"The president does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation." - Sen. Barack Obama December 20, 2007.
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!
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.
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