My Scarlett Johansson fandom has come on recently, mostly from "The Avengers", but also because I think she's turned into quite a great actress. And yes, she's a looker.
So, I watched "Under the Skin" starring her and a bunch of other dudes you've never heard of, nor will ever hear from again. It's a science fiction sort of movie, with some suspense, and a van, and made in some foreign country, and a dude with a messed up face gets nekked and she's weird and...
...well, she like, is this chick who... uh...
...okay, so, she does her first nude scene in this film, and it's really weird because...
...what I mean by that is, she... I mean, what she does is...
...like...
...uh...
...this movie is perhaps the weirdest movie I have ever seen in my life.
I literally have nothing else to say about this movie.
Thursday, October 09, 2014
Wednesday, October 08, 2014
this is where i leave you: book vs movie
It's rare that I can watch a movie, then read the book nearly immediately after, but I was able to do so with "This is Where I Leave You".
Written by Jonathan Tropper in 2009, the novel chronicles the Foxman family, who is forced to come together for a week of sitting "shiva"--a Jewish tradition where the family greets mourners for 7 days--when the patriarch of the family passes away.
The main protagonist of the story is Judd Foxman, third oldest of the four children in question, who finds his life simply falling apart when he discovers his wife in bed with Wade, his boss, a radio shock jock who show Judd produces.
Judd finds himself renting a shoddy room from an Asian couple, while still paying the mortgage on the house that his wife Jen and Wade are now living together in.
The cast also comprises of Wendy, the oldest of the children and only girl, who's husband is a business only executive and is starved for attention... Paul, the eldest brother, who stayed behind to help the now deceased father with an electrician business... and Phillip, the youngest, the wildest and considered the family screw up. Phillip seems like a good guy, but can't stay away from women and trouble.
The mom, Hillary, is the author of a parenting book from a way, way long time ago, who used her own children as examples in the book of dos and donts, of which all four kids suffered humiliation from classmates because of it. Across the street is Horry, an old flame of Wendy who suffered an accident some years ago, and has brain damage. Horry lives with his mom, Linda, who is very close to Hillary.
The spouses join the cast too.. Barry, the aforementioned hubby of Wendy, and Alice, Paul's wife, who is a bit flaky and is desperate to get pregnant. As for Phillip, well he shows up with his girlfriend, a mid-40s therapist knockout named Tracy. And finally, there is Penny, a close friend (with benefits) of Judd's from his teenage years, who still lives in town and who Judd develops an eye for.
Got all that? Good.
The cast of characters is marvelous. Tropper does a great job of giving each one their own distinct personality, their own sarcastic streaks and their own soft spots. As wise-cracking as Wendy is, she has a couple of deep, touching chats with her brother Judd, while Paul, seemingly the even keeled brother of the family, nearly comes unglued at the end due to several past and present incidents.
The book is filled with comedy--and language--and many heart warming moments as you can see the dysfunction of the family from the first few pages, as well as Judd's life completely falling apart one by one. His discovery of Jen, the wife, and Wade, the boss, in his own bed is one thing... how he reacts is both sad and hilarious at the same time.
The book is not one long plotline... there are several subplots along the way--how does Wendy really feel about Horry? Where does Linda fit into all of this? What extreme measure will Alice go to to have a baby?--but it flows nicely, and I found myself eager to get to the next chapter... and a day after finishing it, I kinda wished it had gone a little further.
The movie version has a steller cast... a bearded Jason Batemen is perfect for Judd Altman (changed from "Foxman"), as his body language and reactions are just as great as his vocals... Tina Fey plays Wendy, and though she seems a bit more sardonic and mean spirited in the book, I do love me some Tina Fey, so I was happy with it... Corey Stoll, a character actor in movies and some TV shows, takes on Paul, and does fine, while Adam Driver, who you might know from the HBO show "Girls" (I wouldn't know, because I don't watch it) but you may have heard about because he'll be a villian in Star Wars Episode VII, coming December 2015, is absolutely brilliant as Phillip.
Jane Fonda is nearly perfect as the oversexed mother of the clan, Hillary. Then, bring in Connie Britton, who is gorgeous, as Phillips older, saddened lover Tracy, Timothy Olyphant as a quiet Horry, Dax Shepard as the very unlikable jerkface boss Wade, Kathryn Hahn as a subdued version of usual antics as Alice, and Rose Byrne as Penny, and you've got yourself a great cast.
Kathryn Hahn intrigues me, because in the movies I've enjoyed watching that she happens to be in, like "We're the Millers" or "Anchorman" or "Wanderlust", she's all over the place. She's loud, screechy, annoying and many times, dressed down or fluffed up where she's nearly unlikable. I've now seen two films, the very good "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and this film, where she is wonderfully loveable. I hope this continues. I like normal Kathryn Hahn.
And while my Hollywood girlfriend is Amy Adams (whom I'm in love with), if I ever decide to take my affections across the pond, I'm not sure who'd win between Emily Blunt or Rose Byrne for my affections. Just sayin.
Back to the film...
The book goes in directions that it's obvious the movie cannot go, hence it risk a very hard R, or even an NC-17 rating... that's not to say the book is dirty, but... Alice, who wants a baby so bad she can't stand it, does one thing in the movie to help her have a baby... and in the book, does that very thing, but ten times worse. Judd's reaction to finding Jen and Wade together, while both are upsetting, are markedly different between the book and the movie.
Plus, there is an entire subplot that outlines the chasm in the relationship between Paul and Judd in the book that the movie never even approaches... probably for time, but it's a great story told, and it gives you a little more understanding into both characters.
Overall, I loved the book. Loved the way it was written, loved the story it told and how it told it. I can tell you that I liked the Paul in the book better than the Paul in the movie, but I would have loved to have seen this cast performing the book itself. Tropper did write the script for the film, and did a fine job, but of course, the book has more.
Glad I read the book, may never read it again... glad I saw the movie, will probably watch it when it comes on Starz in Batement in July of 2015--I mean, Rose Byrne, Tina Fey and Kathryn Hahn? I say yes.
And soon enough, I just saw "Gone Girl", and I'm halfway thru the book (though I stopped it over a year ago, so I'll likely start at the beginning again)
Written by Jonathan Tropper in 2009, the novel chronicles the Foxman family, who is forced to come together for a week of sitting "shiva"--a Jewish tradition where the family greets mourners for 7 days--when the patriarch of the family passes away.
 |
Judd finds himself renting a shoddy room from an Asian couple, while still paying the mortgage on the house that his wife Jen and Wade are now living together in.
The cast also comprises of Wendy, the oldest of the children and only girl, who's husband is a business only executive and is starved for attention... Paul, the eldest brother, who stayed behind to help the now deceased father with an electrician business... and Phillip, the youngest, the wildest and considered the family screw up. Phillip seems like a good guy, but can't stay away from women and trouble.
The mom, Hillary, is the author of a parenting book from a way, way long time ago, who used her own children as examples in the book of dos and donts, of which all four kids suffered humiliation from classmates because of it. Across the street is Horry, an old flame of Wendy who suffered an accident some years ago, and has brain damage. Horry lives with his mom, Linda, who is very close to Hillary.
The spouses join the cast too.. Barry, the aforementioned hubby of Wendy, and Alice, Paul's wife, who is a bit flaky and is desperate to get pregnant. As for Phillip, well he shows up with his girlfriend, a mid-40s therapist knockout named Tracy. And finally, there is Penny, a close friend (with benefits) of Judd's from his teenage years, who still lives in town and who Judd develops an eye for.
Got all that? Good.
The cast of characters is marvelous. Tropper does a great job of giving each one their own distinct personality, their own sarcastic streaks and their own soft spots. As wise-cracking as Wendy is, she has a couple of deep, touching chats with her brother Judd, while Paul, seemingly the even keeled brother of the family, nearly comes unglued at the end due to several past and present incidents.
The book is filled with comedy--and language--and many heart warming moments as you can see the dysfunction of the family from the first few pages, as well as Judd's life completely falling apart one by one. His discovery of Jen, the wife, and Wade, the boss, in his own bed is one thing... how he reacts is both sad and hilarious at the same time.
The book is not one long plotline... there are several subplots along the way--how does Wendy really feel about Horry? Where does Linda fit into all of this? What extreme measure will Alice go to to have a baby?--but it flows nicely, and I found myself eager to get to the next chapter... and a day after finishing it, I kinda wished it had gone a little further.The movie version has a steller cast... a bearded Jason Batemen is perfect for Judd Altman (changed from "Foxman"), as his body language and reactions are just as great as his vocals... Tina Fey plays Wendy, and though she seems a bit more sardonic and mean spirited in the book, I do love me some Tina Fey, so I was happy with it... Corey Stoll, a character actor in movies and some TV shows, takes on Paul, and does fine, while Adam Driver, who you might know from the HBO show "Girls" (I wouldn't know, because I don't watch it) but you may have heard about because he'll be a villian in Star Wars Episode VII, coming December 2015, is absolutely brilliant as Phillip.
Jane Fonda is nearly perfect as the oversexed mother of the clan, Hillary. Then, bring in Connie Britton, who is gorgeous, as Phillips older, saddened lover Tracy, Timothy Olyphant as a quiet Horry, Dax Shepard as the very unlikable jerkface boss Wade, Kathryn Hahn as a subdued version of usual antics as Alice, and Rose Byrne as Penny, and you've got yourself a great cast.
Kathryn Hahn intrigues me, because in the movies I've enjoyed watching that she happens to be in, like "We're the Millers" or "Anchorman" or "Wanderlust", she's all over the place. She's loud, screechy, annoying and many times, dressed down or fluffed up where she's nearly unlikable. I've now seen two films, the very good "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and this film, where she is wonderfully loveable. I hope this continues. I like normal Kathryn Hahn.
And while my Hollywood girlfriend is Amy Adams (whom I'm in love with), if I ever decide to take my affections across the pond, I'm not sure who'd win between Emily Blunt or Rose Byrne for my affections. Just sayin.
The book goes in directions that it's obvious the movie cannot go, hence it risk a very hard R, or even an NC-17 rating... that's not to say the book is dirty, but... Alice, who wants a baby so bad she can't stand it, does one thing in the movie to help her have a baby... and in the book, does that very thing, but ten times worse. Judd's reaction to finding Jen and Wade together, while both are upsetting, are markedly different between the book and the movie.
Plus, there is an entire subplot that outlines the chasm in the relationship between Paul and Judd in the book that the movie never even approaches... probably for time, but it's a great story told, and it gives you a little more understanding into both characters.
Overall, I loved the book. Loved the way it was written, loved the story it told and how it told it. I can tell you that I liked the Paul in the book better than the Paul in the movie, but I would have loved to have seen this cast performing the book itself. Tropper did write the script for the film, and did a fine job, but of course, the book has more.
Glad I read the book, may never read it again... glad I saw the movie, will probably watch it when it comes on Starz in Batement in July of 2015--I mean, Rose Byrne, Tina Fey and Kathryn Hahn? I say yes.
And soon enough, I just saw "Gone Girl", and I'm halfway thru the book (though I stopped it over a year ago, so I'll likely start at the beginning again)
Tuesday, October 07, 2014
all is not well
So according to this link, author JK Rowling is looking to do more Harry Potter. She tweeted on 10/6 “Cry, foe! Run amok! Fa awry! My want won’t tolerate this nonsense!” which itself is cryptic, but a fan from Reddit came up with the possiblitiy that the tweet could be an anagram, one that “Harry returns! Won’t say any details now! A week off. No comment.” would fit into.
Could this mean that Harry Potter will make a return? Could this mean that JK Rowling might write more books? Could this mean we could see the further adventures of Harry, Hermione, Ron, and my favorite literary redhead Ginny Weasley?
Dear goodness, I hope not. I really hope not.
But it is a beautiful story. A story of growing up, a story of power, a story of innocence, a story of childhood into adulthood, a story of awesome. It has a beginning. It has an end. It even has an epilogue to show us where they ended up 17 years later, with Harry and Ginny marrying and having three great, if unfortunately named, kids, while Hermione and Ron do their own nuptials.
All is well. That was the ending sentence. Harry Potter touched that scar on his head, the scar that pained him growing up, but hadn’t hurt him at all in 17 years. All was well.
That’s the perfect way to end the story…
But all is not well…
You see, JK Rowling wants to keep coming back to the well.
I didn’t actually have a problem with Rowling spilling a few more secrets… how Neville Longbottom ended up with Hannah Abbott, and he became the Herbology professor… how Hermione went back and finished her final year at Hogwarts, and how Ron and Harry ended up being Aurors… the later happenings of Dean Thomas and Luna Lovegood and a few others that we loved.
Heck, I didn’t even have an issue with her announcement that yes, Dumbledore was gay. I thought it was a stupid decision, not because I’m anti-gay, but because it made no sense to the story itself.
However, last year, it was decided that there would be a movie made from the book “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”. This title is actually a fictional book within the Harry Potter universe, one that is required reading for Harry and the gang, and naturally, it was written into real, physical form, along with “Quidditch Through the Ages” and “The Tales of Beedle the Bard”… each book is about 60 or 70 pages long, because honestly, how much can you glean from a few passing references in the Harry Potter series to make an entire book with?
There is now a “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” movie coming. Part of me thinks this is a terrible idea, worse than the new trend of Young Adult novels being made into films where the final book is made into two movies (see: Hunger Games, The… Series, Harry Potter… Divergent Series… and yes, The Maze Runner has similar plans)… you are stretching 64 pages into a feature length film?
Part of me warms to the idea a little… naturally, it will be set in the Hogwarts/Potter universe, likely with new characters, and because the setting is pre-Potter, it will probably only reference what we know from the books.
But bringing Harry Potter back for new stories? No. No. No.
Before you get all mad and declare that I'm just drinking the Hater-Aid that Pansy Parkenson probably made up in Potions class... I'm a huge Potter fan. I've read all the books three times each, and am already starting to go through them for a fourth run. I've written about Potter several times on this very blog, including a post about the final film... an open letter to "Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince" screenwriter Steve Kloves about what an abomination that film was... and my fourth post ever, when I didn't know what I was doing (hey? who said "as opposed to now?") was the feeling you get when you finish one book and can't get the next one... So I'm a fan. Back to the thought...
JK… it’s done. You’ve said it yourself, that Harry Potter’s tale is told. Anything now, and you run the risk of ruining that legacy (see: Lucas, George) and it will take a mighty miracle to get it back (see: Abrams, JJ). It might be marvelous… it might be a great new series of stories, maybe new characters will be introduced, and I’ll smile as my cute, sweet Ginny Weasley is re-introduced to the timeline and they’ll have great new adventures…
…but do we really want that?
I don't think we do. I don't think you do. You may think you do, but I don't think so. There's no good that could come of it, sullying the Potter memories I have already. Do we need to hear stories of a 29 year old Harry Potter and a 28 year old Ginny Weasley Potter running around battling bad guys? Voldemort was the ultimate bad guy, so is Rowling going to give us the son of Voldemort, seeking revenge? A bad guy worse that Voldemort, which would undermine the ultimate evil that we were told about for seven books?
Or maybe each book is a one off, with Harry and Ron solving wizard crime, fighting a different bad guy in each book?
I hate to say this... I really hate to say it... but I think its a power play. Her other non-Potter novels have done okay, but as expected, none have come close to the soaring heights that the Hogwarts adventures achieved. Perhaps she realizes that this, and maybe only this, is what will continue the cash flow. She's already a bajilliontyaire, so I'm not sure it's all about the money--I think it has to do with control. This is her world, and she can do what she wants.
Which is true. But JK Rowling, you are in danger of ruining what we love and hold dear. I can daresay that Harry Potter is no longer yours anymore... he belongs to us. You have told a brilliant story, a wonderful story, a story that I can't wait for my own son to read, and in 100 years, they will still be reading, but the story of 10 year old Harry Potter to the 17 year old Harry Potter is done.
Create new worlds. Create new characters with new adventures that tie into the Harry Potter universe. But do not give us the further adventures of Harry Potter. Please.
the sneaky christians we are
"God, investigate my life, get all the facts first-hand. I'm an open book to you, even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave, and when I get back, I'm never out of your sight." -- Psalm 139:1-2
It's boys night tonight, as The Lovely Steph Leann is out of town for a work trip. I went to pick up little Campbell Isaiah from the grandparents house, brought him home, we played in the floor for a bit, and I fed him some dinner. I just realized I had Moe's Southwest at 3pm, and hadn't eaten anything before or since... crap, I'm hungry.
That's not my point.
After dinner, we do a little settling down kind of period. He does play in the floor with his toys, and we tend to have a battle over what he considers "his toys"... the big doggy with colored buttons shaped like circles and triangles on the front that play music? His toy. The DVD remote? Not his toy. The xylophone that sits on the back of a cute, plastic tiger? His toy. My iphone? Not his toy.
I'll sit in the recliner and try to do a little work, make a few notes here and there, usually while I'm watching tv (tonight is Monday, so it was WWE Raw, where The Rock came back, beat up on Rusev while making a Putin joke to Lana and... you know what, never mind that...)
Anyway, from where the recliner sits, I can see most of the room, so I can watch him carefully. And Campbell, 2 and a 1/2, with the mental development of about a 10 month old at this point, sees me. And he plots.
In The Cabana, the recliner its next to the couch, which extends to the border of the living room and dining area. We have a small gate up, going from the side of the couch to the wall, blocking off the area behind the couch--that area leads you to our DVD shelf, and ultimately, the front door. The DVDs are a factor because Campbell likes to pull them out, then not knowing how to put them back, he drops them on the floor, suddenly disinterested. The front door is a factor because he likes to stand there and play with the blinds, which we are afraid he's going to break one day... so we keep him from back there.
In front of this gate, which is really just two pieces of that plastic fence you can by at BuyBuy Baby, Babies R Us and some pawn shops and bait stores, we have put a small table. This is his table to play on, and though it comes with chairs, the chairs are put away because he likes to climb on them. And stand on them. And yes, fall off of them. Not good times... bad times indeed.
Another thing to watch is how he'll slide our dining room chairs around. And then climb into them. And then he's able to reach what he wants on the table... he usually doesn't know what he wants on the table, but he figures "what the heck, I'll climb up and see what's mine for the taking..."
Tonight, I watched him out of the corner of my eye. And he watched me, not quite as subtle. When he thought I wasn't looking, I saw him in my peripheral, slide two dining room chairs out, slowly and quietly. Methodically.
He positioned the chairs where the seats would face each other, and then looked at me. Still keeping my face to the TV, but watching him, I saw him put one foot on the bottom of the chair and stretch as far as he could with his hand to grab the back of the chair to pull himself up.
"Campbell..." I said, evenly. He froze. Looked up at me, and then slowly put his foot down. I turned my face back to the tv, still watching him out of the corner of my eye. He tried it again, when he thought I wasn't looking. "Campbell!" I said a little louder. "DOWN"
This time, he hopped down and ran across the room, immediately pushing the big red ball he plays with.
I then watched him make it way to the gate. He stood on the corner of the couch, also watching TV like I was. And then--no kidding--he slowly BACKED UP out of my sightline behind the couch. I could hear a slight scraping sounds as the table was slid out of the way. "Campbell!" I said, "Stop!"
In a flash, he pushed the table back in place quickly so it made a much louder sound, slid it into the gate and then ran to the middle of the floor. Busted.
And over the course of two hours, he tried both of these things a few times, each time I would catch him, and each time he would run away, pretending to do something else.
"You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there too, your reassuring presence, coming and going." Ps 139:3-5
There he is, the little boy... thinking I won't see him, when in fact, I can see everything he does. He thinks he's covering his tracks, he thinks he's carefully planning, he thinks that when he puts everything in place--moving the chairs just so, moving the table slightly out of the way to open up a back of the couch front door tressel run--he can pull off his deed without a hitch, and no one will know anything.
But I know. I see it. And it disappoints me to know that not only is he doing wrong, he's trying to hide it. He's trying to fool me. He's trying to make it so no one knows he ever did it... like I try to hide my own sin. Like I try to fool God. Like I have my best laid plans in front of me, thinking that I've covered all my bases, thinking that I've thought of everything, and if I move slow, if I'm careful, if I do it right, it will all be fine...
...and we know its not. Because God sees it. God knows it. We can't hide it. And better yet, we shouldn't hide it. We are sinners by nature, and saved by Grace.
And sometimes I think God just looks at us, shakes His head, and says, "you think you are sneaky Christians, don't you?"
"Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; see for yourself whether I've done anything wrong--then guide me on the road to eternal life" Ps 139:23-24 (The Message)
We are sneaky Christians. Sneaky Christians who never get away with it.
It's boys night tonight, as The Lovely Steph Leann is out of town for a work trip. I went to pick up little Campbell Isaiah from the grandparents house, brought him home, we played in the floor for a bit, and I fed him some dinner. I just realized I had Moe's Southwest at 3pm, and hadn't eaten anything before or since... crap, I'm hungry.
That's not my point.
After dinner, we do a little settling down kind of period. He does play in the floor with his toys, and we tend to have a battle over what he considers "his toys"... the big doggy with colored buttons shaped like circles and triangles on the front that play music? His toy. The DVD remote? Not his toy. The xylophone that sits on the back of a cute, plastic tiger? His toy. My iphone? Not his toy.
I'll sit in the recliner and try to do a little work, make a few notes here and there, usually while I'm watching tv (tonight is Monday, so it was WWE Raw, where The Rock came back, beat up on Rusev while making a Putin joke to Lana and... you know what, never mind that...)
Anyway, from where the recliner sits, I can see most of the room, so I can watch him carefully. And Campbell, 2 and a 1/2, with the mental development of about a 10 month old at this point, sees me. And he plots.
In The Cabana, the recliner its next to the couch, which extends to the border of the living room and dining area. We have a small gate up, going from the side of the couch to the wall, blocking off the area behind the couch--that area leads you to our DVD shelf, and ultimately, the front door. The DVDs are a factor because Campbell likes to pull them out, then not knowing how to put them back, he drops them on the floor, suddenly disinterested. The front door is a factor because he likes to stand there and play with the blinds, which we are afraid he's going to break one day... so we keep him from back there.
In front of this gate, which is really just two pieces of that plastic fence you can by at BuyBuy Baby, Babies R Us and some pawn shops and bait stores, we have put a small table. This is his table to play on, and though it comes with chairs, the chairs are put away because he likes to climb on them. And stand on them. And yes, fall off of them. Not good times... bad times indeed.
Another thing to watch is how he'll slide our dining room chairs around. And then climb into them. And then he's able to reach what he wants on the table... he usually doesn't know what he wants on the table, but he figures "what the heck, I'll climb up and see what's mine for the taking..."
Tonight, I watched him out of the corner of my eye. And he watched me, not quite as subtle. When he thought I wasn't looking, I saw him in my peripheral, slide two dining room chairs out, slowly and quietly. Methodically.
He positioned the chairs where the seats would face each other, and then looked at me. Still keeping my face to the TV, but watching him, I saw him put one foot on the bottom of the chair and stretch as far as he could with his hand to grab the back of the chair to pull himself up.
"Campbell..." I said, evenly. He froze. Looked up at me, and then slowly put his foot down. I turned my face back to the tv, still watching him out of the corner of my eye. He tried it again, when he thought I wasn't looking. "Campbell!" I said a little louder. "DOWN"
This time, he hopped down and ran across the room, immediately pushing the big red ball he plays with.
I then watched him make it way to the gate. He stood on the corner of the couch, also watching TV like I was. And then--no kidding--he slowly BACKED UP out of my sightline behind the couch. I could hear a slight scraping sounds as the table was slid out of the way. "Campbell!" I said, "Stop!"
In a flash, he pushed the table back in place quickly so it made a much louder sound, slid it into the gate and then ran to the middle of the floor. Busted.
And over the course of two hours, he tried both of these things a few times, each time I would catch him, and each time he would run away, pretending to do something else.
"You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there too, your reassuring presence, coming and going." Ps 139:3-5
There he is, the little boy... thinking I won't see him, when in fact, I can see everything he does. He thinks he's covering his tracks, he thinks he's carefully planning, he thinks that when he puts everything in place--moving the chairs just so, moving the table slightly out of the way to open up a back of the couch front door tressel run--he can pull off his deed without a hitch, and no one will know anything.
But I know. I see it. And it disappoints me to know that not only is he doing wrong, he's trying to hide it. He's trying to fool me. He's trying to make it so no one knows he ever did it... like I try to hide my own sin. Like I try to fool God. Like I have my best laid plans in front of me, thinking that I've covered all my bases, thinking that I've thought of everything, and if I move slow, if I'm careful, if I do it right, it will all be fine...
...and we know its not. Because God sees it. God knows it. We can't hide it. And better yet, we shouldn't hide it. We are sinners by nature, and saved by Grace.
And sometimes I think God just looks at us, shakes His head, and says, "you think you are sneaky Christians, don't you?"
"Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; see for yourself whether I've done anything wrong--then guide me on the road to eternal life" Ps 139:23-24 (The Message)
We are sneaky Christians. Sneaky Christians who never get away with it.
Sunday, October 05, 2014
clean up
So, I was ever so close to 1000... I mean, like four or five posts away from One.Thousand.Posts. It would be 9 years and some change, from July 2005 to now, averaging slightly over 111 posts per year, about 9 posts per month.
That's not a pat on my back, that's not a "look at me! come see how good I look!", nay, I think its more of a testament to just how much I enjoy writing.
My first post was a countdown to the upcoming trip to New York City, of which this blog was really supposed to represent... I would blog about the trip for the people back home to read daily, and when I got back, that would be that. But between blog post #1 and the trip, I also decided the world needed to know about my fandom of Kelly Clarkson and a Harry Potter/MC Hammer mashup ...
As I flipping through some of the old, old stuff, I came across some stuff that just didn't matter. Some stuff that was like, point updates for the March Madness bracket of 2006. Some random crap that no one would even get except me, and there was one post that I read from 2007 that I didn't even understand... I was thinking "What the heck does this even mean...?"
So, I made a fateful decision... to delete them. I waded through ten pages of blog posts headings, at 100 posts per pages... found the ones that not only I didn't want to read, but that maybe I don't want you to read... and deleted about 35 or so. Just terrible stuff.
It's hard, isn't it? I've deleted a few posts here and there over the years, so honestly, if I counted everything, I'm probably somewhere around 1050 or so, but still... I'd like to think that what's in the archive now counts for something.
I'll have to go through one day and give you my favorites... but not tonight... but this post here is around 961 or 962, somewhere around there, so hopefully 1000 will be here later this year... and soon, #40for40....
That's not a pat on my back, that's not a "look at me! come see how good I look!", nay, I think its more of a testament to just how much I enjoy writing.
My first post was a countdown to the upcoming trip to New York City, of which this blog was really supposed to represent... I would blog about the trip for the people back home to read daily, and when I got back, that would be that. But between blog post #1 and the trip, I also decided the world needed to know about my fandom of Kelly Clarkson and a Harry Potter/MC Hammer mashup ...
As I flipping through some of the old, old stuff, I came across some stuff that just didn't matter. Some stuff that was like, point updates for the March Madness bracket of 2006. Some random crap that no one would even get except me, and there was one post that I read from 2007 that I didn't even understand... I was thinking "What the heck does this even mean...?"
So, I made a fateful decision... to delete them. I waded through ten pages of blog posts headings, at 100 posts per pages... found the ones that not only I didn't want to read, but that maybe I don't want you to read... and deleted about 35 or so. Just terrible stuff.
It's hard, isn't it? I've deleted a few posts here and there over the years, so honestly, if I counted everything, I'm probably somewhere around 1050 or so, but still... I'd like to think that what's in the archive now counts for something.
I'll have to go through one day and give you my favorites... but not tonight... but this post here is around 961 or 962, somewhere around there, so hopefully 1000 will be here later this year... and soon, #40for40....
we don't know jack
Once again, I revel in the fact that I can spend most Saturdays watching college football all day, and today was one of those special days when the whole College Football World went to Hell and back.
Skies turning to blood, the rivers running red, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!
I watched as the 12th ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs ran roughshod all over #6 Texas A&M Aggies, then as #11 Ole Miss somehow, someway knocked off #3 Alabama, which was followed by the 5th ranked Auburn Tigers throttling the 15th ranked LSU Tigers, in a game that wasn't as close as the 41-7 score may seem.
25th ranked TCU edged out 4th ranked Oklahoma, then unranked Kentucky came storming back to tie South Carolina, then let them blow the Wildcats out, then came storming back again to win the game.
In a Hail Mary last second pass to the end zone, Arizona State beat the 16th ranked USC Trojans--a few days after their state-counterpart Arizona knocked off the #2 team, Oregon.
And now, I just finished watching the 10th ranked Michigan State Spartans hold off a furious 4th quarter rally by the 19th ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers, a rally that saw the Huskers score three touchdowns in 10 minutes, and were it not for the interception thrown in the last 30 seconds, would have had a real shot of beating Sparty.
This is why I love college football... so here are my observations, before the new rankings come out, before Utah and #8 UCLA finish their game, where Utah is up by 10 in the 3rd quarter.
First... We Don't Know Anything
We thought we knew that Florida State, Oregon and Alabama were in the Football Final Four, and that fourth spot would either go to either another SEC team like Texas A&M or even Auburn, or probably Oklahoma would win the Big XII and take it.
But now? Florida State struggles to beat EVERYONE... sure, they blew out Wake Forest today, but they started slow, Jameis Winston had a rough first few possessions, and FSU has been lucky to play against teams that would let them catch back up and win. And they play in the ACC, which might as bad as the Big Ten.
And now, Oklahoma, Alabama and Oregon all have a loss. It's not the end of the world for either, as if any of them win out, they'll likely find themselves in a position to win their conferences anyway. But it got a lot tougher.
Second... Ole Miss is LUCKY and Mississippi State is GOOD
We watched the Ole Miss/Alabama game, and it reminded me of the FSU/Clemson game, where the Noles gave the Clemson Tigers every chance in the world to win, and Clemson refused to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Today, Ole Miss took that victory, as Alabama played... well, like crap. Ole Miss wasn't much better, as they dropped passes, missed opportunities and could have scored twice... but Bama played a game full of penalties and stupid mistakes. Alabama is a better team, but Ole Miss snagged the win.
Mississippi State, however, is solid. Perhaps it's that A&M is also not as good as we thought, and QB Kenny Hill isn't as Heismany as we thought, but State controlled that game from start to finish. They had their way with the Aggies like it was a prison shower... it was ridiculous.
Third... Gary & Verne are Crazy
CBS longtime college commentators Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson are perhaps the most annoying announcers on the television today. If you watch college football, specifically the SEC coverage, you'll know this, so no need to dwell.
However, here's what I didn't like... CBS uses the Coaches Poll for their rankings, perhaps one of the only places that does. This is a big deal because in the Coaches Poll and AP Poll (the more used), Ole Miss is ranked 11th... but Alabama is 3rd in the AP and 1st in the Coaches. So, when Gary and Verne talk about how long it's been since Ole Miss beat a #1 team, it's just false. Perhaps having Alabama ranked 1st makes for a better story than if they were ranked 3rd.
Fourth... Florida is Still Terrible
My team, the Florida Gators, are now 3-1 after getting by Tennessee 10-9 today. The Gators also had to take multiple overtimes to get past Kentucky, who isn't as bad as we thought (we'll get to that next), and needed a miracle to beat the better-than-last-year-but-still-not-good Volunteers team.. after Gators QB Jeff Driskol was finally benched. We'll find out next week what the Gators will do, when LSU comes to town, but right now, I think Florida is the worst 3-1 team in the country not in the Big Ten.
Fifth... Kentucky Can Win the SEC East
They won't. But who thought they'd even be in contention in October?
Sixth... The Big Ten is a Cluster Muffin
Thru the first three quarters, as I flipped back and saw snippets of Michigan State's beatdown on Nebraska, I thought to myself "The Spartans might actually be the shining star of the Big Ten Conference... like FSU, they may be the one team a cut above the rest, and could make the Football Final Four". Then, Nebraska roared back in the 4th quarter and nearly beat the Spartans, all because Michigan State just fell apart and couldn't close. And then I remembered why no team from the Big Ten will make the Football Final Four.
Seventh... In a Sick Joke of the Football Gods, Alabama Needs to Root For Auburn
Here's how Alabama makes it back to the SEC Championship game... Auburn needs to win out (including beating Mississippi State and Ole Miss) and Alabama needs to win the rest of their games (including beating State). At some point, they have to hope Ole Miss will lose another along the way.
The Iron Bowl needs to be what it was last year--winner goes to the SEC Title Game. And to impress voters, it would serve the Crimson Tide well to be 11-1, taking on a 12-0 Auburn team, and to beat them. Let's say Alabama loses the SEC Title game to Georgia... there is still a chance Alabama can get that 4th spot in the Football Final Four, if they have beaten a team like 12-0 Auburn. Sure, it would make Alabama happy to play a 9-3 Auburn team, but they'd have to win the SEC outright to get a shot. Make sense?
Georgia is a solid team... but I think Auburn, Mississippi State and even Alabama could beat them, especially if they contained Todd Gurley.
By the way, I think this loss for Alabama might not be a bad thing... it's relatively early in the season, and it makes me think of the New England Patriots in '07 ('08?) who had run to 15-0, taking on the NYGiants in the last week of the season. They struggled to beat the Giants, rolled thru the playoffs, then lost a close one due to mistakes and sloppy play in the Super Bowl... to the NYGiants.
I have always contended that had the Pats lost the last game, gone 15-1, they would have won the Super Bowl. The "undefeated" would have been off their shoulders, and they would have realized they were not invincible. Bama is similar... they realize now that they are not invincible, that their sloppy play finally caught up to them, and now that "we are the best" is off their shoulders... playing catch up might not be a bad thing for the Tide.
Eighth... We Still Don't Know ANYTHING
It's college football. Next week, Baylor, who is leading the Big XII and looking strong, takes on TCU, who beat Oklahoma today. Baylor hasn't really played anyone of substance, so this game is huge. So suddenly, TCU has to play explosive Baylor, and later Oklahoma State and then Kansas State... Baylor has OK State and K-State too. So if TCU or Baylor comes out undefeated, they are in. But if Baylor beats TCU, then loses to Oklahoma big, Kansas State is like "What about us?"
If Auburn rolls up to Mississippi State, gets blown out, then beats up on Ole Miss, who then turn around and beats Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl, Alabama is like "Hey, we are still here!"
Florida State will likely lose one. They are playing too loose and clumsy. What happens then?
Utah is beating UCLA right now, which was the unbeaten left in the Pac 12... and they still have to play Oregon. So like, what happens?
We don't know jack.
That's why I love college football.
(My current prediction for the Football Final Four is 1-Auburn, 2-UCLA, 3-Baylor and... crap, I dunno... 4-Mississippi State)
Skies turning to blood, the rivers running red, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!
I watched as the 12th ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs ran roughshod all over #6 Texas A&M Aggies, then as #11 Ole Miss somehow, someway knocked off #3 Alabama, which was followed by the 5th ranked Auburn Tigers throttling the 15th ranked LSU Tigers, in a game that wasn't as close as the 41-7 score may seem.
25th ranked TCU edged out 4th ranked Oklahoma, then unranked Kentucky came storming back to tie South Carolina, then let them blow the Wildcats out, then came storming back again to win the game.
In a Hail Mary last second pass to the end zone, Arizona State beat the 16th ranked USC Trojans--a few days after their state-counterpart Arizona knocked off the #2 team, Oregon.
And now, I just finished watching the 10th ranked Michigan State Spartans hold off a furious 4th quarter rally by the 19th ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers, a rally that saw the Huskers score three touchdowns in 10 minutes, and were it not for the interception thrown in the last 30 seconds, would have had a real shot of beating Sparty.
This is why I love college football... so here are my observations, before the new rankings come out, before Utah and #8 UCLA finish their game, where Utah is up by 10 in the 3rd quarter.
First... We Don't Know Anything
We thought we knew that Florida State, Oregon and Alabama were in the Football Final Four, and that fourth spot would either go to either another SEC team like Texas A&M or even Auburn, or probably Oklahoma would win the Big XII and take it.
But now? Florida State struggles to beat EVERYONE... sure, they blew out Wake Forest today, but they started slow, Jameis Winston had a rough first few possessions, and FSU has been lucky to play against teams that would let them catch back up and win. And they play in the ACC, which might as bad as the Big Ten.
And now, Oklahoma, Alabama and Oregon all have a loss. It's not the end of the world for either, as if any of them win out, they'll likely find themselves in a position to win their conferences anyway. But it got a lot tougher.
Second... Ole Miss is LUCKY and Mississippi State is GOOD
We watched the Ole Miss/Alabama game, and it reminded me of the FSU/Clemson game, where the Noles gave the Clemson Tigers every chance in the world to win, and Clemson refused to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Today, Ole Miss took that victory, as Alabama played... well, like crap. Ole Miss wasn't much better, as they dropped passes, missed opportunities and could have scored twice... but Bama played a game full of penalties and stupid mistakes. Alabama is a better team, but Ole Miss snagged the win.
Mississippi State, however, is solid. Perhaps it's that A&M is also not as good as we thought, and QB Kenny Hill isn't as Heismany as we thought, but State controlled that game from start to finish. They had their way with the Aggies like it was a prison shower... it was ridiculous.
Third... Gary & Verne are Crazy
CBS longtime college commentators Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson are perhaps the most annoying announcers on the television today. If you watch college football, specifically the SEC coverage, you'll know this, so no need to dwell.
However, here's what I didn't like... CBS uses the Coaches Poll for their rankings, perhaps one of the only places that does. This is a big deal because in the Coaches Poll and AP Poll (the more used), Ole Miss is ranked 11th... but Alabama is 3rd in the AP and 1st in the Coaches. So, when Gary and Verne talk about how long it's been since Ole Miss beat a #1 team, it's just false. Perhaps having Alabama ranked 1st makes for a better story than if they were ranked 3rd.
Fourth... Florida is Still Terrible
My team, the Florida Gators, are now 3-1 after getting by Tennessee 10-9 today. The Gators also had to take multiple overtimes to get past Kentucky, who isn't as bad as we thought (we'll get to that next), and needed a miracle to beat the better-than-last-year-but-still-not-good Volunteers team.. after Gators QB Jeff Driskol was finally benched. We'll find out next week what the Gators will do, when LSU comes to town, but right now, I think Florida is the worst 3-1 team in the country not in the Big Ten.
Fifth... Kentucky Can Win the SEC East
They won't. But who thought they'd even be in contention in October?
Sixth... The Big Ten is a Cluster Muffin
Thru the first three quarters, as I flipped back and saw snippets of Michigan State's beatdown on Nebraska, I thought to myself "The Spartans might actually be the shining star of the Big Ten Conference... like FSU, they may be the one team a cut above the rest, and could make the Football Final Four". Then, Nebraska roared back in the 4th quarter and nearly beat the Spartans, all because Michigan State just fell apart and couldn't close. And then I remembered why no team from the Big Ten will make the Football Final Four.
Seventh... In a Sick Joke of the Football Gods, Alabama Needs to Root For Auburn
Here's how Alabama makes it back to the SEC Championship game... Auburn needs to win out (including beating Mississippi State and Ole Miss) and Alabama needs to win the rest of their games (including beating State). At some point, they have to hope Ole Miss will lose another along the way.
The Iron Bowl needs to be what it was last year--winner goes to the SEC Title Game. And to impress voters, it would serve the Crimson Tide well to be 11-1, taking on a 12-0 Auburn team, and to beat them. Let's say Alabama loses the SEC Title game to Georgia... there is still a chance Alabama can get that 4th spot in the Football Final Four, if they have beaten a team like 12-0 Auburn. Sure, it would make Alabama happy to play a 9-3 Auburn team, but they'd have to win the SEC outright to get a shot. Make sense?
Georgia is a solid team... but I think Auburn, Mississippi State and even Alabama could beat them, especially if they contained Todd Gurley.
By the way, I think this loss for Alabama might not be a bad thing... it's relatively early in the season, and it makes me think of the New England Patriots in '07 ('08?) who had run to 15-0, taking on the NYGiants in the last week of the season. They struggled to beat the Giants, rolled thru the playoffs, then lost a close one due to mistakes and sloppy play in the Super Bowl... to the NYGiants.
I have always contended that had the Pats lost the last game, gone 15-1, they would have won the Super Bowl. The "undefeated" would have been off their shoulders, and they would have realized they were not invincible. Bama is similar... they realize now that they are not invincible, that their sloppy play finally caught up to them, and now that "we are the best" is off their shoulders... playing catch up might not be a bad thing for the Tide.
Eighth... We Still Don't Know ANYTHING
It's college football. Next week, Baylor, who is leading the Big XII and looking strong, takes on TCU, who beat Oklahoma today. Baylor hasn't really played anyone of substance, so this game is huge. So suddenly, TCU has to play explosive Baylor, and later Oklahoma State and then Kansas State... Baylor has OK State and K-State too. So if TCU or Baylor comes out undefeated, they are in. But if Baylor beats TCU, then loses to Oklahoma big, Kansas State is like "What about us?"
If Auburn rolls up to Mississippi State, gets blown out, then beats up on Ole Miss, who then turn around and beats Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl, Alabama is like "Hey, we are still here!"
Florida State will likely lose one. They are playing too loose and clumsy. What happens then?
Utah is beating UCLA right now, which was the unbeaten left in the Pac 12... and they still have to play Oregon. So like, what happens?
We don't know jack.
That's why I love college football.
(My current prediction for the Football Final Four is 1-Auburn, 2-UCLA, 3-Baylor and... crap, I dunno... 4-Mississippi State)
Saturday, October 04, 2014
late night rocky
So it's midnight on Friday night, and I'm watching Rocky III.
I've written about the Rocky series before, notably the fact that Rocky IV is not a good film (though highly entertaining) and then I had the brilliant idea to put a spiritual spin on the whole thing. But Rocky III?
The Lovely Steph Leann was out tonight at a scrapbooking crop at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship), so after I finished getting Campbell to bed, some household chores and then catching the last half of "Django Unchained" on EPIX2, she finally came in. She went to get ready for bed, Django finished his killing cycle, and I flipped channels only to find nothing on... well, there's Rocky III.
She sat on the couch, and then we had this exchange:
Me: You know, Rocky I thru IV are really hard to rank because...
The Lovely Steph Leann: ...because they aren't very good
Me: What? Rocky I is good.
The Lovely Steph Leann: I know. I've seen it.
I had to explain... and when I had to explain, I was really talking out loud, because though The Lovely Steph Leann loves me and loves talking to me, hearing a monologue on the Rocky films probably tested her tired patience.
Nonetheless, I had to explain... the Rocky films are difficult to quantify...because the original Rocky is a really good movie. It's got a great story, great performances and the ending is heartwarming... but it's just so slow. Rocky II is the extension of Rocky I, so while it's also slow, it's not as slow, but the story also suffers because it's really a retread of Rocky I... with the same ending, except a slight difference in the winner of the match.
Rocky IV is probably the most entertaining, but really... the story is so ludicrous that it's hard to even fathom how it could happen.
We could talk about Rocky V, but it doesn't exist. It's on the mythical shelf with Caddyshack 2, the Ring 2 and every Police Academy after part 4... movies that you have only heard about, but aren't actually there.
Granted, "Rocky Balboa", or Rocky VI was actually a pretty decent story and a good wrap up to the entire Rocky saga... but it was more pleasant than anything.
That leaves Rocky III. Perhaps the greatest of all Rocky movies. You have a fantastic villain, Clubber Lang (played with vicious glee by a hugely popular in 1983 Mr. T)... you have the emotion odds, as our hero Rocky admits his fear... you have the overcoming odds, as Rocky has to learn a new way of doing things by going to his former enemy... you have the most annoying character actually bearable for one film, that being Adrian (Talia Shire, who wasn't good in any of these)... and heartbreak, as Mick takes a tumble to the great ring in the sky.
What's not to love. Plus, in watching it back tonight, the ending match is just great. And somewhat believable. If you can believe that.
That's my thoughts on Rocky III. Strangely enough, The Lovely Steph Leann already went to bed.
By the way, when I caught "Django Unchained", it was the scene where Schultz and Django are on the hill, about to take out the criminal who is farming, and Django is having trouble shooting him as the guy is with his own son.
In the time it took to finish this movie, finish Rocky III, chat with The Lovely Steph Leann, catch the beginning of "Django Unchained" on EPIX3 as it came on, it's now back at that same scene. This is my cue.
What's my prediction for the next few hours? Sleep.
I've written about the Rocky series before, notably the fact that Rocky IV is not a good film (though highly entertaining) and then I had the brilliant idea to put a spiritual spin on the whole thing. But Rocky III?
The Lovely Steph Leann was out tonight at a scrapbooking crop at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship), so after I finished getting Campbell to bed, some household chores and then catching the last half of "Django Unchained" on EPIX2, she finally came in. She went to get ready for bed, Django finished his killing cycle, and I flipped channels only to find nothing on... well, there's Rocky III.
She sat on the couch, and then we had this exchange:
Me: You know, Rocky I thru IV are really hard to rank because...
The Lovely Steph Leann: ...because they aren't very good
Me: What? Rocky I is good.
The Lovely Steph Leann: I know. I've seen it.
I had to explain... and when I had to explain, I was really talking out loud, because though The Lovely Steph Leann loves me and loves talking to me, hearing a monologue on the Rocky films probably tested her tired patience.
Nonetheless, I had to explain... the Rocky films are difficult to quantify...because the original Rocky is a really good movie. It's got a great story, great performances and the ending is heartwarming... but it's just so slow. Rocky II is the extension of Rocky I, so while it's also slow, it's not as slow, but the story also suffers because it's really a retread of Rocky I... with the same ending, except a slight difference in the winner of the match.
Rocky IV is probably the most entertaining, but really... the story is so ludicrous that it's hard to even fathom how it could happen.
We could talk about Rocky V, but it doesn't exist. It's on the mythical shelf with Caddyshack 2, the Ring 2 and every Police Academy after part 4... movies that you have only heard about, but aren't actually there.
Granted, "Rocky Balboa", or Rocky VI was actually a pretty decent story and a good wrap up to the entire Rocky saga... but it was more pleasant than anything.
That leaves Rocky III. Perhaps the greatest of all Rocky movies. You have a fantastic villain, Clubber Lang (played with vicious glee by a hugely popular in 1983 Mr. T)... you have the emotion odds, as our hero Rocky admits his fear... you have the overcoming odds, as Rocky has to learn a new way of doing things by going to his former enemy... you have the most annoying character actually bearable for one film, that being Adrian (Talia Shire, who wasn't good in any of these)... and heartbreak, as Mick takes a tumble to the great ring in the sky.
What's not to love. Plus, in watching it back tonight, the ending match is just great. And somewhat believable. If you can believe that.
That's my thoughts on Rocky III. Strangely enough, The Lovely Steph Leann already went to bed.
By the way, when I caught "Django Unchained", it was the scene where Schultz and Django are on the hill, about to take out the criminal who is farming, and Django is having trouble shooting him as the guy is with his own son.
In the time it took to finish this movie, finish Rocky III, chat with The Lovely Steph Leann, catch the beginning of "Django Unchained" on EPIX3 as it came on, it's now back at that same scene. This is my cue.
What's my prediction for the next few hours? Sleep.
Friday, October 03, 2014
fireball
In the course of 2014, so much has changed, but few things have surprised me more than the face that somehow, someway... I became a fan of Pit Bull.
(now, is it Pitbull? Pit Bull? Pit ft Bull? Let's just go with Pitbull, save the effort and wear and tear on the space bar)
My earliest memory of Pit Bull, as I talk about him like he's an old childhood friend, or a puppy that I grew up with, was that Dr Pepper commercial that aired during sporting events... it was the one that went "let's have a real good time, a real good time..."
Oh, you don't remember that? Well, in reality, it went:
let's have a real good time, a real good time...
let's have a real good time, a real good time...
let's have a real good time, a real good time...
let's have a real good time, a real good time...
let's have a real good time, a real good time...
let's have a real good time, a real good time...
let's have a real good time, a real good time...
let's have a real good time, a real good time...
let's have a real good time, a real good time...
let's have a real good time, a real good time...
let's have a real good time, a real good time...
let's have a real good time, a real good time...
let's have a real good time, a real good time...
let's have a real good time, a real good time...
let's have a real good time, a real good time...
Yeah, that one. It was kind of annoying. And I truly only know two of his songs, the first being "Timber", his collaboration with Ke$ha... though she may be just Kesha now, I heard something about her dropping the $ from her name in order to start a new path, as she left rehab last year. By the way, I wrote 600+ words on Ke$ha in February. So truly, I now have two different posts that Kesha is a major part of. What.
Anyway, I contend that if Kesha sang all the time like she notes she belts out in "Timber", I'd be a much bigger fan. As it is, "Tik Tok" is in the list of strangely stupid, ridiculous songs that I somehow find myself enjoying, even if it's just ironically. I mean, she sings of "brushing her teeth with a bottle of Jack." Like, I can honestly tell you I've never had a sip of Jack Daniels, be it straight or mixed. But I have had pure Listerine. My dad made me use it as mouthwash when I would get mouth ulcers as a kid, and that stuff is strong.
I can only guess that Listerine isn't as strong as Jack, so to brush your teeth with Jack has to be not only foolish, but wasteful in that Jack ain't cheap, and possibly damaging to the enamel on your teeth with repeated brushing. Does she pour the Jack on the toothbrush, or just use it as a mouthwash? I digress.
So The Kesh and Pitbull team up to give us this delightful little ditty called "Timber", which I don't even know all the words to, other than picking up things like "Bras and thongs", "bigga dey are the harda dey fall" and "swing yo' partner round and round", which probably tells you it's not a remake of a Steven Curtis Chapman tune. But it's fun, especially with Paul Harrington's harmonica kicking the song off, and with the tune's noticeable folk and nearly country line dance sort of rhythm. (fyi, you aren't necessarily supposed to know who Paul Harrington is, I just read about it on Wikipedia).
I was addicted to that song for a while, then it sorta stopped getting played on my iPod as much (mixed in between all my podcasts, I do listen to a song or two... I been known to cut a rug in my day). Then I heard "Fireball". Like, what do you even do with this song?
It's this insane party tune that features a brass band, an infectious groove and a dude named John Ryan that, like Kesha before him, provides the song with pipes and melody. Like "Timber", it opens with awesome music, Pitbull singing/rapping for a verse, then the real singer doing their due diligence, then the chorus. Then awesome music, Pitbull singing/rapping the second verse, the real singer doing their stuff again, then the chorus. Fade out.
Add to that Pitbull's Hispanic accent, where "roof on fire" becomes "roof ahn fiah" and "walk this way" becomes "wall dis wah", a crazy sampling of the actual Aerosmith classic "Walk This Way" (not just in tune either, like Pitbull is almost doing different lines to the same tune) and this insane "babybabybabybabybabybabybaby" riff that is a lot harder than you think--trust me, I've tried it... all of that together makes for one of my Top 5 songs of 2014 thus far.
I tell myself that two songs from an artist does not a fan make... I love "Eleanor Rigby" and "Penny Lane" from The Beatles, and yet, I'm not a huge fan of theirs, and though I think "Tik Tok" and "We R We Are" from Kesha are stupid fun, I don't count myself a Kesha Krazy... well, I also like "Your Love Is My Drug", so maybe I am, I dunno.
I just made up "Kesha Krazy" as a name for her fanbase. Kesha, you are welcome.
What can I say... I love music, and much of my favorite stuff is stupid music. Don't even get me started on "Party in the USA", or worse, "Hoedown Throwdown" by Miley Cyrus, #BoomClapBoomDeClapDeClap... it reaches back to the early 90s, when I owned Vanilla Ice's "To the Extreme" cassette tape, and Color Me Badd's albums were on my "to purchase" list before I stopped buying music in order to save money.
Really, I just want to be in a situation where I, and a bunch of my friends and strangers, all feel compelled to jump up and yell "FIREBALL" all at the same time. Because anytime you can have a simultaneous "FIREBALL!!!" yelling, you know you are having a real good time, a real good time.. let's have a real good time, a real good time... let's have a real good time, a real good time...
Thursday, October 02, 2014
complimentary
Sometimes compliments are the worst things for you, not because of ego, but because you feel like it's purpose will end up failing you in the long run.
So, my friend Jessica, of the Blue Avenger blogpage... (it's actually called "she flies on her own wings", but that makes me think of "and with a broken wing... she still sings..." by Martina McBride, who is one of my top 25 favorite artists of all time, and I like "Blue Avenger", because it sounds like a super hero, which Jessica might just be... )
wait... where was I?
Ah, yes... so, today, I messaged Jessica about something, using that evil Facebook Messenger app that everyone hates because they think that's why Ebola is in our country now, and she replied that she was just about to put a post on Facebook about me... surprised, I simply said, "Ok, I'm ready!"
A few minutes later, I get that familiar ding on the phone and that banner that simply says "Jessica Jobe has mentioned you in a comment." I clicked on the box post haste, and I saw this...
Did you ever notice... d$ disappears for days.... and THEN: he suddenly bursts into the room and jolts everyone awake with his cleverness and hilarity. It's like he saves up the funny and then pours it out like syrup on pancakes, brightening Thursday!! He's like a TIGGER!!
Like, what? Well... that's just about the nicest thing I've heard today... I mean, that's just super nice...
Earlier today, in a social group I'm a part of called "Dreamers & Builders", which I'll write about soon enough, I posted a few random thoughts which caught some traction.
Facebook is a funny thing, especially when you have something you think is itself funny--its not just what you say, it's how, and WHEN you say it.
Having someone put an incredibly funny and sweet thing about you to the masses then stirs up a battle inside...
"How wonderful that someone recognizes you in front of others"
"Wait, what if no one likes it?"
"Oh, okay, well a few people like it..."
"But that's it? Only five PeOpLe? Now seven?"
"Stop being stupid. Take the compliment. You've been praised."
"But... but... but... what if I'm not popular?"
The font sizes are intentional, because the good voices inside always seem to be small and still, while the negative voices are not only loud. but in disarray...
Suddenly, Self Esteem and Common Sense, normally friendly attributes to each other, now are at odds, staring down each other in the same way that babyface/good guy John Cena stared down babyface/good guy Dean Ambrose the other night on Raw... they aren't supposed to lock up, but now they are. I root for Common Sense...
Is my self worth based upon how many likes that a complimentary post about me might get? Honestly, no... but that doesn't mean I don't think about it.
I just checked. On the surface, it would seem that 12 people agree with Jessica's contention that I'm clever and all that... and that's okay. I promise it's okay.
So take heart. When a compliment is paid to you, accept it. Own it. If only one person, or 12, seems to acknowledge it, I guarantee there are many, many more who would if they'd see it. You're important to many people.
Popularity is overrated.
If I seemed like I was going nowhere with this, you might be right. I think I had to see this written for myself in order to believe it. Carry on.
So, my friend Jessica, of the Blue Avenger blogpage... (it's actually called "she flies on her own wings", but that makes me think of "and with a broken wing... she still sings..." by Martina McBride, who is one of my top 25 favorite artists of all time, and I like "Blue Avenger", because it sounds like a super hero, which Jessica might just be... )
wait... where was I?
Ah, yes... so, today, I messaged Jessica about something, using that evil Facebook Messenger app that everyone hates because they think that's why Ebola is in our country now, and she replied that she was just about to put a post on Facebook about me... surprised, I simply said, "Ok, I'm ready!"
A few minutes later, I get that familiar ding on the phone and that banner that simply says "Jessica Jobe has mentioned you in a comment." I clicked on the box post haste, and I saw this...
Did you ever notice... d$ disappears for days.... and THEN: he suddenly bursts into the room and jolts everyone awake with his cleverness and hilarity. It's like he saves up the funny and then pours it out like syrup on pancakes, brightening Thursday!! He's like a TIGGER!!
Like, what? Well... that's just about the nicest thing I've heard today... I mean, that's just super nice...
Earlier today, in a social group I'm a part of called "Dreamers & Builders", which I'll write about soon enough, I posted a few random thoughts which caught some traction.
Facebook is a funny thing, especially when you have something you think is itself funny--its not just what you say, it's how, and WHEN you say it.
Having someone put an incredibly funny and sweet thing about you to the masses then stirs up a battle inside...
"How wonderful that someone recognizes you in front of others"
"Wait, what if no one likes it?"
"Oh, okay, well a few people like it..."
"But that's it? Only five PeOpLe? Now seven?"
"Stop being stupid. Take the compliment. You've been praised."
"But... but... but... what if I'm not popular?"
The font sizes are intentional, because the good voices inside always seem to be small and still, while the negative voices are not only loud. but in disarray...
Suddenly, Self Esteem and Common Sense, normally friendly attributes to each other, now are at odds, staring down each other in the same way that babyface/good guy John Cena stared down babyface/good guy Dean Ambrose the other night on Raw... they aren't supposed to lock up, but now they are. I root for Common Sense...
Is my self worth based upon how many likes that a complimentary post about me might get? Honestly, no... but that doesn't mean I don't think about it.
I just checked. On the surface, it would seem that 12 people agree with Jessica's contention that I'm clever and all that... and that's okay. I promise it's okay.
So take heart. When a compliment is paid to you, accept it. Own it. If only one person, or 12, seems to acknowledge it, I guarantee there are many, many more who would if they'd see it. You're important to many people.
Popularity is overrated.
If I seemed like I was going nowhere with this, you might be right. I think I had to see this written for myself in order to believe it. Carry on.
late
it's so late... it's too late baby now it's too late, oh we really did try to make it...
...this is one of those posts that is being blogged because it's late and I'm about to go to bed, and I have no idea where this is going...
so I updated my iphone to the new iOS 8.02, and somehow the update stopped updating and so I foolishly removed the plug...
...is there any rule more terrifying to break than "do not disconnect" on an iPhone? Well, I broke it, and had to restore it, was freaking out because I thought I lost 10 days worth of texts and photos and such, but no, it backed up before it tried to update and... well, 90 minutes later, I have an iPhone with the latest software...
...so, its a 31 day challenge to blog every day. Every day. About what? I have no idea. Somehow, someway, I keep thinking I have something to say, and worse yet, I keep thinking you want to read it.
but if you haven't noticed, and you may not have, I am over 200,000 page loads... like for serious.
its 1236am, and my iphone is done updating. my ipod is done updating. and I have to make Campbell some food for tomorrow. today? later today?
By the way... he signed "more" today. "More" is a hand sign made by taking both hands, putting each in a finger-stretched position, almost like you are about to use a puppet, turning the fingers of each hand toward each other and touching the fingertips a few times.
When Campbell eats, we know he wants more, so we will do the signal and say, "More? You want more? Do more..." and recently, he's starting doing "more". Well, today at school, one of his teachers texted The Lovely Steph Leann to say that he did it on his own. He signed "more" for more snacks, without prompting. That's just... so huge.
Favorite quote right now? "What if I fail? Oh my darling, what if you fly?" Dunno who said it, but my friend Libbydoodle made it known to me.
It's late. I'm going to bed. Consider Day Two of 31 days done...
...this is one of those posts that is being blogged because it's late and I'm about to go to bed, and I have no idea where this is going...
so I updated my iphone to the new iOS 8.02, and somehow the update stopped updating and so I foolishly removed the plug...
...is there any rule more terrifying to break than "do not disconnect" on an iPhone? Well, I broke it, and had to restore it, was freaking out because I thought I lost 10 days worth of texts and photos and such, but no, it backed up before it tried to update and... well, 90 minutes later, I have an iPhone with the latest software...
...so, its a 31 day challenge to blog every day. Every day. About what? I have no idea. Somehow, someway, I keep thinking I have something to say, and worse yet, I keep thinking you want to read it.
but if you haven't noticed, and you may not have, I am over 200,000 page loads... like for serious.
its 1236am, and my iphone is done updating. my ipod is done updating. and I have to make Campbell some food for tomorrow. today? later today?
By the way... he signed "more" today. "More" is a hand sign made by taking both hands, putting each in a finger-stretched position, almost like you are about to use a puppet, turning the fingers of each hand toward each other and touching the fingertips a few times.
When Campbell eats, we know he wants more, so we will do the signal and say, "More? You want more? Do more..." and recently, he's starting doing "more". Well, today at school, one of his teachers texted The Lovely Steph Leann to say that he did it on his own. He signed "more" for more snacks, without prompting. That's just... so huge.
Favorite quote right now? "What if I fail? Oh my darling, what if you fly?" Dunno who said it, but my friend Libbydoodle made it known to me.
It's late. I'm going to bed. Consider Day Two of 31 days done...
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
podcasts
Happy National Podcast Day. I had no clue this was Podcast Day until I saw a post from my buddy Clay Shaver, who posted something promoting some other podcasts on Facebook.
Since I left Starbucks a year ago... and wow, it's been almost 11 months... and have taken a desk job, I literally have anywhere from 7 to 9, sometimes 10 hours per day of time when I can listen to audiobooks and podcasts... if I don't, I might go crazy.
It makes me think back to those long days at Parisian Corp or NBC 13, when I sat at a desk, inputting data and such, and had nothing to think about but my own thoughts. A decade later, the 160g iPod is loaded with over 130 episodes of over 30 different podcasts. So in honor of National Podcast Day, I thought I'd give you a quick run down of the podcasts I listen to daily, or weekly...
First, shameless plug... check out The Deucecast Movie Picture Show, the movie podcast that I co-host with my pal Mikey and our Movie Padawan P!nky... give us a listen, we would appreciate it. If you like movies, I think you'd like our show...
Now, back to the lecture at hand...
These are in no particular order...
Talk Show/Social Commentary Podcasts...
The Rush Limbaugh Show... Yep. It's daily. And anyone who hates Rush has probably never listened to the show for more than an hour or so, then is told what to think by Jon Stewart or Anderson Cooper. But that's another story. (weekdays, an hour and 45 minutes to get through all three parts)
The Adam Carolla Show... Language is strong here, but it's usually very funny. Typically has actors and comedians as guests, but the show staff is also great. (weekdays, 90 minutes average)
Alison Rosen is Your New Best Friend... The gorgeous Alison is the "news girl" for Adam Carolla, and has her own show... the Monday show is her "interview" show, where she has deep conversations with other Hollywood types, while the Thursday show is a roundtable of personalities and Carolla show producers, and I, like many fans, find the Thursday show to be the best one. One of my top three shows. (Monday and Thursday, both shows run about 90 minutes)
Sorry Not Sorry... Comedian Jenna Kim Jones hosts this very clean, comical show with her husband, and at 30 minutes, its a great little conversation about life and her Mormon faith. (sporadic, about a 1/2 hour per episode)
SPORTS PODCASTS
ESPN's Pardon the Interruption... Usually the first 'cast of the day, it's the 20 minute replay from the previous episode of PTI with Mike Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser (weekdays)
ESPN's Mike & Mike in the Morning... Its a "best of" show featuring the two Mikes--Golic and Greenberg--and taking 45-60 minutes of the best stuff from that morning's show (weekdays)
The BS Report with Bill Simmons... I've been a fan of Bill Simmons, the Sports Guy, for at least 12 years, back when he was simply The Boston Sports Guy. I usually enjoy this show, though when he dives into too much fantasy stuff, or pop culture stuff that I'm not into (like shows about Game of Thrones), I'll skip the episode. He's on suspension now, so what unfolds in a few weeks will be quite interesting... (a few times per week, usually an hour to 1:15 or so)
ESPN Championship Drive... It's the best college football podcast out there, discussing the previous weekend and the upcoming games as well (weekdays, 45-60 minutes)
The Dave Dameshek Show... The NFL Network's Dameshek is funny, if not a little annoying sometimes, but it's a great NFL recap and preview (twice a week, 45-60 minutes)
Mark Out Loud... Yep, its a wrestling show, but hosts Steve Glosson and Dave Jones are the best kind of hosts... they are fans first, and hosts second. (a few times per month, around 2 hours per episode)
The Steve Austin Podcast & Talk is Jericho... Two different shows, with Steven Austin and Chris Jericho hosting their respective podcasts. Both are funny, different styles, and usually have actors, musicians and many times, former wrestlers on their shows. Jericho's show with Edge and Paul Heyman (Episode #50) was hands down one of the best podcast episodes I've ever heard. Austin is Tuesday & Thursday, with Tuesday being the "clean show" and Thursday being the "unleashed (re: language filled) show... Jericho is Wednesday and Friday, and both are mostly family friendly. (Both shows run about an hour to an 1:15 each)
ENTERTAINMENT PODCASTS
Doug Loves Movies... Host Doug Benson, a complete stoner, hosts the game show podcast where various celebrities and comedians come on to play a round of "The Leonard Maltin Game", just one of several movie games. This is in my top three favorite shows. He also does "Doug Loves Minis", a quick 10-15 minute show with snippets from smaller games at comedy clubs. (once or twice per week, 60-90 minutes per show)
The Film Vault... One of the podcasts I've been listening to the longest, Bald Bryan Bishop, sound effect guy on the Adam Carolla Show, teams with Anderson Cowen, co-host of The After Disaster Podcast (which I've never listened to), and they do a great movie show with a theme, a top five and lots of language filled banter.
The Popcast... Jamie Golden of Jamie's Rabbits Blog and Knox McCoy team up to give an hour's worth of snark and wit in discussing Hollywood, television, trends and the goings on in the pop culturey world. I disagree with some of their choices, and fully endorse others... it's a show I wish I could be on! (weekly or so, an hour-ish)
TechnoRetro Dads... Family men and friends Shaz and Jedi Shua are the hosts of this wildly entertaining trip down nostalgic lane, in discussing lots of Star Wars and other geeky things. (weekly, 77 minutes per show)
Car Talk... Everyone knows about Car Talk, but what you may not know is, these guys retired some years ago. Yet, they've done enough material on their shows that the segments can be replayed without repeating, once a week for another 6 or 7 years. Highly entertaining. (Saturdays, 60 minutes per show)
Five Minutes With Dad... Dad Nick Pavlidis has his 5 year old son, Pavlos, on every week to talk about... whatever. Its short, its funny and it's really kinda sweet. (weekly, 5-10 minutes per episode.)
DISNEY PODCASTS
The Dis Unplugged... Probably the best show out there because of how simply unbiased it is. Host Pete Werner seems like he's a little angry all the time, but the rest of the cast balances him out. And on the panel is Jeni Lynn, and she's just delightful. With a different cast, they also have the Dis Unplugged Disneyland Edition and the Dis Unplugged Universal Show, both very informative and entertaining. (all during the week, each show runs about an hour or so)
Inside the Magic... Host Ricky Brigante brings this show every week like clockwork, first with Disney and area news, then many times interviews, trip reports, various reviews and so on, before wrapping it up with listener feedback. (Sunday nights, usually, about an hour long)
Disney Vault Talk... A premise I wish I had thought of. Steve Glosson (from the Mark Out Loud show, a member of the Geek Out Loud podcast lineup) and spunky Teresa Delgado started with Snow White, and each show is dedicated to the next Disney animated classic. Just finished with Make Mine Music, and Fun and Fancy Free is next... but half the show is reader emails, talking about Disney and so on--quite entertaining. (a few times per month, show runs around 2 hours)
Be Our Guest Podcast... Host Mike Rahmann and his co-horts Rikki and Pam dish up all the latest and greatest at Disney World in a fun little show, with the Wednesday show usually being just listener emails. (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 30-45 minutes each)
WDW Today... Another roundtable discussion, in the vein of Dis Unplugged, with a few long time Disney fans, including Len Testa, who co-wrote the Unofficial Guide to WDW that comes out every year (I have my copy already for 2015). (a few times per week, 30-45 minutes each)
WDW Radio... Host Lou Mongello is beloved among Disney fans, as his booming voice and strong personality lends itself to an entertaining show. He'll usually do one regular news show about the happenings at the parks, then other shows are topic-specific, from "best snacks at Epcot" to "the nooks and crannies of Hollywood Studios". (weekly or so, 30 minutes for regular shows, an hour or more for topical shows)
Skywalking Thru Neverland... Rich and Sarah, hubby and wife, take a geeked out look at Star Wars and Disney, and honestly, I could listen to Sarah laugh for hours. They are fun together. (weekly, 60-90 minutes shows)
ENCOURAGEMENT/BUSINESS/LEADERSHIP/FEEL GOODZ
The Remodeling Clay Podcast... Can't say enough about this dude. Weighed over 400 pounds, lost over half his body weight (he lost like, the Olsen twins, and some of another one) and is dedicated to helping people "Becoming the Best Version of You". Clay is a no-nonsense, yet still has some sarcastic fun, solid host. (1-2 times per week, 30-45 minute shows)
The Live Your List Podcast... Two guys who's passion is for your to live out your bucket list. They talk to authors and leaders from all fields on everything from time management to finding your passion. (1-2 times per week, 30 minutes usually)
The Dave Ramsey Show... You know who this is. And it's an hour from his daily show (daily, 45 minutes)
So there's my list. In the morning, I usually listen to ESPN PTI first... then, if it's Monday or Thursday, I listen to Alison Rosen. Rush Limbaugh is next... if a Doug Loves Movies is available, that's next up, but if not, I go to The Adam Carolla Show. I'll next take on Live Your List and Remodeling Clay, followed by Disney casts like Dis Unplugged, WDW Today, WDW News and a few others. After lunch, a sports block of Mike & Mike, Championship Drive and The BS Report. This will take me to mid-afternoon, then I listen to the podcasts I have left, including Dave Ramsey, Five Minutes with Dad, Y2J and Steve Austin, then anything else outstanding. That will get me home... and at night, I'll finish up any casts left, or dive into an audiobook when I'm doing dishes, running errands or the like.
What podcasts do I need to pick up, do you think?
Since I left Starbucks a year ago... and wow, it's been almost 11 months... and have taken a desk job, I literally have anywhere from 7 to 9, sometimes 10 hours per day of time when I can listen to audiobooks and podcasts... if I don't, I might go crazy.
 |
| The Non-Disney Podcasts that I listen to on a daily/weekly basis |
First, shameless plug... check out The Deucecast Movie Picture Show, the movie podcast that I co-host with my pal Mikey and our Movie Padawan P!nky... give us a listen, we would appreciate it. If you like movies, I think you'd like our show...
Now, back to the lecture at hand...
These are in no particular order...
Talk Show/Social Commentary Podcasts...
The Rush Limbaugh Show... Yep. It's daily. And anyone who hates Rush has probably never listened to the show for more than an hour or so, then is told what to think by Jon Stewart or Anderson Cooper. But that's another story. (weekdays, an hour and 45 minutes to get through all three parts)
The Adam Carolla Show... Language is strong here, but it's usually very funny. Typically has actors and comedians as guests, but the show staff is also great. (weekdays, 90 minutes average)
Alison Rosen is Your New Best Friend... The gorgeous Alison is the "news girl" for Adam Carolla, and has her own show... the Monday show is her "interview" show, where she has deep conversations with other Hollywood types, while the Thursday show is a roundtable of personalities and Carolla show producers, and I, like many fans, find the Thursday show to be the best one. One of my top three shows. (Monday and Thursday, both shows run about 90 minutes)
Sorry Not Sorry... Comedian Jenna Kim Jones hosts this very clean, comical show with her husband, and at 30 minutes, its a great little conversation about life and her Mormon faith. (sporadic, about a 1/2 hour per episode)
SPORTS PODCASTS
ESPN's Pardon the Interruption... Usually the first 'cast of the day, it's the 20 minute replay from the previous episode of PTI with Mike Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser (weekdays)
ESPN's Mike & Mike in the Morning... Its a "best of" show featuring the two Mikes--Golic and Greenberg--and taking 45-60 minutes of the best stuff from that morning's show (weekdays)
The BS Report with Bill Simmons... I've been a fan of Bill Simmons, the Sports Guy, for at least 12 years, back when he was simply The Boston Sports Guy. I usually enjoy this show, though when he dives into too much fantasy stuff, or pop culture stuff that I'm not into (like shows about Game of Thrones), I'll skip the episode. He's on suspension now, so what unfolds in a few weeks will be quite interesting... (a few times per week, usually an hour to 1:15 or so)
ESPN Championship Drive... It's the best college football podcast out there, discussing the previous weekend and the upcoming games as well (weekdays, 45-60 minutes)
The Dave Dameshek Show... The NFL Network's Dameshek is funny, if not a little annoying sometimes, but it's a great NFL recap and preview (twice a week, 45-60 minutes)
Mark Out Loud... Yep, its a wrestling show, but hosts Steve Glosson and Dave Jones are the best kind of hosts... they are fans first, and hosts second. (a few times per month, around 2 hours per episode)
The Steve Austin Podcast & Talk is Jericho... Two different shows, with Steven Austin and Chris Jericho hosting their respective podcasts. Both are funny, different styles, and usually have actors, musicians and many times, former wrestlers on their shows. Jericho's show with Edge and Paul Heyman (Episode #50) was hands down one of the best podcast episodes I've ever heard. Austin is Tuesday & Thursday, with Tuesday being the "clean show" and Thursday being the "unleashed (re: language filled) show... Jericho is Wednesday and Friday, and both are mostly family friendly. (Both shows run about an hour to an 1:15 each)
ENTERTAINMENT PODCASTS
Doug Loves Movies... Host Doug Benson, a complete stoner, hosts the game show podcast where various celebrities and comedians come on to play a round of "The Leonard Maltin Game", just one of several movie games. This is in my top three favorite shows. He also does "Doug Loves Minis", a quick 10-15 minute show with snippets from smaller games at comedy clubs. (once or twice per week, 60-90 minutes per show)
The Film Vault... One of the podcasts I've been listening to the longest, Bald Bryan Bishop, sound effect guy on the Adam Carolla Show, teams with Anderson Cowen, co-host of The After Disaster Podcast (which I've never listened to), and they do a great movie show with a theme, a top five and lots of language filled banter.
The Popcast... Jamie Golden of Jamie's Rabbits Blog and Knox McCoy team up to give an hour's worth of snark and wit in discussing Hollywood, television, trends and the goings on in the pop culturey world. I disagree with some of their choices, and fully endorse others... it's a show I wish I could be on! (weekly or so, an hour-ish)
TechnoRetro Dads... Family men and friends Shaz and Jedi Shua are the hosts of this wildly entertaining trip down nostalgic lane, in discussing lots of Star Wars and other geeky things. (weekly, 77 minutes per show)
Car Talk... Everyone knows about Car Talk, but what you may not know is, these guys retired some years ago. Yet, they've done enough material on their shows that the segments can be replayed without repeating, once a week for another 6 or 7 years. Highly entertaining. (Saturdays, 60 minutes per show)
Five Minutes With Dad... Dad Nick Pavlidis has his 5 year old son, Pavlos, on every week to talk about... whatever. Its short, its funny and it's really kinda sweet. (weekly, 5-10 minutes per episode.)
DISNEY PODCASTS
The Dis Unplugged... Probably the best show out there because of how simply unbiased it is. Host Pete Werner seems like he's a little angry all the time, but the rest of the cast balances him out. And on the panel is Jeni Lynn, and she's just delightful. With a different cast, they also have the Dis Unplugged Disneyland Edition and the Dis Unplugged Universal Show, both very informative and entertaining. (all during the week, each show runs about an hour or so)
Disney Vault Talk... A premise I wish I had thought of. Steve Glosson (from the Mark Out Loud show, a member of the Geek Out Loud podcast lineup) and spunky Teresa Delgado started with Snow White, and each show is dedicated to the next Disney animated classic. Just finished with Make Mine Music, and Fun and Fancy Free is next... but half the show is reader emails, talking about Disney and so on--quite entertaining. (a few times per month, show runs around 2 hours)
Be Our Guest Podcast... Host Mike Rahmann and his co-horts Rikki and Pam dish up all the latest and greatest at Disney World in a fun little show, with the Wednesday show usually being just listener emails. (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 30-45 minutes each)
WDW Today... Another roundtable discussion, in the vein of Dis Unplugged, with a few long time Disney fans, including Len Testa, who co-wrote the Unofficial Guide to WDW that comes out every year (I have my copy already for 2015). (a few times per week, 30-45 minutes each)
WDW Radio... Host Lou Mongello is beloved among Disney fans, as his booming voice and strong personality lends itself to an entertaining show. He'll usually do one regular news show about the happenings at the parks, then other shows are topic-specific, from "best snacks at Epcot" to "the nooks and crannies of Hollywood Studios". (weekly or so, 30 minutes for regular shows, an hour or more for topical shows)
Skywalking Thru Neverland... Rich and Sarah, hubby and wife, take a geeked out look at Star Wars and Disney, and honestly, I could listen to Sarah laugh for hours. They are fun together. (weekly, 60-90 minutes shows)
ENCOURAGEMENT/BUSINESS/LEADERSHIP/FEEL GOODZ
The Remodeling Clay Podcast... Can't say enough about this dude. Weighed over 400 pounds, lost over half his body weight (he lost like, the Olsen twins, and some of another one) and is dedicated to helping people "Becoming the Best Version of You". Clay is a no-nonsense, yet still has some sarcastic fun, solid host. (1-2 times per week, 30-45 minute shows)
The Live Your List Podcast... Two guys who's passion is for your to live out your bucket list. They talk to authors and leaders from all fields on everything from time management to finding your passion. (1-2 times per week, 30 minutes usually)
The Dave Ramsey Show... You know who this is. And it's an hour from his daily show (daily, 45 minutes)
So there's my list. In the morning, I usually listen to ESPN PTI first... then, if it's Monday or Thursday, I listen to Alison Rosen. Rush Limbaugh is next... if a Doug Loves Movies is available, that's next up, but if not, I go to The Adam Carolla Show. I'll next take on Live Your List and Remodeling Clay, followed by Disney casts like Dis Unplugged, WDW Today, WDW News and a few others. After lunch, a sports block of Mike & Mike, Championship Drive and The BS Report. This will take me to mid-afternoon, then I listen to the podcasts I have left, including Dave Ramsey, Five Minutes with Dad, Y2J and Steve Austin, then anything else outstanding. That will get me home... and at night, I'll finish up any casts left, or dive into an audiobook when I'm doing dishes, running errands or the like.
What podcasts do I need to pick up, do you think?
Monday, September 29, 2014
can we still be friends?
Good gravy it's been six weeks. My last post, which you can probably scroll and see, or click here, is a satirical, enjoyable poke at the political correctness of college football team names.
For a writer like myself, here's what happens when I go weeks upon weeks without blogging anything, I suddenly find myself not wanting to look at the page. Like, I don't want to see how readership has dropped, I don't want to know what has been lost since I've been away. And that's what happened here. I haven't even looked at Clouds in My Coffee since mid-August. But if I don't post today, then I'll probably not get it to it this week.
My buddy Rick Theule says simply that if you are a writer, and you don't write, then you lose a little something in your writing. And I probably have.
As a matter of fact, this post is probably pretty boring and lame. But that's okay. I'm not even going to promote it. I'm not going to put it anywhere that I posted. I'm going to just write it here, and leave it, so I'll have a post. Finally, another post.
I've been busy...
...so busy... with Disney, with Campbell Isaiah, with life in general...
...but I've missed you, Clouds. And I've missed you, dear reader. And I appreciate you every time you load the page.
Can we still be friends, if I promise to come back more often, with more good stuff?
Hope so.
For a writer like myself, here's what happens when I go weeks upon weeks without blogging anything, I suddenly find myself not wanting to look at the page. Like, I don't want to see how readership has dropped, I don't want to know what has been lost since I've been away. And that's what happened here. I haven't even looked at Clouds in My Coffee since mid-August. But if I don't post today, then I'll probably not get it to it this week.
My buddy Rick Theule says simply that if you are a writer, and you don't write, then you lose a little something in your writing. And I probably have.
As a matter of fact, this post is probably pretty boring and lame. But that's okay. I'm not even going to promote it. I'm not going to put it anywhere that I posted. I'm going to just write it here, and leave it, so I'll have a post. Finally, another post.
I've been busy...
...so busy... with Disney, with Campbell Isaiah, with life in general...
...but I've missed you, Clouds. And I've missed you, dear reader. And I appreciate you every time you load the page.
Can we still be friends, if I promise to come back more often, with more good stuff?
Hope so.
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