Paper Bag, that is. If you don't feel like following that link, or if you don't remember my post from past years, I figure I would give you a quick rundown.
The Paper Bag is an annual local music event. A revolving 70+ person band filled with local musicians of the professional and amateur type. A lot of them, so it happens, are also teachers. So the concert is always set for the last day of school here in New York. A kind of "hello Summer, goodbye urchins" deal, if you catch my drift.
They run through a practice session the night before, and then they get together for a few hours before the gig starts. But that's it. Well, some of the sub-groups get together to practice here and there. And some of them play in bands with each other all year long. But actually practicing the songs that happen in the show with all those performers? Yeah...it happens pretty quick.
Gia is a part of a cheesy backup singer girl-group, fittingly called the Cheese Calzones. For the past four years, she's also been getting her own solo with the rest of the Calzones backing her up. So much fun. This year, she did a version of Pink's "U + Ur Hand" which was awesome. I'm not crazy about the song itself, neither is she. But she doesn't have a ton of input in choosing the setlist, so she just goes with the flow.
This year the flow meant ripped jeans, funky jacket and these long dreadlock things that she wrapped into her hair. She looked awesome. I would post a pic or the video of her performance here, but she doesn't want me to. But trust me, she looked and sounded awesome. And the crowd loved her. Always does.
The one thing that I would have preferred is if she went on a bit earlier in the night. The show goes from 10PM to 4AM, and in years past she has usually performed in the first 2 hours. Last night she went on around 2ish in the AM. There were actually some songs on the setlist after she went on that I really wanted to stick around for, but we decided to get going around 2:45. We didn't get home until after 3:30, and the sun was threatening to come up before we actually fell asleep.
So Wednesday was a sleepy day, but a good kind of a sleepy day. Ready for the rest of the Summer.
Jun 30, 2011
Jun 29, 2011
Reading assignments
First, read this article about misleading sabermetric statistics on the new Grantland website by Jonah Lehrer.
Finished?
Okay, now read this article on Fangraphs by Joe Pawlikowski as a response to that stupid argument.
That is all.
PS - Gia performed in the Paper Bag concert last night (or as you are reading this), so we are gonna be out late and sleeping in most of the morning on Wednesday.
Finished?
Okay, now read this article on Fangraphs by Joe Pawlikowski as a response to that stupid argument.
That is all.
PS - Gia performed in the Paper Bag concert last night (or as you are reading this), so we are gonna be out late and sleeping in most of the morning on Wednesday.
Jun 28, 2011
We the people
I was pretty proud of my home state this past Friday when our state lawmakers decided that same-sex couples should have the same legal right to marriage as traditional couples. And really...what's traditional these days? Most of the folks I know are happy with the decision. Even those who are against it, aren't "the world is gonna end" against. it. They just would have preferred that government stay out of it, and I'll get to that point in a moment.
My mother is one of those that I know who are against the decision. She believes that a marriage is defined as being between a man and a woman. But she also believes it to be a sacrament of the Church. And that's where it all begins and ends for some people. How about a man and a woman married by a Justice of the Peace? Or a ship's captain? Or anyone legally allowed to do so? Is that the same kind of marriage as a couple married in a church by a priest? The lines and the argument that marriage is a religious joining get a bit blurred in those sitiuations.
My deal is that I don't think our government should have a say in who chooses to spend their life with someone they love. In our out of marriage. And if a same-sex couple wants to marry under the eyes of the law of our land, then so be it. All rights should be the same for all people. Period. The institution of marriage isn't being harmed. Nor are the opponents of same-sex marriage losing anything. Except for the right to impose their will on those with different beliefs.
But I try not to get too heated about it, because generally the other side of the aisle doesn't make a whole heap of sense to me in this particular argument. And there is no way that little ole' me is gonna change their minds on the subject. Hey, I'm stubborn in some of my opinions too.
Like the idea of separation of church and state was something that our founding fathers deemed to think pretty important. Yeah, I know the term wasn't coined until after The Constitution was drafted and made law by our founding fathers. But it was one of those founding fathers that coined the term, so there's that. And if you read The Constitution, I mean really read it, the only mention of God, gods or religion is in the following two areas:
2: This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
3: The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
That's it. Just those two mentions of religion. Oh, they signed it with a "in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven", so I'll give ya that. A mention of "our Lord". Very nice.
I included all of Article VI in there, but it's section 3 that states that there shall be no religious test required to serve public office in this country. But equally important is Section 2 which states that the laws and treaties enacted by Congress shall be the "supreme Law of the Land". Because there is that tricky Treaty of Tripoli that was ratified in 1797 that stated the following:
Seems pretty clear to me. "As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion...". Those were our founding fathers who wrote and ratified that treaty, right? I mean there can't be any argument about what that sentence means, right?
Anyway, I dig that folks live their lives by the Bible. Or the Quran. Or the Torah. Or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Makes no difference to me. In fact, I find it pretty commendable. Most of the really religious folks I know are excellent people, and they will point to their faith as the reason behind that. That's awesome. There are times I wish I shared their faith.
But our Constitution wasn't written by God or his prophets or whomever. It was written by people for people.
The evidence is in those first three words in the Preamble.
My mother is one of those that I know who are against the decision. She believes that a marriage is defined as being between a man and a woman. But she also believes it to be a sacrament of the Church. And that's where it all begins and ends for some people. How about a man and a woman married by a Justice of the Peace? Or a ship's captain? Or anyone legally allowed to do so? Is that the same kind of marriage as a couple married in a church by a priest? The lines and the argument that marriage is a religious joining get a bit blurred in those sitiuations.
My deal is that I don't think our government should have a say in who chooses to spend their life with someone they love. In our out of marriage. And if a same-sex couple wants to marry under the eyes of the law of our land, then so be it. All rights should be the same for all people. Period. The institution of marriage isn't being harmed. Nor are the opponents of same-sex marriage losing anything. Except for the right to impose their will on those with different beliefs.
But I try not to get too heated about it, because generally the other side of the aisle doesn't make a whole heap of sense to me in this particular argument. And there is no way that little ole' me is gonna change their minds on the subject. Hey, I'm stubborn in some of my opinions too.
Like the idea of separation of church and state was something that our founding fathers deemed to think pretty important. Yeah, I know the term wasn't coined until after The Constitution was drafted and made law by our founding fathers. But it was one of those founding fathers that coined the term, so there's that. And if you read The Constitution, I mean really read it, the only mention of God, gods or religion is in the following two areas:
Article I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Article VI
1: All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.2: This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
3: The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
That's it. Just those two mentions of religion. Oh, they signed it with a "in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven", so I'll give ya that. A mention of "our Lord". Very nice.
I included all of Article VI in there, but it's section 3 that states that there shall be no religious test required to serve public office in this country. But equally important is Section 2 which states that the laws and treaties enacted by Congress shall be the "supreme Law of the Land". Because there is that tricky Treaty of Tripoli that was ratified in 1797 that stated the following:
Article 11
As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.Seems pretty clear to me. "As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion...". Those were our founding fathers who wrote and ratified that treaty, right? I mean there can't be any argument about what that sentence means, right?
Anyway, I dig that folks live their lives by the Bible. Or the Quran. Or the Torah. Or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Makes no difference to me. In fact, I find it pretty commendable. Most of the really religious folks I know are excellent people, and they will point to their faith as the reason behind that. That's awesome. There are times I wish I shared their faith.
But our Constitution wasn't written by God or his prophets or whomever. It was written by people for people.
The evidence is in those first three words in the Preamble.
Jun 26, 2011
No JTTTC this week
Taking a week off from the radio show. The Colonel is away on a scouting trip. Or he's drinking rum drinks and tanning his belly on a beach somewheres. Either way, we are using that as an excuse to take a break from the show.
But don't you worry...we'll be back next week with more of our patented stupidity. It's how we roll.
Cheers, kids!
But don't you worry...we'll be back next week with more of our patented stupidity. It's how we roll.
Cheers, kids!
Jun 24, 2011
XM or naught
I listened to FM radio today for the first time in just about forever. It still sucks.
Our Mini was in the shop, so we had a loaner Hyundai Sonata for the day from the dealership. And our XM reciever was still in the Mini, so I had to deal with FM radio for a little while as I did some running around in the afternoon. There is one station on the dial that I kinda like, but whenever they hit a commercial break I play with the dial.
I landed on a station that has played the same music since I was in junior high. I'm serious. THE SAME EXACT FUCKING MUSIC ON THE SAME EXACT FUCKING STATION. It's so bizarre. Right before I hit the station, I said to myself "Self, what's it going to be on WBAB? Bad Company? Boston? Journey? Maybe some Pink Floyd?"
And the absolutely obvious roulette wheel landed on Boston. "More Than a Feeling"...and it really couldn't have surprised me less.
Does anyone out there get jazzed when a song like "More Than a Feeling" pops up on the radio? Do ya really? I think you're lying, because the real answer is that no one gets jazzed about that.
Listen, I don't mind and I kinda love 70's music. We listen to the 70's channel all the time on XM. But they don't play the super-obvious hits like "More Than a Feeling." They usually play stuff that makes you go "Oh yeah...I remember this song...", or something to that effect. I just don't get stations like the one I happened upon yesterday, though. Makes no sense.
Do you still listen to FM radio? Is there anything decent out there on the freewaves?
Our Mini was in the shop, so we had a loaner Hyundai Sonata for the day from the dealership. And our XM reciever was still in the Mini, so I had to deal with FM radio for a little while as I did some running around in the afternoon. There is one station on the dial that I kinda like, but whenever they hit a commercial break I play with the dial.
I landed on a station that has played the same music since I was in junior high. I'm serious. THE SAME EXACT FUCKING MUSIC ON THE SAME EXACT FUCKING STATION. It's so bizarre. Right before I hit the station, I said to myself "Self, what's it going to be on WBAB? Bad Company? Boston? Journey? Maybe some Pink Floyd?"
And the absolutely obvious roulette wheel landed on Boston. "More Than a Feeling"...and it really couldn't have surprised me less.
Does anyone out there get jazzed when a song like "More Than a Feeling" pops up on the radio? Do ya really? I think you're lying, because the real answer is that no one gets jazzed about that.
Listen, I don't mind and I kinda love 70's music. We listen to the 70's channel all the time on XM. But they don't play the super-obvious hits like "More Than a Feeling." They usually play stuff that makes you go "Oh yeah...I remember this song...", or something to that effect. I just don't get stations like the one I happened upon yesterday, though. Makes no sense.
Do you still listen to FM radio? Is there anything decent out there on the freewaves?
Jun 23, 2011
Must be summer
Because I've got this in my freezer:
I don't have much of a sweet tooth, and I'm not a fan of the band Phish, but I do love me some Phish Food on a warm summer night. Sooooo goooooood.
But I kinda wish I had this in my freezer:
No, you misunderstood me. I want ALL the bacon and eggs you have.
I don't have much of a sweet tooth, and I'm not a fan of the band Phish, but I do love me some Phish Food on a warm summer night. Sooooo goooooood.
But I kinda wish I had this in my freezer:
 |
| credit: Meat Beer Babes and all things real men crave |
No, you misunderstood me. I want ALL the bacon and eggs you have.
Jun 22, 2011
What you've been missing
If you haven't been listening to Just Talking to the Cornfield, that is. And really...don't you wanna be one of the cool kids who does? Here's what you missed in the latest episode:
No worries. You can listen to all the episodes on Talkshoe or download the podcasts from iTunes. What are you waiting for? Do it to it, kids!
- We gave away a bottle of booze and you didn't win it. Then again, we are gonna give some stuff away in future shows. Listen in and find out how. Don't and, er...don't.
- I renamed the Baltimore Orioles. Well, the Colonel thought it was funny anyway.
- Because of recent phone issues, I did the show from my backyard. Meant I had to put on some clothes. Which sucks. Damn neighbors!
- We've reached 10,000 downloads on iTunes. That sounds about right. I have no idea if it is right, because iTunes doesn't provide those stats for us. A kind fellow gave me instructions on how to get at that data, but I'd rather just make shit up. Easier.
- We decided, separately, who is The Most Interesting Man in Baseball. It's your mother.
- We also picked our favorite DHs of all-time. DH, of course, stands for Dirty (w)Hore. It's your mother.
No worries. You can listen to all the episodes on Talkshoe or download the podcasts from iTunes. What are you waiting for? Do it to it, kids!
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| Say hello to your mother for me. |
Jun 21, 2011
Cell Hell
I know that no one wants to hear someone else complain about their cell phone carrier, but I'm gonna do it anyway.
I've been a Sprint customer for well over a decade now, and I've rarely had a complaint. Sure, when I first signed up with them there were some bad coverage spots on the North Shore of Long Island. But as the years have accumulated, the coverage has become much, much better. In fact, I can't remember the last time that I was someplace where I didn't have service when I needed it. Sure, sometimes I'm in a building that won't have much service, but I always assumed it was some kind of interference.
In fact, my cell service has been so good for so long we decided to get rid of our home phone a while back. We weren't using it at all so we ditched it. Seems like a lot of folks are doing that nowadays.
Then this past Friday, I started having issues with cell coverage in our home. I thought it was just some random problem at first, but it persisted throughout the weekend. I had to call in to our radio show on Sunday night from out in the backyard. Good thing it was a nice night out. Then on Monday morning, I had a couple of business calls drop. Pissed me off. So I contacted Sprint through their online chat feature. I figured that I shouldn't call them because...well, the call might drop.
The first agent I chatted with was very helpful, or so it seemed. He said that there was a reported outage in my area and that it had been recently fixed by their tech folks. He then was gonna walk me through resetting my phone, and I was gonna be fine. That didn't make sense to me. What does my phone have to do with a coverage outage? But I was gonna follow along. I figured he would know more about the issue than I.
Well...he had some difficulty walking me through the process. I have a Palm phone and he might have been looking at an outdated or incorrect manual. After about 15 minutes of not knowing what the hell he was talking about, he took a different tack. Asked me to power down the phone and he would remotely reset it from wherever he was. Not sure how that was gonna work, but I did it anyway. After a few minutes he said that the reset worked and I could turn my phone back on. He said it might take an hour or so, but after that I should have perfect coverage*.
Well...after several hours, I still had crappy coverage in the house. So I logged onto the customer service chat and relayed my frustration to the next agent. She assessed the situation and read the transcript of the previous chat and told me that outages were still going on in my area, and that they would be fixed "soon". She apologized for the delay, but she couldn't give me an estimate on when it was gonna be fixed.
So two different customer service calls/chats for the same issue and I was given two totally different resolutions/answers. And I still don't have decent coverage here in the house. I know I don't have much to complain about. My service for the past decade or so has been just fine. But this kind of crappy and contradictory customer service experience is frustrating as hell.
Hey, could be worse. Gia has an iPhone with AT&T. She feels my pain.
I've been a Sprint customer for well over a decade now, and I've rarely had a complaint. Sure, when I first signed up with them there were some bad coverage spots on the North Shore of Long Island. But as the years have accumulated, the coverage has become much, much better. In fact, I can't remember the last time that I was someplace where I didn't have service when I needed it. Sure, sometimes I'm in a building that won't have much service, but I always assumed it was some kind of interference.
In fact, my cell service has been so good for so long we decided to get rid of our home phone a while back. We weren't using it at all so we ditched it. Seems like a lot of folks are doing that nowadays.
Then this past Friday, I started having issues with cell coverage in our home. I thought it was just some random problem at first, but it persisted throughout the weekend. I had to call in to our radio show on Sunday night from out in the backyard. Good thing it was a nice night out. Then on Monday morning, I had a couple of business calls drop. Pissed me off. So I contacted Sprint through their online chat feature. I figured that I shouldn't call them because...well, the call might drop.
The first agent I chatted with was very helpful, or so it seemed. He said that there was a reported outage in my area and that it had been recently fixed by their tech folks. He then was gonna walk me through resetting my phone, and I was gonna be fine. That didn't make sense to me. What does my phone have to do with a coverage outage? But I was gonna follow along. I figured he would know more about the issue than I.
Well...he had some difficulty walking me through the process. I have a Palm phone and he might have been looking at an outdated or incorrect manual. After about 15 minutes of not knowing what the hell he was talking about, he took a different tack. Asked me to power down the phone and he would remotely reset it from wherever he was. Not sure how that was gonna work, but I did it anyway. After a few minutes he said that the reset worked and I could turn my phone back on. He said it might take an hour or so, but after that I should have perfect coverage*.
Well...after several hours, I still had crappy coverage in the house. So I logged onto the customer service chat and relayed my frustration to the next agent. She assessed the situation and read the transcript of the previous chat and told me that outages were still going on in my area, and that they would be fixed "soon". She apologized for the delay, but she couldn't give me an estimate on when it was gonna be fixed.
So two different customer service calls/chats for the same issue and I was given two totally different resolutions/answers. And I still don't have decent coverage here in the house. I know I don't have much to complain about. My service for the past decade or so has been just fine. But this kind of crappy and contradictory customer service experience is frustrating as hell.
Hey, could be worse. Gia has an iPhone with AT&T. She feels my pain.
Jun 20, 2011
While the woman is away...
...I watch a ton of Netflix Instant offerings. And then I give you some quick reviews. Like this:
I Saw the Devil - Korean-made thriller about a government agent who doggedly pursues the serial killer who murdered his fiancee. This one is brutal and certainly not for everyone. But the acting and the pure cinema of it all makes it a plus recommendation for me. My Netflix Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Searching For Bobby Fischer - Seen this one a bunch of times and I posted a clip on this here blog just the other day. If you haven't seen this one yet, do yourself a favor and give it a watch. The kid who plays the main character is amazing. So is the rest of the cast. Chess? Exciting? It sure can be. My Netflix Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Hunt to Kill - Sometimes I like brilliant, cerebral cinema. Sometimes I like silly, ridiculously bad action flicks with horrible titles starring pro wrestlers who really can't act. That's this one. Stone Cold Steve Austin plays a border patrol cop trying to protect his daughter from some murderous thugs. Gil Bellows as the "bad guy" is outstandingly awful. His overacting is legendary. My Netflix Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
Last man Standing - I've seen it before, and I recall liking it better the first time around. This time? Kinda boring. Bruce Willis takes the Clint Eastwood role from A Fistful of Dollars (and the Toshiro Mifune role from Yojimbo) and plays it...kinda like Bruce Willis doing a Clint Eastwood role. Not really bad, necessarily. But not nearly as good as the two prior films. My Netflix Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
Easy A - An updated teen comedy version of The Scarlett Letter. Decent acting and some funny cinema in-jokes, but kinda forgetable in the long run. Do kids in High School really care who sleeping with who nowadays? I dunno. My Netflix Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
Chloe - Messy sexual thriller starring the always wonderful Julianne Moore and the drop-dead gorgeous Amanda Seyfried. Seriously, someone needs to make a sex robot and use Seyfried as the model. But for all the titillation (hehe), it left me with a big ole pile of meh. No big twists, or rather none that weren't telegraphed from a mile away. But Seyfried sure is fun to look at. My Netflix Rating: 2 out of 5 stars.
Paranormal Activty - I've seen this one already, and I thought it was decent right up to the silly ending. But I had Paranormal Activity 2 on Blu-Ray and I figured why not watch this one again as a warm-up. My Netflix Rating: A begruding 3 out of 5 stars.
Paranormal Activity 2 - I liked this one slightly better than the first film. It's actually a prequel rather than a sequel. I'm not usually a fan of horror films that feel a need to explain everything. But I think it worked quite well in this case. The acting certainly was better than the first film, and the constant presence of cameras was much better explained. My Netflix Rating: A solid 3 out of 5 stars.
The Human Centipede: First Sequence - The only reason I chose this is that I've got a friend who has been on my ass for months to watch it. I'm sorry I did. Do yourself a favor and find Daniel Tosh's video description of it on Comedy Central's website. Much better than this hateful flick. My Netflix Rating: 1 out of 5 stars.
Pandorum - I needed to get the bad taste of the previous film out of my mouth, so I picked this nifty sci-fi/horror/thriller that deserved a second viewing. Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster play crewmembers of a spacecraft on it's way to a new Earth-like planet with a cargo of settlers. Bad things happen when they are roused from hyper-sleep during the journey, man. Bad things. My Netflix Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
No huge recommendations from the bunch besides the chess flick, but a few decent offerings. A few clunkers too, but whaddya gonna do. Cheers!
I Saw the Devil - Korean-made thriller about a government agent who doggedly pursues the serial killer who murdered his fiancee. This one is brutal and certainly not for everyone. But the acting and the pure cinema of it all makes it a plus recommendation for me. My Netflix Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Searching For Bobby Fischer - Seen this one a bunch of times and I posted a clip on this here blog just the other day. If you haven't seen this one yet, do yourself a favor and give it a watch. The kid who plays the main character is amazing. So is the rest of the cast. Chess? Exciting? It sure can be. My Netflix Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Hunt to Kill - Sometimes I like brilliant, cerebral cinema. Sometimes I like silly, ridiculously bad action flicks with horrible titles starring pro wrestlers who really can't act. That's this one. Stone Cold Steve Austin plays a border patrol cop trying to protect his daughter from some murderous thugs. Gil Bellows as the "bad guy" is outstandingly awful. His overacting is legendary. My Netflix Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
Last man Standing - I've seen it before, and I recall liking it better the first time around. This time? Kinda boring. Bruce Willis takes the Clint Eastwood role from A Fistful of Dollars (and the Toshiro Mifune role from Yojimbo) and plays it...kinda like Bruce Willis doing a Clint Eastwood role. Not really bad, necessarily. But not nearly as good as the two prior films. My Netflix Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
Easy A - An updated teen comedy version of The Scarlett Letter. Decent acting and some funny cinema in-jokes, but kinda forgetable in the long run. Do kids in High School really care who sleeping with who nowadays? I dunno. My Netflix Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
Chloe - Messy sexual thriller starring the always wonderful Julianne Moore and the drop-dead gorgeous Amanda Seyfried. Seriously, someone needs to make a sex robot and use Seyfried as the model. But for all the titillation (hehe), it left me with a big ole pile of meh. No big twists, or rather none that weren't telegraphed from a mile away. But Seyfried sure is fun to look at. My Netflix Rating: 2 out of 5 stars.
Paranormal Activty - I've seen this one already, and I thought it was decent right up to the silly ending. But I had Paranormal Activity 2 on Blu-Ray and I figured why not watch this one again as a warm-up. My Netflix Rating: A begruding 3 out of 5 stars.
Paranormal Activity 2 - I liked this one slightly better than the first film. It's actually a prequel rather than a sequel. I'm not usually a fan of horror films that feel a need to explain everything. But I think it worked quite well in this case. The acting certainly was better than the first film, and the constant presence of cameras was much better explained. My Netflix Rating: A solid 3 out of 5 stars.
The Human Centipede: First Sequence - The only reason I chose this is that I've got a friend who has been on my ass for months to watch it. I'm sorry I did. Do yourself a favor and find Daniel Tosh's video description of it on Comedy Central's website. Much better than this hateful flick. My Netflix Rating: 1 out of 5 stars.
Pandorum - I needed to get the bad taste of the previous film out of my mouth, so I picked this nifty sci-fi/horror/thriller that deserved a second viewing. Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster play crewmembers of a spacecraft on it's way to a new Earth-like planet with a cargo of settlers. Bad things happen when they are roused from hyper-sleep during the journey, man. Bad things. My Netflix Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
No huge recommendations from the bunch besides the chess flick, but a few decent offerings. A few clunkers too, but whaddya gonna do. Cheers!
Jun 17, 2011
Stuck in a rut
A blogging rut, that is.
A while back, I set some goals for myself. Every 1st Monday of the month, I was gonna write about a specific issue of a 1970's Marvel comic-book. Every 2nd Monday, I was gonna do a film review. Every 3rd Monday, I was gonna do a beer/food review. Yada yada yada.
I kept to the schedule for about 5 months. Then I just simply forgot about it. I didn't run out of ideas or the urge to write about those things. I just forgot that I gave myself that schedule. Weird, right?
Then I noticed that about half of my posts for the past few weeks were of the quickie Youtube variety. A song here, a movie clip there, you know...lazy blogger shit. I know I don't "have" to blog every day, but I kinda like the flow when I'm into it. Just need to be into it a bit more, I guess.
I've got a food/booze blog that I've set up, just raring to go. Got a bunch of folks who seem interested in joining me in that endeavor. I just have to make a few layout changes and send out the invites. But I keep stalling.
Maybe it's because of the time of the year. Summertime makes me want to spend less time online rather than more. And I've got this baseball radio show thing that takes up a hunk of my free time. That might have been the reason that I forgot about the regular Monday schedule I had set up for myself. Especially since we usually run the show on Sunday nights. Hey, that makes a bit of sense. The timing works too. I dunno.
All I know is that I opened up a new post tonight to write something and this is what came out. Maybe just thinking about it will shock my system into gear.
A while back, I set some goals for myself. Every 1st Monday of the month, I was gonna write about a specific issue of a 1970's Marvel comic-book. Every 2nd Monday, I was gonna do a film review. Every 3rd Monday, I was gonna do a beer/food review. Yada yada yada.
I kept to the schedule for about 5 months. Then I just simply forgot about it. I didn't run out of ideas or the urge to write about those things. I just forgot that I gave myself that schedule. Weird, right?
Then I noticed that about half of my posts for the past few weeks were of the quickie Youtube variety. A song here, a movie clip there, you know...lazy blogger shit. I know I don't "have" to blog every day, but I kinda like the flow when I'm into it. Just need to be into it a bit more, I guess.
I've got a food/booze blog that I've set up, just raring to go. Got a bunch of folks who seem interested in joining me in that endeavor. I just have to make a few layout changes and send out the invites. But I keep stalling.
Maybe it's because of the time of the year. Summertime makes me want to spend less time online rather than more. And I've got this baseball radio show thing that takes up a hunk of my free time. That might have been the reason that I forgot about the regular Monday schedule I had set up for myself. Especially since we usually run the show on Sunday nights. Hey, that makes a bit of sense. The timing works too. I dunno.
All I know is that I opened up a new post tonight to write something and this is what came out. Maybe just thinking about it will shock my system into gear.
Jun 16, 2011
Earl's Favorite Film Scenes: Vol X
This one is from Searching for Bobby Fischer. A truly brilliant film with great performances all around. Especially by the kid playing the main character. Amazing!
You can watch the whole 15 minute clip, but my favorite part goes from the 1:00 mark to the 2:06 mark.
"How many ballplayer grow up afraid of losing their father's love every time they come up to the plate?"
"ALL OF THEM!"
Wow....just....wow.
You can watch the whole 15 minute clip, but my favorite part goes from the 1:00 mark to the 2:06 mark.
"How many ballplayer grow up afraid of losing their father's love every time they come up to the plate?"
"ALL OF THEM!"
Wow....just....wow.
Jun 15, 2011
Yes we aim to please
I kinda hate electronica.
I kinda love this song.
I'm kinda like a contradiction sometimes.
PS - I blame the new ads for the Duke Nuke 'Em video game for putting this one back on my radar. Yeah, I'm looking at you Duke!
I kinda love this song.
I'm kinda like a contradiction sometimes.
PS - I blame the new ads for the Duke Nuke 'Em video game for putting this one back on my radar. Yeah, I'm looking at you Duke!
Jun 14, 2011
The Big Man
I never was a fan of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band prior to about 5 years ago. That happily coincides with the time that I met my Gia. She was and is a huge fan. And through her, I've learned to appreciate the man and the band and the music.
So it was with a great deal of sadness that we heard about the stroke that Clarence Clemons suffered on Sunday. Much more so for Gia, who had recently met the Big Man several times. She's a bit shy about posting pics on the web, but we've got some real good ones of her and Clarence taken by a mutual friend of the two.
You see, she had recently come into contact with that mutual friend who is a musician. He began working with Clarence on a semi-regular basis and he knew that he had to let Gia know, seeing as she was the biggest Bruce fan he knew. We even got a call at home from Clarence himself one night. That was hilarious.
So she has taken a couple of trips down to Florida to see Clarence and her old friend perform in the past few months. And Clarence always took the time to spend some time with her. And after she would leave, he would always ask about her. Wanted to know how she was doing. Says as much about Clarence as it does about Gia. He really seems to be a good guy.
He's undergone two surgeries so far after the stroke. Reports have varied from him being in critical to serious condition to recovering. Hard to tell at the moment. But all of our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family and his fans.
Hang tough, Big Man.
So it was with a great deal of sadness that we heard about the stroke that Clarence Clemons suffered on Sunday. Much more so for Gia, who had recently met the Big Man several times. She's a bit shy about posting pics on the web, but we've got some real good ones of her and Clarence taken by a mutual friend of the two.
You see, she had recently come into contact with that mutual friend who is a musician. He began working with Clarence on a semi-regular basis and he knew that he had to let Gia know, seeing as she was the biggest Bruce fan he knew. We even got a call at home from Clarence himself one night. That was hilarious.
So she has taken a couple of trips down to Florida to see Clarence and her old friend perform in the past few months. And Clarence always took the time to spend some time with her. And after she would leave, he would always ask about her. Wanted to know how she was doing. Says as much about Clarence as it does about Gia. He really seems to be a good guy.
He's undergone two surgeries so far after the stroke. Reports have varied from him being in critical to serious condition to recovering. Hard to tell at the moment. But all of our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family and his fans.
Hang tough, Big Man.
Jun 13, 2011
JTTTC Contest
So I'm sure you all listened to last night's riveting episode of Just Talking to the Cornfield with Earl and The Colonel. Right? Well, for those who didn't, we announced a contest for one lucky listener to win some free booze!
You want details? Here you go.
Last week, my partner in crime on the show got in touch with the makers of Midnight Moon Apple Pie Moonshine to see if it was okay if we used them as an un-official sponsor of the show. Since we are such fans, ya see. Well, they loved the idea and they sent The Colonel a swag package that included a few jars of the very sweet nectar of life that we love so much.
Then we had the idea to share the love with you guys. Because we're cool like that. And a contest was born.
Think of a good topic for the show and if we pick your topic, then you win a jar of Apple Pie Moonshine from Midnight Moon and Piedmont Distillers. Send your submissions to The Colonel at Zantall at AOL dot com or shoot us a direct message on Twitter @VerdantDude or @JTTTCColonel. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
The contest is open until Sunday, June 19th at noon EST. Well announce the big winner that night on the show.
So do it to it people. Send in those topic ideas and maybe win some free booze.
PS - Um, I guess I should state here that the contest is open to those of legal drinking age. Yeah.
You want details? Here you go.
Last week, my partner in crime on the show got in touch with the makers of Midnight Moon Apple Pie Moonshine to see if it was okay if we used them as an un-official sponsor of the show. Since we are such fans, ya see. Well, they loved the idea and they sent The Colonel a swag package that included a few jars of the very sweet nectar of life that we love so much.
Then we had the idea to share the love with you guys. Because we're cool like that. And a contest was born.
Think of a good topic for the show and if we pick your topic, then you win a jar of Apple Pie Moonshine from Midnight Moon and Piedmont Distillers. Send your submissions to The Colonel at Zantall at AOL dot com or shoot us a direct message on Twitter @VerdantDude or @JTTTCColonel. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
The contest is open until Sunday, June 19th at noon EST. Well announce the big winner that night on the show.
So do it to it people. Send in those topic ideas and maybe win some free booze.
PS - Um, I guess I should state here that the contest is open to those of legal drinking age. Yeah.
Jun 10, 2011
Feather Boa
A lot of times, I wind up liking a song and not really understand why I like the song. Maybe a good groove or a good lyric. Something.
Tonight we got some good news about a family member who might have had something that ryhmes with "lancer". The good news, obviously, being that he doesn't have it. But it was a whole week of worry and an operation and more worry and yeah...worry. But we got through it.
And we decided we needed to party. So we headed out East to my sister's house and partied just like Bubba does...we did the old man proud.
At the end of the evening, Gia, myself and my brother-in-law sat with some Irish Whiskey and some tunes and we contemplated the wonderful meaning of life and all it has to offer.
And we listened to this tune from Marah. One that I have always loved, but never really understood. It's about a guy on a corner in Philly dealing with his own gender issues. And Gia was the only one at the table who really knew the lyrics, so she told us all about it. It blew our minds away.
Fuck anyone who can't deal with someone because they are different.
That has nothing to do with feeling good about the non-lancer issue, but we got drunk and that's what we all felt about this song. So, ahem, enjoy.
Tonight we got some good news about a family member who might have had something that ryhmes with "lancer". The good news, obviously, being that he doesn't have it. But it was a whole week of worry and an operation and more worry and yeah...worry. But we got through it.
And we decided we needed to party. So we headed out East to my sister's house and partied just like Bubba does...we did the old man proud.
At the end of the evening, Gia, myself and my brother-in-law sat with some Irish Whiskey and some tunes and we contemplated the wonderful meaning of life and all it has to offer.
And we listened to this tune from Marah. One that I have always loved, but never really understood. It's about a guy on a corner in Philly dealing with his own gender issues. And Gia was the only one at the table who really knew the lyrics, so she told us all about it. It blew our minds away.
Fuck anyone who can't deal with someone because they are different.
That has nothing to do with feeling good about the non-lancer issue, but we got drunk and that's what we all felt about this song. So, ahem, enjoy.
Feather Boa
Marah
Standin' on the corner
Alone with the wind
Cocaine in his system
And it's colder then it's ever been.
You know sometimes all the cruelty
In the world just descends
Down upon the man in high heels
For no reason
Scratch card rub off silver
Is the jewel beneath his nails
His skin is bar room shark fin
His lashes are sardine tails
He knows some night, somehow, somewhere,
Somebody gonna wish to end
The life of Feather Boa for no reason.
*CHORUS*
Born to be a witness
Born to doubt the cross
Born to suck a man off
And sleep upon his loss
Cry stoically through shit storms
As his veins collapse and die.
This dick between my legs just makes me cry.
Promenade in snow flakes
Feather Boa and the wind
It's four AM on Sunday
And it's harder then it's ever been.
You know sometimes,
Just a whisper,
From the god of hope descends
And doubles back to these types
For a reason.
Born to be a witness
Born to doubt the cross
Born to suck a man off
And sleep upon his loss
Cry stoically through shit storms
As his veins collapse and die.
That dick between your legs just makes me cry
Jun 9, 2011
Cool for Cats
It's hot as hell out there today, er, yesterday, er, tomorrow. During the day is what I mean. We are supposed to get a cold front blow throw on Thursday evening. That should cool things off a big way in my neck of the woods.
My cats don't seem to mind very much though. They prefer to stay out of the air-conditioned bedroom and chill by the back screen door overlooking the backyard and the harbor. We've never put an air conditioner in that room for one reason or another. Mostly because I like to keep the solid door open with the screen door in during Summer nights since we get a pretty nice breeze. But it can get a little warm in there during hot Summer days. The cats don't care. They seem to remain cool even in the warmest of temps.
And then there's this:
My cats don't seem to mind very much though. They prefer to stay out of the air-conditioned bedroom and chill by the back screen door overlooking the backyard and the harbor. We've never put an air conditioner in that room for one reason or another. Mostly because I like to keep the solid door open with the screen door in during Summer nights since we get a pretty nice breeze. But it can get a little warm in there during hot Summer days. The cats don't care. They seem to remain cool even in the warmest of temps.
And then there's this:
Jun 8, 2011
5 Netflix Instant Recommendations
This one is gonna be interactive, kiddies. First, I'll give you five title recommendations that are currently available on Netflix Instant. Then you, at least those of you who use Netflix, supply me with five more recommendations in the comments section. Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.
- The Way of the Gun - FINALLY available to the Internets! No, it's not high art. But it is a whole mess o' fun. Dig as Benicio del Toro and Ryan Phillipe fuck some shit up as a modern-day Butch and Sundance. Hell, just watch it for the first 5 minutes of the film which features a potty-mouthed Sarah Silverman. It's...glorious.
- Calvin Marshall - I spoke about this one last week on our radio show that I'm sure you are all listening to each week. Ahem. It's a small film, the kind that studios don't seem to make all that often anymore. Sure, baseball is the background to the story, but it's more about small towns and growing up and dealing with life. Great acting all around in this little gem.
- Marwencol - I actually haven't watched this one yet, but it's in my queue, raring to go. It's a documentary about a man who was left brain damaged after a savage beating who communicates through elaborate dioramas he builds of a fictional town called Marwencol. From just about every review I've read, this one is supposed to be awesome.
- Torchwood - This one is a British television series...a spin-off of Doctor Who, actually. But much more sophisticated and adult-themed than it's predecessor. Just as much fun, though. The first three series (seasons) are available on Netflix right now, and the fourth series should be available this Summer as it airs new on Starz Play each week. I've written about this show before, and it's one of my all-time favorites. You don't need to be a fan of the Doctor to enjoy it.
- The Crazies - The 2009 remake of the 1973 George Romero classic. You know what I mostly hate about some of the newer horror flicks out there? It's that feeling that no one would really act that way under those circumstances. Like carrying around a video camera while battling for your life. I never had that feeling while watching this film. That's why I think it's a near-perfect entry in the genre. And Timothy Olyphant is just dreamy, of course.
Jun 7, 2011
Not again...
Not because it sucks or anything, even though it probably does. Mostly because I'm a creature of habit and I hate having to figure out anything new when what I had worked just fine.
For example, I really hate the fucking widget they have now for setting the date and time of your scheduled posts. Clunky much? What was wrong with letting me be a human being and typing in the date and time I wanted to auto-post? Couldn't trust me with that little bit of independence, eh? Fuckers.
Ugh...anyways. I forget what I was gonna post about now. So here's a crappy picture of the Fire Island Lighthouse that I took from my crappy cell phone while going a million miles an hour in my sister and brother-in-law's boat this past weekend.
 |
| Click to make it go boom! |
PS - And for all you Blogger haters out there ready with your "That's why you should switch to Wordpress or host your own site blah blah blah"....pffft! Save it.
Jun 6, 2011
Rolling in the Deep
Adele with her mega-popular tune from last year's second album. Check it out, yo!
Rolling in the Deep
Adele
There's a fire starting in my heart,
Reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark.
Finally, I can see you crystal clear,
Go ahead and sell me out and I'll lay your ship bare,
See how I'll leave with every piece of you,
Don't underestimate the things that I will do.
There's a fire starting in my heart,
Reaching a fever pitch and it's bring me out the dark.
The scars of your love remind me of us,
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all.
The scars of your love, they leave me breathless,
I can't help feeling,
We could have had it all,
(You're gonna wish you never had met me),
Rolling in the deep,
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside of your hand,
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
And you played it to the beat.
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
Baby, I have no story to be told,
But I've heard one on you and I'm gonna make your head burn,
Think of me in the depths of your despair,
Making a home down there as mine sure won't be shared,
The scars of your love remind me of us,
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all.
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
The scars of your love, they leave me breathless,
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
I can't help feeling,
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
We could have had it all,
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
Rolling in the deep.
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside of your hand,
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
And you played it to the beat.
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
Could have had it all,
Rolling in the deep,
You had my heart inside of your hand,
But you played it with a beating.
Throw your soul through every open door,
Count your blessings to find what you look for.
Turn my sorrow into treasured gold,
You'll pay me back in kind and reap just what you've sown.
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
We could have had it all,
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
We could have had it all.
(You're gonna wish you never had met me),
It all, it all, it all.
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
We could have had it all,
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
Rolling in the deep.
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep
You had my heart inside of your hand,
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
And you played it to the beat.
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
Could have had it all,
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
Rolling in the deep.
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside of your hand,
(You're gonna wish you never had met me
But you played it,
You played it,
You played it,
You played it to the beat.
Jun 3, 2011
Input required
In your pants!
Ahem.
No, seriously. We've done 13 (holy crap!) episodes of Just Talking to the Cornfield now, and I think it's time for a little introspection from us as well as some input from our listeners.
Tell us what you like about the show. Tell us what you dislike about the show. Tell us about what you despise about the show. Tell us about what makes you horny, babee. Inquiring minds and all.
One thing I don't like is that we went over 2 hours last week. Mostly because it was Friday night and both of us were drinking some apple pie moonshine. But I think the show is best when we keep it around 90 minutes. And I know that we strayed into some areas last week which I, for one, hadn't prepared properly. That leads to some bad radio as I say "um" a lot.
So hit us where it hurts. Or where it feels good. Hit us wherever you like. We yearn to be better. For you.
And visit out website that The Colonel has set up for the show here. We also have a Facebook page, but I'm not on that thing so you'll have to find it all on your own. And we are also on Twitter via @VerdantDude and @JTTTColonel. And you can reach me via email at babyburke at aol dot com. Or just yell real loud. I've got great hearing in one ear, so make sure you're on my good side.
Tune in this week on our normal date and time at Sunday, 9PM EST. We promise to at least try to be entertaining.
Ahem.
No, seriously. We've done 13 (holy crap!) episodes of Just Talking to the Cornfield now, and I think it's time for a little introspection from us as well as some input from our listeners.
Tell us what you like about the show. Tell us what you dislike about the show. Tell us about what you despise about the show. Tell us about what makes you horny, babee. Inquiring minds and all.
One thing I don't like is that we went over 2 hours last week. Mostly because it was Friday night and both of us were drinking some apple pie moonshine. But I think the show is best when we keep it around 90 minutes. And I know that we strayed into some areas last week which I, for one, hadn't prepared properly. That leads to some bad radio as I say "um" a lot.
So hit us where it hurts. Or where it feels good. Hit us wherever you like. We yearn to be better. For you.
And visit out website that The Colonel has set up for the show here. We also have a Facebook page, but I'm not on that thing so you'll have to find it all on your own. And we are also on Twitter via @VerdantDude and @JTTTColonel. And you can reach me via email at babyburke at aol dot com. Or just yell real loud. I've got great hearing in one ear, so make sure you're on my good side.
Tune in this week on our normal date and time at Sunday, 9PM EST. We promise to at least try to be entertaining.
Jun 2, 2011
Ergo
I tend to think that my taste in music is fairly eclectic.
I also tend to think that those people who think that their taste in music is fairly eclectic are probably a bunch of jerkface, effete, elitist snobs.
Ergo, I'm probably a jerkface, effete, elitist snob*. I dunno what that really means. I don't even know if I'm using "ergo" or "effete" properly in that sentence. I don't even know why I'm bringing it up. I'm just ramblin' here. All I know is that listening to the following song while staring into a fire and drinking apple pie moonshine might be good for your soul. It did wonders for mine this past weekend.
*But you already knew that.
I also tend to think that those people who think that their taste in music is fairly eclectic are probably a bunch of jerkface, effete, elitist snobs.
Ergo, I'm probably a jerkface, effete, elitist snob*. I dunno what that really means. I don't even know if I'm using "ergo" or "effete" properly in that sentence. I don't even know why I'm bringing it up. I'm just ramblin' here. All I know is that listening to the following song while staring into a fire and drinking apple pie moonshine might be good for your soul. It did wonders for mine this past weekend.
*But you already knew that.
Jun 1, 2011
Summer Cold
Gia's got one.
Which means I'm probably gonna get one.
Soon.
Help.
Of course, it has to happen as soon as the weather gets nice, right? I mean, dealing with a cold last week when it was raining every single freakin' day makes sense. But it's been high 70's/low 80's for several days now. A cold just seems...unfair.
Gimme, gimme, gimme some home remedies that work. STAT!
Which means I'm probably gonna get one.
Soon.
Help.
Of course, it has to happen as soon as the weather gets nice, right? I mean, dealing with a cold last week when it was raining every single freakin' day makes sense. But it's been high 70's/low 80's for several days now. A cold just seems...unfair.
Gimme, gimme, gimme some home remedies that work. STAT!
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