google.com, pub-4909507274277725, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 Slapinions: 2011

Search This Blog

Friday, December 30, 2011

Ya know how I said "11/22/63" would be the last book I read this year? Sadly, I am a man with no willpower. I just finished two books today. "Agent to the Stars" a comic sci-fi novel by John Scalzi (a name old J-Lander's should recognize), wandered off plot for a bit but was still worth a 'B', and "Angle of Investigation" by Michael Connelly, an ebook that's really just a novella's worth of Harry Bosch stories. I'd grade the first of the stories an A, the second a B, and third (surprise!) a mere C/C-.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Quote

"Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means." - Ronald Reagan

4 Films

"Jackass 3" - the funniest installment yet. Luvvved it.

"Another Earth" - slow and intellectual (what I call a 'Oriental' film, after the pretentious theater on the East side). But I liked it, and would recommend it.

'Faces in the Crowd', starring Mila Jovovich, is a thriller about a woman who survives a serial killer attack only to lose the ability to recognize faces, leading to a wee bit of a problem once the killer returns to visit. Standard fare, no better or worse than a C.

'Limitless' was silly but a lot of fun, and it didn't end as I thought it would (always a plus). I'd give it a B/B+

Monday, December 19, 2011

11/22_63

Today I finished reading Stephen King's time travel thriller "11/22/63". It had plenty of tension filled moments, was chock full of historical detail (largely unadulterated by the needs of the plot) and in short it was a fun read. A. [note: this will probably be the last book I read in 2011. I think I'll take it easy and start up again in the new year]

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Kim Jon II and Vaclav Havel

Kim Jon II, the leader of North Korea, is dead. He was a nut and a sabre rattler and has kept his country in the stone age for decades. Meanwhile Vaclav Havel, a longtime anti-communist activist, playwright, former Czech President and perennial contender for the Nobel Peace Prize has died at age 75. Any bets on which one will get more press?

Friday, December 16, 2011

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Kudos to Smiley for pronouncing his "Sh" sound worksheet correctly!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Fright Night

Redboxed the remake of "Fright Night" and wonder of wonders it's better than the original. The writing is sharp, blending horror and laughs in all the right proportions, and the acting is terrific (special nod to Anton Yelchin). Plus - drum roll please - DAVID TENANT, aka the Doctor, stars as vampire hunter Peter Vincent. Hell, even the *bloopers* on the DVD were worth the rental fee. A+

Monday, December 12, 2011

Try It

What I Learned Today: The english bits of 'Feliz Navidad' lends itself perfectly to a Dracula/Transylvanian accent.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Unkwown

Tonight, after the "30 Minutes . ." dud, we put in Liam Neeson's "Unknown". I liked it. A little long, a little improbable, but entertaining and with an imaginative little premise. B+

A Nightmare

Went to bed 'round midnight, woke up at 4:04 from a nightmare bad enough that I promptly went downstairs and hurled. Great night.

Atlas Shrugged Pt 1

i watched "Atlas Shrugged Pt 1" yest. Objectively, it was an ok film that struggled at times to find enough action to warrant its length. Subjectively, it was great to see a film that correctly warns of a near future where the governments whims trump private property, free markets, and worst of all initiative. Lisa stated a few times that "that could never happen". Wait and see. Wait and see.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Friday, December 9, 2011

Jerry Robinson

Jerry Robinson, the creator of The Joker, Robin, Two-Face, Alfred, and other staples of Batman lore is dead. He was 89. RIP.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

The Rocker

BTW, our movie last night was "The Rocker" with Rainn Wilson as a guy who spends 20 years in a funk after being dumped by a band on the brink of superstardom, only to get a second chance behind the kit for his nephew's band. I expected the movie to be awful and was pleasantly surprised. It isn't going to resonate in my heart forever or anything, but it was a moderately funny, mildly sweet feel good story.

Quote

William Temple replied to his critics who regarded answered prayer as no more than coincidence, “When I pray, coincidences happen; when I don’t, they don’t.”

 - David Watson, Called & Committed, (Harold Shaw Publishers, Wheaton, IL; 1982), p. 83

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Harry Morgan

Harry Morgan (aka Col. Potter on MASH) has died at age 96. RIP sir, I enjoyed your work.
The Journal-Sentinel just asked me to do an extended column for publication on Christmas Day. Quoting the email from the editor: "You seem to have a knack for writing holiday columns with just the right feel." Flattered and all, blah blah, but mighty sick of being good enough to be sought out for publication and yet never considered for regular work.

My Thoughts

Former IL Gov Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison today on corruption charges. Blech. I'm all for punishing the guilty, but to my mind imprisoning someone for a non-violent crime seems like a waste of resources. Stab someone, rape, murder, even risk someone's death (by drunk driving or by carrying a weapon during a crime) and by all means lock 'em up, but short of that there have to be more cost-effective & intelligent solutions.

We Remember

70 years ago today my maternal grandparent's were on a date at the Riverside Theater. The movie was stopped, the lights came on, and an announcement was made that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. They both knew my Great Uncle Leo (grandma's brother) was stationed there that morning. He was part of the crew of the USS Vestal, moored alongside the Arizona. Luckily, he survived, but of course 2000 Americans did not. To all the men at Pearl that day, thank you for your service. We'll always remember.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

We just finished watching "Forgetting Sarah Marshall". It was much, much better than your average comedy/rom-comedy, Kudos to Segel for a funny, well-crafted script that made the characters real and complex, each with their own flaws and strengths. I was really impressed (and the great cast didn't hurt). A + (Lisa was less keen on it, but ya ain't hear to read her opinions, are ya?;)

Monday, December 5, 2011

St Nick is Coming!

The stockings are full and laid out by the fireplace. An unintentional compliment from the kids tonight: one of them asked why we bothered with the stockings since "there's always too much to fit in them anyway". For that, a big thank you to Lisa, who I swear works all year long to compile an impressive hoard of goodies for the holidays.


The Smurfs

I just finished watching 'The Smurfs'. It is what it is, a not unpleasant kids movie w/ a nostalgic hook for the grown-ups. NPH, as is his norm, rocked.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Moving Malcolm

"Moving Malcom" is a film about a guy who's devastated when his fiance (Elizabeth Berkeley) leaves him at the altar. A year later she calls him - but only to ask if he could help her elderly Dad move while she's out of town. It's more of a mild drama than a comedy, but enjoyable either way. B.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

judy Lewis

The secret illegitimate daughter of Clark Gable and Loretta Young; I  just saw her speak on a documentary a few months back. RIP.

Becoming Chaz

Long day. As a nightcap we watched "Becoming Chaz", a documentary that followed Chaz Bono through the 1st year of his transition from a female to a male. Excepting the morbid title music, it was a happy if not carefree window into his life, made all the easier to accept by his likable personality and the presence of his quirky girlfriend. Read between the lines of the doc though, and you'll come away certain that the relationship btwn Chaz and Cher is tenuous (if loving), and that he is far more accepted by his father's side of the family. It's Lisa's opinion that this has as much to do with Cher's reaction to Chaz's weight and non Cher-ness  as his gender. I think it's a good point.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Changes in the Mass

I went to the school Mass today, the first featuring the 'new translation', and it was a mess. Nothing sounded 'right', everyone was stumbling over lines, I was reflexively answering w/ the 'old' responses, some kid got stagefright and couldn't do his petition, the Communion lines got inexplicably turned around and out of order, and the guest Priest was so dry I think he sleeps in a dehydrator. Geesh. You'd think after 2000 years we could put on a better show . . .

Thanksgiving 2011

This year work and whatnot ('whatnot' including family that didn't return our calls re: dinner plans) conspired against a traditional sit down dinner. So instead, after work, we hightailed it down to Kenosha, about a 40 minute ride, to dine at Golden Corral, an all you can eat buffet we'd noticed on a prior road trip.

Photobucket

The price, even while inflated for the holiday, was reasonable. For six people it was $54, far less than I would have paid for all the fixin's at home.

Photobucket

The place was packed, and we g0t there only an hour before it closed, but we were seated quickly and as a buffet the food was immediate. I stuck exclusively to dinner fare - meatloaf, potato, broccoli, roll, etc - while Lisa had a salad before hitting the dinner section.

The kids on the other hand . . . well, they ate some protein and some veggies at our insistence,

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket



but mainly they just raided the dessert table. They were ecstatic over the sight of a chocolate fountain

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket


Oh, and cotton candy. Did I mention they liked that?

Photobucket

Photobucket

We had a blast. Hey, I even impressed Lisa, stepping in and saying something to a couple who bullied their way into the restaurant as it closed. How rude - what, the staff doesn't deserve to go home and spend time with their own families?

I think we'll dine out again for the holiday, and maybe even at the Golden Corral!

Photobucket

Photobucket

My (Current) Facebook Profile Pic

FB - the end of October

October 23rd

‎10 years ago today - at 4:20 pm to be precise - the first of the Four Greatest Kids Ever was born, inaugurating me as a Dad. Happy Birthday YaYa, and welcome to the Double Digits!

"Pujol's 3HR performance last night was awesome, and one of the best WS shows ever. But best of all time? Hell no. Albert - 3 HR in a blowout of a series tied at one, and he recorded an out. Reggie: 3 HR on 3! pitches in a WS clincher won by a score of 4-3. As usual, my YANKS retain their glory and surpass the rest of baseball. REGGIE, REGGIE REGGIE!"

October 25th

15 years ago today, on what was the 25th anniversary of the UN's misguided expulsion of Taiwan, Lis and I were married. Thanks for putting up w/ this dork for 15 years Sinatra. Xoxo

Maggiano's for lunch today, courtesy of an anniversary gift card from my sister (thanks Katie!), followed immediately by a flat that necessitated a new tire. Then, with no sitter, we picked up the kids from school and retired to a night of X-Factor, some Smirnoff, and a McRib. Now we may/may not rent "Horrible Bosses" from Vudu. Not exactly a TMZ worthy day, but a decent way to pass an anniversary.

October 27th

Redbox is raising their daily DVD rental fee to $1.20. Bluray and game rental prices will remain the same."

Muslim students at a Catholic University are claiming the presence of crosses violates their 'human rights'. What crap. Nope, it's not a master plan to colonize in reverse. No sirree.

October 28th

"I finished reading "Double Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay, but don't feel up to a review right now."

October 29th

"We had a great time at the school Halloween Hoopla. Lauren even won the costume contest in her age bracket for her "Uni the Unicorn" outfit!"

"Breaking News: CNN is reporting 13 US Servicemen KIA from a suicide attack in Afghanistan . . ."

October 30th

"Heading to Kenosha, listening to Lisa and the kids sing along to Adele. Lu loves her."

"out for a walk w/ Smiley and Ginger"

October 31st

"Over the weekend I finished reading "Tension City: Presidential Debates from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain" by Jim Leher. A memoir of his own time as a pres. debate moderator, the book offers nothing new to anyone familiar with history. While the point of the book is to stress the importance of Presidential debates, it actually proves the opposite, giving ample examples of how appearance and one-liners triumph over substance."

"half an hour ago i was ready 2 kill these kids . . .now I can't stop beaming over 'em"

"‎@ dance studio waiting 4 the kids. Took the opportunity to take a brisk 32 min walk."

"kim kardashian filed for divorce today - after a whopping 72 days of marriage"

Sunday, November 27, 2011

No Higher Honor by Condoleezza Rice

I FINALLY! finished "No Higher Honor", the White House memoirs of Condoleezza Rice. Don't get me wrong, I think Rice is a heck of a stylist and the subject matter was compelling, but I think I'm burned out on political bios for the duration of 2011. Plus at 750 pages of meticulous detail it's a bit on the "not light reading" end of the scale.

Frost/Nixon and Page One

Tonight after work we watched "Frost/Nixon", a dramatization of David Frost's interviews with the 37th President. It's a great film and very compelling, and the acting was top notch. Grade: A

BTW, I think I failed to mention we recently watched the doc "Page One" about the NY Times. I get off on anything related to publishing so I enjoyed it, BUT even I have to admit it got damn boring and lost its way well before the end. Of note: I was alarmed at the scene where NBC's Brian Williams is exposed 'inventing' a hook out of whole cloth, to the professional disgust of the Times reporters. Wow. Grade: B/B-

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Grey Gardens

This morning we watched "Grey Gardens" a film based on the life of Jackie O relatives Edith Beale and her mother, whose descent into squalor and poverty was documented in a famous documentary of the mid '70's. It's a sad but hopeful little film, bouncing back and forth from the wealth and dreams of the earlier decades to the dung filled house of later years, but never surrendering the certainty of better times ahead. Very enjoyable.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Tim Cusprin

I just got a big shock when I ck'd JSOnline. Tim Cuprisin, former TV columnist and a FB friend, has passed away @ 53. RIP Tim, I valued your columns.

Super 8

I eagerly rented the JJ Abrams flick "Super 8" today. The verdict? Disappointment. I loved the cast, especially the kids, and really enjoyed watching the internal conflicts between the characters. OTOH, I thought the sci-fi plot was thin and incredibly 'been there, seen that'. Sadly, the latter took up the bulk of the film, leaving the human element to waste away into a footnote. C-

Sunday, November 20, 2011

A Headscratcher

markers the kids linked together and posted over the office door for reasons unknown

Kiss Me Deadly

I just finished watching "Kiss Me Deadly" a 1955 Mike Hammer film considered a masterpiece of dark, paranoid noir. (recently released on Criterion, it was playing on PBS) True to its reputation, the characters are dark, brooding, sadistic, and lacking any moral center. Damn good film. And the ending - YIKES! 66 years later and I honestly think the last four minutes are among the most frightening you'll see. The sound effects alone gave me the willies!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Chained

After work/dance/X-Factor I rented "Chained" an Aussie film set in the '70's. Jules is a mid-level mob guy who's given control of a brothel that deals in women forced into sexual slavery. His conscience starts to get the best of him, putting him at odds with his bosses. Horrible reviews on the web, just awful - but I liked it. I really did. Sure, it had flaws and the accents were so strong that at times I had to resort to the subtitles (which were only in Spanish!) to understand the dialogue. Still, Paul Murphy was great as Jules, and I liked the character a lot. Worth the price of a Redbox rental, for sure.

Semi-Celebrity Sighting

Today I sold a Nook to former Brewer Jerry Augustine, who was buying it for a woman who will care for him after upcoming surgery. I also sold one to Ms. Charney's husband (as a gift for her).

Monday, November 14, 2011

Sports

If the Dodgers sign Matt Kemp to an 8 year/$160 million contract, as is likely the case, then they're bleepin' morons.

Also - I had a 30 point lead going into tonight's Packers game . . . and courtesy of Aaron Rodgers, I have now *lost* this weeks fantasy matchup. 'Tis worth it, to watch Aaron pick apart the Vikings on MNF. (and there's still much of a quarter to go)

Lisa Composes a Poem

For Halloween, Lisa had to compose a nursery rhyme for Junie to take to school to accompany her (award winning) unicorn costume. Here it is: There once a unicorn named Uni/She was cute as can be, but puny/Wherever she went, she galloped so slow/her friends laughed and called her looney

Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Beaver

Last night we watched Jodie Foster's "The Beaver", a stunning examination of the impact mental illness has on a family. It's the rare script I wish I could take credit for, and Mel Gibson's nuanced performance was spellbinding. He is a man of incredible talent, & kudos to Foster for thumbing her nose @ the powers that be and casting him. A++

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Pearl Harbor Christmas: A World at War December 1941 by Stanley Weintraub

I finished reading "Pearl Harbor Christmas: A World at War December 1941" by Stanley Weintraub. It's an account of the first month the US spent in WWII, and while it was a decent read I'd classify it as "History Lite" (think a one hour PBS special, as opposed to an in-depth, well sourced treatise). 

Anyhow, I did enjoy the breathtaking story of the "Robert E Peary", a freighter that escaped Japanese detection in the Pacific, survived fierce friendly fire, and managed to limp into Port Darwin, Australia nearly intact.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Smiley and his lady



Smiley and his "wife" of two years, Tempe


Gizmo

Gizzie ~ How odd to think this cat out lived Maddie , Cocoa and everyone else !! Stolen any ham lately :) - Katie 

Five Chiefs: A Supreme Court Memoir by John Paul Stevens

I finished reading 'Five Chiefs: A Supreme Court Memoir' by retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. I learned a lot about the workings of the court, but it was so dry that it seems doomed to be forgotten.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

A People of Hope: Archbishop Timothy Dolan in conversation with John L. Allen Jr

I finished reading "A People of Hope: Archbishop Timothy Dolan in conversation with John L. Allen Jr". It's a book length interview w/ Dolan on many of the issues concerning the Church today. A great read, tempered by Allen's tendency to insert pop culture references into his commentary. I love Dolan's theory of "affirmative orthodoxy" btw.

Elecktra Luxx

Watched "Elecktra Luxx" a film about a recently retired porn star, an adoring blogger/fan, a cheating housewife, and a dead rock star. You'd think it would be raunchy and vulgar, but you know what? It was kind of sweet, and oddly Catholic. Really. A respect for the unborn, an emphasis on love and relationships, and even sincere prayers to the Virgin Mary. An entertaining if odd little film.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

I honestly never thought I'd see the day

Penn State has fired Joe Paterno . . .

Green Lantern

BTW, watched 'Green Lantern' last night. If u forget the embarrassing exposition that started the movie, and closed ur eyes 2 some of the script's weaknesses, it was actually pretty darn entertaining.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Prayers

I'm watching live coverage of the crash on 41/45 near Holy Hill Rd. Two semis, at least 3 cars, and 160 gallons of diesel fuel. Yikes.

Heavy D

RIP rapper Heavy D, age 44

Sleepy Time for Junie

Joe Frazier

RIP "Smokin" Joe Frazier, heavyweight champion of the world and Ali's greatest foe. 

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Zhu Zhu and Penguins

Today we picked up NINE Zhu Zhu pets (all working, but two not 'running') and one Club Penguin figurine, along w/ various other toys for $5.50. Rock on Value Village, Rock on.

A Walk in the Park with Smiley and Ginger

Over this past weekend I took my two youngest for a walk to a friends house, only to divert to the park when my friend was called away. We spent quite a bit of time enjoying the sights, especially the pond at the center of the park.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

They greatly enjoyed playing on the rocks at the edge of the water.

Photobucket

It was a very nice walk, and a great time with two great kids.

Photobucket

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

The Affair by Lee Child

I finished reading Lee Childs' "The Affair". I greatly enjoyed reading it, BUT upon review I've soured on it. As it includes spoilers, I'll leave those thoughts for the comments.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Tension City: Presidential Debates from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain" by Jim Leher.

Over the weekend I finished reading "Tension City: Presidential Debates from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain" by Jim Leher. A memoir of his own time as a pres. debate moderator, the book offers nothing new to anyone familiar with history. While the point of the book is to stress the importance of Presidential debates, it actually proves the opposite, giving ample examples of how appearance and one-liners triumph over substance.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Junie wins the costume contest!

We had a great time at the STAA Halloween Hoopla. Junie even won the costume contest in her age bracket for her "Uni the Unicorn" outfit!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

I finished reading "Double Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay, but don't feel up to a review right now.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

My Week

October 16th

"Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon died today in an Indy car crash. RIP"

"Not the biggest sports story of the night, I know, but I just lost my fantasy matchup. My team matched its projected total, finishing at 97.3 points, but my opponent, alas, notched 119.68. CIN did great for me (23.5 pts) but that $@# Hillis went out w/ an injury after running all of 14 yards, and as usual my WR corps earned #'s worthy of the 1905 Rutgers squad. 2 - 4 now on the year, loser of 3 in a row. Not good. Not good at all."

"What a lousy, emphatic end to the Brewers season. All allegiance now to the Rangers nation, in hopes that they can send the Cards home without a ring. Memo to future Brewers teams, only half tongue in cheek: avoid playing the Cardinals in best of seven series. It doesn't appear to be our forte."

October 17th

"i just met Tom Oslowski, a scout (currently for the Tigers) who was responsible for Darrin Erstad being drafted by the Angels"

Photobucket

Photobucket

"Sunday we watched "Vidal Sassoon: The Movie" a documentary on the life and career of the innovative tycoon: his rough childhood (including years in an orphanage) his service in the Israeli armed forces, his innovative hair salons, his media presence and his continued influence in the industry. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and finished it with a new respect for Sassoon. Available to stream via Netflix."

October 19th

"when the pressure builds too high, even volcanoes boil over, and they are made of stone. (You) are made of slightly softer stuff - Jeff Lindsay"

October 20th

"Happy Bithday Sinatra! Xoxo"

Photobucket

Photobucket

"CNN headline: "Gadhafi is dead, according to Arab sources. CNN has not confirmed the reports." FOX's less sensationalist headline: "Conflicting Reports That Gadhafi has been killed or captured". Yay Fox for doing your job right . ."

[he was dead, murdered on camera by NATO supported rebels]

"Don't argue with an idiot, others might see you and not recognize the difference"

October 21st

"Obama, actively in re-election mode, is as we speak announcing a full pullout of US troops from Iraq. CNN, oddly enough, led off by reporting this is the result of a failure to negotiate a plan to have some troops remain in-country to train Iraqi forces. Just as well. We'll need the troops for Libya, East Africa, and everywhere else our resident Nobel Peace Prize winner wishes to kill known bad guys and replace them w/ heretofore unknown bad guys."

"i see Barnes and Noble bought Borders' Facebook accounts, and B&N is now posting under the "Borders" name. Welcome to a monopoly."

October 22nd

Busy day of errands and shuttling the kids around town. Went to Yaya's volleyball game, picked her up from a bday party, got lu ready for camp, etc

Photobucket

"playing little red riding hood w/ Ginger"

"‎(Ginger, running her fingers along a wrinkle) Daddy, why you got stripes on your forehead?"

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The first week of March on Facebook

March 1st

"The Journal editor just wrote and asked me to do a column on the fiasco in Madison, citing my POV and my ability to not sound like a nut. I was going to say 'no', but mistakenly emailed a 'yes' reply I was seeking to scuttle. Whoa Nelly, this is gonna bring some hate mail."

“If the Church is not on fire, you should not be talking.” Amen."

"Watching Gov Walker's budget address on 10.2. Good speech, well spoken."

"Working on that column. Tonight's musical selection: Andres Sergovia, Mazzy Star, Styx, Cold War Kids, Oasis. Couldn't find the Judas Priest I was looking for earlier."

March 2nd

"Customers of note: the old man who'd been at the Ice Bowl, w/ ticket stubs to prove it; the guy who spent the equivalent of my annual salary at Job Prior to buy a genuine Stevie Ray Vaughn guitar; a member of the Detroit Tigers' front office, with a World Series ring you couldn't miss."

Photobucket

above: Ginger spent 10 minutes balancing nuts on a balloon, then applying downward pressure with a plank of wood and shooting them, tiddly-winks style, into a bowl.

"The Journal moved up the date of publication to Thursday, so pick up a copy on the way to work. Of note, this warning from the editor: "Hi Dan, your column will run Thursday for sure. Don’t read the online comments unless you’re a masochist."

The Eastern cougar has officially been declared extinct.

March 3rd

"Sunday's paper will include the names of the 2011 crop of Journal/Sentinel community columnists. I've been asked to stay on a 3rd year, which is great, but OTOH whoopdeedoo. I appreciate the platform, and the confidence the editors place in me, but been there/done that/would like to be paid more for it. Anywho, look for me in Sunday's Crossroads section."

"Smiley & I went for a haircut Thurs evening, and he asked me if he could get a mohawk. I said no and had him ask Lisa. To my shock, she told him it was OK. In the end he and I agreed on a 'faux-hawk' - closely cropped hair on the sides, w/ the hair on top blended and sculpted into a mohawk. He loves it."

Photobucket

Photobucket


March 5th

"Adalbert's vets: I ran into Chrissy Go- in the produce dept of the Pick 'N Save on 76th. She has four kids and seemed happy, but alas no Facebook account, claiming she doesn't use a computer at all. How you can be happy w/out FB is beyond me, but to each their own."

March 6th

Today is the 175th anniversary of the fall of the Alamo. RIP Texans, RIP.

"Tonight, after a long day at work, Lis & I watched "I Knew it Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale" (aka Fredo from The Godfather). It was an entertaining tribute to him as an actor, but little else. As to Cazale as a person, we learned he was born in 1935, smoked a lot, died young . . . and that's it. The filmaker could have done a lot more with the material."

Photobucket

"For the record: I believe recall efforts are an ugly attempt to undermine the value of the election process & our democratic system. If you don't like the guy in office, fight their policies and then vote him out at the end of his duly elected term. There's no damn mulligans here. If my signature was the deciding factor that would get OBAMA out of office, I'd put my pen away."

12,000 year old fishing tackle has been found in California

"I just watched some new footage from 9/11, & Olivia came up & asked me if the Towers were factories (because of all the smoke rising from them). She admitted she had no idea what 9/11 was or what it meant to this country. I spent several minutes explaining what happened that day, and I think I did a good job. I'm surprised she hadn't been taught about it in school, although in fairness she is quite young."

"Tim Cuprisin is reporting that Charlie Sheen has been fired from "Two and a Half Men". What crap. If you aren't allowed to be a drug fueled sex addict, then what's the point of Hollywood success?"

March 7th

"Just finished "The Ghostwriter". It would be a dang good movie if the plot made any sense. A former PM of Great Britain demonized for having 4 known terrrorists kidnapped & waterboarded? The UK allowing a PM to be brought up on charges by the (ridiculous) internation court? A consistent anti-American plot thread (literally)? Bullsh-t."

Happy Birthday Smiley!

"Do Good And Care Not to Whom - a sign in the hallway of Lauren's school, attributed to an old Italian proverb"