The 1st third of December, 2010

Dec 2nd

I love my Foreman grill.

Ginger came home from school bragging that she'd gotten mad & thrown a pencil, earning her a punishment from her teacher. Bragged I say - shit grin and all. I don't mind a little sass & a few bouts with the academic law; after all, I ain't aiming to raise Sandy Duncan, Jr. But lately Ginger's just plain THUG. I'll count my blessings if she doesn't have neck tats by seventh grade.

We just finished watching season 4 of Hell's Kitchen, and for the first time I think Ramsay picked the wrong winner. Christina was very impressive in guiding her brigade during the final service, but the kid couldn't run a station right up until the end. IMO, Petrozza got screwed.

Dec 3rd

Lebron [James] notched 38 pts against Clev yest. Did I mention he only played *3* quarters?? Good for him. Screw Cavs fans and their p**sy whining about his departure. The 'loyalty' in sports doesn't exist in reverse (they'd have traded/dumped him if need be), so why should he be held to a diff. standard? You are a professional, & a competitor. You follow the money, or you follow the ring, and you never apologize for either.

Ron Santo was the worst, most benignly incompetent broadcaster I can remember hearing (plus he was a Cub) but he seemed like a nice guy. RIP.

I've dealt w/ nightmares most of the year, including some doozies I recorded on my blog. Last night's takes the cake: a sex dream involving the residents of a nursing home, one of whom was my boss. Shudder.

Dec 5th

Finished Gordon Ramsay's autobio "Roasting in Hells Kitchen: Temper Tantrums, F Words, and the Pursuit of Perfection". Stylistically it's a bore, & you'll need Bing handy to look up all names he tosses at you w/out providing context. By the end he comes off as human and real - but since he isn't shy about airing other folks dirty laundry and naming names while doing it, still a bit of a douche.

St Adalbert's Alumni - I ran into Ms. Hutchinson yesterday at work, and she inquired about my classmates from '88. "Hello" to you all from her.

Dec 6th

I heard an actor say that in Season 5 of 'Big Love' Bill would get his 'comeuppance'. Aside from their archaic language choice, 'comeuppance' for what? For loving more than one person? *That's* his big evildoing? So, gay/straight/young/old/black/white marriage = A-OK, but oh Lawd, heaven above, don't you dare love more than your fair share or you're right up there with pedophiles and slavers. Once again, society is just anohter word for hypocrite.

‎'Karate Kid' is the rare remake that improves upon a classic. Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan were wonderful (esp Chan - it's hard to top Miyagi. Kudos) and both the story and the visuals benefited from the shifting the setting to China. I was *very* impressed, so much so that Mr. Cheap here actually allowed the rental to stay out another night. Gasp - I know! It was that good!

Great Onion headline: "Universe Admits to Wronging Area Man His Entire Life: 'Dave's Got a Right to Be Angry', says Cosmos"

RIP NFL legend Don Meredith

Dec 7th
In lieu of another season of HK on DVD, we started Season 5 of Top Chef. It's not as fun as HK & the endless product placement is repulsive, but it'll do. Now starting Survivor Vanatu.

RIP Elizabeth Edwards. I was impressed by your courage.

I just finished watching 'Inception', a film we tried and failed to see in the theater and so eagerly awaited on DVD. My verdict: I liked it, but I don't think it lived up to the hype. The idea sounds imaginative, but in reality (no pun intended) it all came off a little literal and rigid on screen, no? I think the visuals mask a failure in imagination that could have made a very good film into a masterpiece.

Dec 8th

Dan Ackroyd is on Jimmy Kimmel in the other room. What a lousy guest. Listen to this guy for a minute and you understand why his career has been in the shitter since Reagan's 2nd term. He doesn't come across as a jerk. He's just over animated and very loud, in a way that's less "Jim Carrey" than "boorish Uncle Stan at Thanksgiving".

It doesn't help that his whole interview was devoted to a) his work with UFO researchers... b) his family history with seances and spirit mediums (now available as a book written by his Dad!) and c) pimping a vodka he has a hand in creating.

It was all kind of sad.

I don't understand why every cell phone user isn't w/ Cricket. . No signed contracts, unlimited txt/talk/web for a great rate, coverage that's expanding all the time, free 411(!), & great phones. (The Blackberrry-esque phones we use are 2 of the best purchases I've made in yrs). Is it the urban 'stigma' of the brand? If so, OFW. Why pay $30 more a month for crap service and dubious charges w/ someone like Sprint?

Talk about life imitating art. I dreamt I was called to a high rise office builiding, all sterile steel & glass. Try as I might, I couldn't reach the top floors - the stairs were Penrose stairs, ala 'Inception', & the whole builidng was nothing but a ruse to keep me busy. There was more (an intentional disqualification in a tournament/contest, ending w/ violence) but it's the staircase that stands out in my memory.



Dec 9th

I needed a jump start outside Ginger's school. B4 my Good Samaritan could pull in an Arab guy parked 5ft from my front bumper. There was 20 ft of clear space in front of him, so I asked him politely to scoot up. "In five minutes," he said. "U wait.". My response included "You're a f-ing a-hole". Give the [edited] some credit tho' - rare is the stranger who would ignore my wishes when I'm that pissed off.

Dec 10th

The Doors Jim Morrison will be pardoned in Flordia, some 40 years after his death.

Finished '1939: Countdown to War' by Richard Overy. It's a very small book (124 pgs of text; in height/width it's not much bigger than a CD case), yet it manages to convey a large amount of information re: the outbreak of WWII. I learned a lot, which I'll pompously call surprising. In fact I may pick up a copy to add to my personal library, to supplement the volumes I have on the war itself.

One, and only one good moment yest: When it came time for Ginger to get off the bus I told LuLthe driver would only release the kid if you did a dance first. "Here let me show you," I said, "A one and a two . . ." and started a disco move on the porch. "DAD!," Lu yelled, and started physically shoving me inside. "Go away! You are such an embarrasment! Go! DAAAAADDDD!"

St Adalbert's alum: I ran into Sr. Kathleen today. She told me Sr. Virginia has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer related to asbestos exposure, and is in very bad shape.

Watched 'The Disappearance of Alice Creed', a harsh but tidy British crime thriller that stars only 3 actors and takes place largely in one room. Alice Cred is brutally kidnapped & kept chained to a bed while her ransom is negotiated. Soon she begins a battle of wits, attempting to divide her captors and gain the upper hand. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't - with unpleasant results. Very well made.