BTW, 60 yrs ago today I Love Lucy debuted on TV
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!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Hey, Boo: Harper Lee & To Kill a Mockingbird and I Love Lucy
After dinner Lisa and I watched "Hey, Boo: Harper Lee & To Kill a Mockingbird" a documentary on, duh, Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird. There is nothing earth shattering or original in the doc's content, but it certainly reminds you of how great a book that really is, and if nothing else, that makes it all worthwhile.
You won't be Sorry!
Today is Sweetest Day. If you're going to buy your sweetie flowers (and u should) please go to piggly-wiggly on chase btwn 9 & 1 and ask for Lisa. U won't b sorry!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Ask for Lisa!
Tomorrow is Sweetest Day. If you're going to buy your sweetie flowers (and u should) please go to piggly-wiggly btwn 9 & 1 and ask for Lisa. U won't b sorry!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Facebook - February 1st - Valentines Day (yeah, February. What of it?)
Feb 1st
"'RED' was ok, but in the end was little more than cookie cutter action/comedy. What comedic bright spots there were came largely courtesy of Mary Louise Parker."
We just finished the documentary 'Catfish'. I really enjoyed it, and I think the title - which stems from an anecdote w/in the film - is a phrase worth remembering
"I fear this [war with Israel]will be one of the outcomes of the 'democracy' protests in Egypt. Egypt, 2011 = Iran, 1979? Let's hope not."
Jon Knight: I was never in the closet
Feb 2nd
The interesting disappearance of Maud Crawford
"Education is finite. Fame whoring is forever - TMZ"
We watched 'Cyrus' tonight, a John C. Reily comedy with a plot that seemed, at first glance, too similar to his awful 'Step Brothers'. No fear; it turned out to be a sweet, mature rom-com. We liked it."
"Btwn shoveling [snow] we watched 'Winter's Bone'. Set in the Ozarks, it's about a 17 yr old girl who must find her meth-cooking father or lose the house he put up as a bail bond. It's very bleak, but the acting is superb. And the character of Teardrop? He didn't raise a hand in the whole movie, & he still scared the crap out of me."
"We watched 'The American' a few days back, and despite a good trailer & George Clooney in the lead role, it was el-boringo. Criminy, *I* wanted to kill the dull bugger myself by the 3rd act. 'Love Ranch' a Helen Mirren/Joe Pesci film about a legal brothel in the '70's, was pretty good but ended like a bad TV movie, narration and all."
Feb 4th
"Back from work & not happy. Moving on . . 'Nowhere Boy' a biopic of John Lennon's formative years, is a good film. I will note that I was annoyed that the lead actor is 100x better looking than Lennon, and that Paul is portrayed by what appears to be a ten yr old waif. Still, very enjoyable. (creepy incestous Mommy relationship aside)"
Feb 5th
"I just finished watching season 7 of The Amazing Race. It's disapointing that Boston Rob and Amber didn't win. Yeah, I agree Eugenna (sic) & his wife are nice people. Whoopdeedoo. W/out Rob and Amber that season would have sucked."
"You know you're an experienced Daddy when your 3 yr old vomits in the car and not only doesn't fit faze you, you clean her up,change her, and wipe down the car with only an old newspaper and handfuls of snow."
British PM David Cameron: Stop Tolerating Islamic Terrorists and respect British Core Values. Europe is waking up - when will we?
Feb 6th
After a two year investigation, a local woman has been charged with killing her infant in 1957
Feb 7th
"A cop just knocked on my door and asked if I witnessed an alleged strong arm robbery directly across the street. A guy says he was robbed * & * bit by the crook's dog. We were in our living room, w/ the bay window uncovered, & saw/heard diddly. Not saying it's a drunk fairytale, but . . . Neat to have to give my name/middle initial/DOB/phone to a cop again. Strange what I miss from Job Prior."
"Happy 100th birthday Ronald Reagan! The Pack will one for you Gipper, count on it!"
"I don't know if y'all heard, but the Packers won the Super Bowl. Just thought you'd like to know."
"We (me, Lisa, Chris) crammed in a viewing of "The Virginity Hit', a mockumentary following a young guy looking to lose his virginity. Much to my surprise it was LOL - the inflatable tranny doll scene had us all but peeing our pants in laughter. it turns out that it was produced by Will Ferrell. REnt it if you have a sense of humor."
"AOL has purchased The Huffington Post and given it complete control over all AOL editorial content. Ugh, yet another reason to seperate from AOL."
Feb 8th
"Damn, it is well and truly bitterbit*h cold out there."
"Please. I've had mono so often it turned into stereo - the utterly yummable Santana on Glee"
Feb 9th
"Tonight we watched 'Paranormal Activity 2', a movie that takes place before/during the events of the original. It wasn't bad, if u can stomach a movie where a child may be in danger & can tolerate watching security footage of an empty room where (mostly) nothing happens. A decent waste of 90 minutes & worth a cheap rental."
The iconic video game Guitar Player has been axed. No pun intended.
"Lu had to list 3 Presidents as options for a report, & her teacher then chose 1 on a 1st come/1st served basis so there'd be no repetition among the students. Lu listed Obama, Polk & Adams. She got *Obama* which presumably means no one else in the class had him listed high; quite a diff from what MPS, no? She solicited my help to start it. I quipped "Barrack Obama, our 44th President, was born in Kenya . . . ""
"Egads! The long awaited DVD of Project Runway Season 8 arrived via Netflix and won't play! We've been forced to jump ahead 5 episodes & start w/ disc 2. Pfui."
dislike/disagree about Mr. Sunshine. I'm not sure how long the concept can hold, but I thought it was funny. Then again, you dislike We Built This City, so your judgment is suspect from the start."
Feb 10th
Ginger: Knock knock
Me: who's there?
Ginger: Uh, doctor who
Me: Doctor who who?
Ginger: doctor who, uh, soda!
"Matthew Perry's new show, "Mr. Sunshine", has taken some heat here on FB but I enjoyed it & found it funny. [Plus my opinion is worth ten of anyone elses, so pbbbt.] Good to see the girlfriend from 'Joey' bed down yet another Friends alum on TV; I eagerly await her future co-starring role with Jen Aniston."
"I just turned off "Middle Men" w/ 45 min left on the DVD. How do you take a film about porn, strippers, drugs & the mob and make it boring? For starters, bury it under so much narration you think you're listening to an audio book. This ain't Goodfellas, buddy, & you're no Scorsese. Show us the story, don't recite it. Yawn."
Feb 11th
"NEVER ask for what should be offered - a quote from Winter's Bone, and one that rings true. We used it just this week to teach LuLu a lesson about pride. She was hurt that she's never asked over to a friend's house, while other (wealthier?) kids are, and wanted to call and ask the parents for an invitation. Hell to the No."
"'tho it meant going to work on shy of 4hrs sleep, I stayed up to finish 'The Cypress House' by Michael Koryta. It's a supernatural story set in the gloomy swamps of Depression-era Florida. Very well written & satisfying. Count me as a fan."
"Having a good time with the kids. YaYa took photographs of drops of food coloring she suspended in water, Smiley and I made paper boats and Ginger is running around half naked enlessly repeating "Ohmygoodnessohmygoodness". And best of all: Dean Martin's album "Dino" is playing. Dean Martin's voice is like buttah, infinitely easier on the ears than Sinatra. It never fails to make me smile."
"Lu's reaction to the Beiber movie? "It's freakin' AWESOME!!!". She and Lisa were happy to get primo seats w/out any hassles, in lg part because they caught the last matinee. On the way out they said teenage girls in PJ's and "Beiber warpaint" were lined up around the corner hoping for good seats for the 1st evening show."
Feb 12th
"US officials have identified the remains of 11 US WWII servicemen found in a wreck in Papua New Guinea. The remains include those of 2nd Lt. Robert R. Streckenbach Jr., 21, of Green Bay, Wisconsin. RIP."
"Horrible nightmares all night, one rolling right into the next. Not a good night."
""He was a stupid man, he knew nothing at all of the world, and like all men who knew nothing of the world, he was suspicious and jealous" - The Duke of Wellington, on the jailor of Napoleon, Hudson Lowe"
"Martha Stewart takes the ordinary and makes it beautiful. Katie Brown takes the beautiful and makes it hideous. Sometimes I think she plays it for the camp factor. That has to be it, right?"
Feb 13th
"Great day at work, lousy night at home. Anyhwho, now we're watching the Grammy's. For the first time ever there has yet to be a nominee or performer whose album I haven't heard, start to finish, at least once. I feel all knowledgable and schtuff."
"Esperanza Spalding wins best new artist . . . [sx: crickets chirp]. She wouldn't have been my FOURTH choice out of the nominees. What a waste of airtime."
"Yo, Babs: if you are presenting a Grammy, best not to stammer over the winner's album title. Kinda gives the impression you don't know them or their work (which you don't)."
Feb 14th
"After the Grammy's we (well, Lisa) baked cupcakes for the kids' Valentines Day treats, then settled down to watch 'I Spit on Your Grave'. It's a remake of a '70's film where a woman is gang-raped and left for dead, only to return & kill off her attackers in Saw-esque scenarios. Ten years ago, I'd have labeled the movie and *all* of its characters 'retarded'. Now, dutifully PC, I don't know how to describe it."
"While waiting for the kids at dance class I finished "The Ice Bowl: The Cold Truth About Football's Most Unforgettable Game" by Ed Gruver. Stylish writing, great detail, tons of research; just a great read. Be forewarned tho' - the ebook version is awash in typos that don't appear in the print editiion."
"Enough is as good as a feast"
"Big fan of the Nook, as you know, and I favor the reading experience and battery life of the b&w over the Color, but I gotta tell ya - the inability to read in dim light is wearing on me. As soon as twilight arrives your reading is done, long before a booklight would be needed for a traditional page. Not liking the idea that a Color might be the weapon of choice when funds allow."
"'RED' was ok, but in the end was little more than cookie cutter action/comedy. What comedic bright spots there were came largely courtesy of Mary Louise Parker."
We just finished the documentary 'Catfish'. I really enjoyed it, and I think the title - which stems from an anecdote w/in the film - is a phrase worth remembering
"I fear this [war with Israel]will be one of the outcomes of the 'democracy' protests in Egypt. Egypt, 2011 = Iran, 1979? Let's hope not."
Jon Knight: I was never in the closet
Feb 2nd
The interesting disappearance of Maud Crawford
"Education is finite. Fame whoring is forever - TMZ"
We watched 'Cyrus' tonight, a John C. Reily comedy with a plot that seemed, at first glance, too similar to his awful 'Step Brothers'. No fear; it turned out to be a sweet, mature rom-com. We liked it."
"Btwn shoveling [snow] we watched 'Winter's Bone'. Set in the Ozarks, it's about a 17 yr old girl who must find her meth-cooking father or lose the house he put up as a bail bond. It's very bleak, but the acting is superb. And the character of Teardrop? He didn't raise a hand in the whole movie, & he still scared the crap out of me."
"We watched 'The American' a few days back, and despite a good trailer & George Clooney in the lead role, it was el-boringo. Criminy, *I* wanted to kill the dull bugger myself by the 3rd act. 'Love Ranch' a Helen Mirren/Joe Pesci film about a legal brothel in the '70's, was pretty good but ended like a bad TV movie, narration and all."
Feb 4th
"Back from work & not happy. Moving on . . 'Nowhere Boy' a biopic of John Lennon's formative years, is a good film. I will note that I was annoyed that the lead actor is 100x better looking than Lennon, and that Paul is portrayed by what appears to be a ten yr old waif. Still, very enjoyable. (creepy incestous Mommy relationship aside)"
Feb 5th
"I just finished watching season 7 of The Amazing Race. It's disapointing that Boston Rob and Amber didn't win. Yeah, I agree Eugenna (sic) & his wife are nice people. Whoopdeedoo. W/out Rob and Amber that season would have sucked."
"You know you're an experienced Daddy when your 3 yr old vomits in the car and not only doesn't fit faze you, you clean her up,change her, and wipe down the car with only an old newspaper and handfuls of snow."
British PM David Cameron: Stop Tolerating Islamic Terrorists and respect British Core Values. Europe is waking up - when will we?
Feb 6th
After a two year investigation, a local woman has been charged with killing her infant in 1957
Feb 7th
"A cop just knocked on my door and asked if I witnessed an alleged strong arm robbery directly across the street. A guy says he was robbed * & * bit by the crook's dog. We were in our living room, w/ the bay window uncovered, & saw/heard diddly. Not saying it's a drunk fairytale, but . . . Neat to have to give my name/middle initial/DOB/phone to a cop again. Strange what I miss from Job Prior."
"Happy 100th birthday Ronald Reagan! The Pack will one for you Gipper, count on it!"
"I don't know if y'all heard, but the Packers won the Super Bowl. Just thought you'd like to know."
"We (me, Lisa, Chris) crammed in a viewing of "The Virginity Hit', a mockumentary following a young guy looking to lose his virginity. Much to my surprise it was LOL - the inflatable tranny doll scene had us all but peeing our pants in laughter. it turns out that it was produced by Will Ferrell. REnt it if you have a sense of humor."
"AOL has purchased The Huffington Post and given it complete control over all AOL editorial content. Ugh, yet another reason to seperate from AOL."
Feb 8th
"Damn, it is well and truly bitterbit*h cold out there."
"Please. I've had mono so often it turned into stereo - the utterly yummable Santana on Glee"
Feb 9th
"Tonight we watched 'Paranormal Activity 2', a movie that takes place before/during the events of the original. It wasn't bad, if u can stomach a movie where a child may be in danger & can tolerate watching security footage of an empty room where (mostly) nothing happens. A decent waste of 90 minutes & worth a cheap rental."
The iconic video game Guitar Player has been axed. No pun intended.
"Lu had to list 3 Presidents as options for a report, & her teacher then chose 1 on a 1st come/1st served basis so there'd be no repetition among the students. Lu listed Obama, Polk & Adams. She got *Obama* which presumably means no one else in the class had him listed high; quite a diff from what MPS, no? She solicited my help to start it. I quipped "Barrack Obama, our 44th President, was born in Kenya . . . ""
"Egads! The long awaited DVD of Project Runway Season 8 arrived via Netflix and won't play! We've been forced to jump ahead 5 episodes & start w/ disc 2. Pfui."
dislike/disagree about Mr. Sunshine. I'm not sure how long the concept can hold, but I thought it was funny. Then again, you dislike We Built This City, so your judgment is suspect from the start."
Feb 10th
Ginger: Knock knock
Me: who's there?
Ginger: Uh, doctor who
Me: Doctor who who?
Ginger: doctor who, uh, soda!
"Matthew Perry's new show, "Mr. Sunshine", has taken some heat here on FB but I enjoyed it & found it funny. [Plus my opinion is worth ten of anyone elses, so pbbbt.] Good to see the girlfriend from 'Joey' bed down yet another Friends alum on TV; I eagerly await her future co-starring role with Jen Aniston."
"I just turned off "Middle Men" w/ 45 min left on the DVD. How do you take a film about porn, strippers, drugs & the mob and make it boring? For starters, bury it under so much narration you think you're listening to an audio book. This ain't Goodfellas, buddy, & you're no Scorsese. Show us the story, don't recite it. Yawn."
Feb 11th
"NEVER ask for what should be offered - a quote from Winter's Bone, and one that rings true. We used it just this week to teach LuLu a lesson about pride. She was hurt that she's never asked over to a friend's house, while other (wealthier?) kids are, and wanted to call and ask the parents for an invitation. Hell to the No."
"'tho it meant going to work on shy of 4hrs sleep, I stayed up to finish 'The Cypress House' by Michael Koryta. It's a supernatural story set in the gloomy swamps of Depression-era Florida. Very well written & satisfying. Count me as a fan."
"Having a good time with the kids. YaYa took photographs of drops of food coloring she suspended in water, Smiley and I made paper boats and Ginger is running around half naked enlessly repeating "Ohmygoodnessohmygoodness". And best of all: Dean Martin's album "Dino" is playing. Dean Martin's voice is like buttah, infinitely easier on the ears than Sinatra. It never fails to make me smile."
"Lu's reaction to the Beiber movie? "It's freakin' AWESOME!!!". She and Lisa were happy to get primo seats w/out any hassles, in lg part because they caught the last matinee. On the way out they said teenage girls in PJ's and "Beiber warpaint" were lined up around the corner hoping for good seats for the 1st evening show."
Feb 12th
"US officials have identified the remains of 11 US WWII servicemen found in a wreck in Papua New Guinea. The remains include those of 2nd Lt. Robert R. Streckenbach Jr., 21, of Green Bay, Wisconsin. RIP."
"Horrible nightmares all night, one rolling right into the next. Not a good night."
""He was a stupid man, he knew nothing at all of the world, and like all men who knew nothing of the world, he was suspicious and jealous" - The Duke of Wellington, on the jailor of Napoleon, Hudson Lowe"
"Martha Stewart takes the ordinary and makes it beautiful. Katie Brown takes the beautiful and makes it hideous. Sometimes I think she plays it for the camp factor. That has to be it, right?"
Feb 13th
"Great day at work, lousy night at home. Anyhwho, now we're watching the Grammy's. For the first time ever there has yet to be a nominee or performer whose album I haven't heard, start to finish, at least once. I feel all knowledgable and schtuff."
"Esperanza Spalding wins best new artist . . . [sx: crickets chirp]. She wouldn't have been my FOURTH choice out of the nominees. What a waste of airtime."
"Yo, Babs: if you are presenting a Grammy, best not to stammer over the winner's album title. Kinda gives the impression you don't know them or their work (which you don't)."
Feb 14th
"After the Grammy's we (well, Lisa) baked cupcakes for the kids' Valentines Day treats, then settled down to watch 'I Spit on Your Grave'. It's a remake of a '70's film where a woman is gang-raped and left for dead, only to return & kill off her attackers in Saw-esque scenarios. Ten years ago, I'd have labeled the movie and *all* of its characters 'retarded'. Now, dutifully PC, I don't know how to describe it."
"While waiting for the kids at dance class I finished "The Ice Bowl: The Cold Truth About Football's Most Unforgettable Game" by Ed Gruver. Stylish writing, great detail, tons of research; just a great read. Be forewarned tho' - the ebook version is awash in typos that don't appear in the print editiion."
"Enough is as good as a feast"
"Big fan of the Nook, as you know, and I favor the reading experience and battery life of the b&w over the Color, but I gotta tell ya - the inability to read in dim light is wearing on me. As soon as twilight arrives your reading is done, long before a booklight would be needed for a traditional page. Not liking the idea that a Color might be the weapon of choice when funds allow."
The NLCS is tied 2-2
There, Brewers win, LCS tied at 2 games each. Happy now? Jiminy Cricket, I said it in the NLDS and I had to trot it out again yesterday: have some confidence and act like you've been there before. Watching Fox 6 Wake up News this morning was like watching a funeral for the team. Until the last out of the elimination game, have faith.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Thank You
I'd like to thank Jeanne, Suda M nd Amy S or sharing a link to my column. I appreciate it :) By the time the JS site changed over to Wednesday, my piece had generated 69 comments and a half dozen emails.
Shockwave by John Sandford
Today I finished reading 'Shockwave', a Virgil Flowers novel by the great John Sandford. It's about the hunt for a serial bomber in a small Minnesota town, who appears to be trying to stop the fictional equivalent of a Wal-Mart from opening.
As expected from Sandford, it's a fine read with plenty of style and a who-dunnit that actually kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Today
CNN is reporting that the US has disrupted a plot by "elements of the Iran government" to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the U.S.
In less important news I lost my fantasy matchup by 92.52 points. Not only was it the biggest whupping of the week, my opponents 164.67 points is some kind of league record. Good grief.
The Beast of Bray Road
The Beast of Bray Road is a low budget horror film centered around the werewolf legend of Walworth County (here in Wisconsin).
This was awful, but in a 'make you smile not retch' kinda way. The acting is rec-class awful (although the lead & Kelly were good), the costumes were ill fitting, everyone in WI apparently wears Stetsons, cops don't retaliate when punks spit at them, and the werewolf looked silly.
But it was set in WI, there are two nice sets of breasts bared for your viewing pleasure, if such is your preference, and what the hell - it's set in Wisconsin.
Porkenstein by Kathryn Lasky
LuLu is a big fan of the book "Porkenstein" by Kathyrn Lasky and has read it 2 or 3 times since checking it out of the school library this week.
October 5th - 8th
Wednesday October 5th
"QB Aaron Rodgers has been named the "NFC Offensive Player of the Week" for the second time this season"
"OK, just finished my 30 min phone interview, the 4th step in the WI Dells process. I think it went well, but whadda I know? If I get this, it means $ - the *starting* wage is more $ than I've ever earned - and relocation (she told me the $ they'll give me for relocation and apologized for the amount. Apologize? I thought the relocation amount was my ANNUAL wage - and I was happy.) Too good to be true, which means it won't happen."
"'Cuz I was asked: Philadelphia/Milwaukee NLCS, Yankees/Rangers ALCS."
"BREAKING NEWS:
Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, has died at age 56."
"We just finished watching Season Five of Hell's Kitchen. It's a lot of fun to watch, as I've noted five times now, but I do wish they'd add a little variety to the challenges. Still, congrats to winner Danny Veltri, who as usual went on to become 'the executive chef' at a Ramsay restaurant - aka, a standard sous chef. Most mislabeled prize in all of reality TV."
October 6th
"'Occupy Wall Street' protesst business while mourning Steve Jobs. Fine. But Steve Jobs had a net worth of around 7 billion and was one of the *gasp* 1% that 'undermine democracy'. On principle, they should toss out their IPads, IPods, and Macbooks. They won't, of course. Know this kiddies: Jobs created more jobs, and hence helped more people, in any given year than all you protesters will do in your lifetimes, COMBINED."
"Folks at work were soooo despondent over the Brewers dropping 2 games in a row to now face elimination in the NLDS. I'm talking hardcore, kept a day to day W-L count on the bulletin board kind of fans. Huh. That mindset is new to me. As a Yankees fan, they can be down 3 games to none in the LCS, losing 9-0 in the bottom of the eighth, and I'd still bet on seeing them in the Series. Milwaukee fans need to act like we've been here before and quit anticipating a collapse."
Smiley's Power Rangers Halloween costume:
"And . . . I didn't get the Dells job. I was just notified - @ 10:27pm!? - via a personal email. Ugh."
"Detroit just ousted the Yanks. What a crappy half hour for Danny."
October 7th
"Went to bed 3 hrs earlier than normal in a depressive funk, but time to nut up & keep slugging. Off to work soon, then afterwards I'm going to stop and price a new suit. I clean up well, emerging, when I care to, as a plump but politically wiser Alec Baldwin. Enough of this bulls--t. Time to make some money again."
"@ eric's watching game 5 of the NLDS"
"NLDS Victory in the 10th inning, courtesy of T-Plush! Fireworks went off in Bay View (literally) and cops are pulling people over everywhere, as the whole damn neighborhood is drunk (or just delirious w/ joy). Whoo-hoo!"
Pics taken during the game winning hit (plus Eric's 'Beast' pose)
"Work bit ass. Went to tailor shop afterwards, tried on some threads. Looked smashing. Par for the course. Came home, wrote and submitted JS column, it may run Tues. Wrote it intending to stir up some schtuff, so less than 50 JSonline comments will mark it as a failure."
"Home from Eric's. Once his wife came home it was kibosh on MLB night. Lisa and the kids are in the Dells with a friend (enjoying a haunted hayride, I'm told) so I Redbox'ed "The Walking Dead, The Complete First Season" and plan to knock that off tonight."
Our Miraculous Continental US Pancake:
October 8th
"Breaking news: Raider's owner Al Davis is dead @ 82. RIP"
I literally kissed the cover when I saw it on the shelf. Disturbing but true.
I'm a 30 point underdog going into this weekend's fantasy matchup. Playing QB Cutler WR's Moore/Desean Jackson/Manningham RB's Benson and Turner TE: Gronkowski K Bironas DEF New England. Opponent: Brees/Bowe/Calvin Johnson/Steve Smith/Jones-Drew/Adrian Foster/Vernon Davis/Minn D/Philly's kicker.
Courtney Love has gone on record as saying she'd kill Kurt Cobain if he came back to life. I guess if you've done it once . . .
"QB Aaron Rodgers has been named the "NFC Offensive Player of the Week" for the second time this season"
"OK, just finished my 30 min phone interview, the 4th step in the WI Dells process. I think it went well, but whadda I know? If I get this, it means $ - the *starting* wage is more $ than I've ever earned - and relocation (she told me the $ they'll give me for relocation and apologized for the amount. Apologize? I thought the relocation amount was my ANNUAL wage - and I was happy.) Too good to be true, which means it won't happen."
"'Cuz I was asked: Philadelphia/Milwaukee NLCS, Yankees/Rangers ALCS."
"BREAKING NEWS:
Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, has died at age 56."
"We just finished watching Season Five of Hell's Kitchen. It's a lot of fun to watch, as I've noted five times now, but I do wish they'd add a little variety to the challenges. Still, congrats to winner Danny Veltri, who as usual went on to become 'the executive chef' at a Ramsay restaurant - aka, a standard sous chef. Most mislabeled prize in all of reality TV."
October 6th
"'Occupy Wall Street' protesst business while mourning Steve Jobs. Fine. But Steve Jobs had a net worth of around 7 billion and was one of the *gasp* 1% that 'undermine democracy'. On principle, they should toss out their IPads, IPods, and Macbooks. They won't, of course. Know this kiddies: Jobs created more jobs, and hence helped more people, in any given year than all you protesters will do in your lifetimes, COMBINED."
"Folks at work were soooo despondent over the Brewers dropping 2 games in a row to now face elimination in the NLDS. I'm talking hardcore, kept a day to day W-L count on the bulletin board kind of fans. Huh. That mindset is new to me. As a Yankees fan, they can be down 3 games to none in the LCS, losing 9-0 in the bottom of the eighth, and I'd still bet on seeing them in the Series. Milwaukee fans need to act like we've been here before and quit anticipating a collapse."
Smiley's Power Rangers Halloween costume:
"And . . . I didn't get the Dells job. I was just notified - @ 10:27pm!? - via a personal email. Ugh."
"Detroit just ousted the Yanks. What a crappy half hour for Danny."
October 7th
"Went to bed 3 hrs earlier than normal in a depressive funk, but time to nut up & keep slugging. Off to work soon, then afterwards I'm going to stop and price a new suit. I clean up well, emerging, when I care to, as a plump but politically wiser Alec Baldwin. Enough of this bulls--t. Time to make some money again."
"@ eric's watching game 5 of the NLDS"
"NLDS Victory in the 10th inning, courtesy of T-Plush! Fireworks went off in Bay View (literally) and cops are pulling people over everywhere, as the whole damn neighborhood is drunk (or just delirious w/ joy). Whoo-hoo!"
Pics taken during the game winning hit (plus Eric's 'Beast' pose)
"Work bit ass. Went to tailor shop afterwards, tried on some threads. Looked smashing. Par for the course. Came home, wrote and submitted JS column, it may run Tues. Wrote it intending to stir up some schtuff, so less than 50 JSonline comments will mark it as a failure."
"Home from Eric's. Once his wife came home it was kibosh on MLB night. Lisa and the kids are in the Dells with a friend (enjoying a haunted hayride, I'm told) so I Redbox'ed "The Walking Dead, The Complete First Season" and plan to knock that off tonight."
Our Miraculous Continental US Pancake:
October 8th
"Breaking news: Raider's owner Al Davis is dead @ 82. RIP"
I literally kissed the cover when I saw it on the shelf. Disturbing but true.
I'm a 30 point underdog going into this weekend's fantasy matchup. Playing QB Cutler WR's Moore/Desean Jackson/Manningham RB's Benson and Turner TE: Gronkowski K Bironas DEF New England. Opponent: Brees/Bowe/Calvin Johnson/Steve Smith/Jones-Drew/Adrian Foster/Vernon Davis/Minn D/Philly's kicker.
Courtney Love has gone on record as saying she'd kill Kurt Cobain if he came back to life. I guess if you've done it once . . .
Monday, October 10, 2011
Raking the Autumn Leaves
With YaYa visiting Grandma the rest of Team Slap turned out to help me rake the yard!
Comment on FB: why is LuLu so upset, and Junie laughing....Junie has no shoes....sounds like last summer..
My reply: why would Junie need shoes? It was 70 degrees. LuLu was upset for 20 seconds over Park having the rake and not her
The Perfect Host
This morning we watched "The Perfect Host" an indie horror film starring David Hyde Pierce (Niles from Frasier). A bank robber on the run worms his way into a dinner party hosted by Pierce, only to discover the foppish host might have plans of his own. Pierce was great, the early twist was devious, and we enjoyed it. My one complaint was that the story should have ended at dawn, and ixnayed the rest. Available to stream on Netflix.
Humbled
Down by 91 points in my fantasy game going into tonight. All I need is for Jay Culter to throw 400 yards, w/ 4 TDs and scramble for ten yards - and I'll still lose by 50 points. A humbling week.
Facebook - October 1st thru the 4th
October 1st
"It's Saturday morning and our fantasy commish has finally! acknowledged my awesomeness in Week 3. I won the weekly cash prize (deducted from dues) by whupping on my opponent 115.30 to 67.9, a league best difference of 47.40 points. Quoteth commish: "Thumbs up to Slapjacks for winning ass kicker bonus - thumbs down to Slapjacks for whinning about the lateness of this post.""
"Unless MLB has failed to update stats in the last few days, Pujols finished shy of 100 RBI, thereby ensuring Arod's consecutive streak of 100RBI/30HR years is safe for another decade. Booyah. And all this talk about how Terry Francona should be held accountable (but not to blame) for the Red Sox collapse ignores one issue: where was their so-called "Captain" Varitek? He bragged about that 'C' on his uniform enough in the past, but where was his leadership when someone needed to yank those guys out of the weeds?"
AT&T sent me 3 statements for the same account, all dated Sept 27th, all w/ different totals. I called & was transferred 2x then was accidentally disconnected. Time wasted 12:44. 2nd call, transferred 2x, ended up on the phone with an Indian woman w/ no English comprehension beyond her script. I was not kind, and was tx'd to a woman in Chicago who did a decent job but had to transfer me again, waited five minutes on hold, hung up. Total time wasted: approx 47 minutes. WORST COMPANY EVER.
Worked the concession stand at the kids' school, then stayed late when our replacement failed to show. Then home to watch the Badgers-Nebraska matchup in primetime.
"Congrats Badgers! What an impressive wupping of Nebraska - 48 to 17 @ Camp Randall! Great game, great team, great state."
"Before I forget, today marks the 50th Anniversary of the day Roger Maris set the MLB record with his 61st home run of the season. I'm not an anti-steroid nut, barking at the moon and asking for records to be wiped, but when it comes to Maris and Aaron, my gut and my heart still think of them as the *true* home run record holders. RIP Mr. Maris, 61 is still the number to beat."
"Writing with "McCartney II" playing in the background ("Waterfalls" at the moment). My current job may bankrupt me and drive me to the Rescue Mission, but I'll say this for it - it's given me a great appreciation for the catalog and talent of Paul McCartney."
October 2nd
"Wise sayings often fall on barren ground, but a kind word is never thrown away - Arthur Helps"
"Speak to the organ grinder, not the monkey"."
"If I were asked to name the . . . writer who I think has stuck most closely to that idea—STICK TO THE STORY, STICK TO THE GODDAMN STORY—it probably would be James M. Cain. There’s not a word in Cain that does not apply to the story he’s telling you - Rex Stout"
"Playing my hunches today. With Hillis weakened by illness I'll play Benson in his place, and w/ Sanchez playing Baltimore I'll start Cutler. After Knox was announced as the #2 WR for Chicago just an hour ago, I decided he'll sub in for the 'probable' Manningham. *Fingers crossed*"
"Whoo-hoo! Netflix has added additional seasons of The Office, 30 Rock and Parks & Recreation to streaming! G'd bless 'tis a good night!"
"Dang it, I lost my fantasy game by *point six five* points. My decision to start Cutler looked like crud when he earned 1.85 pts (!) but in fact it was the right move; Sanchez earned *negative 9.98*. Benson outscored Hillis, ditto Knox over Manningham. So far so good - except I played Arizona's D over NE. There wasn't much of a scoring difference, just four points, but it was enough. Losing sucks, but I'm confident I'd make the same decisions again, and I was right 3 out of 4x - and the 4th was by a hair. Slapjacks now 2-2."
Monday October 3rd
"The column I wrote Friday will/should be published in Tuesday's Journal-Sentinel. Please buy a copy, or at the very least link to/tweet/FB/comment on the published piece on jsonline."
Amanda Knox wins appeal, judge orders release . ."
"Smiley and I walked to his Tiger Cub den meeting today. It was a nice walk on a lovely evening, but near the end he was pretty tired - until some girl from school saw him walking and said hello. Then he was all smiles and asked if we could walk home afterwards too. :) At the meeting my suggestion of a relay race involving Q&A on the motto, etc, rocked. . . .BTW - Park's selling popcorn as a fundraiser for the Pack. If you'd like to place an order, let me know. A heapin' helpin' of the $ raised stays in his personal Scout account."
October 4th
"Quoteth the Ginger: "Pig-a-lee Wig-a-lee, Shop Da Pig!""
"It's Saturday morning and our fantasy commish has finally! acknowledged my awesomeness in Week 3. I won the weekly cash prize (deducted from dues) by whupping on my opponent 115.30 to 67.9, a league best difference of 47.40 points. Quoteth commish: "Thumbs up to Slapjacks for winning ass kicker bonus - thumbs down to Slapjacks for whinning about the lateness of this post.""
"Unless MLB has failed to update stats in the last few days, Pujols finished shy of 100 RBI, thereby ensuring Arod's consecutive streak of 100RBI/30HR years is safe for another decade. Booyah. And all this talk about how Terry Francona should be held accountable (but not to blame) for the Red Sox collapse ignores one issue: where was their so-called "Captain" Varitek? He bragged about that 'C' on his uniform enough in the past, but where was his leadership when someone needed to yank those guys out of the weeds?"
AT&T sent me 3 statements for the same account, all dated Sept 27th, all w/ different totals. I called & was transferred 2x then was accidentally disconnected. Time wasted 12:44. 2nd call, transferred 2x, ended up on the phone with an Indian woman w/ no English comprehension beyond her script. I was not kind, and was tx'd to a woman in Chicago who did a decent job but had to transfer me again, waited five minutes on hold, hung up. Total time wasted: approx 47 minutes. WORST COMPANY EVER.
Worked the concession stand at the kids' school, then stayed late when our replacement failed to show. Then home to watch the Badgers-Nebraska matchup in primetime.
"Congrats Badgers! What an impressive wupping of Nebraska - 48 to 17 @ Camp Randall! Great game, great team, great state."
"Before I forget, today marks the 50th Anniversary of the day Roger Maris set the MLB record with his 61st home run of the season. I'm not an anti-steroid nut, barking at the moon and asking for records to be wiped, but when it comes to Maris and Aaron, my gut and my heart still think of them as the *true* home run record holders. RIP Mr. Maris, 61 is still the number to beat."
"Writing with "McCartney II" playing in the background ("Waterfalls" at the moment). My current job may bankrupt me and drive me to the Rescue Mission, but I'll say this for it - it's given me a great appreciation for the catalog and talent of Paul McCartney."
October 2nd
"Wise sayings often fall on barren ground, but a kind word is never thrown away - Arthur Helps"
"Speak to the organ grinder, not the monkey"."
"If I were asked to name the . . . writer who I think has stuck most closely to that idea—STICK TO THE STORY, STICK TO THE GODDAMN STORY—it probably would be James M. Cain. There’s not a word in Cain that does not apply to the story he’s telling you - Rex Stout"
"Playing my hunches today. With Hillis weakened by illness I'll play Benson in his place, and w/ Sanchez playing Baltimore I'll start Cutler. After Knox was announced as the #2 WR for Chicago just an hour ago, I decided he'll sub in for the 'probable' Manningham. *Fingers crossed*"
"Whoo-hoo! Netflix has added additional seasons of The Office, 30 Rock and Parks & Recreation to streaming! G'd bless 'tis a good night!"
"Dang it, I lost my fantasy game by *point six five* points. My decision to start Cutler looked like crud when he earned 1.85 pts (!) but in fact it was the right move; Sanchez earned *negative 9.98*. Benson outscored Hillis, ditto Knox over Manningham. So far so good - except I played Arizona's D over NE. There wasn't much of a scoring difference, just four points, but it was enough. Losing sucks, but I'm confident I'd make the same decisions again, and I was right 3 out of 4x - and the 4th was by a hair. Slapjacks now 2-2."
Monday October 3rd
"The column I wrote Friday will/should be published in Tuesday's Journal-Sentinel. Please buy a copy, or at the very least link to/tweet/FB/comment on the published piece on jsonline."
Amanda Knox wins appeal, judge orders release . ."
"Smiley and I walked to his Tiger Cub den meeting today. It was a nice walk on a lovely evening, but near the end he was pretty tired - until some girl from school saw him walking and said hello. Then he was all smiles and asked if we could walk home afterwards too. :) At the meeting my suggestion of a relay race involving Q&A on the motto, etc, rocked. . . .BTW - Park's selling popcorn as a fundraiser for the Pack. If you'd like to place an order, let me know. A heapin' helpin' of the $ raised stays in his personal Scout account."
October 4th
"Quoteth the Ginger: "Pig-a-lee Wig-a-lee, Shop Da Pig!""
Buy a Copy
I just got word that the column I wrote Friday will be in tomorrow's (Tuesday's) Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Please feel free to comment on it the JS site.
125 Years Ago Today
125 years ago today New York millionaire James Potter showed up at a dinner party wearing a new style of jacket, one suggested to him by the Prince of Wales. The jacket proved a hit and people soon referred to it by the name of the place where Potter debuted it - the Tuxedo Park Club.
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