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!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
A Perfect Game!
Congrats to SF's Matt Cain for pitching the 22nd Perfect Game in MLB history tonight!
Daughters of Satan
Daughters of Satan is a 1972 horror film starring a young Tom Selleck, here proving he could rock a mustache in every era. He plays an art buyer stationed in Manilla who finds a 450 year old painting of 3 witches being burned at the stake. The one in the middle? Well, she just happens to be a dead ringer for his lovely young wife.
Believe it or not, strange things happen once his wife is exposed to the painting, and before long a four century old plan for revenge is put into motion - complete with bare breasts, bondage, and a smidge of torture in the buff.
What can I say? When the daughters of Satan make a plan, they make it easy to watch.
It's a crud film, but not as bad as you think. The script makes an effort to be coherent, and Selleck does all he can to hold this one together. Unfortunately it is what it is, and his cast mates have presumably been paid *not* to act for the last 40 years.
Grade: C/C-
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
A-Rod makes History - Again!
A-Rod makes history (again)! He just hit t his 23rd career grand slam, tying Lou Gehrig for the most all-time. I bow to thee!
Joan Rivers and Shiloh
Shiloh 1862 by Winston Goom (yes, the same guy who wrote Forrest Gump) is a work of popular history about the epic Civil War battle that nearly ended the Union's thrust into the west (and with it U.S. Grant's career). Groom has become a prolific author of military history in recent years but this was the first time I've read his non-fiction. The verdict?
Good?
Yes.
Shelby Foote good, as the blurb on the cover indicates?
No.
This is a work of history meant for the masses, more of a detailed introduction to the battle than an in-depth historical work. You'll learn a lot about the battle if this is your first exposure to it, but I can't say I walked away with any more information than I knew going in, aside from some accounts taken from civilian diaries that help make the narrative more accessible.
Groom writes smoothly, and you'll find he delivers the information with ease, so no problems on that score. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I thought I detected a hint of southern bias at some points in the book, especially in the 'wrap-up' sections after the battle concludes on the field. And, as usual, too little emphasis is given to the monumental second day, when the Union not only rallied but mauled the Confederate Army to retake the field.
Grade: B/B+
Book #42 of the year
And now for something completely different . . .
Joan Rivers' new book, I Hate Everyone . . . Starting with Me is vulgar, occasionally repetitive, and laugh out loud funny. It's not for the faint of heart, but those with heart problems probably won't survive the $26 price tag anyway.
My only complaint is that it's obvious Rivers hasn't been slumming in awhile. If you're going to joke about McDonald's or other fast food places, it might be a good idea to check out a recent (post-1985 menu);. McDonald's does offer healthy options, and it doesn't serve onion rings (at least not in any of the franchises where I've eaten.
Anywho, damn funny.
Grade: A
Book #43 of the year
Monday, June 11, 2012
Lost trivia
Trivia of the day: Matthew Fox, star of "Party of Five" and "Lost" is the great-great-great grandson of General George Gordon Meade, commander of the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg and the Overland campaign of '64-'65. Howabout that?
Happy Anniversary
Congrats to Jeanne and Jaspare on their wedding anniversary (26 by my count)! Also, a big shout out to Faith, who graduated from 8th grade today. Congrats kid!
A Ugh Day
It's been a long, sluggish, waste of a day. My sleep last night was interrupted every few hours by a nightmare, and so I've been walking around in a daze all day. Usually I like to do *something* productive on my day off, and I had thought of taking the kids to see the Cave of the Mounds today, but instead I settled for a bbq in the backyard and two naps. The most productive thing I've done was take out the trash and recycle another box worth of books from my office/"someday it'll be a" bedroom.
The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe
Just finished watching the 2011 Doctor Who Christmas special " The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe". Delightful, touching, funny and packed with memorable lines, this one is grand. Kudos again to head writer Steven Moffatt and lead Matt Smith who continues to inch his way up the list of all-time great Doctor's. The last scene, where the Doctor sheds a tear of joy? I was misting up myself. Grade: A++
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