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, July 11, 2011
Update
The CEO of Discovery World sent me an email inviting me to spend a 1/2 hr with him at the museum, discussing various programs to benefit low income families. In the email he mentions he's prepared a letter to the JS editor to refute *another* letter to the editor about my column. I think it's that letter, which propped up Betty Brinn at DW's expense, that has got him worried about PR. Nice of him tho', either way.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
FB: April 11th - 14th
April 11th
Tonight LuLu and I hit the road for our 1st ever bike trip together. We went to Howard Ave & back (about 2 miles), w/ a few added detours through the park, around the block etc. Tip: if you need to clean rust off your bike, take a ball of wet aluminum foil to it. Not only will it remove the rust, it doesn't scratch the paint.
April 12th
I took Lisa & Lump to El Beso, the new Mex restaurant in Greenfield (site of the old Champs). The prices were on the high end of avg & there were few items (and little change in price) on the lunch menu. Service was great, food was average, but they had a grease trap truck parked outside the entrance, greeting you w/ sewer odor as you entered and exited. Stick to El Fuego.
A) My left knee is killing me. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to sit on my a** for four months then abruptly bike 2+ miles B) I'ts the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. RIP Union soldiers. C) I'm in the paper today. Pick up a copy
April 13th
Erin Gray circa 1979 = Yum
The virulent (e)mails generated by my voter ID column [in the paper] don't bother me, but the fact that they CONTINUE to come in (3 today alone) is surprising. And I do mean angry, sometimes vulgar emails, not legit disagreements. One of the letters is as long as the original column. Geesh.
* * * *
This is the editorial the Sentinel printed the day after the Civil War began.
The vociferous cry of "The Union, the Constitution and Enforcement of the Laws" kept up in 1860 by those who opposed the election of Mr. Lincoln, has since been changed by those who then used it, for that of "No Coercion," which, being interpreted according to the rules of common sense, means "No Union, no Constitution, no Enforcement of the Laws."
In 1860, the prime object of the cry was the prompt capture and return of fugitive slaves; but in 1861, it is taken up by the very men against whom it was directed as a lying insinuation less than a year ago and there is both reason and force in their use of it; for since then, many of the very men who made such loud professions of their fidelity to the Union, the Constitution and the Laws, have broken up the Union, trampled the Constitution under their feet, and are this day arrayed in open defiance of the laws. If a Negro was rescued by men whose natural sympathies revolted against the execution of a statute which required the poor trembling wretch to be carried back to bondage and the lash, these men who are now steeped to the lips in treason, together with their Northern sympathizers and allies, held up their hands in holy horror at such a terrible infraction of law, and such treason to the Union.
Now, however, when every conceivable form of hostility to the government and the laws are openly and boldly practiced - courts abolished, custom houses seized, forts, arsenals and navy yards taken possession of and turned against the government; when treason of the boldest and rankest kind has banished all law from a large portion of the country, we must bear it all meekly - there must be no coercion - it will never do to talk about enforcing the laws - it would offend our "Southern brethren" - it may drive Virginia out of the Union - it may lead to bloodshed!
We have had too much of that kind of talk; and it was high time that a determined stand were taken by every man, who is not a traitor at heart, to stand up for the Union, the Constitution and the enforcement of the Laws, and we rejoice to believe that we have a man at the head of the nation who will be faithful to the great duties imposed upon him.
* * * *
I watched the Eastwood/Damon film "Hereafter" tonight. I don't know quite what to make of it. I guess it was like a lazy river ride at a theme park. It was nice, and well done, and you don't regret paying your admission, but it takes damn near forever and it does nothing to speed up your pulse.
My column from Tues. generated a fair share of hate mail. I was called mindless, a cracker, racist, a hater of "colored folk", and told I should leave Wisconsin. Apparently the far left interprets any mention of criminal behavior to = African American, which says a hell of a lot more about them than it does me.
April 14th
Yikes, these nightmares are getting out of hand. Some of it was the typical "makes no sense in the light of day" variety, but part of the 'plot' was my hunt for a killer who then got the jump on me. In order for him to spare my family I had to cut off the fingers on my right hand with a pen knife. I woke up with my hand hurting, which was either the cause or effect of the dream. I am, apparently, going nuts.
Tonight LuLu and I hit the road for our 1st ever bike trip together. We went to Howard Ave & back (about 2 miles), w/ a few added detours through the park, around the block etc. Tip: if you need to clean rust off your bike, take a ball of wet aluminum foil to it. Not only will it remove the rust, it doesn't scratch the paint.
April 12th
I took Lisa & Lump to El Beso, the new Mex restaurant in Greenfield (site of the old Champs). The prices were on the high end of avg & there were few items (and little change in price) on the lunch menu. Service was great, food was average, but they had a grease trap truck parked outside the entrance, greeting you w/ sewer odor as you entered and exited. Stick to El Fuego.
A) My left knee is killing me. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to sit on my a** for four months then abruptly bike 2+ miles B) I'ts the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. RIP Union soldiers. C) I'm in the paper today. Pick up a copy
April 13th
Erin Gray circa 1979 = Yum
The virulent (e)mails generated by my voter ID column [in the paper] don't bother me, but the fact that they CONTINUE to come in (3 today alone) is surprising. And I do mean angry, sometimes vulgar emails, not legit disagreements. One of the letters is as long as the original column. Geesh.
* * * *
This is the editorial the Sentinel printed the day after the Civil War began.
The vociferous cry of "The Union, the Constitution and Enforcement of the Laws" kept up in 1860 by those who opposed the election of Mr. Lincoln, has since been changed by those who then used it, for that of "No Coercion," which, being interpreted according to the rules of common sense, means "No Union, no Constitution, no Enforcement of the Laws."
In 1860, the prime object of the cry was the prompt capture and return of fugitive slaves; but in 1861, it is taken up by the very men against whom it was directed as a lying insinuation less than a year ago and there is both reason and force in their use of it; for since then, many of the very men who made such loud professions of their fidelity to the Union, the Constitution and the Laws, have broken up the Union, trampled the Constitution under their feet, and are this day arrayed in open defiance of the laws. If a Negro was rescued by men whose natural sympathies revolted against the execution of a statute which required the poor trembling wretch to be carried back to bondage and the lash, these men who are now steeped to the lips in treason, together with their Northern sympathizers and allies, held up their hands in holy horror at such a terrible infraction of law, and such treason to the Union.
Now, however, when every conceivable form of hostility to the government and the laws are openly and boldly practiced - courts abolished, custom houses seized, forts, arsenals and navy yards taken possession of and turned against the government; when treason of the boldest and rankest kind has banished all law from a large portion of the country, we must bear it all meekly - there must be no coercion - it will never do to talk about enforcing the laws - it would offend our "Southern brethren" - it may drive Virginia out of the Union - it may lead to bloodshed!
We have had too much of that kind of talk; and it was high time that a determined stand were taken by every man, who is not a traitor at heart, to stand up for the Union, the Constitution and the enforcement of the Laws, and we rejoice to believe that we have a man at the head of the nation who will be faithful to the great duties imposed upon him.
* * * *
I watched the Eastwood/Damon film "Hereafter" tonight. I don't know quite what to make of it. I guess it was like a lazy river ride at a theme park. It was nice, and well done, and you don't regret paying your admission, but it takes damn near forever and it does nothing to speed up your pulse.
My column from Tues. generated a fair share of hate mail. I was called mindless, a cracker, racist, a hater of "colored folk", and told I should leave Wisconsin. Apparently the far left interprets any mention of criminal behavior to = African American, which says a hell of a lot more about them than it does me.
April 14th
Yikes, these nightmares are getting out of hand. Some of it was the typical "makes no sense in the light of day" variety, but part of the 'plot' was my hunt for a killer who then got the jump on me. In order for him to spare my family I had to cut off the fingers on my right hand with a pen knife. I woke up with my hand hurting, which was either the cause or effect of the dream. I am, apparently, going nuts.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Dominance by Will Lavender
I read "Dominance" by Will Lavender. 17 yrs ago a lit student cleared a man of murder by revealing the identity of an anonymous, world famous writer. Now it seems she may have been wrong; the killings have begun again, only this time her friends are the target. It was ok, but I guessed the killer & in the end it was just a pedestrian, James Pattererson-ish book. My streak of great reads has come to an end.
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Friday, July 8, 2011
Two Great Books - one of which may crack my "all-time faves" list
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention reading "The Ridge", a great new horror novel by Michael Kortya.
I also read "The Sisters Brothers" a wonderful new Western that might rank as one of my top 10 or 20 books fave bks ever; a stunning, lyrical novel. Kudos to both authors for transcending the boundaries of the genre, publishing in hardcover and getting mainstream press attention. This one . . . wow.
The Last Space Shuttle Flight
The whole family just watched the final space shuttle launch. I do not mourn the loss of a program that stagnated our potential for 30yrs. I do mourn the loss of manned flight & the increasing decline of NASA. RIP human potential.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Alive! Is Michael Jackson Really Dead?
Because I love her, that's why: at Lisa's urging we watched "Alive! Is Michael Jackson Really Dead?" a doc by Pearl, Jr. I am disappointed to report that not one moment of the film was convincing. In fact, most of it was so tepid that you could make the mistake of doubting the filmmaker's sincerity. She means what she says; she just has no evidence at all & is unwilling to concoct an entertaining lie in its place.
Working in the Garden
Today we planted a 2nd 4x4 garden planter in the backyard (jalapeno/tomato/cantaloupe/green pep). Afterwards, 2 rarities: 1, the kids went swimming w/ Gma, so Lis & found time to go out for dinner (takeout, but eaten not at the joint) 2 - My neck & shoulders are sunburned from the time in the garden. I *never* sunburn; normally I bronze like the god I am. I am discombobulated at this turn of events.
I'm Angry
Most people are mostly good, most of the time. Unfortunately, when granted anonymity on the internet, all that goes out the window. If you wouldn't have the balls to say it to my face if you saw me at Kohl's - and you don't, you pu**y - then shove your opinion up your ignorant ass. Warmest regards, Dan.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy 4th of July!
home from wrk just in time to watch firewrks from my porch. Quite a view/sound! Happy 4th everyone!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
My Day
Pretty sinking lousy 3rd so far. Worked, now home in an empty house. Lis and the kids are up north for the holiday, but I'm stuck working. I cleaned the living room, played some Atari BattleZone on Google Chrome, then wrote 750 words of a children's story I'm working on. I think I'll make myself some dinner, and either fire up some Netflix or go on the porch and read. Quite the life.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
Anybody remember "Smash-Up on Interstate 5"?
It was a made for TV movie from the late '70's that cashed in on the "disaster movie" craze of that decade. It follows the victims of the crash over the course of 48 hours before the accident.
I remember liking it a lot when I saw it a few years later. I wonder how it holds up.
FB: April 14th thru the 24th
April 14th
ABC has announced they are cancelling the long running soap operas "One Life to Live" and "All My Children"
April 15th
"The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing in the right place but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment." - Lady Dorothy Nevill
April 18th
Dance reherasal today. In the rush to get them out the door, it's "Breakfast for Dinner" (maple sausage and pancakes). In the words of the Lump: "Deeee- licious!"
Wait a minute - the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel won a Pulitizer in 2008, 2010 AND now 2011???? Say what - am I missing something here? Then again, they began publishing me in '08. Coincidence? Perhaps not.
April 19th
We finally got around to watching 'The King's Speech'. It was very good, but by no means the "Best Picture" of the year, an honor I still think belonged to "The Social Network". BTW, kudos to Helen Bonham Carter, who stole the show in every scene in which she appeared.
Smiley, showing off some Easter bread he made in school:
April 20th
One thing I will miss when the kids are grown and off on their own: opening the freezer and finding random, ridiculous concoctions. Today's contribution: a fig newton stuck on the end of a skewer.
True story: ~ Two years ago I walked past a retail display and was sincerely outraged that they offered a gag gift called "The rapist In a Box". Then I got my head out of my butt and realized it read "Therapist in a Box".
[WI Supreme Court Candidate] Kloppenburg has the legal right to ask for a recount and so on we go - but if you're cocky enough to declare victory with a 200 vote lead, then turn around and ask for a recount when you're down by 7,000, excuse me if I think you're a hypocrite happy to waste taxpaper money to keep your dream alive a few more weeks.
I watched the sci-fi film Skyline. It is not merely a turd of a movie, it is a 'dog turd generously sprinkled with cholera' of a movie.
April 21st
YaYa gets new glasses:
April 23rd
Twice in recent weeks I've been asked how "you" - meaning a conservative - could be a fan of lefty music, up to & inc. being a member of Pearl Jam's fan club. Easy. I simply alter the lyrics in my head to reflect a more appropriate social message. "Screamed and bit the recess lady's breast"" - I think not. "Dreamed of always doing his very best" - there ya go Mr. Vedder, Danny made it all better.
"The inability to forget is infinitely more devastating than the inability to remember," - Mark Twain
April 24th
Arod's stats on Saturday: 2 for 5 with a homer and SIX RBI.
600 [converts to the Catholic Church] today in the Milwaukee area, tens of thousands across the country. Welcome to the Church, and Happy Easter!
ABC has announced they are cancelling the long running soap operas "One Life to Live" and "All My Children"
April 15th
"The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing in the right place but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment." - Lady Dorothy Nevill
April 18th
Dance reherasal today. In the rush to get them out the door, it's "Breakfast for Dinner" (maple sausage and pancakes). In the words of the Lump: "Deeee- licious!"
Wait a minute - the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel won a Pulitizer in 2008, 2010 AND now 2011???? Say what - am I missing something here? Then again, they began publishing me in '08. Coincidence? Perhaps not.
April 19th
We finally got around to watching 'The King's Speech'. It was very good, but by no means the "Best Picture" of the year, an honor I still think belonged to "The Social Network". BTW, kudos to Helen Bonham Carter, who stole the show in every scene in which she appeared.
Smiley, showing off some Easter bread he made in school:
April 20th
One thing I will miss when the kids are grown and off on their own: opening the freezer and finding random, ridiculous concoctions. Today's contribution: a fig newton stuck on the end of a skewer.
True story: ~ Two years ago I walked past a retail display and was sincerely outraged that they offered a gag gift called "The rapist In a Box". Then I got my head out of my butt and realized it read "Therapist in a Box".
[WI Supreme Court Candidate] Kloppenburg has the legal right to ask for a recount and so on we go - but if you're cocky enough to declare victory with a 200 vote lead, then turn around and ask for a recount when you're down by 7,000, excuse me if I think you're a hypocrite happy to waste taxpaper money to keep your dream alive a few more weeks.
I watched the sci-fi film Skyline. It is not merely a turd of a movie, it is a 'dog turd generously sprinkled with cholera' of a movie.
April 21st
YaYa gets new glasses:
April 23rd
Twice in recent weeks I've been asked how "you" - meaning a conservative - could be a fan of lefty music, up to & inc. being a member of Pearl Jam's fan club. Easy. I simply alter the lyrics in my head to reflect a more appropriate social message. "Screamed and bit the recess lady's breast"" - I think not. "Dreamed of always doing his very best" - there ya go Mr. Vedder, Danny made it all better.
"The inability to forget is infinitely more devastating than the inability to remember," - Mark Twain
April 24th
Arod's stats on Saturday: 2 for 5 with a homer and SIX RBI.
600 [converts to the Catholic Church] today in the Milwaukee area, tens of thousands across the country. Welcome to the Church, and Happy Easter!
Some great TV, courtesy of Netflix
One of the great things about being able to stream Netflix directly to my TV is that I'm free to experiment with new shows that I would never have rented on DVD. One of the happiest of these discoveries is Heroes, the NBC series about a world in which mutants (aka superheroes without the masks) are drawn together to act against a prophesied destruction of New York City.
I finished the first season in a little less than a year, polishing off an episode every few weeks. Now? Count me as a fan. Aside from the Nikki/Jessica subplot, I found the characters well developed and the storyline impressive. I think the season finale was a fitting denouement to the overall story arc, one so impressive I'm loathed to push on into further seasons - all of which, according to scuttlebutt, pale in comparison.
On the other hand, I was no so fortunate in Kolchak: The Night Stalker, starring Darren McGavin in a series billed as a spooky ancestor of the X-Files.
Uh, no.
It was cartoonish, poorly written, and about as scary as the crowd at a harpist concert. C-
To break the tie, let me introduce Parks and Recreation, a sitcom done in the pseudo-documentary style of The Office. Lisa and I finished the first two seasons in the blink of an eye and were left hungry for more.
I think this show succeeds for a simple reason. Well, two. One, it's funny. Two, it refuses to settle for taking the easy road and making the characters one dimensional. Grumpy libertarian boss Ron would normally be written as a straight jerk; instead he's given depth and feeling. Amy Poehler's character, who by rights should be pigeonholed as a dorky, ineffective bureaucrat, is instead a multi-faceted human being. A
I have fond memories of watching Buck Rodgers as a kid, and I wasn't let down by rewatching it on Netflix. Oh, sure it's cheese, but you know that going in. All in all its a pretty darn good show for what it is, and having the super hot Erin Gray around doesn't hurt.
Roseanne, alas, lacks a resident beauty, unless you wait around for Becky #2 to pop up in later seasons. I saw nearly every episode during the series run, but harbor a bit of a resentment towards the show. No, it's not about the star' I grew up in a home not dissimilar to the Connors' and it's too close for comfort. Yet I have to admit, the writing holds up well after a quarter century, and the love between Roseanne and Dan is palpatable.
The biggest suprise to come via Netflix? Babylon 5.
I'd never seen a single episode, and had the show sitting unwatched in my queue for ages. When I began watching it last week I found the special effects appalling, hardly top of the line for a video game of the era much less a television show. Still, the writing of J. Michael Straczynski (whose screenwriting book I read and owned as a kid) hooked me. By the time I began season two I was mesmerized.
Naturally, it was then I discovered Netflix was losing the streaming rights begining today. Great timing. I've completed season two, and for now that's where I'll have to leave off.
It is a remarkably well crafted show. Not a single episode is a 'throw away'. Each show provides some nugget, however small, that adds to the overall story arc. It is a single story, carried out in multiple acts over a five year run. The twists and turns, the development of characters - how the Narn and Centauri defy the intial impressions we have of them, for instance - wow. Wow.
I can't wait to see more of the series. Three notes:
One, I much prefer Capt. Sheridan to Commander Sinclair. Sinclair, played by Michael O'Hare, always seemed to be in contention for Overactor of the Year.
Two, Bruce Boxleitner has excellent hair.
Three, I should make a drinking game. Every time Security Chief Garibaldi puts his hands in his pockets, take a shot. You'll be drunk in half an hour.
I finished the first season in a little less than a year, polishing off an episode every few weeks. Now? Count me as a fan. Aside from the Nikki/Jessica subplot, I found the characters well developed and the storyline impressive. I think the season finale was a fitting denouement to the overall story arc, one so impressive I'm loathed to push on into further seasons - all of which, according to scuttlebutt, pale in comparison.
On the other hand, I was no so fortunate in Kolchak: The Night Stalker, starring Darren McGavin in a series billed as a spooky ancestor of the X-Files.
Uh, no.
It was cartoonish, poorly written, and about as scary as the crowd at a harpist concert. C-
To break the tie, let me introduce Parks and Recreation, a sitcom done in the pseudo-documentary style of The Office. Lisa and I finished the first two seasons in the blink of an eye and were left hungry for more.
I think this show succeeds for a simple reason. Well, two. One, it's funny. Two, it refuses to settle for taking the easy road and making the characters one dimensional. Grumpy libertarian boss Ron would normally be written as a straight jerk; instead he's given depth and feeling. Amy Poehler's character, who by rights should be pigeonholed as a dorky, ineffective bureaucrat, is instead a multi-faceted human being. A
I have fond memories of watching Buck Rodgers as a kid, and I wasn't let down by rewatching it on Netflix. Oh, sure it's cheese, but you know that going in. All in all its a pretty darn good show for what it is, and having the super hot Erin Gray around doesn't hurt.
Roseanne, alas, lacks a resident beauty, unless you wait around for Becky #2 to pop up in later seasons. I saw nearly every episode during the series run, but harbor a bit of a resentment towards the show. No, it's not about the star' I grew up in a home not dissimilar to the Connors' and it's too close for comfort. Yet I have to admit, the writing holds up well after a quarter century, and the love between Roseanne and Dan is palpatable.
The biggest suprise to come via Netflix? Babylon 5.
I'd never seen a single episode, and had the show sitting unwatched in my queue for ages. When I began watching it last week I found the special effects appalling, hardly top of the line for a video game of the era much less a television show. Still, the writing of J. Michael Straczynski (whose screenwriting book I read and owned as a kid) hooked me. By the time I began season two I was mesmerized.
Naturally, it was then I discovered Netflix was losing the streaming rights begining today. Great timing. I've completed season two, and for now that's where I'll have to leave off.
It is a remarkably well crafted show. Not a single episode is a 'throw away'. Each show provides some nugget, however small, that adds to the overall story arc. It is a single story, carried out in multiple acts over a five year run. The twists and turns, the development of characters - how the Narn and Centauri defy the intial impressions we have of them, for instance - wow. Wow.
I can't wait to see more of the series. Three notes:
One, I much prefer Capt. Sheridan to Commander Sinclair. Sinclair, played by Michael O'Hare, always seemed to be in contention for Overactor of the Year.
Two, Bruce Boxleitner has excellent hair.
Three, I should make a drinking game. Every time Security Chief Garibaldi puts his hands in his pockets, take a shot. You'll be drunk in half an hour.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
MySpace was sold
Myspace was just sold for $35 million to a group that includes Justin Timberlake. While that sounds like a lot to you and me, the current cover story in Bloomberg quoted an asking price of $100 million, and mentioned that *that* figure would be an embarrasing loss for their ownership. Wow.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
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