Ke$ha, Flowers in the Attic and other vital issues of the day

Whodathunk Ke$ha, the over the top, cheesy pop star who hit paydirt in 2010 with her album Animal, would emerge as more than just a one hit (album) wonder?  The tracks from Warrior are catchy, fun and just as important, doing well and getting airplay. I love this line from an Entertainment Weekly review of the disc: “When you need someone to rhyme ‘sabertoothed tiger’ with ‘warm Budweiser’, you know who to call”. All hail the corny pop diva!

Recently 106.9 FM changed its format to top 40/pop, so you’re bound to hear Ke$ha there. I like the new station enough to have added it to the pre-programmed buttons on our car stereo, but to my ears they play pure R&B too often, giving it an urban tint I could do without.

Speaking of radio, on the way to work last night I got crystal clear reception of a Chicago station playing tracks from a July 6^th, 1973 Led Zeppelin concert in that city. Listening to them live just reminded me of how damn good they were. 

Ginger/Lump is going around lately singing the hook from Taylor Swift’s “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together"  and from Rhiannia, the line “Shine Bright Like a Diamond” J

The Discovery Channel has cancelled Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe after eight seasons.  Buggers.

 On the movie front Lisa and I8 watched the documentary The Tents, which chronicles the fashion world’s time in Bryant Park.  You would think an industry centered around excitement, glamour and keeping your attention could pull off a halfway decent documentary about its seminal event (Fashion Week ) - but you’d be wrong. Dull, dull, dull. Grade: C

On the other hand the dance community scored with First Position, a documentary about six young dancers who compete in the prestigious Youth America Grand Prix for a chance for scholarships and company positions. We both had a good time watching this film and recommend it. Grade: A

Flowers in the Attic is a movie I could have sworn was from the ‘70’s, but nope, it’s actually a late ‘80’s retelling of the VC Andrews story that girls in grade school adored. It’s cheesy, but it actually held my attention. So did Kristy Swanson, future Buffy the Vampire Slayer, who was awfully cute as the trapped teenage girl. Grade: B

A YaYa Update

@ortho w/ YaYa, who just got her cast off but is leery of testing her wrist. While there she finished 'They Never Came Back' by Caroline B Cooney, which she grades a B

Not This Time

Surprisingly, I did not win the $550 million Powerball drawing.

Facts

One hysteria tends to produce another

Who Loves Ya Baby?

I’ve had some rather eclectic television habits lately. Lisa and I have been watching “American Horror Story” on Netflix but have yet to finish the season, so that review will have to wait. Aside from that, and our standard TV viewing choices, I’ve recently watched:

1.       The pilot of Magnum P.I. I thought it was very entertaining and didn’t deviate much from the feel of the series as a whole, though Magnum was more of an outsider/rebel at that stage in the game.

2.       Season 1/Episode 14 of The Donna Reed Show entitled “A Very Merry Christmas”. This episode features the great Buster Keaton, which was a treat in and of itself. I adored The Donna Reed Show when it ran on Nick at Nite back in the ‘80’s, and I liked this episode, but I did notice the characters seemed stiffer and less convincing then I remember.  Perhaps it was just a bad choice of episodes to pick. 

3.       I watched the Kojak episode  “Die Before They Wake”, which originally aired February 6^th, 1974, a month before I was born.  I really dug this episode, which featured Tina Louise (Ginger from Gilligan’s Island) as a heroin addict and a recruiter for a prostitution ring. It’s a bit part, really, but noteworthy. Jess Walton, who I guess has made a name for herself on soaps over the ensuing years, actually had the big guest starring role and wowy wow wow was she gorgeous. My word. Great story, great characters, great dialogue. I’m a fan.

Back to the Routine

Getting back into our Monday routine, I just got back from walking the kids home from school. A bit cold, but surprisingly there wasn't a single complaint until the 1.25 mile mark, at which point they did their best to discourage me from repeating the effort.

Yup

Let a man keep his pride and you can be less worried about keeping your scalp

But . . . .why?

Spent a morbid and fruitless 15 minutes looking for the suicide footage of Christine Chubbuck, the on-air personality who killed herself on live TV in 1974 after stating "In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts and in living color, you are going to see another first -- attempted suicide."

The Tree is Up!

Lisa and I surprised the kids on our return by having the Christmas tree up and decorated. Junie can't stop talking about it and has the music box function on the stand running non-stop.

An Ike Quote

"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

A Walk - and Star Wars!

out walking with the youngest two

picked up popcorn seeds on our walk. Now home where Smiley and I are settling in for his FIRST EVER viewing of Star Wars!

Fantasy Football

Another bloody fantasy football match-up this week. I have the advantage, being the only team with a player on MNF and the score close to tied, but it's gonna be a  tight one

My opponent's players are done and he has an 11 pt lead on me. I have Jonathan Stewart playing on Monday night and Victor Cruz tonight - I am hoping for a Packers win, but one in which VC notches two TD's and 110 yds.

Larry Hagman

RIP Larry Hagman, aka JR Ewing.

Hector Camacho

RIP  Hector "Macho" Camacho

My Farmville Estate

A Dream

I had a spectacular (non-sexual) dream about . . . . Tommy Thompson. I was at a huge banquet, with a non-partisan crowd of maybe 1500 people. There was some issue, now lost to my memory, that was troubling the crowd, but no one was brave enough to voice their concerns. 

Then my Tommy stood up, dressed in a white shirt just like Smiley's. He started out by stating the obvious, that his political career was over in WI, but that that didn't change his love for the state. He went on to address this unremembered concern, laid into an honest and brutal assessment of Tammy Baldwin's inadequacy, and then, finally, hit the hot button issue on the table. 

"Do I think they did it?" [long pause, pained, regretful look, solemn sincere nod] "Yes. Yes, I think they did."

And with that the crowd rose to their feet, and WI once again took Tommy into their hearts. 

Said Lisa when I told her: "What kind of freak dreams about Tommy Thompson?"

TV Time

Watching "Infested!" and "Monsters Inside Me" on Animal Planet. Earlier viewing: Dark Matters, a cheesy Ripley's-esque show hosted by the quack doc from Fringe.

Loon : A Marine Story by Jack McLean

In the middle of the night I finished reading Loon : A Marine Story by Jack McLean. It’s the memoir of McLean, a son of privilege and wealth who volunteered for the Marine Corps when his grades precluded a quick acceptance into college. The title of the book refers to three bloody days in 1968 he spent battling the NVA at Landing Zone Loon near the Laotian border; forty-three Marines would die before the battle was through, and a photograph of the aftermath would appear on the front page of the New York Times. 

While that’s the alleged focus of the memoir, I found that the section on Loon was the most disjointed and strung together of the book, while recollections of his time at boot camp and his acclimation to Vietnam were meticulous and powerful. Perhaps the memories of those three days are l too strong for him to properly harness them in print.

Overall I felt the book was emotional and compelling, although I’m not a fan of McLean’s tendency to drop one sentence paragraphs back to back to back. Grade: A-

Thanksgiving at Denny's

On his own accord Smiley came down for Thanksgiving lunch in clean jeans and a crisp white button down shirt, cuff-links and all. Looking sharp my man!

Junie excited to finally see Santa as we watch the Macy's parade on TV!

Against my better judgement I went to Kmart for their pre-Black Friday deals. Got a couple nice things for the kids, but waited in line for well over an hour at the register.

Art Ginsburg

RIP Art Ginsburg, aka 'Mr. Food.' I remember his short syndicated segments on the Channel 6 midday news. 

Welcome to 2003! pt 2

July 2003

Friday July 4^th: parade, Brewers game, fireworks

Sunday the 6^th: Lu’s baptism at 9:30 mass and brunch

Tuesday the 8^th: Dad Kohn’s bday

Friday July 11: Tre’s wedding rehearsal; YaYa pukes in our car

Sat July 12: Tre’s wedding

Sunday July 13^th: mall with Lu and YaYa

Wednesday the 16^th: 2pm 6 week check up with ob/gyn

Sun July 20^th: Chuck E Cheese for Jonah’s birthday

Monday the 21^st: Zoo

Wed the 23^rd – theft! (of what, I don’t remember)

Thursday the 24^th – park with Mom (Lisa?) and Grandpa S.

Sunday the 27^th:  Anthony’s ? birthday party at chuck e cheese. Pink eye.

Monday the 28^th: Discovery World

Tuesday the 29^th: Lu pink eye; doc appt

August 2003

Friday the 1^st: museum with Jonah, Caitlin, Jordan and YaYa

Sat the 2^nd : pink eye me and jonah & bronchial sinus infection. Dinner at jeanne’s. Jonah stays with us through the 5^th.  YaYa stays with my folks during that same period to avoid getting pink eye.

Sunday the 3^rd: Federation picnic

Tues the 5^th:  my Dad took YaYa to the playground. I took Lu to the doc. 40 cm, 23”, 11 # 12 oz. 4 shots (immunizations).

Wed the 6^th: Chris, Miller Park. Rain.

Thurs 7^th: movie with Jon. Pirates.

Friday the 8^th: slept all day.  That weekend “bad weekend at work”

Monday the 12^th : WIC

Tues 13^th: take both girls to play on Miller Park’s playground

Thursday the 14^th: Snappers ballgame

Friday the 15^th  through the 16^th: take Jonah and Caitlin with us to the Kalahari; our kids left behind with my folks

Monday the 18^th: Chris over. Watch Adaptation. Watch Lu 1-5 and go shopping

Tues the 19^th: Italian restaurant and Walmart

Wed the 20^th: Lu sleeps through the night!

Thurs the 21^st: Lu rolls over!

Friday the 22^nd: dinner at Jeanne’s. I watch Lu 2-3 hrs (why did I keep noting this? It’s my kid, why *wouldn’t* I be watching her?)

Saturday the 23^rd: Bad day at work. Ballgame with Dad and Elliot; 5 wins in a row. This is the day of Becky and Balto’s wedding; my absence would earn me her scorn for years afterwards.

Sunday the 24^th: did nada

Friday the 29^th: horrible dinner at La Toscana

Sat the 30^th: Harley Parade. YaYa enjoys it a lot. Olive Garden with Lis

September 2003

Monday the 1^st – slept all day. Felt like sh*t.

Tuesday the 2^nd – Lisa & the girls went to sleep early. Watched Brewers game

Wed the 3^rd: cemetery. Olive Garden. Sick – cxl Brewers game

Thurs the 4^th – family has pink eye. Lu 11# 140z.  also that day: YaYa and Lisa and the chicken/M&M incident, followed by a  smiley face.??????

Friday the 5^th: bought YaYa a tent, watched ‘em 630-9 am. Fight with Lisa

Monday the 8^th: tour Miller Park. Brewers game with Elliot

Tues the 9^th: YaYa and Lu doc. 12# 12oz? Tour Miller Park with Lisa, eat at Front Row. Hepatitis 2 vaccination.

Wednesday the 10^th: Took girls to Blockbuster and library to sign up for storytime, and McDonald’s to sign up for party, then Walmart for party supplies, then Pic ‘N Save (grocery). Lu laughed! Lu’s 1^st baseball game!

Thursday Sept 11^th: 2^nd anniversary of 9/11. Beef meal. John Ritter and Johnny Cash die.

Friday the 12^th: Socialist and I hang out. Rickie Weeks called up to majors.

Saturday the 13^th: Brewers win 5-4. Sexson 2 hr. Clean house in exchange?. Lu in saucer (walker)

Sunday the 14^th: YaYa pees in potty!

Monday the 15^th: boring day off. Shopping, Ned’s Pizza. Watched TV.

Tuesday the 16^th: Spare ribs for dinner. Miller Park with Dad. Lisa moody. YaYa peed once, then disaster after disaster. MIR sighting by Jose??

Thursday the 18^th: Argue with rec division. Comiskey?

Friday Sept 19^th: poop at 648! (I assume this means YaYa used the potty)

Saturday the 20^th: Jenny’s bachelorette party

Sept 21^st: Brewers game with Grandpa Kohn and Dennis. YaYa – toddler bed!

Sept 23^rd: Brewers w/ YaYa and Faith. Buckethead. Called shot. Harley.

Sept 24^th: White Sox game (I think this was the Yankees game I attended with my Dad)

Thursday the 25^th: slept all day. Friends premiere. YaYa at Arthur Ave – 1^st time post potty training!

Friday the 26^th: dinner at Uncle Kenny’s

Friday the 27^th: Yaya’s 1^st swim class and music for tots!

Saturday the 28^th: Lisa sees ‘Thirteen’ with Mindy. I watch girls. $ store boxes J (?)

Monday the 29^th: shave beard (followed by frowning face)

Tues the 30^th: dentist

October 2003

Wednesday the 1^st: Great A’s/Bosox game

Thursday the 2^nd: took YaYa to toddler group (she peed). Watched girls for 2 hrs.

Saturday the 4^th: 2^nd swim class. Took grandma then went shopping

Thursday the 9^th: 3^rd shift field trip to Holy Hill and Mr. D’s

Saturday the 11^th: Dale’s last day at work

Friday the 17^th: tour Dale’s new hotel

Saturday the 18^th: Jose’s wedding

Tues the 21^st : Miller Park symposium with Tre

Wed the 22^nd: took girls to Jaspare and shopping.

Thurs the 23^rd: YaYa’s 2^nd birthday. Opens family gifts. Toddler group and library for her first library card! Chris and Jeanne over.

Friday the 24^th: clean bedroom. Dinner at Schroeder’s.

Saturday the 25^th: 7^th anniversary. Trick or treat. Ricardo’s for dinner and saw Wonderland at the Downer (loved it). Yankees lose the World Series. Ray calls to taunt me with that fact at the movie.

Sunday the 26^th: Trick or Treat. YaYa’s second birthday party (McDonald’s) at 4 p.m.  Yankees lose Dada??

Wed the 29^th: 7pm Halloween party at Zablocki school. 3PM pediatrician for YaYa

November 2003

Sunday the 1^st: Rosie’s bridal shower

Saturday the 15^th: work xmas party

Thursday the 20^th: good Friends episode. JFK special.

Friday the 21^st: Aunt Rosie and Bob’s wedding.

Saturday the 22^nd: Jonah and Caitlin book making? Christmas tree up.

Friday the 28^th: Royette’s bday

Saturday the 29^th: Saw Bad Santa (I think with Jon)

December 2003

Saturday the 6^th: St Nick’s. Fight with Chris. Candy Cane lane.

Monday the 8^th: Olive Garden

Tuesday the 9^th: Pewaukee? Rafters (restaurant)

Wednesday the 10^th: Scabies! [relax, it was NOT me - but it's an anecdote worth remembering]

Friday the 12^th: Rockettes (YaYa). I watch Lu.

Saturday the 13^th: The shuttle van at work was shot at. Sadam Hussein captured!

Sunday the 14^th: Lunch with Santa

Monday the 15^th: Dermatologist appt. Ground Round. YaYa’s 2^nd baptismal anniversary

Tues the 16^th: Christmas shopping

Wednesday the 17^th: Sledding! 100^th anniversary of manned flight

Thursday the 18^th: Lisa sick. Dinner at Uncle Ken’s. Jonah and Caitlin’s Christmas concert.

Monday the 22^nd: LuLu get’s shots (immunizations) at 

Flowers in the Attic

Following a late night viewing of Flowers in the Attic with Lisa earlier in the week, I sat down to read the V.C. Andrews book that seemed to grace the desk of every girl in grade school back in the ‘80’s. To my surprise, I enjoyed Andrews’ style and found the book well written, even if she had a nasty little obsession with incest. For a classic cheesy horror novel, it wasn’t bad at all. Grade: B

Great News

Uber excited that Herman Wouk just released a new novel . . .

WTH?

Big to-do with AT&T after they disconnected me this morning * despite paying my bill in full* At one point they asked me to have my bank fax them proof of the payment (!) and when they relented, they STILL wanted to charge me sixty bucks to restore service they cut by mistake. 

AT&T: like Time Warner, only with a longer pedigree.

Back to the Farm

I'm back on Farmville . . .