Dr. Phil is playing in the living room; the Dr. Phil 'Family' to be precise. Question for the FB world -does anyone know what happened to the Mormon 'Dr. Phil Family' he used to help each week? The family w/ the hot, 'Danny Girl' Mom who had an affair w/ a man of a different race, got knocked up, gave the baby up for adoption and then finagled financial help from the adoptive parents? They just went AWOL. What gives?
Published writer, compulsive reader, Old School Whovian, Match Game enthusiast, NKOTB fan, data hoarder, and - surprisingly, given that list - married with four kids. Welcome to my take on life, fatherhood, entertainment, and whatever strikes my fancy. Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
I was not overly impressed by Britney's GMA performance. Oh, she's still List of Five, and I enjoy her music, but she was 'off'. Her dancing was less than superb, and she seemed out of it. Her psych meds perhaps? Also, finished watching Doctor Who's "The Curse of Fang Rock" late last night. Loved it.
From the "loved it 20 yrs ago, but . . . " files: I watched Mystery Science Theater 3000 last night and yowsas it was bad. Not as bad as the movie they mocked, but not that far off. Dated references, predictable jokes, bad skits, and an air of sadness & depression. Oh, wait, that last bit was me, as I mourned the ruination of yet another fond memory. RIP once beloved show, RIP.
Monday, March 28, 2011
My father-in-law stepped up & took the kids to their dance photos, waited there for the 2 hrs it took & drove them home - all not only solo but in a happy, Grandfather-y mood. He saved our butt big time, and I am grateful.
Sadly, while YaYa was OK, Junie spit on him & said she hated him, Smiley wouldn't listen & ran away from him, & LuLu vomited all over his car. Welcome to my world sir, welcome to my world.
Cropsey
Last night we watched 'Cropsey', a documentary about a convicted child abductor/suspected killer who terrorized Staten Island in the '80's. The doc explores the role the local 'Cropsey' urban legend may have played in molding the public's idea of an 'ideal' suspect, and hints that it may have helped convict a man w/out adequate evidence. An entertaining documentary.
The kids are home from school for some teacher thingamabob, our van is in the shop until this afternoon, and Harry and the Henderson's is streaming on the TV via Netflix. Like Ghostbusters, Gremlins, Goonies, Batteries Not Included, Howard the Duck and Space Camp, we'll have to add this to our list of the kids '80's faves.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Mixed compliment of the morn - in a conversation w/ my mechanic he suggested a prob might me caused by a fuel filter. "Naw, I just had that replaced," I said. "Unless XY scammed me." Mechanic: "Dan, I know you don't get this, but you're a scary looking dude. If he doesn't know you, the last thing a guy would want to do is piss you off."
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Geraldine Ferraro
Geraldine Ferraro, the former US Congresswoman and 1984 VP candidate, has passed away. She was 75. RIP
Friday, March 25, 2011
Some Reviews
If you read reviews on Doctor Who fan sites, "The Curse of Fenric" is remarkably credited as the 'best of the McCoy era' and 'excellent writing'.
Well, it doesn't take much of to be the best of Mr. McCoy's reign as the Doctor, and IMHO most of the reviews contain more plot and characterization than this clunker. It's WWII England. There's an Enigma machine, a paltry six man Italian invasion force, a Viking curse, a bitter old spinster, a nutty British officer, some sea monsters and chess sets.
McCoy is far, far more obnoxious as the Doctor than I recall, and Ace bored me to tears as his companion. Did I mention the special effects probably cost less than the tuna casserole I'm muching between paragraphs?
It is, in the words of Shakespeare, a turd of a story. Yeech.
Due Date failed to my hopes of a Road Trip/Hangover-esque comedy, but it had some moments. It could have used a good edit, if you ask me - chop out that Mexico bit and the story becomes much stronger. It was an OK way to waste a couple hours, but I wouldn't watch it again.
Rollercoaster is a '70's disaster flick about a domestic terrorist targeting amusement parks. I love the decade of my birth, so by default this earns one star; it earns two more by being a fun, rather coherent thriller. I do wish they'd spent a little time finding some rationale for the bomber. I didn't need to like him or even sympathize with the guy, but I'd have liked at least a teensy bit of an explanation.
Extra fun/brownie points: identify a very young Helen Hunt and Steve Guttenberg in bit parts. I don't think Guttenberg was even credited on screen.
SPOILER: there was no reason to bring the protaganist's family to the park at the end, not if they were just going to be sent home without incident. Why introduce them to the scene if not to add tension to the climax?
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Let me know if I'm being presumptious here, but if someone said to you "check yo self before you wreck yo self, 'cuz shotgun bullets are bad for your health" - wouldn't you feel an obligation to tell them shotguns don't shoot bullets? I know I'd value the constructive criticism, and I'm sure they would too.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Kick Ass
Ha! Lisa thought she'd hate it, but she liked "Kick Ass" so much she made sure I paused it whenever she had to leave the room. Great movie, great fun, great fight scenes, great rental.
it's an all time low...i liked the movie "kick ass" and it had super heros in it! - Lisa
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
A full afternoon sadly awaits. Meanwhile we finished watchin "The Duchess". Lisa loved it. I enjoyed it, but in the end felt it was just an (interesting) tale of a poor little rich girl. It is 18th century England, and you are richer than Trump X 30. Be grateful you aren't one of the teeming masses covered in lice & suffering from scurvy.
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Conversation
I just finished watching Coppola's "The Conversation" on good ol' fashioned DVD. It's a great cast and I loved the twist at the end, but all in all I thought it was overlong and a little slow.
Get ready for a firestorm. Der Spiegel has obtained more than 4000 photos taken by a rogue group of US Soldiers now on trial for murdering civilians in Afghanistan. The group took trophy photos w/ their alleged victims and now face the death penalty for drug use, murder, sadistic behavior, the mutilation of corpses for 'trophies', etc. The newspaper is publishing only 3 of the pics at this time . . .
Someone needs to explain to me why the President has committed our military to a) intervene in what both sides agree is a civil war b) hemmed and hawed for wks on the situation while other nations took the lead c) acted only after the nearly successful rebellion was beaten back into near submission d) has provided no clear game plan or goal - even a BS one would be nice to hear
The Eiger Sanction
Have I mentioned that I love my new (Netflix streaming) Blu-ray player? I just finished Clint Eastwood's "The Eiger Sanction". I hear it was universally panned at the time of release, but screw 'em - I thought it was swell, even if I did ID the bad guy hallway through the film. How can you go wrong with a wise-ass assassin named Dr. Hemlock and an albino ex-Naxi/American spy master?
Tardy. Again.
And the Slap kids are late again, this is ridiculous. I officially have to take over the alarm now. - Lisa
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Man on Wire
We finished watching 'Man on Wire' the documentary about Phillipe Petit's 1974 high wire walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Wonderful, wonderful film. Petit is a marvelous interview, full of life and passion, and I enjoyed the documentary immensely.
Right Now
I'm with LuLu at a Girl Scout cookie sale at a church. outside getting some air. I love cold rainy days, but i'm worried the seams of the gutters i fixed on our house yest might not have had time to cure . . .
Other Kingdoms by Richard Matheson
I was ridiculously excited to see the legendary Richard Matheson wrote a new novel, 'Other Kingdoms'.
Sadly it had no discernable plot, the typically childish portrayal of romance that has always been the chink in his writing armorer, he pontificates about new age voodoo, & the style was right up there w/ a freshman lit paper.
Ugh. Epic fail. Epic.
How I Spent the Halfway Mark to my 74th Birthday
Thanks to everyone on FB for their kind Birthday wishes - believe me, they made me smile!
It was a damn fine birthday, although nothing exciting by most definitions of the word. I got up at 8, took YaYa over to a friend's house, stopped at Walgreens, went to the bank, and got an oil change, all before 10.
Then with the help of my friends Eric & Erv I repaired/replaced the busted gutters on my porch, and I also cleared the drainage tile of debris and widened its waste channel before stopping at a cookie sale for Grace's troop. While I was doing that Lisa went to the mall to get a bday cookie for me, and to have our wedding rings inspected (for the continuing warranty). It was important to me that I get something productive done to start the 'new' year.
(while it was pretty darn chilly outside today, the kids spent much of the day playing in the backyard and reacquainting themselves with the trampoline. Meanwhile YaYa was at a production of Annie at the Fireside for a friend's bday)
By then it was four-ish, and I sat down to enjoy my new toy - a Sony Blu Ray player SDP-380. It wasn't a bday gift per se, as I purchased it a week ago. But I finally had it up and running today, and it has already become one of my Favorite Things. I can stream Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, FearNet, some on-demand services, and more. I may never again leave the couch.
Tonight alone we (Lisa, me, and our friend Chris) watched:
Smokey and the Bandit - neat fact: you can learn geography from the Bandit. West to East, you traverse TX, Arkansas, Mississipi, Alabama and Georgia in order. Preferably w/ Sally Fields riding shotgun.
REC - the Spanish movie that seems to be the scene by scene, line by line inspiration for the movie 'Quarantine'. Although they are essentially the same movie, this version seemed much more powerful. Perhaps because, robbed of its American setting, the gov't quarantine seemed less an act of conspiracy than a rational reaction to a plague. I liked it.
Speaking of conspiracy, howsabout 'Paul McCartney Really is Dead' a "documentary" which claims to use secret tapes made by George Harrison to prove Paul died in 1966. Like most conspiracy theories, it loses credibility as it inevitably morphs into paranoia that turns anything into 'evidence'. Still, for the most part it was fun to watch, if FOS.
Don't Look Back - a French language pyschological thriller w/ a difficult to follow plot. For the record, I 'get' the ending, Mr.snooty smarty-pants; I just didn't like it. 90% of the movie was good, inc. all of the scenes of Monica Bellucci (natch), but I think they dragged the gimmick out too long. I would hesitate to recommend this.
Grace - a movie about a stillborn baby who returns to life w/ a hunger for human blood. Not as bad as you imagine, but if I had to guess I'd say the intelligent, nicely foreshadowed ending I saw coming was scrapped in favor of a crass, gross-out finale. Two stars.
UHF - I watched ten minutes, gagged, and stopped it.
I'm Still Here - the documentary/mockumentary? of Joaquin Phoenix. A very good film, if depressing.
Oh, and Erv made me sit and listen to twenty minutes of NPR, which is 19 minutes 29 seconds longer than I cared to listen to the unfunny, pretentious drivel.
Again folks - thanks for the well wishes!
.
It was a damn fine birthday, although nothing exciting by most definitions of the word. I got up at 8, took YaYa over to a friend's house, stopped at Walgreens, went to the bank, and got an oil change, all before 10.
Then with the help of my friends Eric & Erv I repaired/replaced the busted gutters on my porch, and I also cleared the drainage tile of debris and widened its waste channel before stopping at a cookie sale for Grace's troop. While I was doing that Lisa went to the mall to get a bday cookie for me, and to have our wedding rings inspected (for the continuing warranty). It was important to me that I get something productive done to start the 'new' year.
(while it was pretty darn chilly outside today, the kids spent much of the day playing in the backyard and reacquainting themselves with the trampoline. Meanwhile YaYa was at a production of Annie at the Fireside for a friend's bday)
By then it was four-ish, and I sat down to enjoy my new toy - a Sony Blu Ray player SDP-380. It wasn't a bday gift per se, as I purchased it a week ago. But I finally had it up and running today, and it has already become one of my Favorite Things. I can stream Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, FearNet, some on-demand services, and more. I may never again leave the couch.
Tonight alone we (Lisa, me, and our friend Chris) watched:
Smokey and the Bandit - neat fact: you can learn geography from the Bandit. West to East, you traverse TX, Arkansas, Mississipi, Alabama and Georgia in order. Preferably w/ Sally Fields riding shotgun.
REC - the Spanish movie that seems to be the scene by scene, line by line inspiration for the movie 'Quarantine'. Although they are essentially the same movie, this version seemed much more powerful. Perhaps because, robbed of its American setting, the gov't quarantine seemed less an act of conspiracy than a rational reaction to a plague. I liked it.
Speaking of conspiracy, howsabout 'Paul McCartney Really is Dead' a "documentary" which claims to use secret tapes made by George Harrison to prove Paul died in 1966. Like most conspiracy theories, it loses credibility as it inevitably morphs into paranoia that turns anything into 'evidence'. Still, for the most part it was fun to watch, if FOS.
Don't Look Back - a French language pyschological thriller w/ a difficult to follow plot. For the record, I 'get' the ending, Mr.snooty smarty-pants; I just didn't like it. 90% of the movie was good, inc. all of the scenes of Monica Bellucci (natch), but I think they dragged the gimmick out too long. I would hesitate to recommend this.
Grace - a movie about a stillborn baby who returns to life w/ a hunger for human blood. Not as bad as you imagine, but if I had to guess I'd say the intelligent, nicely foreshadowed ending I saw coming was scrapped in favor of a crass, gross-out finale. Two stars.
UHF - I watched ten minutes, gagged, and stopped it.
I'm Still Here - the documentary/mockumentary? of Joaquin Phoenix. A very good film, if depressing.
Oh, and Erv made me sit and listen to twenty minutes of NPR, which is 19 minutes 29 seconds longer than I cared to listen to the unfunny, pretentious drivel.
Again folks - thanks for the well wishes!
.
Friday, March 18, 2011
The School Talent Show!!!
LuLu and her friend Britanny after performing at the school talent show.
This was so bad - YaYa
Nah, you were a doll, always and forever! - Mom
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
On Japan
I have nothing but praise for the Japanese and their character during this tragedy. The damage there is so much worse than it was in NOLA, and yet there are no reports of looting, of mass rape, or of violence. They deserve the help and respect of the world.
Earthquake and Tsunami
I have nothing but praise for the Japanese and their character during this tragedy. Compare their attitude & actions w/ those of our our own people in NOLA - the devastation and loss of life/property is so much worse in Japan and yet there are no reports of looting, of mass rape, or of violence. They deserve the help and respect of the world.
Monday, March 14, 2011
A Small Bathroom Remodel
10 o'clock at night and we've decided to begin our (minor) bathroom remodel. I've disconnected the pipes and removed the old sink, and Lisa just undid the antique medicine cabinet. Stamped on the back of the mirror and hidden for decades: "[illegible] Glass Co., November 18, 1938, Cincinnati Ohio."
FB thru Jan 22nd
Jan 16th
I'd give you my opinion of 'The A-Team', but I fear it was the vodka that made the flick even remotely watchable last night. Anyhow, Happy Birthday to Chris and Jaspare, and many more to them both.
Wow, what a coup for law enforcement {smirk}, bragging about finding a fugitive after thirty years. In 1980 Jackson McDonald escaped from custody on a weed smuggling charge, then lived a law-abiding life for 30 years. He even owned his own appliance store. But now justice is served, by golly, and the 72 yr old will be trotted out to justify the latest budget proposal from the Marshals office.
Jan 17th
Begin to be now what you will be hereafter - William James
200 cows mysteriously died in Portage County (Wisconsin).
Researchers claim they'll create living mammoths within five years.
Made an ass of myself this AM. On the flipside, when snow delayed me on the way to wrk I got the chance to listen to MLK's 'I have a dream' speech on the radio in its entirety. As powerful as its reputation, even 48 yrs on.
Jan 18th
RIP Sargent Shriver, age 95
Regis Philbin has announced his retirement. So long Reg. I've enjoyed your run.
Prince Fielder just signed for 15.5 million dollars.
Convey Calm
This should, if I did it right, link to my first paid writing gig - a $5 blurb in Boys Life 23 yrs ago.
We just finished 'Devil', a movie created (but not directed) by M. Night Shamalan. It's about 5 strangers stuck in an elevator. Sadly for 4 of the passengers, the 5th is the Devil. I expected cheese and instead found a suspenseful, entertaining horror film that was a teensy-bit short on the actual horror. {applause}
Just finished "Buried" w/ Ryan Reynolds, a film about a civilian contractor kidnapped & buried alive in Iraq. I think it would have made a suspenseful novel, but as a movie . . . well, to quote Lisa "it's about a guy in a box talking on the phone for two hours". I like how they tried to present a Leftist view of the war and the Iraqi 'insurrgents', then have the Iraqi's not only bury the guy but ask him to mutilate himself on camera for their enjoyment. i think the latter is the more accurate view.
YaYa's Junior trip went on a field trip to Petco, where they got to handle many of the animals in the store.
Jan 19th
Study finds oldest known domesticated dog in Americas (10,000 yrs) - and it was apparently tasty, too
Jan 20th
30 years ago today Sr Pat, my kindergarten teacher, took our class to the music room across the hall to watch Reagan's inauguration. At some point during the broadcast it was announced that the Iran hostages were free, and I've never forgotten the look of relief on her face. "Thank God!" she said. I think she spoke for a lot of Americans that day.
It's also the 50th anniversary of JFK's inauguration, and his 'Ask Not' speech.
Wind chills of -20 to -30 degrees F are expected tonight
*Unofficial* news today that I will be asked to stay on for a third year as a community columnist for the Journal-Sentinel. (There's a new editor in charge of the opinion page, so it may still be ixnayed.)
Here's two pics of our cat Angelcakes, and an old shot of Lauren that I adore. She's seated next to our friend Chris.
Jan 21st
Bundled Ginger up to brave the negative wind chill today and took her to school - only to realize MPS has a scheduled day off today. D'oh!
I greatly admire Rod Serling.
"Nothing shows more thoughtlessness than the idiocy that it makes no difference what you believe; it all depends on the way you live. On the contrary, we act on our beliefs; our ideas are motorsprings in action; if our thinking is bad our actions will be bad." Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Some pics of Ginger:
I'd give you my opinion of 'The A-Team', but I fear it was the vodka that made the flick even remotely watchable last night. Anyhow, Happy Birthday to Chris and Jaspare, and many more to them both.
Wow, what a coup for law enforcement {smirk}, bragging about finding a fugitive after thirty years. In 1980 Jackson McDonald escaped from custody on a weed smuggling charge, then lived a law-abiding life for 30 years. He even owned his own appliance store. But now justice is served, by golly, and the 72 yr old will be trotted out to justify the latest budget proposal from the Marshals office.
Jan 17th
Begin to be now what you will be hereafter - William James
200 cows mysteriously died in Portage County (Wisconsin).
Researchers claim they'll create living mammoths within five years.
Made an ass of myself this AM. On the flipside, when snow delayed me on the way to wrk I got the chance to listen to MLK's 'I have a dream' speech on the radio in its entirety. As powerful as its reputation, even 48 yrs on.
Jan 18th
RIP Sargent Shriver, age 95
Regis Philbin has announced his retirement. So long Reg. I've enjoyed your run.
Prince Fielder just signed for 15.5 million dollars.
Convey Calm
This should, if I did it right, link to my first paid writing gig - a $5 blurb in Boys Life 23 yrs ago.
We just finished 'Devil', a movie created (but not directed) by M. Night Shamalan. It's about 5 strangers stuck in an elevator. Sadly for 4 of the passengers, the 5th is the Devil. I expected cheese and instead found a suspenseful, entertaining horror film that was a teensy-bit short on the actual horror. {applause}
Just finished "Buried" w/ Ryan Reynolds, a film about a civilian contractor kidnapped & buried alive in Iraq. I think it would have made a suspenseful novel, but as a movie . . . well, to quote Lisa "it's about a guy in a box talking on the phone for two hours". I like how they tried to present a Leftist view of the war and the Iraqi 'insurrgents', then have the Iraqi's not only bury the guy but ask him to mutilate himself on camera for their enjoyment. i think the latter is the more accurate view.
YaYa's Junior trip went on a field trip to Petco, where they got to handle many of the animals in the store.
Jan 19th
Study finds oldest known domesticated dog in Americas (10,000 yrs) - and it was apparently tasty, too
Jan 20th
30 years ago today Sr Pat, my kindergarten teacher, took our class to the music room across the hall to watch Reagan's inauguration. At some point during the broadcast it was announced that the Iran hostages were free, and I've never forgotten the look of relief on her face. "Thank God!" she said. I think she spoke for a lot of Americans that day.
It's also the 50th anniversary of JFK's inauguration, and his 'Ask Not' speech.
Wind chills of -20 to -30 degrees F are expected tonight
*Unofficial* news today that I will be asked to stay on for a third year as a community columnist for the Journal-Sentinel. (There's a new editor in charge of the opinion page, so it may still be ixnayed.)
Here's two pics of our cat Angelcakes, and an old shot of Lauren that I adore. She's seated next to our friend Chris.
Jan 21st
Bundled Ginger up to brave the negative wind chill today and took her to school - only to realize MPS has a scheduled day off today. D'oh!
I greatly admire Rod Serling.
"Nothing shows more thoughtlessness than the idiocy that it makes no difference what you believe; it all depends on the way you live. On the contrary, we act on our beliefs; our ideas are motorsprings in action; if our thinking is bad our actions will be bad." Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Some pics of Ginger:
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