Manny

I just ran into Manny, I guy we lived above back in '97. For those not in the know, he was a crazy drug dealer who served time for carjacking. He looks good, and younger (oddly enough). Said me 2night: "Remember the time we were shoveling snow and this guy walked by, and you whacked him on the side of the head with your shovel, and I asked "WTF was that for?" and you said "Cuz"?" Good times, good times.

Bullies

When I picked up YaYa  from school she was being picked on by a group of girls who accused her of stealing a bracelet, and the principal and her teacher quickly(and loudly) stepped into to squash the incident. Well, I just got an email from her teacher, saying the bracelet in question had been FOUND by a 4th grader and turned into his teacher by the time the accusations began. YaYa is relieved to have been vindicated, and I complimented her teacher for being on the ball.

Nigh Omnipotent by A. Lee Martinez

Time for bed. It's been a long day, but generally a good one. I did want to mention that I finished the book "Nigh Omnipotent" by A. Lee Martinez today. The god who created the universe keels over, leaving chaos and entropy behind. It's up to his estranged and laid back brother to figure out a way to save the universe from certain disaster. And giant eggs with guns. But mostly the certain disaster part. Great fun, as all of Martinez's work is; at 107 pages it's listed as an extended short story, but to me that's at least a novella, so I'm officially listing it on my tally of 2012 reads.

The Three Investigators and the Secret of Skeleton Island

1st thing this morning, after dropping off the kids at school, I fired up a DVD of "The Three Investigators and the Secret of Skeleton Island", a kids movie based on a series of books I worshiped as a kid. As for the movie, it was Goonies-esque and fun (LuLu enjoyed it a lot the other day). It was actually made in 2007 in Germany, but only released here on DVD in '10. A sequel was made in 2009 and presumably will hit shelves here soon.

Yes!

Winter Wipeout is premiering as we speak. Hot dog!

The Future (film)

After work we stopped off at the cemetery to pay our respects to my Big Grandpa, then headed home to a great dinner of meatloaf. Later in the evening (post Winter Wipeout) we watched "The Future". A couple in their mid-'30's decides to adopt a stray cat, but the impending responsibility causes them to over-react and seek radical changes in their lives. It's a semi-dark, very quiet comedy that does a great job of showing the emotional depth of their relationship. I recommend it. B+

25 Years Gone

25 years ago today, on the 1st day back @ school after Christmas vacation, my paternal Grandfather died of lung cancer. RIP Big Grandpa.

Mr. Pollack

I just got word from my Dad that St John Kanty's Boy Scout leader Mr. (Chris) Pollack passed away yesterday of cancer. He was 64. RIP

Um....

Oddest comment I've seen online tonight (and no, it isn't mine) "Most of you probably won't read this, but I would love for nothing more than to become a walrus. I know there's a million people out there just like me, but I promise you, I'm different. On January 11th, I'm moving to Antarctica. I've already cut off my arms and wiggle around on my stomach everywhere I go as I've been training for life on the ice. I may not be a walrus yet, but I promise, if you give me a chance and the support I need, I'll become the greatest walrus ever."

Apollo 18 and Bridesmaids

A few minutes ago I finished watching "Apollo 18", a horror movie culled from 'leaked' Dept of Defense footage of the secret (and fictional) last flight to the moon. It's done Blair Witch/Paranormal Activity style, a technique that should get lost in space itself, thank you very much. Still, while its not like you couldn't see death and mayhem a'comin', it was reasonably well done. No true scares that I recall, but the claustrophobic and isolated lunar landscape helps give you the heeby-jeebies. C/C+

I suppose, just to ensure the hatred of every woman here, that I should finally out myself as someone who thinks "Bridesmaids" was the most over-rated comedy in years. Hey, I rented it expecting to LOL and all that, but nope. None of the characters were people you would want to spend time with; the much ballyhooed 'ad libs' were so blatant that some scenes could pass for a Comedy Sportz gig; the main character was pathetic, latching onto losers to boost her own self esteem & failing even at that; and why is there only one cop in all of Wisconsin, and why is he a f-ing Scot? My take:a wannabee 'Hangover', minus, you know, *the laughter*. C-

Yippee!!

Hot dog! Mitt wins Iowa by eight votes! It's about time the wannabees and never can's drop to the wayside. We need Mitt to get the nomination. He's the best opportunity for this country to reverse 3+ years of lousy, teleprompter 'leadership'.

Cowboys and Aliens

Right after I dropped the kids off at school I fired up a Redbox of "Cowboys and Aliens" with Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig. Lisa initially refused to watch it ("It has cowboys. And aliens. Yeah . . no") but wound up enjoying it. I thought it was a well done, imaginative film that won't win any Oscars but certainly rises above the expectations of a typical Hollywood action flick. B/B+

The Leopard by Jo Nesbo

I've finished reading the first book of the year, "The Leopard" by Jo Nesbo,  a serial killer novel featuring detective Harry Hole (hee hee). It's the latest in a line of Scandinavian crime novels imported in the wake of 'Dragon Tattoo's" popularity. The plot has a gazillion twists and turns, so many I more than once felt exhausted by it all. I'd rate the story itself a B. BUT the writing . . . yowsas. Nesbo has a gift and at times - not always, but often - he makes the words on the page get up and dance a little pirouette for your pleasure. What a gift. A damn fine writer.

Hangover 2

We just got done watching "Hangover 2". It was nowhere near as funny as the original. In fact, I'd describe this as an action/thriller with some laughs, more than a straight comedy, but as such it was pretty good. ( BTW, Bradley Cooper really shined. Kudos to him). B/B-

Iowa

As I write this the results in the Iowa caucuses have Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum separated by 34 votes. I wanted to stay up to see who's crowned the winner, but I've been awake since 6:30 and it's time to say nighty-night. Here's hoping for an inaugural win for Mitt . . .

Big 10 for the Win!

Oohee was that a good Outback Bowl. Congrats MI State! Way to represent the Big 10!

How Was Your NYE?

To our surprise Lulu and Smiley managed to stick it out until midnight proper, so it wasn't exactly Animal House last night. But, to be fair, that little girl can mix a hell of a margarita ;) Hope your New Years Eve went well.

New Years Eve 2011

I'm expecting a quiet New Years Eve. I worked today (and saw Alex Q), then returned home to a night with Lisa, Smiley, and Lulu  (YaYa is with a friend, Junie  w/ Grandma). We're making kiddie cocktails and having Papa Murphy's pizza w/ ice cream as a desert. At 9 or 10 we'll have "midnight" for the kids, then hit the margaritas. The highlight so far: walking to the gas station with Smiley and scoping out the neighborhood Christmas lights.

* Jenny McCarthy asked a soldier in Times Square what artist should be #1 all-time on Rockin' Eve and he said "New Kids on the Block". Lol it's my long lost twin!

* #19 on the countdown of Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve top 40 performances ever: NKOTBSB. Still waiting to see if NKOTB  proper cracks the top 15 . . .

* In case I don't get on the comp again before midnight, here's my one and only New Year's Resolution: to make 2012 better than the three years that preceded it. 2009 sucked. 2010 was one of the worst years I've ever had. 2011 was OK, but largely a clone of 2009. Enough of this sh*t. Time to get life rolling again . . .

Ya know how I said "11/22/63" would be the last book I read this year? Sadly, I am a man with no willpower. I just finished two books today. "Agent to the Stars" a comic sci-fi novel by John Scalzi (a name old J-Lander's should recognize), wandered off plot for a bit but was still worth a 'B', and "Angle of Investigation" by Michael Connelly, an ebook that's really just a novella's worth of Harry Bosch stories. I'd grade the first of the stories an A, the second a B, and third (surprise!) a mere C/C-.

Today's Weather

dec 30th, 2011, Milwaukee - steady rain and moderate temp all day. I say again, only mostly tongue in cheek: if this is global warming, I'm all for it.

Quote

"Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means." - Ronald Reagan

4 Films

"Jackass 3" - the funniest installment yet. Luvvved it.

"Another Earth" - slow and intellectual (what I call a 'Oriental' film, after the pretentious theater on the East side). But I liked it, and would recommend it.

'Faces in the Crowd', starring Mila Jovovich, is a thriller about a woman who survives a serial killer attack only to lose the ability to recognize faces, leading to a wee bit of a problem once the killer returns to visit. Standard fare, no better or worse than a C.

'Limitless' was silly but a lot of fun, and it didn't end as I thought it would (always a plus). I'd give it a B/B+

Margin Call

Whodathunk a film about a faulty algorithm and a bunch of stockbrokers who weep about 'only' making 1.4 million for a days work could be tedious and dull? Oh, that's right; anyone who's ever rented 'Margin Call' with Kevin Spacey, Demi Moore, and Jeremy Irons. Ditto "Freakanomics". Dull. Dull. Dull.

Congrats are in order

A hectic but productive day. We polished off BOTH Yaya and LuLu's expo projects (due Jan 25th) and did a diorama of a killer whale to accompany a book report of  Smiley's. It took a trip to Michael's, the Dollar Store, the floral department of Piggly Wiggly, and several hours, but they're done. Whew. Excuse me while Lisa and I pat our own backs.

RIP

Cheetah, the chimpanzee from the Tarzan flicks of the 30's, has passed away at the age of 80. RIP.