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, April 5, 2011
Local Elections
Ok, bedtime folks, here in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. If you're in WI, please go out and vote today (unless you plan to vote for someone other than Stone and Prosser, in which case take a siesta from voting and relax at home with a beer. Go ahead, I won't mind - and future Milwaukee County residents will thank you!)
If you want my predictions for the local election: I think Prosser takes the W, Abele grabs the County Exec, and the Bay View hating Terry Falk keeps his school board seat.
The Surprise Hailstorm of Sunday, April 3rd
Holy Cow! A rumble of thunder, followed abruptly by the wildest hailstorm I've ever seen! The lawns, the sidewalks, the street are bathed in hail. It was hitting the neighbor's roof and richoceting [sic] onto my porch wth such ferocity it sounding like someone was taking a bat to the siding. Wow. (noon, April 3rd)
Monday, April 4, 2011
UConn just won the NCAA Championship, just a moment ago; for something completely different, check out these documentaries:
I didn't think I'd like the documentary 'Exit Through The Gift Shop', especially after the montage scenes of graffiti artists made me angry. The destruction of someone else's property doesn't entertain me. Never has, never will.Then Banksy, a British 'street artist' extraordinaire, entered the film. Banksy has an undeniable talent, a pleasant personality, and a good sense of humor that plays well on film, even behind the facade of a digitally altered face and voice. I developed a grudging respect for the man and his work (some of which is now excavated by property owners and kept as saleable art).
Cue another shift in direction, as Banksy turns the camera back on the documentary maker and instructs him to begin his own artistic career. The results are hilarious, and I wound up enjoying this documentary quite a bit.
No such love for 'Banky's Coming For Dinner', a gawd-awful mockumentary featuring Joan Collins and a man impersonating Banksy. It is a pointless, flat waste of film.
Fat Head is a documentary retort to Super Size Me, the doc that famously accused McDonald's of being responsible for an American obesity epidemic. Despite low production values, I enjoyed the third of the film that went toe to toe with the original documentary. Super Size Me is a better 'film', but Fat Head's logic points out its inconsistencies and inherent propaganda.
Alas, the film then morphs into an extended infomercial for a low carb diet. I agree that 1/3rd of the American diet is fueled by the whims of a Leftist agenda (vegan, etc) and 2/3 the economics of agriculture (hey, if we grew cardboard violins in Iowa the USDA would put 'em down as essential for a healthy breakfast). But dude, stay on target and mind the mission creep: I'm watching to see you refute SSM, not preach a diet of your own.
You know why modern roasts suck? A) because they rely on no-name B listers with no connection to their target B) 80% of the jokes are aimed towards the panel, not the guest and C) it's over the top vulgar.
If you have William Shatner as your target, your funniest attempt at humour should not be a Sulu-gay sex barb.
That said, I had a few laughs, and kudos to Betty White for a fine performance.
Zack Galifianakis: Live at the Onion was a funny, low key stand up performance. Well done.
Not the greatest start to the MLB season, finishing today with a record of only 3 -1. Ah well, we'll do better. I speak of course, of my beloved Yankees. My hometown Brewers, OTOH, stand at 0-4. I do count myself as a Brewers fan, but 37 years of disappointment has tempered my confidence. I'm not a Cubs fan - every half century or so I'd like to see a championship.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
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?
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
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