Sunday, October 31, 2010

Layover in Dubai by Dan Fesperman

I've finished "Layover in Dubai" by Dan Fesperman, a non-political thriller set in the Middle East. The plot was . . . well, there wasn't much of one, but the setting was rich and detailed and the two main characters were well developed. It held my interest. B.

Hell's Kitchen

We just finished watching season one of Hell's Kitchen. Great show. We used to watch the F Word and Kitchen Nightmares on BBC America, so we came into it w/ respect for Gordon, but of the three I think this one is our fave. Time to put season 2 on our Netflix queue.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Halloween Treats

I'm on the front porch w/ the kids, passing out Halloween candy.

Some more FB from August

August 17th

‎@ the barber w/ Smiley and there's a ten yr old crying during his haircut. Nut up dude.

"You don't see your own children grow unless there's a new one to remind you how tiny they come." - quote from The Searchers, by Alan LeMay

During today's trash TV (Maury, etc) there were many ads encouraging people to sue drug companies for X, Y & Z. Here's my 2 cents: if a drug is tested & approved by the FDA, then drug companies should be exempt from litigation related to side effects. Sound harsh? Then make the approval process tougher. Of course, folks already think the process is too long, but the public always finds something to complain about. It really is a choice between those two options.

I'm making traditional Hungarian Goulash for dinner. It's the first time I'll ever eat it, much less create it from scratch. I saw the recipe on 'America's Test Kitchen' & had to try it. Beef, paprika, bay leaves, vinegar, 2.5 hrs in a dutch oven, etc - I hope I didn't take on too large of a task.

I rented 'Furry Vengence' w/ Brendan Fraser & Brooke Shields for the kids. They luv it, & I admit LOL'ing when the racoon peed in Fraser's mouth.

9:32 pm: The goulash? Good schtuff Maynard.

August 18th

Study, drill and technique do not stifle talent - they free it. (Fame [2009], a pretty decent flick)

We watched the movie "Extract" last night, starring Justin Bateman, Ben Affleck, and the hot brunette from 'That '70's Show". It was a pretty good comedy, and certainly worth a Redbox rental.

I look good tonight. It's times like this I wish I had a twin brother, just so I'd know what it's like to stand alongside true beauty.

Ah, the culture of snark and pointless hate rises up again, this time to point out how games like Farmville aren't 'real' games, and how they're on the way out. Because remember boys and girls, if a video game appeals to an audience wider than males under 40, it must be crap!

August 19th

Gizmo, the cat we inherited from my wife's Aunt when she passed away in June, stole a 2# bag of shaved ham Lisa had just put on the table. I recovered the torn/chewed bag from the basement floor a few minutes later. Ghetto little beast. In other news, something you don't see every day: two dragonflies bumping nasties in the backyard. It was quite the sight for the kids.

My niece Caitlin made the freshman volleyball team!! It's been proven that High school athletes:* make higher grades* get into less trouble* graduate at a higher rate* drop out less often* have higher GPAs than non-athletes. Now she is a high school athlete, and I couldn't be prouder of you Kay kay!! - Lisa, with a monster 'ditto!' from me

Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not REAL smart, but I'm IMAGINARY smart" - Carlos Harmon

A local station chopped Snoop's rap out of Katy Perry's "California Gurls" & I mean CHOPPED - as abrupt a change as you''ll ever hear. Another station edited out 'crackhead' in "You're Love is my Drug" - presumably because the Crackhead community might take offense. I suppose these r the same yahoo's that flip over the cover of Rolling Stone on newstands to protect our fragile little eyes. G'damn morality police.

And more radio drama, this time a reverse discrimination phenomenon: a local 'black' station crudely edited out a white singers contribution to an R&B song {Fergie's parts of a Black Eyed Peas tune. EDITED OUT OF HER OWN BANDS SONG}. C'mon - can't we all just get along?

'Slap Chop' is a kitchen gadget sold on late night informercials. Someone got the idea of making a rap video out of the spiel. If you've seen the commercial, you'll be LOL.

A Homemade Haunted House!

Just left a Halloween party @ the invite of our friend Darlene. It featured a haunted house for the kids in the basement!

YaYa and Her Taylor Swift Posters

YaYa and her Taylor Swift posters

Let the Right One In

Last night we watched the film version of "Let the Right One in", a Swedish film w/ English dubbing. Everyone in the room enjoyed it but I don't think it measured up to the book. Of course, that might just me being a book snob. Of note: the climactic scene was WICKED, and brought a 'Holy Bleep!" from everyone in the room. One of the best 30 seconds of horror *ever*.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Smiley on his first day of K5 at a new school - August 31st

Get Him to the Greek

"Get Him to the Greek" was a fun movie, but awfully repetitive. Cut out 2 or 3 scenes - any scenes - and it would be a much better flick.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Not a very cheerful time on Facebook

August 15th

Just because something is legal doesn't mean it's in good taste, or an idea that should be supported. A mosque at/near ground zero is ridiculous. I don't care who you vote for, it's still RIDICULOUS. I think The President was cowardly in his comments about it, & I'm so sick of the PC bullshit [supporting it]. - Lisa's status, seconded by me.

[this set off a firestorm of comments, 32 to be exact. The Left can preach all they want - Lisa's statement was as correct as anything ever written}

@ The Stone Sword, a medevial theme restaurant, w/ the kids and mee lady.

- It was a huge dissapointment. Nothing "themed" except the [murals on the] walls. No one talked in period or wore costumes, what a bummer. And my meal was so bad I didn't eat it and asked them to take it off the bill.....and I NEVER do that. (Lisa)

August 15 at 8:24pm ·

-It's on Layton, in the old Sizzler building. It wasn't *that* bad, although Lisa's meal sucked. I like mine, and the sweet potato fries were da bomb.Overall, I'd give the place a C- as a restaurant, an F as a themed place, and a lifespan of less than 6 months. (me)

Funny how most people on FB don't even so much as say hello for months - unless you post something against their dear sweet political notions.

August 16th

We just finished watching Pixar's "Up". I'm not sure why the kids (who watched it earlier in the day) loved it as much as they did, as balloon/house/talking dog silliness aside, it's very much a movie about adult themes. The montage of Fredrickson's marriage? It said more in 90 seconds, without a single line of dialogue, than most movies do in 90 minutes. Well done. BTW, Fredrickson is a dead ringer for my Dad.

‎[11:40 AM] @ emissions testing, waiting to renew Lisa's plates.

Farmville friends - please help in 'raising' my expanded chicken coop. I'm also in need of Topaz, horseshoes, bees, and a life. Thank you in advance.

Not that it matters to anyone, but K-Mart truly is the place where lousy customer service goes to flourish and multiply.

Never trust a traitor, even one that you create

Lisa: "Why the hell are you on Farmville again?"
Me: "'Cuz it helps me relax"
Lisa [joking]: "Relax? From what??? You sell books for a living. Your whole life is one big sleeping pill.

Ronald Reagan's

"Those Voices Don't Speak for the Rest of Us"

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

'The Twelfth Imam' by Joel C Rosenburg

I stayed up late last night to finish 'The Twelfth Imam' by Joel C Rosenburg, only to have it conclude w/ a cliffhange. Apparently it's the start of a series. Phooey. I doubt I'll pick up the 2nd bk. The story was good, even if the characters were shallow, but it wandered off into End Times schtuff near the end. C'mon now, this is a CIA thriller, not 'Left Behind'. C.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

A Time Traveler in 1928?

Is the woman, shown here in a still from Charlie Chaplin's 1928 film "The Circus", a time traveler?

Believe it or not, that's what some conspiracy fans think. After all, it does appear that she's holding a cell phone to her ear and carrying on a conversation. She's clearly talking to herself as she's walking down the street, and she is clutching her ear. I'll give them this: if the same candid actions were taken from a film in 1998, you'd be a fool not to say she's on the phone.

That said, it's impossible. Right? Cell phones depend on a system of towers, none of which would be present in 1928. Satellite phones would be an option, if our time traveler was also able to put a ship/satellite in orbit while she visited. But that begs the question - if her technology was advanced enough to put her back in time, what's up with having to use a cell phone? What, she couldn't afford a wristwatch communicator, or master thought manipulation?

Plus, before the era of the Obnoxious Cell Phone user, walking down the street talking to yourself was not the most subtle way to avoid attention. You'd think that would be a prerequisite for a chrono-visitor.

It's probably a '20's era hearing aid she's clutching. Or she had an earache, and had imaginary friends to boot. We'll never know.

Here's what I find far and away the most fascinating part of the story. 82 years ago a woman woke up, got dressed, and headed out the door to the grocer. Maybe she stopped to talk to someone on the way and was delayed by a minute or two. Perhaps she turned right instead of left, wanting to extend her trip and enjoy the day. Whatever the case, she happened to walk in front of a motion picture camera before continuing on her way. Even if she noticed, it was the subject of some dinnertime chat that night, nothing more.

And yet that simple, innocuous, forgettable moment in an otherwise average life would spark events nearly a century down the road. Not 'huge' events, or earth shattering revolutions, but conversations around the globe. She lives on, presumably a half century or more after her death.

I love the subtle complexity of our world, the seemingly random acts that comprise a whole greater than the sum of its parts. It is, for me, another example of a guiding hand orchestrating our existence.

Thank you cell phone lady. May you rest in peace. Or enjoy your trip to the flapper era. Either/or.

I rented 'Gremlins 2' for the kids from Blockbuster. I wanted Space Camp (taken out of inventory and sold), Howard the Duck (missing from the shelf) or Short Circuit (unavailable in any Milwaukee Blockbuster), but whatcha gonna do? The kids wound up loving it almost as much as the original, and actually thanked me for renting it. Be still my shocked heart.

August 11th

Watching 'Babysitter Wanted' an unexpectedly good horror film starring a talented Jennifer Garner lookalike. Cannibals, Satan, some dark humor & a decent script - well worth a rental.

I tried treating the kids to a pizza yesterday only to find out Villa Roma has gone under; last week Bella's Fat Cat shut its doors too. I feel like sending a great big thank you to [Gov Jim] Doyle and [Mayor Tom] Barrett for fostering such a successful business enviornment here in Milwaukee.

{note: this led to some confusion, as readers commented that they saw Bella's still open and accepting customers. Posts from a few months later will show why we were all right}

We're watching The Rock in 'Tooth Fairy'. It's actually pretty dang funny.

'Did u hear about the Morgans?' was an average romantic comedy w/ quite a bit of genuine warmth.

We're watching the hand model/low talker/pirate shirt episode of Seinfeld. Truly LOL

[man, there was a lot of TV time that day, eh? LOL ]

August 12th

Hey - a neighborhood resident/manager at BN is the one who came to me with news that Bella's had folded. He said his wife went there herself & discovered it was OOB, and I'm 100% sure I heard him right. Still, I just got a FB note saying it seemed to be open today. I'll stop by tomorrow and find out what's going on. Meanwhile, I can personally confirm Villa is gone, w/ the inside empty and a note on the door.

Someone rifled through my car last night, which I don't understand at all. It's pretty damn obvious there's nothing there of any value, besides the car itself. I would have appreciated it if they'd closed my door tho', rather than drain my battery.

OK, so I went to Bella's myself this morning and it IS closed. There's a sign on the door promising they'll be open again soon, but what Milwaukee hamburger/custard stand chooses to close its doors in the middle of a 90 degree week? I fear they're kaput.

August 13th

The same people who preach the 'value of hard work, regardless of pay' are the folks who sit on their butt earning $80G while they pay their workers a subsistence wage- & then act smug when their employees can't pay their rent. Bullsh*t - the value of a job is in the standard of living it allows you to maintain. A hard days work for a fair wage, and nothing less.

What do you get if you insert human DNA into a goat? Banned from the petting zoo. (h/t Carlos)

[to which a reader responded: Speaking from personal experience Dan? My reply: I wish! Unfortunately, Farvmille won't allow it for 'ethical' reasons.]

W Lisa @ work yest.[@ State Fair] it was up to me to take all 4 kids for physicals. Immunizations for the two little ones, blood work & urine tests for all. All the kids (knock on wood) are very healthy and ht/wt proportionate, except Lu, who is only @ the 25th percentile for height. I bred with a Swedish-German because I value size, and what does Lisa give me? A 7 yr old only an 1 1/4th taller than my 5yr old. What a gyp. ;)

YaYa (age 8/nearly 9): 77.5#, 54"

LuLu (age 7): 52#, 47"

Smiley (age 5) 50#, 47.75"

Ginger (age 3) 33#, 37.75"

Among the dozens and dozens of things relegated to the mythical "When we're back on our feet": a compost tumbler.

August 14th

Lisa wimped out on me early, so I headed over to Blockbuster and rented the new 'Clash of the Titans'. I'm not sure why every modern movie hero needs to sound as if they have a bad sore throat, but aside from that it was a fine action film. I do worry that as CGI continues to improve movies risk becoming expensive cartoons, but that's a topic for another day.

Man, my kids sucked this morning. Here's a new rule I'm enforcing: if even one of them says "not me" when I ask who left the fridge open all night or who moved my phone charger, "not me" will translate to: "Only one of us is probably guilty, but just on principle Dad's gonna make all four of us regret the day we were born"