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Saturday, October 08, 2005

Ask Me a Question: Part 3

Apologies to Scooter Chronicles Scott for confusing him with Polite Scott. Here are the former's other questions.

1. What is your favorite book (non-comic)?

The World Almanac. Really. When I got engaged to Carol, there was an engagement party thrown by some folks in my office. One of the games was for each of us to pick out each other's favorite colors, TV shows, books, etc. She did far better than I, which I took to mean that I was more Out There and she more mysterious. (Of course, most everyone else thought that she paid more attention to me than I did to her.) She picked the World Almanac as my favorite book, everyone pooh poohed this answer, then I revealed my answer and they were flabbergasted; I don't know why. I'd been getting the book since I was 10. I can't remember what I thought hers was, but 100 Years of Solitude, which I had NEVER heard her mention before, was NOT my guess.
I'm also fond of those Billboard Charts Books.

Oh, you mean a book one reads! Ah, that would probably be The Sweeter the Juice: A Family Memoir in Black and White by Shirlee Taylor Haizlip. It's about this interracial couple from just after the Civil War, and their descendents, some who live as black, some who live as white, and the author's attempt to hook up some of these 20th century relatives.

2. What is your fondest childhood memory?

Why is this a hard question? Sometimes, the mind goes to the less pleasant.
Then there are good things, like walking home with my friends, singing with my father and sister Leslie, but there's not single specific (positive) recollection.

But I'm going to pick a time when my father and I took a trip, just the two of us, from Binghamton to Lake George. I was 9 or 10 and was supposed to be the navigator, but we got off course, and we ran out of gas somewhere called Speculator, in the middle of nowhere. I thought Dad would get mad, but he took it all in stride. We walked along the road, and the stars in the sky were huge, as he pointed out. He stopped at someone's house, got us enough gas to get to a gas station, and we went on to Lake George. Truth is, I don't remember that much about Lake George, but I do remember the night before quite well.

Not so incidentally, there's a tragic story about Lake George making the national news this week. It's very sad, of course, but it's also curious to watch how the local and national news cover the same story. The very early local reports had 21 (instead of 20) and the folks were from Canada (rather than Michigan; that had to do with the boat registry, apparently.) ABC News has had a few details that were missing from the local reporting. But this is a HUGE local story, as you can tell from their websites here and here, for example.
***
Now, Gordon was the one I stole this Ask Me a Question idea from. He notes: "Actually, Mike at Progressive Ruin did it once before I did. Gotta give props, you know." Gordon is so thorough that he's still reviewing the Mixed Bag 2 CDs. I had peppered Gordon with about a half dozen question, but he had just one for me:

Since you're a dad (and I'm a godfather), here's a very thought-provoking question:

If there was one value or set of values you wanted to teach your offspring, what would it be?


Oh, GOOD question!

I want her to be confident without being arrogant.
Self-sufficient without being selfish.
Compassionate without being compromised.

In other words, I want her to know that she's a REALLY important part of this world, but she's not the ONLY person in this world.

In a word, balanced.
***
Now, I have a question for all of YOU, a serious question that my wife and I have been debating for the last three weeks. Do you think Jenna Fischer, who plays Pam Beesley on the NBC version of "The Office" is attractive? Why or why not? I shan't tell you what we think. I did learn a curious fact today, though; Jenna Fischer and I share a birthday.
***
Kudos, to Mike on his exhaustive October 7 column on the Joker; Greg Burgas on reaching his one year blogiversary; Fred Hembeck on the first week of a month-long excursion into what David Bowie might call Scary Monsters; and finally, Polite Scott, for huis piece on Lois Lane the other day.

Friday, October 07, 2005

What's important to you?

Tosy and Cosh posted this. The "Dan" mentioned is Dan from Minneapolis.

1. It is Dan's theory that one only has time to devote to 10 outside-of-work pursuits. What makes your list? This can be an idealized version of your life (e.g. pursuits in which you are interested but just haven't found the time or ambition to start).

a. parenting
b. spousing
c. church choir
d. blogging
e. racquetball
f. church Missions Committee
g. Friends of Albany Public Library
h. church Membership Committee
i .music collecting
j. being an informed citizen

2. What are the last five albums you bought? Are you just kind of buying albums on a whim these days or following any kind of overarching plan-such as exploring a genre or working your way through a backlog of albums you've wanted to buy for some time?

a. Like an Atom Bomb- similar to, but not exactly, the tracks of an LP I have, the soundtrack to "Atomic Cafe"
b. Red Hot & Rhapsody- continuation of the Red Hot & Blue AIDS awareness discs I have; also because it's Gershwin
c. Rutles-Archaeology - another Beatle parody
d. Judy Collins-Who Knows Where the Time Goes - I have it on vinyl and it's wearing out

I should also note that I've been getting discs in...other ways, notably the Rolling Stones, much of which I owned on vinyl, the source of which is one associate. I've also been burning CDs of LPs that I own. I've gotten them from the library: Dark Side of the Moon, Tumbleweed Connection, Eat a Peach, Layla.

3. Everyone has an issue (at least one)-political or philosophical-that is kind of their personal baby. One on which they feel they have an enlightened view in a greater world that just either doesn't get it or doesn't care. Tell us about it-and attempt to be brief.

We would all get along better if we followed some simple rules:
Respect the queue. Keep right (unless you're in the UK), so you can avoid doing that little dance on a narrow sidewalk when someone approaches. Respect other people's personal space. You DON'T have to express an opinion when you don't have one.

4. Prairie, mountains, woods, desert, lake, the sea. Which calls to you the most? Where would you most choose to reside? RANK THEM!

Lake, sea, mountains, woods, prairie, desert.

5. Guilty pleasure TV. Is there a show that would be condemned by your peers, but yet you find yourself watching it on a regular basis? Let's hear it.
{I've asked a variation on this myself recently.)


Law & Order (the original) reruns. NEVER the new shows. Lenny Briscoe rules!

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Ask Me a Question, Part 2

Our next contestant in Ask Roger a Question, is Chris "Lefty" Brown:

1. A long time ago I had a 7th grade teacher appear on Tic Tac Dough, and didn't win but came away with a case of Rice or something or other. Did you get any consolation prizes for your time on Jeopardy?

Lefty, didn't you commit everything I wrote in my epic JEOPARDY! saga to memory? I'm shocked, SHOCKED! From my August 6 post:
"Oh, I can’t forget the parting gifts I received, over a two-month period: a case (12 large cans) of sweet potatoes (they were quite good, actually), OTC vitamins and other products including Centrum, a rather lovely lap blanket, a US Search coupon to try to find anyone in the United States, Pop Secret popcorn, and TWO hair curlers (!), which I didn’t need and gave away. I also got a home version of...Wheel of Fortune, not JEOPARDY!"
That J saga, BTW, I wrote every Saturday, starting on May 28.

2. Who have you seen the most in concert? What was your favorite concert? When & who was your first concert?

In the '80s, I saw this group called the Ulstafarians a number of times, thanks in large part to the fact that the late, lamented Raoul Vezina of FantaCo's Smilin' Ed fame got me into the late, lamented J.B. Scott's. It seems that there was a time more recently that I was always seeing Alex Torres y Los Reyes Latinos.
Oh, someone you've actually heard of?
I can't think of anyone I've seen more than twice: Joan Armatrading, Pete Droge, the Temptations, Lucinda Williams

Favorite concerts:
1981: the Temptations at the Coliseum around Albany; there were 7 of them, including a returning Kendrick and Ruffin
1983: the Talking Heads at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center- it sttarted with Byrne alone on stage (doing Psycho Killer), then the trio, then the quartet (with Harrison), then full strength band. It was, how do you say...organic.
2000 or 2001: Newport folk Festival at SPAC: Lyle Lovett, Lucinda Williams, Marc Coh, Joan Baez, Bruce Cockburn, many others.

First concert that I recall, Nov. 12, 1971- Seals & Crofts in NYC. The opening act, which I BELIEVE was J. Geils, was booed, but I liked them better than the headliners, which was a favorite group of my girlfriend at the time. The date I remember, BTW, because it was the birthday of Bahá'u'lláh, a leading light of the Baha'i faith, which she eventually embraced, and which turned out to be a major source of tension in our relationship. (Seals & Crofts were well-known Baha'is.)

3. What music do you fear your daughter may take a liking to?

Polka music. And it's in her genes. I heard it a LOT in Binghamton. You know how your parents think that everything you listened to all sounded the same? That's how I feel about polka.

4. Let's play favorites: favorite comic book series, character, artist, and writer. Were you a DC fanboy or Marvel Zombie growing up?

First off, I don't remember reading ANY Marvels growing up. I read the DCs and the kids' comics (Richie Rich, Archie, and the like). It was the dumbness of the DCs that cured me of comics. This would be 1964-66.

Then, when I went to college when I was 18 (1971), my new best friend Mark Klonfas turned me onto comics, mostly Marvels.

Favorite series: Warlock (Starlin), Warlord (Grell), American Flagg (Chaykin), the original Elfquest (the Pinis), X-Men (Claremont/Byrne), Hero for Hire before he shows up mixing it up with Dr. Doom and the FF, Hembeck (Hembeck). I had a soft spot for the Defenders. I'm sure there are others.

Favorite character: Spider-Man, hands down. Which is why I HATED the Spider-Man book that came out in the early 1990s. It wasn't Peter Parker under the costume, it was...Spawn or something.

Favorite artists: Starlin, Grell, Howard Cruse, Byrne, Gil Kane, George Perez, probably others. If I had to pick one, it would probably be Starlin. I also have an abiding respect for those "workmanlike" competent guys (I do NOT mean that pejoratively AT ALL) who were never fan favorites, but did the job. Examples: the John Romitas, and Joe Staton, who is probably the sweetest guy I ever met in the comic book world.

Favorite writers: Before I answer that, I should note that, for me, good or great writing and OK art beats great art and lousy storytelling. OK, then.
The Steves Englehart and Gerber, Claremont, Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, Denny O'Neil, Hembeck, undoubtedly others. One pick: Englehart.

Marvel or DC: all Marvel (except Elfquest and a couple others) until the "independents" (Eclipse, First, Pacific, etc.) came out. I did get Warlock and a couple books not in the DC universe, and I DID get New Teen Titans.
***
OK, now I have a question. If someone were in the market to sell his vinyl collection, what price guide would you say is comparablee to Overstreet for comics?

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

EARL sighting

I have a DVR. It's like TiVo, as far as I can tell (I've never had TiVo, so this is speculation, based on reading descriptions.) Sometime soon, I'll tell you what I like and don't about it.

But ONE of the functions is that I can record ALL episodes of a show on a station. So, if the listing people know that a show's going to be on at a different time, it'll catch it (60 Minutes at 7 or at 7:30, depending on whether there's a late game on CBS; of course, it's almost always on later than that.)

I have programmed a new show called My Name is Earl, which generally is on at 9 p.m. on NBC. But I looked at my future recordings mode, I discovered episodes of Earl at 8:30, 9, and 9:30 p.m. to be recorded this coming Saturday night. Sure enough, I look at the electronic guide, and there is some "Most Outrageous" something or other at 8, followed by THREE episodes of Earl! (The print TV guide has two episodes of a show called Surface in that slot.)

Since they've only aired three episodes of the show (only the first two of which I've seen), I ASSUME those are the three shows they'll be presenting. Which means that if you haven't gotten on the Earl bandwagon yet, you have another chance!

EQ 1

Not to be confused with GQ.

Back in 1996, I took this test to ascertain whether I was entrepreneurially inclined. Having worked in retail for 10 years oir better, I was pretty sure the answer was, "No." But I was interested in seeing the results.

Now that we're back in the church year, with choir on Thursday nights, YOU'RE going to see the results too, on an occasional basis, anyway.

Summary scales, presented on a percentile basis; the higher the score, the greater my "entrepreneurial potential":

ADAPTABILITY - the ease with which I can reach outside my current areas of expertise and comfort to adjust to new or changed circumstances, new people and new life experiences.
Ideal score 66-100, my score 26
I have to say that I found this surprisingly low, as I feel that I'm ALWAYS adapting to new circumstances. I wonder how I'd gfare, post-Lydia?

MANAGERIAL TRAITS
Ideal score 71-100, my score 32

PERSONALITY TRAITS
Ideal score 70-100, my score 12

INDEX
Ideal score 70-100, my score 24

Subscales are presented on a percentage basis; the closer my score is to the ideal score, the greater my "Entrepreneurial potential":

Under Managerial Traits

RISK TOLERANCE
Ideal score 85, my score 83
Actually, near the ideal score for taking calculated risks.

TIME MANAGEMENT- the ability to analyze, itemize, and sequence tasks in an orderly way
Ideal score 68, my score 38
"A Time Management course or seminar may be beneficial."

CREATIVE vs. TRADITIONAL- thinking and operating in an innovative manner implementing and promoting new ideas, new products, new markets and new programs.
Ideal score 86%, my score 91% creative, 9% traditional
I work well with new ideas.

STRATEGIC vs. FUNCTIONAL - strategic takes into account the "big picture"; function managers operate on a more narrow focus
Ideal score is 85% strategic, my score is 69%, "considerably below the Ideal Score."

PLANNING vs. REACTING -"Planning managers are very organized, they naturally operate with a well defined plan. Reacting managers prefer to handle situations in a more spontaneous manner, addressing details as they arise."
Ideal score is 55% Planning, my score of 22% is "considerably below the ideal score."

GOAL-ORIENTATION vs. ACTION-ORIENTATION "Goal-oriented managers are expediters- their goals drive the action on a daily basis. Action-oriented managers are process-oriented -they focus on that needs to be done to accomplish their goals>"
Ideal score is 47% goal-oriented, my score of 9% goal-orientated
MY "focus on day-to-day issues may interfere with" my "ability to meet long-term objectives."
It's true, I'm not a long-term planner, although with this blog, I've become more so.
More the next time I need an easy post.

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

I Note More Dead People







Both Mark Evanier and Fred Hembeck (him, again?) have noted the passing of Nipsey Russell, The Poet Laureate of Television, who I knew best from his appearances on Match Game, where he'd say things like:

The kids are saying, 'Make love, not war.'
And I'm beginning to think they're right.
For war costs millions of dollars a day,
And love, just a few bucks a night!


(Check out Einstein's 30 Minutes of Unmatched Fame for some of that Match Game wackiness.)

I found a reference to Nipsey as poetry editor of some online poetry thing, a gig about which he had this to say:
Of this job, I don't think so highly,
But hey -- it beats hangin' out with
Charles Nelson Reilly.


But what really caught my interest is something in Mark's posting:
they don't seem to be noting all the decades he spent working dives and clubs, many in the so-called "Negro Circuit," before joining the thin ranks of performers who broke out of that show business ghetto.

As I wrote to Mark, in all my life (and I'm 52, and black), I'd never heard the term "Negro circuit" used in the context that he had it. "Chitlin circuit," yes. Here's a definition of that term from Bartlesby-
NOUN: Informal. A circuit of nightclubs and theaters that feature African-American performers and cater especially to African-American audiences: "I was traveling up and down . . . with these little groups on what they call the chitlin' circuit."
(And if you don't know what chitlins are, look here.)
Whereas, "Negro circuit" seemed to be tied primarily to sporting events, as Google suggests, such as the barnstorming baseball teams.

Hey, I'm a librarian. This kind of thing always catches my attention.
***
And speaking of same, Michael Wittenberg died last week. Who is that? Why, the (considerably younger) "husband of Broadway musical-theater star Bernadette Peters...in a helicopter crash in Montenegro [along with three other people]. He was 43."

I know she's the big Broadway star and he was "an investment adviser." But the fourth paragraph in every story was all about HER. "Peters most recently appeared on Broadway in the 2003 revival of 'Gypsy.' Her other Broadway shows include 'Sunday in the Park With George' and 'Into the Woods.' She won Tonys for her performances in 'Song & Dance' and the 1999 revival of 'Annie Get Your Gun.'" Looks like they took the info for HIS obituary from HER probably pre-written obit.

Ask Me a Question, Pt. 1:WS

You still have until 11:59 p.m. tomorrow to ask me questions about ANYTHING that I promise to answer. But given that baseball's post-season (or "second season", as FOX likes to put it) starts tonight, I feel compelled to answer one of the questions now:

Our first contestant is a scooting gentleman named Scott: Who do you think is going to win the World Series this year? I have no idea, except that it won't be the San Diego Padres. Next question.

Actually, I've been working on a Goldilocks theory, in terms of peaking teams. Too early and the team has a chance of being flat in the post-season. Too late and the team will have used up all of its energy just to get to the post season. Just right teams have been tested, but have a chance to put their pitching in order.

American League:

EAST: New York Yankees- used a lot of energy just to win the division in Game 161
CENTRAL: Chicago White Sox- limped to their division title, more as a result of Cleveland's collapse than anything. They alnmost blew the 15-game lead they had on August 1.
WEST: Anaheim Angels (yeah, I know what they're really called)- seems just right. A good competitive race with Oakland, but resolved before the last week of the season.
WILD CARD: Boston, clinches on the final day. At least they don't have to do a playoff game against Cleveland.

NYY vs. the LAA: Yankee pitching too inconsistent. Pick: the Angels.
CWS vs. Bosox: as beat up as Boston is, I think Chicago is going down. Pick: the Red Sox.
LAA vs. BoSox: This is a rerun of the 1986 series that went VERY badly for the Angels, after being within a few outs of the World Series. Redemption, finally. Pick: the Angels.

National League:

EAST: Atlanta Braves- had a terrible beginning of the season but surged into first place. Peaked a little early, but to their credit continued to play solid baseball.
CENTRAL: St. Louis Cardinals- WAY too big a lead early, cruised home.
WEST: San Diego Padres - they're a .500 team, fer cryin' out loud.
WILD CARD: Houston staves off Philadelphia.

ATL vs. Astros: Probably the best matchup of the four in the first round. I thought Houston would do better in the season because of their pitching, and in a short series, pitching's even more important. But the Braves have pitching, too, and they're more rested. Pick: the Braves.
Cards vs. Padres: St. Louis is flat, but not so flat that they can't beat the Fathers. Pick: the Cards.
ATL vs. STL: As much as I would prefer St. Louis, I feel that it will be the superior depth of the other team. Pick: Atlanta.

World Series:
Atlanta beats the Angels in 6 or 7. Atlanta wins a WS in a year ending in 5 again.

Note that this isn't what I WANT to happen, this is what I think WILL happen. I really don't like the Braves. I think it's that "America's Team" schtick they have because they're broadcast on TBS. That and the Tomahawk chop.

And while I'm talkin' baseball: I have no pick for the AL MVP- A-Rod, Papi, they both have decent credentials. But for the NL MVP my pick is the pride of Curacao, the favorite player of every Little Leaguer from the island this year, Andruw Jones of the aforementioned Atlanta. He carried the team when Chipper and othes were hurt. I was watching the game many years ago when Bobby Cox pulled Andruw Jones IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INNING for his failure to hustle. The man has definitely grown up.

What are YOUR World Series picks?

(Aside to Fred, No, you can't pick the Mets.)

Monday, October 03, 2005

August August







(There should be an emphasis on the second syllable for the first word, and an emphasis on the first syllable in the second word.)


Playwright August Wilson, author of a ten-play cycle outlining black life in America in the 20th Century has died at the age of 60 from liver cancer. This saddens me greatly, as I felt he had a lot more to offer.

I’ve seen two of his plays (Ma Rainey, Fences) on stage, and one (The Piano Lesson) on television. It was announced last month that Broadway's Virginia Theatre will be renamed for Wilson two weeks from today. If you haven’t done so already, check out an August Wilson play.

ABC news

There is news about ABC (and the other network's TV) entertainment and ABC News. I suspected that Charlie Gibson was too valuable to GMA to let him go to World News Tonight permanently.

A question: if ABC passes over Gibson in favor of Woodruff/Vargas, is that ageism?

Banned Books Meme

If Kelly Brown, 6th grade teacher extraordinaire, is doing her FIRST meme, and doing it in honor of the recently-ended Banned Book Week, how can I possibly refuse?

Books I've read I will italize; books I own I'll put a * in front of. The list is not mutually exclusive, of course:

Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
*I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
*The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
*Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (saw the movie)
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling (saw the first movie)
Forever by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
*The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Giver by Lois Lowry
It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine parts
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Sex by Madonna
Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
The Goats by Brock Cole
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
Blubber by Judy Blume
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
Final Exit by Derek Humphry
*The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
*To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
*Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
Deenie by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
Cujo by Stephen King
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
Ordinary People by Judith Guest (saw the movie)
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
Fade by Robert Cormier
Guess What? by Mem Fox
*The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Native Son by Richard Wright
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Jack by A.M. Homes
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
Carrie by Stephen King
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
Family Secrets by Norma Klein
Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
*The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
*Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
Private Parts by Howard Stern
Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
Sex Education by Jenny Davis
The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Not a particularly large percentage, but to be fair to me, some are books targweted at kids, and it's been a while since I was one. Perhaps I'll get another shot with Lydia.

Sunday, October 02, 2005

MOVIE REVIEW: 40-Year-Old Virgin

Here’s a confession, if you hadn't already figured it out: I’m a bit of a movie snob. Usually, I go to films that are running at the more "artsy" cinema emporium in town, the Spectrum.. I DO tend to avoid the multiplex at the mall (and the mall in general). But it was movie date time, nothing was playing at the Spectrum that we wanted to see, and there is a local theater, the Madison, that plays more mainstream fare and really could use the community support.

So, that’s how Carol and I ended up at a movie called "The 40-Year Old Virgin." I KNEW it was going to be a bit coarse and crude, of course. Yet it had several things going for it. Steve Carell, who I knew best from "The Daily Show", was writing and producing, as well as starring. I found him painfully dead-on last season in the Americanized version of "The Office." (Haven't seen it yet this season.)
Catherine Keener, who I liked in "Lovely & Amazing" and loved in "Being John Malkovich" was featured as the potential love interest.
And most importantly, from my perspective, the piece was co-written by Judd Apatow, the creative force behind a couple of my favorite coming-of-age TV shows, "Freaks & Geeks" and the even more unfortunately short-lived "Undeclared."

Andy Stitzer works in a Best Buy sort of place. Three of his co-workers (and friends?) discover his secret and decide to "fix" it, and him. In their own ways, they are nearly as inept dealing with women as the title character.

Yes, it was raunchy and even silly. Yet, Carrell held the center of the movie together. Also, anyone who has worked in a comic book store or similar shop will recognize the collector mentality that "Andy" possessed.

In many ways, it was dead-on on some of the ways of courting and relationships. "Shrewdly observant," one review indicated, and I'll buy that. Paul Rudd (probably best known from "Friends"), Romany Malco, and Seth Rogen (who appeared in both of Apatow's TV shows) are quite sharp as the very different colleagues. Keener, who's warm character-with-a-secret, was great, as expected. Jane Lynch, who's been in "Best of Show" and "A Mighty Wind", has quite possibly the best bit in the film.

Here's the bottom line: it's a comedy. I laughed. A lot. Even at thing I thought were tasteless, or goofy ("Jupiter aligns with Mars.")

And in the midst of all of that, I thought the movie was...sweet, somehow. Everyone, from his upstairs neighbors on are pulling for Andy, as we did. So, for an intelligently crass good time, I recommend (much to my surprise) the movie.
***
NBC, which has less and less going for it, is loving the chance to exploit the success of the movie to promote Steve Carell's appearance on SSNL last night (recorded, not watched), and especially the new season of The Office. I've seen the first two episodes. There's a thin line between pain and pleasure, and this show REALLY stradles it.

Saturday, October 01, 2005

5 months



I hit five months of blogging today, and here's my second potpourri of the week. So it goes.

Forbidden fruit

I thought it was me. Occasionally, I've gone to a Blogger site and get some sort of message suggesting that the site is forbidden. But apparently, that's a more universal problem, based on Ian's comments of September 27. (He doesn't seem very happy about it.) So, if you get a FORBIDDEN message coming to THIS site, try, try again, please.

The death of comics

There have been some conversation on some sites about the mid-1990s comic book crash. I suggested that while the end may have come later, the beginning of the end commenced with The Death of Superman. And judging by this week's shipment, as described by Mike on September 29, I fear the end may be near again. Too much product at once will hurt a number of comic stores, I'll wager, when a bunch of it sits on the racks.
***
I'm finding more stuff to give away to one person in my contest, including a stack of comics, unread, the last batch I bought in 1992. Just pick three or more of the best songs from all the Mixed CD candidates. Or give me a good meme.

"Ever seen a grown man naked?" -Pilot (Peter Graves) to kid in the movie AIRPLANE

First, Dorian frets about seeing a naked man.

Then, in response to my teasing him about HIS use of naked men, Fred strikes back (September 29), by putting up pictures of naked women. Actualy, ONE naked woman in three poses.

Crime and punishment

Two stores worth reading in this week's Metroland:
"Four antiwar demonstrators beat rare federal conspiracy charges they say were brought to chill dissent" but still have their legal problems. The St. Pat 4 tried a SECOND time in my hometown of Binghamton, NY.
Also read in Rapp on This about the Authors Guild suing Google, and why it's a dumb idea.

And re: crime: two references to O.J. Simpson on the same day? (September 28)

Yup. Mark Evanier (9:14 pm) and Polite Scott

Doctor, doctor

And speaking of the latter, I've been really interested in Scott’s dissection of medical procedures in comic books and on the TV medical drama House. I don't even watch House, and it's still intriguing and informative.

Remember that the Traveling Wilburys had a Vol. 1, then a Vol. 3

I'm pleased, or at least relieved, to note that Tom the Dog is as mystified by the gap between Episodes 1 and 2 of the new season of Arested Development as I was. Was the "previously" segment a joke, or did they ax the second episode in favor of the third so they could get Charlize Theron and Dave Thomas on sooner?
***
There's an article in the Sept. 20 WSJ, p. B-1, that starts:

FROM ELVIS PRESLEY to Kurt Cobain, battles over a rock star's legacy often generate years of rancor and legal wrangling as surviving bandmates, family members and others pick through recording archives trying to decide how best to represent the fallen icon.
Not so for Bob Dylan. With a torrent of new projects focusing on his most-revered period, from 1961 to 1966, the singer is pre-empting the posthumous image-massaging that has confronted many rock estates by dealing with his own legacy now, while the 64-year-old is still very much alive.

If you're looking for the whole thing and can't access it otherwise, I'll e-mail it to you.

Thanks for the meme

Tosy stole another one. It's really kind of dumb in an arbitratry way. Doesn't mean I won't do it.

1. Go into your archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.

Since I've only been doing this for a short while, I easily found on my post of May 24:
"But there have been other bands during the years that have had more complicated issues."
That's it? I might as well take the 23rd sentence of my 5th post, the penultimate sentence on May 6:
"And I’m very happy for the industry." (The industry in question: comics.)

Opiate of the masses

A number of folks have been enamoured of a recent website called The Church of Klugman, whose tag reads as follows: "This is a brand new religion - a religion worshiping a man who is a legend, a myth, who brings a new social conscience to our troubled times. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Church of Klugman!" It's sorta funny/goofy. But Gordon shoudn't change his name. I LIKE his name.
***
My current favorite commercials are a couple from DHL showing bad customer service (waitress pushing the coffee across the counter, the bagger putting the gallon of milk on the top part of the grocery bag, and my favorite, the two young women chatting away about nothing - one of them gives the customer the "just a minute" index finger.) It works because it's quite believable.
My current least favorite commercial is for some McDonald's chicken sandwich, with two women who look like they're pecking away at grain. My wife HATES that thing more than I do.

The Sporting Life

When I realized that the NYY, BoSox and Cleveland could end end up in a three-way tie prior to last night's games with 2-1 for Boston and Cleveland, I decided to root for that outcome. Cleveland lost, so now they need to beat the White Sox twice while the Red Sox, who won last night, and the Yanks split.

I told Greg Burgas that if he gets 19 right in his picks for weeks 13 and 14 of the NFL season, I'd buy him a drink. I'll have to find his favorite bar and PayPal the money since Greg's in AZ, and I'm not.

Bush, Whacked

People keep sending me these things:

#Don Rumsfeld is giving George W Bush his daily briefing and tells him that three Brazilian soldiers have been killed in Iraq. George says "that's absolutely terrible", is lost for words, and holds his head in his hands for several minutes. His staff are amazed at the response, and the whole room stays silent. Finally George lifts his head from the table and says "exactly how many is a brazillion?"
***
#This is a poem made up entirely of actual quotations from George W. Bush, arranged for aesthetic purposes, by Washington Post writer Richard Thompson.  A wonderful poem like this is too good not to share.  It is truly a testament to literacy in the age of Every Child Left Behind!

Make the Pie Higher!

I think we all agree, the past is over.
This is still a dangerous world.
It's a world of madmen and uncertainty
And potential mental losses.

Rarely is the question asked
Is our children learning?
Will the highways of the Internet
Become more few?

How many hands have I shaked?
They misunderestimate me.
I am a pitbull on the pantleg of opportunity.
I know that the human being
And the fish can coexist.

Families is where our nation finds hope, Where our wings take dream.
Put food on your family!
Knock down the tollbooth!
Vulcanize society!
Make the pie higher!



And baby makes three

Finally, because you all really Need To Know:
Took Lydia to the doctors for her 18-month check-up on Thursday. She's 26 lbs., up a couple pounds, 75th pencentile. Height 33 1/4", up a couple inches, 95th pencentile.

Friday, September 30, 2005

IRV


The New York Times had this article about the potential for a runoff in the NYC Democratic primary for mayor. A runoff election is expensive, and generally has an even lower turnout than the first election.

I've been intrigued with the notion of Intstant Runoff Voting for a couple years. Essentially, you pick your first choice, second choice, etc. The candidate with the lowest total is dropped and his/her votes are spread among the remaining candidates, based on those voters' selection of the second-most desirable candidate.

This system, which I've been told has operated in Australia for decades, would allow people to vote for so-called "fringe" candidates, if that's where their hearts were, but have a second-choice that might have a chance to win.

A simple example (and I'm going to ignore other candidate for this): Let's say there was an election among three candidates. Let's call them Bush, Gore and Nader, just for the heck of it. Let's say I really like Nader. I can actually vote for Nader! Then my second choice is...lessee, I'll pick Gore.

At the end of the day, Bush has 40%, Gore has 40%, and Nader has 20%. Nader is eliminated, but his votes are redistributed, based on the second-choice preferences of Nader voters. Let's say that 75% of Nader voters picked Bush as their second choice, and 25% picked Gore. Then Bush would get 40% +(75% of 20% or 15%)=55% Bush wins, as more people found him acceptable. (It's JUST an example.)

I urge you to to read more about IRV, especially those of you (Greg, Gordon) who are planning to run for office someday. It's taking hold all over the country.

Meanwhile, the final report of the Federal Commission on Election Reform is now available. Among other things, it suggests that electronic voting machines should leave a paper trail of ballots cast, a vital issue in my mind in Diebold-land. It also suggests that the government should provide free photo IDs to nondrivers as part of the requirement of having identification becoming a voting requirement. News organizations should "voluntarily refrain from projecting any Presidential election results" in any state until all polls have closed in 48 states, with Alaska and Hawaii excluded. All "legitimate domestic and international election observers" should be granted unrestricted access to the election process, within the rules of the election. I recall that Jimmy Carter, whose Center participated in this process, once noted that the U.S. was in a poor position to go abroad and sanction other countries' elections, given the irregular methodology of our own.

It's hardly a perfect document, but it's a start.

Thursday, September 29, 2005

As lazy as Gordon

My new blogiverse buddy Gordon allowed his readers to ask questions that he promised to answer. In fact, he did it at least twice. And even answered the questions; this is the second batch of replies.

I thought this was such a swell idea that I thought I'd do the same thing. Send me as many questions as you want. I promise to answer each and every one! (Of course, the answer might be, "No comment.") And if I'm as lucky as Gordon, you'll ask a question SO provocative that it will require its own post.

Deadline, Wednesday, October 5 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Answers promised within a week.

I'll probably do this with every change of the season, if it's successful. (And never again, if it's not.)

I Note Dead People

This was going to be part of a post of a couple days ago, but I ran out of time. This has nothing to do with with the music of Grateful Dead, a recent review of which you can find here on September 27:

I still have to note the passing of Robert Wise, even though he died back on September 14, because he was the director and producer of one of my favorite films (with one of my favorite soundtracks), West Side Story, and one of my wife’s, The Sound of Music. Interestingly, one of the bloggers I read who noted his passing HATED both of those movies, yet spoke admiringly of the prolific Wise, because he was the editor for Citizen Kane and another important movie (I THINK it was The Magnificent Ambersons.)

Sid Luft also died on the 14th. He’s best known as Judy Garland’s third husband, but he actually had a career before meeting Ms. Gumm.

I wasn’t always enamored with Simon Wiesenthal, but he did shed light on the Holocaust and attempted to upend those Holocaust deniers who irritate me so. He died on the 20th.

I hope I’m an ornery someday as former NOW President Molly Yard who died on the 21st..

As I first read on the Dead or Alive website, author M. Scott Peck, best known for the book, "The Road Less Traveled", died on the 25th. Everyone I knew at the height of the book’s popularity had a copy on their shelves. Whether anyone actually READ it, I don’t know. I'm sure I STARTED to read it...

I was going to write that Tom DeLay's career is dead, but I realized that that was only wishful thinking. So far.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

School Daze

This being the first month of the new school year got me thinking about when I first went to school, in kindergarten. Binghamton in those days had a very unusual system whereby school started not only in September but in February as well. I've never met anyone outside of the Binghamton area who is familiar with this system.
In September, kids born in April through November started in the "B" section. Then in February, they would pass into the "A" section.
Those born in December through March would have our "B" section in February, and outr "A" section in September. So, when I started that February of 1958, (my birthday's in March,) I was in Kindergarten B, then in September in Kindergarten A, then 1B, 1A, 2B, 2A, and so on.
My kindergarten teacher was Miss Cady for the whole year. But the summer after 1B, that teacher left, so I had a different teacher in 1A. Likewise in 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade. I know my 4B teacher had gotten pregnant, because she "showed", but one really didn't talk about such things in those days. It wasn't until fifth grade that I had a teacher for a whole year again. Conversely, my sister Leslie, who started in one September had the same teachers all year for every grade, except 6th and that only because her teacher died during the year.
Of course, we're all impacted bt the seemingly random people we come in contact with. My sisters and I were supposed to attend Oak Street Elementary School. However, my mother "worked outside the home", as we now put it, at McLean's department store downtown. Where would we go at lunchtime? There was no school lunch, no cafeteria, nor anyone to watch us there. My grandmother Gert Williams and great-aunt Deana Yates lived about six blocks away from us, so it was determined that we would go to Daniel S. Dickinson School instead, and go to Gram's for lunch (and also after school when we were younger).
Dickinson wasn't any further from our house than Oak Street School (this was a walking district at the time-no school buses), so this turned out to be a workable solution.
Since I started in February, our classes, chosen from a smaller pool, had fewer students. And while some people came and went, or FAILED, there was a core group that I knew straight on through. In sixth grade, there were nine of us (out of 16) who started kindergarten together: Bill, Carol, David (born in December), Lois, Irene, and Bernie (born in February), Karen and me (March), and Diane, born in April, but whose parents finagled her way to our class. Eight of us (except David, who stayed an extra semester to play basketball) all graduated from high school together. Considering that I haven't seen dsome of those people since high school, and others since 1981, I'm amazed how engrained that information is. I'm in some contact with a couple of them, but none more so than my friend Karen, who I spoke with last month. We have a 47-year old friendship.

There are lots of stories that I think I'll tell over the next several months, being the only black kid in my class for 8 of 10 years there, the neighborhood, other stuff.

I'll close with the school song (from failing memory):

Hail, Daniel Dickinson
Pride of our fair Binghamton
May we 'ere our praises sing
With loyal hearts and true
May all our words and deeds
'ere uphold thy glory
Guide us our whole lives through
Hail, Daniel Dickinson.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

KS 2

The Rolling Stones came to town. They were, by all accounts, very good. the story appeared on the front page of a couple of our local newspapers. Some people complain that it was not worthy, with all of the "serious" issues out there. As Prince once said, "Shut up already!
***
WEEKEND JOURNAL; Collecting: Bang! Pow! Cash!; As Comic Prices Soar, Disputes Flare; Avoiding the Purple Label of Death
Conor Dougherty. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern edition). New York, N.Y.: Sep 23, 2005. pg. W.1

This story is better than the title. Anyone wanting a copy e-mailed to them, please let me know.
***
M.Scott Peck, author of The Road Less Traveled, died, according to one source. Can someone verify?

Kitchen Sink Blogging

No, this has nothing to do with Denis Kitchen, comic publisher extraordinaire, though I thought he was a swell guy when I met him back in 1988. No, this is all sorts of stuff I meant to write about but somehow didn't, plus some recent stuff. And as some pop singer once sang: "It's Now or Never."

MUSIC

In case you missed it, Brian Wilson, a musician of some note, will CALL you if you make a $100 contribution through his website on behalf of Katrina victims by October 1. You will need a PayPal account. The instructions e-mail I received will be in the comments section of this post at 11 a.m. EDT.

In addition to the Mixed CDs that I've been reviewing for my CONTEST, I've been listening to Emmylou Harris' greatest "hits" (she's a great artist, but a "hitmaker", not so much), two versions of the Who Sell Out- one by Petra Hagen and the other by the original artists, American Idiot by Green Day (they're green- they just have to be good), and a compilation of Beck songs put together for me by an arithmetic function. It's all good.

COMICS/CARTOONS

FREE COMICS! Just go here. OK, they are comics called Kaptain Kelmoore, and they are about financial investment. You can also order by calling toll-free (877) 535-6667.

Mark Evanier became the self-appointed Blondie crossover guru for the strip's 75th anniversary. But he's relinquished the throne. I'm not taking it, but need to note Pearls Before Swine last Tuesday through Saturday. (Yahoo! link will disappear in about a week.)

The Fantastic Four video game by Activision, for Xbox, PS 2, GCube and PC got 1 star from the local newspaper reviewer: "Dull. Looks poor. Moderately challenging." But the Sue Storm is very Jessica Albaesque, FWIW.

In the comics section of our local newspaper, they've started posting a puzzle called sudoku, a grid of 81 boxes, 9 by 9, with some numbers already filled in, into which a player insert a number. The goal is to fill every empty box so that each vertical row, each horizontal row, and each 3 by 3 box contain all of the digits 1 to 9, with no repeats. I've tried it, haven't mastered it, but you may enjoy it.

TELEVISION

How to fund the Katrina clean up? How about eliminating the Corporation for Public Broadcasting? It appears that the plan of some Republicans in Congress.

Mark Evanier notes the passing yesterday of Don Adams, a/k/a Agent 86 of Get Smart fame. The show ran from 1965-1970. It was one of the first shows that I remembered that changed networks during its run, 4 years on Saturday nights on NBC, and the last season on Fridays on CBS. (I don't count the seven episodes that appeared on FOX in 1995.) Of course, Don Adams was more than Maxwell Smart; he was also the voice of Tennessee Tuxedo, one of my favorite cartoons on one of my favorite cartoon shows, Underdog. I watched both shows fairly religiously, even when Get Smart went from silly to not so good (Max and 99's wedding, the twins). I BELIEVE that I should thank him for the entertainment.

There are days when I have nothing to watch. Then there are days when I have a logjam. Tonight at 9 p.m., I have a real logistical issue. I am going to record both The Office/My Name is Earl on NBC, and the second half of the Scorcese thing on Dylan on PBS. Meanwhile, I have this 7-inch TV that I bought as part of the YMCA's Reach Out for Youth campaign lasat year, and I'll watch the premiere of Commander in Chief on ABC on that. Oh, and re: The Office, Steve Carrell is the first host of SNL next month.

O.K., it was probably a terible show, but how can they cancel Head Cases, starring Chris (boy wonder) O'Donnell after only two episodes? I never got a chance to hate it.

60 Minutes changed their opening. It now starts with Ed Bradley, Steve Kroft and Lesley Stahl and ends with Mike Wallace introducing Andy Rooney. Apparently, the other positions will rotate among Morley Safer and Dan Rather (who were on this week), Bob Simon, Scott Pelley and others. And speaking of Rooney, at least three paragraphs of his weekly newspaper column was cribbed on Sunday night's piece about Peter Jennings' memorial service, which he attended last week, including the one that suggested that broadcast news would have been obliterated if a terror attack had hit Carnegie Hall that day. The print story indicated that his daughter was fired by Jennings, but the TV story did not. Another Jennings story.

I had planned to write an extensive piece on the Emmys, but that was complicated by the fact that I didn't get around to actually WATCHING the Emmys until a couple days ago. And others have opined sufficiently. So my only comments:
  • Because I am a newsie, I was really touched by the tribute to the former network anchors, Brokaw, Rather, and the late Jennings
  • Having watched Law & Order enough times, I found it wonderfully funny that the usually unflappable Lt. Van Buren is played by the very flappable S. Epatha Merkerson
  • I HATED the silly Emmy Idols bit, but would have voted for Shatner and the mezzo over the horrific Trump
  • Ellen DeGeneres was wasted in those silly skits
  • Desparate Housewives is TOO a comedy, despite what Tom the Dog says. Or at least a dramedy, like Ally McBeal. Especially because the people submitting the show to the Emmy Academy SAY it is. I suspect it was a ploy to avoid competing against Lost. I can almost guarantee that it won't lose to Raymond again NEXT year.

    I tried to watch Arrested Development once last year, didn't "get" it, let it go. But after that pathetic plea during the Emmys by the A.D. writer for people to watch, I did, and I liked it. I tuned in yesterday and enjoyed it, but felt as though I had somehow missed an episode. Whot hoppened?

    SPORTS

    Yankees/Red Sox tied with seven games left, three at the end of the season in Fenway Park. Just the way it ought to be. Yanks won last night, Sox rained out.

    My pick for the AL wild card: Chicago White Sox will slip behind Cleveland this week. Or the White Sox might not make the post season at all.

    In the AL West, it looks like the Angels, and in the NL West, who cares? It could be a team with a losing record.

    They don't know what they're talking about, but read Johnny Bacardi's and Greg Burgas' fearless football predictions anyway, because they're entertaining and good guys (Burgas is MOST of the time.)
  • Monday, September 26, 2005

    The Lydster Part 18: Freedom


    One of the joys of parenthood is that the child becomes more self-sufficient. One of the last times Carol & I went to the movies, we expected to get back around 9:15, about a half hour before her bedtime at that point, and figured we needed to do the evening ritual. Instead, Lydia pointed to the stairs and essentially put herself to bed! I mean, she needed to be carried into the crib, but she initiated the activity. Moreover, she slept all night. She doesn't do this not for US, of course, but she's aware enough to handle bedtime.

    Aware: that would describe her. Carol changes something in the house, such as the location of a picture or a floor fan, and she'll point at it, as though it were out of place. In fact, to be honest, she's more likely to notice than I.

    Orderly: she was making a Play-Dough-like product. The teachers expected that she'd pour in the ingredients from the edge of the bowl, but she insisted on pouring the substance into the middle of the bowl, to avoid spilling.

    Of course, this does not apply to her eating, when we wish we had hired a dog for after-meal clean-up.

    Now that I take Lydia to day care, that's become "our" time. I walk her to the bus stop, which is only a couple houses away. We ride on the bus, with me usually feeding her a banana. She manages to devour it in a 10-minute ride. Then we walk to the center. He even lets me hold her hand, something she used to actively avoid (and something, I'm told, she'll actively avoid in the future.)

    Meanwhile, happy year and a half, Lydia. I love you.

    Sunday, September 25, 2005

    Wash Your Hands

    You may recall a survey conducted in 1996 indicating that 1/3 of us don't wash our hands after going to the bathroom. Well, they've replicated the survey this year and researchers have discovered that the "dirty hands" crew is down to 1/6; interestingly, 1/4 of the men decline, while only 1/10 of the women.

    This is creepy for a couple of reasons:
    1) Hidden cameras in bathrooms (I wonder what ELSE they discovered, inadvertently?)
    2) All of those dirty hands shaking other hands, touching doors
    Eeew!

    The Centers for Disease Control actually has recommendations for HOW TO WASH YOUR HANDS. Among them: wash your hands for 20 seconds. 20 seconds is probably longer than you think. 20 seconds is singing the Alphabet
    Song through, or singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat twice through without rushing it.

    Singing aloud is not required, and if you sing poorly, is actually discouraged. In truth, the CDC takes no position on singing in the bathroom. Of course singing in a public bathroom may bring its own set of interesting responses. Thing is, singing in public bathrooms is fun because the acoustics are so good. At least that's what I've heard.