah...so many choices.....


OPENING NIGHT
Wild Grass / Les herbes folles
Alain Resnais, France, 2009; 113m
The venerable Alan Resnais creates an exquisite human comedy of manners, mystery and romance with some of France's - and our - favorite actors: Sabine Azéma, André Dussollier, Emmanuelle Devos and Mathieu Almaric. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

CENTERPIECE
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Lee Daniels, USA, 2009; 109m
Precious is sixteen and living a miserable life. But she uses all the emotional energy she possesses to turn her life around. Director Lee Daniel's audacious tale features unforgettable performances by Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe. A Lionsgate release.

CLOSING NIGHT
Broken Embraces / Los abrazos rotos
Pedro Almodóvar, Spain, 2009; 128m
Almodóvar's newest masterwork is a candy-colored emotional roller that barrels from comedy to romance to melodrama to the darker haunts of film noir and stars his muse, Penélope Cruz, in a multilayered story of a man who loses his sight and the love of his life. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

36 Views of Saint-Loup Peak / 36 Vues Du Pic Saint Loup
Jacques Rivette, France, 2009, 84m
The legendary Jacques Rivette returns with an elegiac look at the final days of a small-time traveling circus.

Antichrist
Lars von Trier, Denmark, 2009, 109m
Surely to be one of the year's most discussed films, Lars von Trier's latest chronicles a couple's efforts to find their love again after a tragic loss, only to unleash hidden monsters lurking in their souls. An IFC Films release.

The Art of the Steal
Don Argott, USA, 2009, 101m
Bound to be controversial, this intriguing account of the travails of the legendary Barnes collection of art masterworks and the foundation set up to protect it raises vital questions about public vs. private "ownership" of art.

Bluebeard / La Barbe Bleue
Catherine Breillat, France, 2009, 78m
Two sisters reading Charles Perrault's 17th century tale of perhaps the first "serial killer" becomes a meditation on the enduring fascination with a character who has served as inspiration for countless novels, plays and films.

Crossroads of Youth / Cheongchun's Sipjaro
An Jong-hwa, Korea, 1934, 73m
The oldest surviving Korean film, this recently-rediscovered masterwork will be presented with live musical accompaniment as well as a benshi (offscreen narrator).

Eccentricities of a Blonde
Manoel de Olivera, Portugal/France, 2009, 64m
One hundred years young, director Manoel de Oliveira returns with another gem: a wry, moving tale of a pure if frustrated love adapted from a novel by Eça de Queiroz.

Everyone Else / Alle Anderen
Maren Ade, Germany, 2009, 119m
The ups and downs, joys and jealousies, frustrations and fulfillments of a young couple on a summer holiday provides the premise for this brilliant meditation on modern coupling.

Ghost Town
Zhao Dayong, China, 2008, 180m
A revealing, one-of-a-kind look at China far away from the glittering urban skylines, this portrait of a contemporary rural community in China offers extraordinary insights into everything from the role of religion to gender relationships to the place of social deviants.

Hadewijch
Bruno Dumont, France, 2009, 105m
A young woman searches for an absolute experience of faith-and in the process grows increasingly distant from the world around her.

Independencia
Raya Martin, Philippines, 2009, 77m
Maverick director Raya Martin offers a kind of alternative history of the Philippines and its struggle for nationhood in this stylized tale of a mother and son hiding in the mountains after the US takeover of the islands.

Inferno / L'Enfer
Serge Bromberg, France, 2009, 100m
A film buff's delight, Serge Bromberg film resurrects the surviving footage of Clouzot's aborted, experimental film L'Enfer, revealing a slightly mad but beguiling project that will always remain one of cinema's great "what ifs."

Kanikosen
Sabu, Japan, 2009, 109m
Kaniskosen is a highly stylized, stirring, manga-flavored update of a classic Japanese political novel, with labor unrest aboard a crab canning ship evolving into a cry of a younger generation aching to break the bonds of conformity.

Lebanon
Samuel Maoz, Israel, 2009, 92m
Debut director Samuel Maoz takes us inside an Israeli tank and the emotions of its crew during the 1982 invasion of Lebanon.

Life During Wartime
Todd Solondz, USA, 2009, 96m
Preparing for his bar-mitzvah, a young man must deal with his divorced mother's prospective fiancé as well as rumors that his own father is not really dead.

Min Yé
Souleymane Cissé, Mali/France, 2009, 135m
A work of startling originality, Souleymane Cisse's first film in over a decade insightfully and incisively chronicles the dissolution of an upper-middle class African marriage.

Mother/ Maedo
Bong Joon-ho, South Korea, 2009, 128m
Convinced that her son has been wrongly accused of murder, a widow throws herself body and soul into proving his innocence. Kim Hye-ja in the title role gives perhaps the performance of the year.

Ne Change Rien
Pedro Costa, France/Portugal, 2009, 103m
A shimmering valentine, Costa's latest is less a portrait than a kind of visual homage, to the artistry of actor and singer Jeanne Balibar.

Police Adjective / Politist, adj.
Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania, 2009, 115m
Discovering a teenager with hashish, a young policeman hesitates about turning him in. But his supervisor has other ideas in this beautifully acted, provocative modern morality play. An IFC Films release.

Room and a Half / Poltory Komnaty Ili Sentimentalnoe Puteshtvie Na Rodinu
Andrey Khrzhanovsky, Russia, 2009, 131m
Former animator Andrey Khrzhanovsky combines scripted scenes, archival footage, several types of animation, and surrealist flights of fancy to create this stirring portrait of poet Josef Brodsky and the postwar Soviet cultural scene. A Seagull Films release.

Sweetgrass
Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor, USA, 2009, 105m
This breathtaking chronicle follows an ever-surprising group of modern-day cowboys as they lead an enormous herd of sheep up and then down the slopes of the Beartooth Mountains in Montana on their way to market.

Sweet Rush / Tatarak
Andrzej Wajda, Poland/France, 2009, 85m
Celebrated master Andrzej Wajda returns with a bold, experimental work that juxtaposes a story about a terminally doctor's wife rediscovering romance thanks with a heart-rending monologue written and performed by actress Krystyna Janda about the death of her husband.

To Die Like a Man / Morrer Como Um Homen
Joao Pedro Rodrigues, Portugal, 2009,138m
This touching, finely-etched portrait follows Tonia, a veteran drag performer confronting younger competition and her boyfriend's demands that she undergo a sex change.

Vincere
Marco Bellocchio, Italy, 2009, 129m
Mussolini's "secret" marriage to Ida Dalser, afterwards completely denied by Il Duce, along with the son born from the relationship, becomes the springboard for this visually ravishing meditation on the fascist manipulation of history. An IFC Films release.

White Material
Claire Denis, France, 2009, 100m
A handful of Europeans try to make sense of-and survive-the chaos happening all around them in an African country torn apart by civil war.

The White Ribbon / Das weisse band
Michael Haneke, Austria/France, 2009, 144m
The Palme d'Or winner at this year's Cannes Film Festival, this is a starkly beautiful meditation on the consequences of violence-physical, emotional, spiritual-in a northern German town on the eve of World War I. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

The Wizard of Oz
Victor Fleming, 1939, USA, 103m
The 70th Anniversary of the timeless classic, presented in a spectacular newly-restored edition makes the film a new experience even for those who practically have it memorized. A Warner Bros. release

I'm Outta Here! (in 48 hours)

I'm turning in a day early here. Heading down to Atlantic City, NJ on Friday for a 1 night stopover, then onto Ocean City, NJ for a family vacation. A family vacation that now also includes my sister's in-laws, their daughter, their other daughter and her husband and a couple they know. I think the peace and quiet may be in somewhat short supply. At least I won't look as Casper the Friendly Ghostish when I get back.

See everyone on August 10th!

American Idiocy--Bikini Edition

Bikini Carjacker

Thank goodness she didn't have a gun on her, there's only one place I can think of where she could have concealed it, and that's just nasty.

Gasp!

This....got an official DVD release? Yay! I loved this show. Watched it every time Nickelodeon showed it on "The Third Eye". Now I can retire my crappy bootleg version. And why is it every time I buy some bootlegged curio at a convention, it shows up on DVD later? I'm looking at you, "Voyagers".

Besides that, this was a fabulously creepy British sci-fi series from the late 1970's. It's about a scientist father (Professor Brake) who, along with his son (Matthew), moves to the town of Milbury to study an ancient circle of stones there. The stones were rumored to have some sort of power, and as the father studies them, he and his son realize that all is not right in the town. Person by person, the townspeople are turning into "Happy Ones". Death and mystery ensue.

Can Professor Brake and Matthew discover the secret of the stones and save the townspeople before becoming "Happy Ones" themselves? You'll have to either buy the DVD, or ask me to make you a copy off the set I own to find out.

P.S. Ooooooh. "The Tomorrow People" on DVD also? My day is made. All's that left is for the USA to put out a version of the blog's namesake "Into the Labyrinth."

A Place To Vent

Customers Suck

I worked retail for 14 years. All at Blockbuster Video. Generally, most days were quite pleasant. I was usually able to defuse most situations pretty quickly. However, there were times when all one could do was shake with anger after a customer left. Luckily, I found the above outlet. Customers Suck. It's a website devoted to retail workers, teachers, IT people, whoever, telling their stories about the sucky customers that make it harder to get through the day.

Even though it's been 4 years since I've been in retail, I still enjoy heading over there to see what others have to put up with. It makes me feel a little better knowing I'm not dealing with customers like that anymore. The best stories, of course, are the ones where the customer gets pwned.

So if anyone reading this has a job where you deal with the horrible public, head on
over, create an account, click on forums and share your stories. It feels good to get them off your chest, and the others posters will offer sympathy.

(Someday, I'll share some of the more interesting characters I met while working at Blockbuster.)

10%

Yay! I finally got my 10 percent key chain from Weight Watchers! I actually earned it a few weeks ago, but the stellar employees there had a little trouble realizing that 10% of 200lbs is 20lbs and not 25lbs. Oh well. I have it now. That leaves only about 13 lbs to go before I reach my goal. After that, I guess it will be my personality that repels the guys I am attracted to.

Time to celebrate. Bananas with Hershey's Chocolate Syrup! (Lite syrup, of course)

Reasons for Dorkitude #23: Large Animal Statues

For some reason, I can't resist posing in front of large statues of animals.

The Answer

Sorry all.....the answer to The Man was.....SCHRANK

It was John F. Schrank that shot President Theodore Roosevelt in Milwaukee.

The Story:

The Bull Moose
Cattle Rancher, Commissioner of Police. Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Governor of New York. He was also the youngest president in American history, rising to sudden and unexpected power at the age of 42 when President McKinley was assassinated.

Roosevelt is most famous today for two things: the 'teddy bear', which is named after the man himself, and his dream project, the Panama Canal.

A canal across Central America had been a dream of travellers, exporters and explorers since the early 16th century. Roosevelt, a sometime explorer himself, certainly knew the cachet that such a project held. Before the canal, a ship sailing from the Atlantic to Pacific had to sail around the very dangerous Cape Horn, at the very southern tip of South America.

It took ten years, hundreds of millions of dollars, and cost hundreds of lives, but Roosevelt's army completed the impossible: The Panama Canal, linking the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, opened officially on August 15, 1914, and American troops have never left 'the Free Republic' of Panama since.

Roosevelt declined the opportunity to run for a third term, nominating his friend William Taft, to represent his party. He was later convinced, however, to run against Taft, even though he had to form a new third party, the National Progressive Party, in order to do so. The party was more often called The Bull Moose Party, because Roosevelt, when once asked whether he was in shape enough for another campaign, remarked that he was 'fit as a bull moose.'

The campaign was one of the most bitter and dark in American political history, with Roosevelt fighting more against his 'old friend' Taft than either of them fought against their common enemy, Woodrow Wilson.

But it could be said that Roosevelt's vision protected him in more ways than one. It was in Milwaukee, at the height of the campaign, when he was hit by a gunshot from a barkeeper named John Schrank.



The Barkeep
John F. Schrank, born in Bavaria, came to America at the age of 13. His parents died soon after, and Schrank came to work for his uncle, a New York tavern owner and landlord. Upon their deaths, Schrank's aunt and uncle left him these valuable properties, from which it was expected he could live a quiet and peaceful life. But Schrank was heartbroken, having now lost not only his second set of 'parents', but his first and only girlfriend, in a ferry accident in New York's East River.

Schrank sold the properties, and drifted around the East Coast for years. He became profoundly religious, and a fluent Bible scholar whose debating skills were well-known around his neighborhood's watering holes and public parks. He wrote spare and vivid poetry. He spent a great deal of time walking around city streets at night. He caused no documented trouble.

It is unclear when his interest in domestic politics so flared that he would attempt to kill Roosevelt. It is known that he was a staunch opponent (to say the least) of a sitting President's ability to seek a third term in office.

He claimed, later, that he had nothing against the man himself, and he did not intend to kill 'the citizen Roosevelt', but rather 'Roosevelt, the third termer.' He claimed to have shot Roosevelt as a warning to other third termers, and claimed further that it was the ghost of President McKinley that told him to perform the act.

It didn't take long for Schrank to be declared insane. The doctors that examined him reported that the man was suffering from 'insane delusions, grandiose in character.'

While millions of Americans wanted him executed, Schrank lived on in a mental hospital. He died there, many years later.

The Bullet
Schrank's bullet, which struck very close to Roosevelt's heart on that cold Milwaukee night, was deflected by the glasses case in his pocket and lodged itself 'harmlessly' in his ample chest. It may also have been cushioned somewhat by the speech that Roosevelt was carrying, neatly folded, in the same breast pocket.

Roosevelt went on to deliver that very speech, that very night, before visiting the hospital to have the bullet removed. As it turned out, the bullet was lodged in his fourth rib, and doctors decided to treat the wound and leave the bullet in place. It remained there for the rest of Roosevelt's life.

His vision couldn't save him twice, though. His third-party split the political right, and he collected only 4,118,571 votes, compared to Woodrow Wilson's 6,296,547. (Taft placed third with 3,486,720).

Retiring from politics, Roosevelt led two expeditions into the Amazon jungle in 1913 and 1914, returning only when he succumbed to malaria.

In 1919, though he was weakened by his sickness, deaf in one ear and blind in one eye (he lost it while boxing at the White House), he was still widely rumored to be planning another run for the Presidency. He didn't live long enough to make any such announcement, however.

Theodore Roosevelt, the twenty-sixth president of the United States and the protagonist of everyone's favorite palindrome, died unexpectedly of complications resulting from a blood clot in his heart, on January 6, 1919.

©Rod Bruinooge

WATCH THIS NOW

Treevenge

The less I say about this masterpiece, the more you will enjoy it. Go to the site, start it, make it full screen and enjoy. Best short film I've ever seen. Also NSFW, no nudity though.

1916-2009

I've spent many an hour at the Museum of Television and Radio watching old broadcasts of his. I have vague memories of Cronkite growing up; I was only 8 when he retired from CBS news. Still, as a lover of pop culture, it's always sad to see one of the greats go.

The Man

Puzzle today. Explanation later. Can anyone solve?

5:3 The Man

Find the question above, and the answer will follow. Begin.

(The picture can be embiggened by clicking on it.)

I will hunt these people down.

As I've previously stated, I am a child of adoption. No clue who my birth father is, but I do enjoy wondering from time to time. Somehow, I managed to combine this line of thinking with my love of game shows and have concluded that Jim Perry would make a great father. (Hmm....I should do a rundown soon of my favorite shows/hosts...see how my thoughts match up with the other 93% of people who read this blog for 0-5 seconds a day.)

Anyhoo, imagine my horror when I came across this clip on You Tube. I do not appreciate anybody dissing on my imaginary father. I can only hope that whoever these people are, they suffered greatly after committing this slight.

$1400

That's what I need right now. Maybe I should set up one of those web sites pleading people for money. There's always a few who seem to respond to requests like that.

Avoided!

Back in NY in one piece thanks to the crew of American Airlines. Posting of random crap to resume.

Up, Up and Away

Off to Pasadena, CA this weekend for a visit with the grandfather. I shall return next Tuesday. May all have a great weekend!

Man, would I love to be there right now.

Current State of Mind

ephemera?

Is a Journey ever really over?

Hmmm

Well.....I'm not exactly sure how this happened....but somehow in celebrating the
4th this year (yes on the 3rd, I'll be working tomorrow), my friends and I ended up watching my copy of the Paul Lynde Halloween Special. It's sort of difficult to say just how bad (or kitschy) the show is, I guess the best image is shoving rusty wire hangers into your eyes.

Wild Kingdom

And this is my backyard in suburbia. At least he/she? didn't charge me, I can only imagine what fending off a savage turkey attack would be like.

Ephemera

themindracesandracesthoughtscollidingtogetherwhattodowhattosayisitiworthatrydoihavethecouragewhatwilltheoutcomebearemywordsmuddledstutterstuttercouragecouragenervessteeleditrywhatwilltheoutcomebewillmywordsbemuddledcrypticcrypticshouldihavedonethisamiruiningeverythingwasimistakenamigoingaboutitthewrongwayneverreallydoneitbeforedonotknowprotocolcrypticcrypticinterestednotinterestedaremywordsmuddleddoesthemeaningcomethroughclearhardtoreadhardtotellcannotsayforsurepleasantpleasanttoonervousfirsttimeihavereallydonethissomuchcouragetodrumupoutcomeoutcomedonotknowreflectrethinkreplayoverandoverandoverandoverrightwordsrightmeaningswrongreadrightreaddonotknowanothertrymorecourageclearerwordsisastingunavoidabledonotknowneedtowaitwaitwaitwaitwait

Initial Perspective

This may not exactly follow poetic conventions of meter, rhyme or quality, but I've never claimed to be a poet.

"Initial Perspective"

'Twas the day of NYC Pride,
and all were celebrating.
I watched a parade
just standing there, waiting.

I saw politicians
and go-go boys galore;
but I said to myself,
"Surely, there must be more."

I stood there for hours,
then round the corner I did see...
the Pride Center of Jersey
and my new friend Chris D.

I got his attention
and briefly we did meet;
then he continued marching
to Christopher Street.

I started to wander
over to Pride Fest;
not much to see,
certainly not their best.

Then Chris called me up;
"Hey, let's get together."
I went to go meet him
knowing the day would get better.

We walked through the fest,
again, not much of a treat,
then we decided
that it was time to eat.

We went on our way,
and accidentally walked north,
but eventually made it
to Broadway and 4th.

All during this time,
we talked as peers.
An amazing conversation,
best I've had in years.

After the lunch,
down to Stonewall Inn,
packed with many revelers,
hard to hear in the din.

First bar I've been too
in God knows how many years,
Though Chris managed to
allay all my fears.

A couple of drinks,
a couple of songs,
back into the street
away from the throng.

Up to the 20's
and a place called View Bar,
to meet Chris' friends,
since it wasn't that far.

We met up with Stephen
and also Chris Nash;
then things got really fun
as the stories got hashed.

Off to X es
and my lack of dance skill.
Seriously, I need some moves
for a vibe I can kill.

I gave it a try,
and I'm not good still,
then a random stranger grinded me
and got up in my grill.

A few drinks for Mr. Highbrow
and the shirt nearly comes off,
Sex Vs. Intimacy
and who we would boff.

Then Chris N. had to go
and help out a friend,
He was quite a great guy
sad the time had to end.

Off to Cafeteria
for a late night bite,
more great conversation
late into the night.

Now it's 1:30am
and Stephen left then
I had a good time with him,
hopefully we'll meet again.

So Chris and I walked uptown
thankful for no rain,
then one small problem,
Chris D. missed his train.

So to Jersey I drove him
and we talked more on the way.
Eventually his house was reached,
and thus ended the day.

We parted with a hug
and promises to meet again soon;
back to NY I drove,
and got home before noon.

On the way back home,
I was sad the day had to end,
but one thought made me happy,
I've made an awesome, great new friend.

Team Duncan

After a marathon viewing of Total Drama Island and the 1 hour special, I am ready to enjoy Total Drama Action! I've got the first 13 episodes ready to go, then will be able to enjoy it on a week to week basis. Plainly, I am rooting for Duncan to take the win on season 2. I find him to be the most consistently funny character after Izzy, but there's no way she'd ever win. Besides, who doesn't like the bad boy?

Strange End to a Strange Life

Surprised, but not shocked.

A former co-worker of mine put it best when he said: "I think it's ironic that every little boys crush dies on the same day as the guy who had a crush on every little boy."

Maybe not exactly the truth, but funny.

Which reminds me:



I never owned this poster growing up, I might have realized I was gay a lot earlier if I did (seriously, it's a bit creepy). At least both of them have their peace now.

Scratch That

Oh well, maybe it's Andy Roddick's time again.

Daddy?

Being adopted, I have occasionally wondered who and where my birth father is. Never really have had much of an interest in finding him, maybe someday. More often, however, I think of how cool it would be if he turned out to be a celebrity. And who would be cooler than Jim Perry? Sure, there are some game show hosts that might be more famous than him, but between Card Sharks and Sale of the Century (two of my favorites), well....I just think it would be neat.

Above is one of my favorite clips, the only time a contestant shot the moon on the Big Money cards.

How sad is it that all the great hosts will probably be gone in the next decade or so? Ludden, Cullen, Barry, Rayburn are already gone. Kennedy, Barker and Hall are in their 80's and Perry, Dawson, Eubanks and Martindale in their 70's. Only Chuck Woolery is still in his 60's and just barely.

Maybe I should do more game show posts? It's one of my favorite topics.

Le Sigh

Jeez, I just can't catch a break anymore rooting for Marat. Already out of Wimbledon. Oh well, hopefully I'll catch him at the US Open before he retires.

At least Janko and Andy are still in the running.

You don't need no stinking report

So I was on the job last weekend driving the taxi. It had been a nice, albeit long day. The last train pulled in at 2:30, I got two fares from it, both a couple miles away. Ok, so it won't be a quick finish, but I should still be done by 3:00 then home by 3:30. I drop off the last fare, turn to head back to the station where I will hopefully get the word to fill up, I go to turn left onto the main road back to the station when...

SHEAR!

A young woman blows through the red light facing her and takes off the front of the cab. It was a rather amazing accident. Oddly, I didn't even feel the hit. It was so neatly done that the car wasn't jostled into another position at all. The detritus covered about a 100 yard radius. The front part of the cab had nearly been shorn off; save for a few dangling pieces, it was a clean break. Bumper, headlights, grill, all neatly shaved off right to where the hood started. Three more feet into the intersection and it would have been the driver's side door she hit.

Then it got strange. The police were called. The young woman said her father worked as a captain in the police department. About four minutes later, her father did pull up to the accident scene, shortly followed by a squad car. The police took my information and my side of the story. I went to ask the woman for her information and exchange mine, but she wouldn't talk to me. She said I would have to go through her father. Her father would only mention how old the cab looked and wouldn't give me any information. He would keep going off to talk to the two officers by himself. Every time I would sidle up close to see what was going on, one of the officers would say that everything was all right and I could sit down and relax. When the father was not talking to the officers, he was telling his daughter to be quiet and sit in his car.

Eventually, I was given a slip of paper with both of our information on it and told that this was all I needed. The tow truck for the cab came, I went back to the station and got home about 4:40am, then had to be at work eight hours later.

Cut to today. I went downtown to get a copy of the police report. Everyone I know said it was very strange to have this father do most of the talking since he wasn't even there for the accident. I should make sure that this report didn't say something completely opposite of what happened. I agreed and went to see what the report did say. I get to the records office, give the details of the date, time and report number and was told the the report was a "Code 4", meaning that no official report of the accident was to be filed. Hmmmm. This smells to me like a cover up. Most likely the girl was drinking or realized she was at fault for the accident, and her father did not want negative consequences for her, so he made sure that nothing would be filed that could be harmful to his daughter.

I still haven't heard anything from the cab company about it, I would like to talk to the boss so I can find out if there's anything information I'm unaware of, but none of my phone calls are returned (not a huge surprise). For the moment, it looks as if the matter is closed, at least there's no report that claims something negative about me, and I drove this past weekend, so the company can't be too mad. If anything else develops from this, I'll update.

Waiting for the call.......

So back on June 9th, I had an interview for a teaching position. I thought the interview went rather well and even sent a thank you note the next day filling in some of the blanks I felt were left from the interview.

Cut to today...and....nothing. No word at all yet. I'm slightly loathe to call since I don't want to be viewed as a pest, but I would imagine that two weeks should be enough time to make the decision, especially as the school year ends on Friday. I'm not going around assuming that I didn't get the job, but after this amount of time with no contact, I don't think it's looking too positive.

Brooke

I don't know. I've just been in a Rupert Brooke mood recently. A tad melancholy, a tad crazed, a tad restless.

At least it's only once a year......

Thank God I'm still amazingly youthful looking.

Earth Shmay

I'm not sure where all the hoopla for this comes from. Earth Day? April 22nd? The way I see it is this. At this current moment in time, I'm 35 years old (36 in 8 days). If I'm a very lucky person, I'll make it to 100 to get a Willard Scott shoutout. Yes, there are some definite signs that global warming is speeding up, but I can't see anything truly significant happening to Earth in the next 64 years. So what do I care? I'm no Earth hater by any means, I'm not spraying aerosol cans into the atmosphere for shits and giggles, but I just can't buy into all the roohah for this. Now, if reincarnation is proved to me, thereby ensuring my continued existence on this planet beyond my life in this body, then I will reassess the situation.

Salmon P. Chase, Where Are You?

Slowly the Walls Start to Close

American Idol-- Free Child with Every Song

So I finally sat down to watch American Idol in earnest this season. I've sort of popped in and out the past few weeks, but after watching both of the last seasons in full, I just wasn't ready for another few months of auditions and Hollywood week. I didn't even really watch the first few weeks of public eliminations as they went back to the original way of eliminating contestants and I didn't want to watch 9 people sing every week that I wasn't going to see ever again.

So this was my first introduction to most of the contestants this season and I must say I was decently impressed. It's hard to choose an absolute favorite at this point, but Adam Lambert's version of "Black and White" was the best of the evening by far. Though how awesome would it have been if he performed the Macaulay Culkin rap piece from the song?

Anyhoo.....not that I'm old...I'm not....and maybe it comes from living in close proximity to NYC, but I was shocked at and lost count of the number of contestants who were 23 or under and were married with children or unmarried with children. Holy Crap! It seemed like every other person had a child or was divorced. I was just basically out of college at 23, and even if I could have gotten married in this country back then, it was the last thing on my mind. Even my sister didn't get married until she was 28 and was 30 when she had her first child. Is this something new, or has my head been stuck in the sand?

Another Reason I'm Happy

Dancing With the Stars is back on! I don't know exactly why, but I love watching this show. Plus it brings Mark Ballas (who is just hot) and Johnathan Roberts (who sadly is married) back onto my television. Here's hoping both of them make the finals......

Reason I'm happy.....

Thank God for Tivo! I thought Reaper was coming back on the 17th. I never took off my season pass from last year, so imagine my surprise when I found a brand new episode awaiting me the other day. Ah, so nice to have Bret Harrison back on the hair. Spring is definitely coming.

New Netflix Queue

I' ve added a something or other, feedburn? rss thingy? to the sidebar showing the top few films on my Netflix Queue, in addition to the ones I have at home. Cringe to the horrors of the crap I watch!

Hmmm..

Well, I've had time let it sink in. 21/24 correct on the Oscars, my best year ever. 87.5% Can't be upset though, never would have gotten all 24. Could have guessed Sean Penn, and possibly The Dark Knight in Sound Whatever, but never would have seen Departures in Foreign Film. I don't think it even opens here until June. Ah well, bring on next year.

My bologna has a first name.....

Well, my lack of a well-paying job and worsening financial situation has left me rather apathetic to posting on a semi-regular basis, hopefully when things turn around (if), it will all get better. Still though, no reason not to post my own personal Oscar picks. Tough one this year.

Best Actor: Mickey Rourke

This could just as easily go to Sean Penn, but as the ceremony arrives, I just haven't heard the buzz surrounding Penn as you would normally expect to hear around a winner; so I'm guessing the comeback story of Rourke wins the day here.

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger

It could go to someone else, but then that person would be hated forever. The good thing is that Ledger would actually deserve the Oscar, as his performance was worthy, not just mass hysteria to honor a deceased star.

Best Actress: Kate Winslet

Again, this could easily go to Meryl Streep, and I'm sure the Academy would love to honor her again, but I think the Academy would love to honor Winslet for the first time even more. Plus, it's about the Holocaust, Ricky Gervais is right on that point.

Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz

This race is a bit more open. The only performance that has stayed with me is Cruz's. The Wrestler is all about Rourke, so I don't think it will go to Tomei. Henson was fine but forgettable. Adams was also fine but a bit one note, though people do seem to like her. Davis did a great job with her scene, but I didn't think it was as amazing as others thought. So I say Cruz, with hesitation.

Best Animated Feature: WALL-E

The Panda beat it at the animation awards, but more people vote for the Oscar, so WALL-E will take home it's due.

Best Art Direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The film looked beautiful, and it got to follow the characters through many different time periods. Maybe The Dark Knight could upset it, and if it had scored a Best Picture nod it might have, but Button has to win something.

Best Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire

Maybe not the best choice, but it was vibrant and kinetic, and that will win the day.

Best Costume Design: The Duchess

After watching Elizabeth: The Golden Sequel win, I realized that Best Costume means best period film, so The Duchess will win for its finery.

Best Director: Danny Boyle

I actually liked Slumdog Millionaire and was happy to see it nominated for so many awards. Frost/Nixon and Button I thought were boring, The Reader was good until that twist, then the film started to unravel. I loved Milk, but I don't think it has enough oomph to overthrow Slumdog in major categories. So Boyle will take home the Oscar.

Best Documentary Feature: Man on Wire

A two way race between Man and Herzog's Encounters. Man wins because 1. The man involved is a great storyteller and 2. It's about the World Trade Center.

Best Documentary Short: Smile Pinki

I arrived 3 hours early for the screenings of the shorts and it was already sold out! What's the deal? MOMA needs to hold 2 screenings at least. A tougher call without seeing them, but consensus seems to be between the MLK associated The Witness and the Indian Cleft Lip story Smile Pinki. I'm thinking cute and adorable wins the day, so Pinki will take it.

Best Editing: Slumdog Millionaire

Spirited and kinetic wins the day. It does seem as if fast paced usually wins the day here.

Best Foreign Language: The Class

The Class is an amazing film, and not just because I'm an unemployed teacher. This category can be tough to call as only qualified voters and vote, and 3 of the nominees has not been released to see yet, but I can't imagine much being better than The Class.

Best Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I'd love to see Hellboy II win here, but I think most people would associate the makeup jobs with visual effects, so Button will pick up the Oscar here, and hey, it has to win something.

Best Original Score: Slumdog Millionaire

Hmmm....I wonder what the opposite of this award would be? Remember when it used to be 2 different awards? Anyhoo, the Indian rhythms of Slumdog will win as it's new to many.

Best Original Song: Jai Ho

Everyone watches the dance to it over the end credits of Slumdog, so how can it not win?

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire

The coronation will be around 11:30ish EST. I found Button to be rather dull and that seems to be a minor refrain, so that will keep it from winning. Frost/Nixon was also dull and I'm not exactly sure how that got nominated. Milk would be my second choice, and it would be a worthy winner, but again, no oomph. The Reader's second half keeps it from winning. So Slumdog it is.

Best Animated Short Film: La Maison en Petits Cubes

These I did see. All 5 are good, but La Maison was quite touching and brought a tear to my eye. Only Presto has a chance to unseat it.

Best Live Action Short Film: Toyland

It's about the Holocaust, and is actually good to boot.

Best Sound Editing: Slumdog Millionaire

This probably should go to The Dark Knight, but I think most voters are going to give it to Heath Ledger and call it a day, so the kineticism of Slumdog will win here.

Best Sound Mixing: Slumdog Millionaire

This probably should go to The Dark Knight, but I think most voters are going to give it to Heath Ledger and call it a day, so the kineticism of Slumdog will win here.

Best Visual Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Brad Pitt looking 16 again? What's not to love. Besides, Button has to win something.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog takes a concept that sounds cringe inducing to hear and makes a great film out of it. I know some others don't like Slumdog, but I'm not one of them.

Best Original Screenplay: Milk

Here's the category that Milk can win in. Unless there's an swelling of support for Mike Leigh, Dustin Lance Black will win.