Thursday, March 29, 2012
John Prine
The very first album by John Prine was released in 1971. Many albums later, many paths and detours on the way, and if one wants to know what the music of John Prine is about he has not far to go.
Simply pick up this self titled first album and do what I did. Realize that quite a few of these songs are songs that you have heard before, if not Prine's version, then one of the many, many covers of these songs have been recorded.
Prine has influenced so many singers. He is a singers songwriter. Artists from Johnny Cash to Roger Waters have listed him as among the greatest songwriters of the era, and indeed he was blessed with the uneasy title of the next Dylan upon the release of this, his first album.
Dylan he was not. No one could be. Prine has inevitably done well in his career. With double digit album releases, tours, and publishing fees there is no need to feel bad for John Prine.
He is one of those artists who never sold out for commercial success. He has been around so long there have been generation of folk, country-rock and alt country artists have sung his praises and accepted his blessings.
This first album is a rarity. It is an album with great lyrics, a strong voiced singer and a message.
The album opens with Illegal Smile, telling of how one can cheaply correct a day when one is having no fun. It is a standard still on tour and for good reason.
Later the song Hello in There an essay on the loneliness we all feel and hope to have broken is still relevant.
The first of many political songs written by Prine was Sam Stone about a returning wounded Vietnam veteran who " has a hole in his arm where all his money goes."
Songs such as Paradise take on Corporate Coal long before it was popular to do so. Mulenberg county was ruined by the Coal Train and Prine laments this beautifully.
On Far From Me, the song Prine often tells as his favorite we meet a man who loves a waitress named Cathy whose love he has lost.
Pretty Good, Quiet Man, and Donald and Lydia have all become staples of the country rock genre, performed by Prine or someone else.
The most famous song on the album and perhaps of Prine's career is a strong protest song. Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore addresses the Vietnam War and advises that Heaven is too full from war to offer a guarenteed entry into all our public patriots.
John Prine is most likely an acquired taste. If you like Todd Snider, The Avett Brothers, James McMurtry or Kris Kristofferson it is likely you will find an affection for these songs. If you want someone to make you feel good about the status quo you most likely will not enjoy Prine's music.
Still in 1971 everyone wrote politically tinged music. Prine just did it better, and when he was not he was writing affecting songs of people on the edge with a feeling an depth which made you assume that wherever he came from he had seen the cliffs as well.
This is not only a good album, a great album, for influence alone it is one of the quintessential albums of all time.
The Return of Ron Burgandy?
For those of you reading this and who understand the significance of the question mark it is very likely that the news has found it's way to you already today. Last night on Conan O' Brien Ron Burgundy made a surprise announcement that a new movie will be released telling more of his life story.
Yes it is true. Will Ferrell, appearing as possibly his biggest character, Anchorman Ron Burgandy made a guest appearance with Conan last night. Playing his flute as he entered Burgandy wasted no time advisng Conan that he " looked awful " and looked like someone stuck " an orange wig on a skeleton."
As funny as that was we soon learned the real reason for the visit. Later this year the sequel will begin filming with a planned 2013 release. Sequels usually are not as good as the original. This movie however will have one thing going for it. Having such a cult following the movie has grown to have a large fan-base that the opening alone is all but guaranteed to be huge.
Ferrell is incredibly funny. He has, apparently no limits to what he will do for a laugh. Physical comedy is a specialty but Ferrell also does imitations, stereotypes and political humor. He has become what I call a big event comedian. His visits to a late night show are, for example, not ones to miss. Like Bill Murray on Letterman, Ferrell on Conan is a cannot miss. Who will ever forget his appearance as a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band leader on the last Conan episode at The Tonight Show.
Look forward to the movie and anytime you need a laugh check out Ferrell's website Funny or Die. You will always find something worth a laugh out loud.
The return of Ron Burgandy? One more reason for us all to love lamp.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Heft by Liz Moore
This recently released fiction offering by young writer Liz Moore has been getting some fairly good reviews so I picked it up at the library.
It is a book you will not soon find one like. In this book we meet two characters so far apart in their lives and backgrounds that it seems impossible that their lives will come together.
Arthur Opp is a 58 year old single man, never married, a former college professor, and, oh yes, Arthur is a hermit who lives in Brooklyn, has not left his house for ten years, and weighs well over 500 pounds. How Arthur got to this point in life is told in a backstory.
Arthur " Kel" Keller is a Sr who goes to a rich suburban school outside of Yonkers. Kel plays baseball and has hopes of becoming a professional player. Kel is popular but has to take care of his mother a woman in her late thirties who is herself a shut in, only her issue is alcohol.
Mr. Opp's story hurts to read. It should. He is a nice man, he had a famous father who abandoned he and his Mother. As one might imagine he was not popular in school and when a misunderstanding leads to a rebuke at the college he has taught at for years he just drifts away of embarrassment. Arthur is a nice man, a good man, a caring man, who has pushed himself to the outskirts of society.
Kel as a popular athlete gets away with being poor because of his looks, his athletic ability and his assured confidence. He slides through life and sees himself as a New York Met in the near future. In fact he has a private tryout pending with the Mets.
Mr. Opp had a student when he taught, a shy student that he befriended and wrote letters with for the last twenty years. Kel's Mom had gone to college for a semester long ago and met a teacher she admired and looked up to. Something terrible happens to Kel's word that changes it forever, at the same time a young housekeeper brings a light of hope into the lonely existence of Mr. Arthur Opp.
This book is an easy read. It grows on you until today I read the last 150 pages in a quick and easy finish to in the end what becomes a very strong book. A book that makes you think, a book that makes you feel what some other person might feel. Any book that lets you sit inside the mind of one of the broken and lonely people of the world might well change your actions and attitudes in the future.
For that in this book we should be glad. Moreover this is a great story. I could see this being a movie, but one wonders if Hollywood with it's fear of obesity as anything more than a joke could do it justice.
A wonderful book.
It is a book you will not soon find one like. In this book we meet two characters so far apart in their lives and backgrounds that it seems impossible that their lives will come together.
Arthur Opp is a 58 year old single man, never married, a former college professor, and, oh yes, Arthur is a hermit who lives in Brooklyn, has not left his house for ten years, and weighs well over 500 pounds. How Arthur got to this point in life is told in a backstory.
Arthur " Kel" Keller is a Sr who goes to a rich suburban school outside of Yonkers. Kel plays baseball and has hopes of becoming a professional player. Kel is popular but has to take care of his mother a woman in her late thirties who is herself a shut in, only her issue is alcohol.
Mr. Opp's story hurts to read. It should. He is a nice man, he had a famous father who abandoned he and his Mother. As one might imagine he was not popular in school and when a misunderstanding leads to a rebuke at the college he has taught at for years he just drifts away of embarrassment. Arthur is a nice man, a good man, a caring man, who has pushed himself to the outskirts of society.
Kel as a popular athlete gets away with being poor because of his looks, his athletic ability and his assured confidence. He slides through life and sees himself as a New York Met in the near future. In fact he has a private tryout pending with the Mets.
Mr. Opp had a student when he taught, a shy student that he befriended and wrote letters with for the last twenty years. Kel's Mom had gone to college for a semester long ago and met a teacher she admired and looked up to. Something terrible happens to Kel's word that changes it forever, at the same time a young housekeeper brings a light of hope into the lonely existence of Mr. Arthur Opp.
This book is an easy read. It grows on you until today I read the last 150 pages in a quick and easy finish to in the end what becomes a very strong book. A book that makes you think, a book that makes you feel what some other person might feel. Any book that lets you sit inside the mind of one of the broken and lonely people of the world might well change your actions and attitudes in the future.
For that in this book we should be glad. Moreover this is a great story. I could see this being a movie, but one wonders if Hollywood with it's fear of obesity as anything more than a joke could do it justice.
A wonderful book.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Roger Williams and The Creation of the American Soul by John M. Barry
Just by reading the title of this book one knows they are in for a challenge. I have enjoyed John Barry's books so I picked this up when it landed at our library. I must confess that it sat on my shelf until I got the due notice from the library. Resolving that with all the books I have to read that this would not be one of them I picked it up and started to sample. Thirty minutes in I knew I wanted to make time to read this.
Two renewals later I finished today. In short I cannot say enough good things about this book. Reading as much history and biography as I have I have a long list of people I admire from history. The obvious choices like Lincoln and Jefferson but also Teddy Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson, George McGovern, Jimmy Stewart, and Roger Angell.
To that list I must add Roger Williams. I think many of us know or once knew that Roger Williams was the founder of Providence Plantation and Rhode Island. Some of us know that he set up Rhode Island as a refuge of religeous libery. Less of us know why this was so important.
John Barry who by writing books about the great floods of the Mississippi ( Rising Tide), the Spanish Flue epidemic of 1919 ( The Great Influenza ), and now about Roger Williams has proven that he is one of those rare authors who can write about anything and make it interesting. He is a writer of note, to be put on the must read list.
In this book we do not just read about Roger Williams. We learn about the history of English Law, the influence of Francis Bacon, one of the forerunners of scientific thought, and most noticably Edward Coke the Englishman who advanced the legal theory that " a man's home was his castle. "
Roger Williams decided early under the mentorship of Coke that he felt that the church and the state should not be connected. He objected to the State enforcing the parts of the ten commandments that had to do with a person's relationship to God. It should be noted he was not for anarchy, he believed the state could and should regulate actions and deeds. It should not monitor one's thoughts and religion.
This was revolutionry. When he landed in Massachussets he soon found himself an outcast. This shows that as much as we all learned that the Pilgrims came here seeking religeous freedome and toleration the fact is that this policy lasted just long enough for them to gain control of their own state and then they started discriminating.
Williams was one of the first. His banishment in the dead of winter, his escape from being sent to England and the gallows was remarkable for the fact that years later he would forgive and help those same colonies that treated him so poorly.
Williams created the freest state anywhere in the world. Under pressure, consistent pressure from Plymouth, Massachussets and later Conneticut Williams never faltered in his belief that the state should never control religion.
In this book we see same of the history of the English Civil War. The flirting of King Charles with Catholicism, his refusal to call Parliment for years, but eventually having to and soon regretting doing so. The rise of Oliver Cromwell, the behading of the King and then, when Cromwell dies the return of his Charles son from France.
Into all of these machinations Williams manuerver to gain a charter for his colony. He succeeds beyond all expectations.
Williams believed that the organized church could not help but end up a corruption of Jesus. He believed strenuously in God but felt that apolisitic succesion had been corrupted and that any belief in a Papal edict was fallacy. Still the church- Government marriage in Massachussets bothered him just as much.
Willaims felt that church would not corrupt the state but that the state would inevitably corrupt the church. He considered it like the wilderness encroaching on a garden. Inevitably the weeds would get through.
He beleived that forced religion stank in God's nostrils. I think that pretty clearly sums it up.
His sometime friend and longtime rival John Winthrop of Massachussets delivered a speech that revertabrates today. Speaking of the desire to build a shining city on a hill he was speaking of religion and government together created a pleasing site to the world and God both.
Williams disagreed as he insisted that the city on the hill could not be one that enforced religion and likemindedness regarding it.Williams insisted, at first by himself, and later to his followers, on the separation of church and state. His most famous statement was that Rhode Island " having bought truth deare. we must not sell it cheape, not the least graine of it for the whole World, no not for the saving of Soules, though our owne most precious."
He knew the favor he had been blessed with in Rhode Island. He would not give up for anything. He was a true hero.
Two renewals later I finished today. In short I cannot say enough good things about this book. Reading as much history and biography as I have I have a long list of people I admire from history. The obvious choices like Lincoln and Jefferson but also Teddy Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson, George McGovern, Jimmy Stewart, and Roger Angell.
To that list I must add Roger Williams. I think many of us know or once knew that Roger Williams was the founder of Providence Plantation and Rhode Island. Some of us know that he set up Rhode Island as a refuge of religeous libery. Less of us know why this was so important.
John Barry who by writing books about the great floods of the Mississippi ( Rising Tide), the Spanish Flue epidemic of 1919 ( The Great Influenza ), and now about Roger Williams has proven that he is one of those rare authors who can write about anything and make it interesting. He is a writer of note, to be put on the must read list.
In this book we do not just read about Roger Williams. We learn about the history of English Law, the influence of Francis Bacon, one of the forerunners of scientific thought, and most noticably Edward Coke the Englishman who advanced the legal theory that " a man's home was his castle. "
Roger Williams decided early under the mentorship of Coke that he felt that the church and the state should not be connected. He objected to the State enforcing the parts of the ten commandments that had to do with a person's relationship to God. It should be noted he was not for anarchy, he believed the state could and should regulate actions and deeds. It should not monitor one's thoughts and religion.
This was revolutionry. When he landed in Massachussets he soon found himself an outcast. This shows that as much as we all learned that the Pilgrims came here seeking religeous freedome and toleration the fact is that this policy lasted just long enough for them to gain control of their own state and then they started discriminating.
Williams was one of the first. His banishment in the dead of winter, his escape from being sent to England and the gallows was remarkable for the fact that years later he would forgive and help those same colonies that treated him so poorly.
Williams created the freest state anywhere in the world. Under pressure, consistent pressure from Plymouth, Massachussets and later Conneticut Williams never faltered in his belief that the state should never control religion.
In this book we see same of the history of the English Civil War. The flirting of King Charles with Catholicism, his refusal to call Parliment for years, but eventually having to and soon regretting doing so. The rise of Oliver Cromwell, the behading of the King and then, when Cromwell dies the return of his Charles son from France.
Into all of these machinations Williams manuerver to gain a charter for his colony. He succeeds beyond all expectations.
Williams believed that the organized church could not help but end up a corruption of Jesus. He believed strenuously in God but felt that apolisitic succesion had been corrupted and that any belief in a Papal edict was fallacy. Still the church- Government marriage in Massachussets bothered him just as much.
Willaims felt that church would not corrupt the state but that the state would inevitably corrupt the church. He considered it like the wilderness encroaching on a garden. Inevitably the weeds would get through.
He beleived that forced religion stank in God's nostrils. I think that pretty clearly sums it up.
His sometime friend and longtime rival John Winthrop of Massachussets delivered a speech that revertabrates today. Speaking of the desire to build a shining city on a hill he was speaking of religion and government together created a pleasing site to the world and God both.
Williams disagreed as he insisted that the city on the hill could not be one that enforced religion and likemindedness regarding it.Williams insisted, at first by himself, and later to his followers, on the separation of church and state. His most famous statement was that Rhode Island " having bought truth deare. we must not sell it cheape, not the least graine of it for the whole World, no not for the saving of Soules, though our owne most precious."
He knew the favor he had been blessed with in Rhode Island. He would not give up for anything. He was a true hero.
Monday, March 26, 2012
The Time Machine by H G Wells
This book was downloadable for free on Ibooks. An H G Wells book written in 1995 The Time Machine was the beginning of future apocolayptic literature.
The book has been made into numerous plays, movies and televison shows. Being written over one hundred years ago it does age well.
The truth is we do not know what the future holds and Wells writing is as plausible as any. As one of the books often assigned by our English teachers the book has a subtext, a moral as it were, and Wells wishes us to consider that the loss of challenges, the conquering of all problems in the world in our lives would in the end leave us weak and unable to function at the high levels we currently do.
This is not a hard theory to follow. Look at a person in today's world that has been born rich and had his money make sure nothing hard or difficult ever happens to him. Now imagine him as a survivor in a post apocolyptic world where his money does not protect him. It is easy to see that if humans life becomes too easy then we as a race may not be able to withstand unexpected challenges and changes to our enviroment.
In the story we learn no names of the characters. A scientist living in England that we know only as The Time Traveler invites several members of his community to tell them of his invention of a time machine. He shows them a small model, demonstrates it " zooming " into the future and leaves them to contemplate it. A week later the visitors return to another requested meeting. The Time Traveler enters, a dissheveled dusty mess of a man and after eating like only a famished man can tells a story of what has transpired to him.
He tells of his trip in the time machine. He travels a million or more years ahead in time. As he stops he arrives in the same place but is greeted by a happy group of people who appear to be human but are very small, seem to lack any intellect or attention span, and are happy all day, eating a diet of strictly fruit. Nightfall changes their attitude into one of cowering and fear and The Time Traveler soon learns why. Another race of people exist. A group of what he would call subhumans, white in color, all over, who live underground.
As he ponders the relationship between the two groups he soon comes to a conclusion that goes beyond his initial impression. It scares him and shakes him to the core to see the future. This is where the moral of the story comes from. That is he sees that humans have " advanced" to a state where they have lost to put it bluntly their edge.
Escaping from this place in time he moves forward further and further until he comes to a space in time where all life appears to have vanished and the earth is covered with snow year round. He sees an eclipse and then as it passes sees another creature, a lizard or reptile of some sort moving towards him and leaves in horror. He returns home and as he finishes his story his guests clearly do not believe him.
The book is narrated by both The Time Traveler telling his story and one of the guests, the unnamed narrator who after hearing the story struggles to sleep. He resolves to return to The Time Travlers's home and speak with him again. As he enters he sees the Scientist gathering a backpack and camera, clearly preparing to leave again on his Machine. The narrator gets to the lab just in time to see a transparent image of him as he disappears. Knowing now that the story is true he resolves to wait for his return. Three years later the Time Traveler has not returned and our narrator still wonders where and when he is.
This is a very good book. It is easy to read, much easier than many of the classics of this era, and has aged very well. While dated it still is easily adaptable to modern theory.
The book has been made into numerous plays, movies and televison shows. Being written over one hundred years ago it does age well.
The truth is we do not know what the future holds and Wells writing is as plausible as any. As one of the books often assigned by our English teachers the book has a subtext, a moral as it were, and Wells wishes us to consider that the loss of challenges, the conquering of all problems in the world in our lives would in the end leave us weak and unable to function at the high levels we currently do.
This is not a hard theory to follow. Look at a person in today's world that has been born rich and had his money make sure nothing hard or difficult ever happens to him. Now imagine him as a survivor in a post apocolyptic world where his money does not protect him. It is easy to see that if humans life becomes too easy then we as a race may not be able to withstand unexpected challenges and changes to our enviroment.
In the story we learn no names of the characters. A scientist living in England that we know only as The Time Traveler invites several members of his community to tell them of his invention of a time machine. He shows them a small model, demonstrates it " zooming " into the future and leaves them to contemplate it. A week later the visitors return to another requested meeting. The Time Traveler enters, a dissheveled dusty mess of a man and after eating like only a famished man can tells a story of what has transpired to him.
He tells of his trip in the time machine. He travels a million or more years ahead in time. As he stops he arrives in the same place but is greeted by a happy group of people who appear to be human but are very small, seem to lack any intellect or attention span, and are happy all day, eating a diet of strictly fruit. Nightfall changes their attitude into one of cowering and fear and The Time Traveler soon learns why. Another race of people exist. A group of what he would call subhumans, white in color, all over, who live underground.
As he ponders the relationship between the two groups he soon comes to a conclusion that goes beyond his initial impression. It scares him and shakes him to the core to see the future. This is where the moral of the story comes from. That is he sees that humans have " advanced" to a state where they have lost to put it bluntly their edge.
Escaping from this place in time he moves forward further and further until he comes to a space in time where all life appears to have vanished and the earth is covered with snow year round. He sees an eclipse and then as it passes sees another creature, a lizard or reptile of some sort moving towards him and leaves in horror. He returns home and as he finishes his story his guests clearly do not believe him.
The book is narrated by both The Time Traveler telling his story and one of the guests, the unnamed narrator who after hearing the story struggles to sleep. He resolves to return to The Time Travlers's home and speak with him again. As he enters he sees the Scientist gathering a backpack and camera, clearly preparing to leave again on his Machine. The narrator gets to the lab just in time to see a transparent image of him as he disappears. Knowing now that the story is true he resolves to wait for his return. Three years later the Time Traveler has not returned and our narrator still wonders where and when he is.
This is a very good book. It is easy to read, much easier than many of the classics of this era, and has aged very well. While dated it still is easily adaptable to modern theory.
Smash
A sad confession has to be made. I have paid more attention to this show than I like to admit. I never watch the show myself I feel compelled to add. My wife watches this On Demand. I happen to be in the room.
Still as we have watched five episodes I must admit to knowing more about the show and it's plot than I would have expected. Created by Stephen Speilberg the show tells the story of the creation of a Broadway play based on the life of Marilyn Monroe.
Starring Debra Messing as half of the writing tandem in charge of the play, former American Idol contestant Katherine McPhee as a sweet Iowa girl who is in her first production and Megan Hilty as the blond buxom actress who gains the part of Marilyn the show has some appeal.
My wife loves it and when I find myself asking which gay guy is that, and why is the blonde being mean to Katherine McPhee I know I should just leave the room. The production numbers do not really keep my interest but when Hilty does her breathy Marilyn part one cannot help but notice. She is magnetic.
The writing is sharp, the characters move beyond the basic stereotype and as with anything Spielberg everything is put together well. It is hard to picture the show having a large appeal and I will admit that a play about Marilyn with a similarly featured actress was a pretty smart move. Still it seems likely the show will not survive, my wife will be a bit disappointed and go back to Glee and I will pay better attention to my reading materials on late Sunday afternoons.
Still as we have watched five episodes I must admit to knowing more about the show and it's plot than I would have expected. Created by Stephen Speilberg the show tells the story of the creation of a Broadway play based on the life of Marilyn Monroe.
Starring Debra Messing as half of the writing tandem in charge of the play, former American Idol contestant Katherine McPhee as a sweet Iowa girl who is in her first production and Megan Hilty as the blond buxom actress who gains the part of Marilyn the show has some appeal.
My wife loves it and when I find myself asking which gay guy is that, and why is the blonde being mean to Katherine McPhee I know I should just leave the room. The production numbers do not really keep my interest but when Hilty does her breathy Marilyn part one cannot help but notice. She is magnetic.
The writing is sharp, the characters move beyond the basic stereotype and as with anything Spielberg everything is put together well. It is hard to picture the show having a large appeal and I will admit that a play about Marilyn with a similarly featured actress was a pretty smart move. Still it seems likely the show will not survive, my wife will be a bit disappointed and go back to Glee and I will pay better attention to my reading materials on late Sunday afternoons.
Let There Be Rock by The Drive By Truckers
I have to admit it. I cannot get enough of this band. They are awesome. This song off the amazing double album Southern Rock Opera continues the bands obsession with the ghosts of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Telling us about how he had tickets for a show on the Survivors tour, the tour that did not finish due to the plane crash and then taking us on a tour of shows he did see such as Ozzy Osbourne and Bon Scott and AC/DC Patterson Hood and the boys tell us a great story and a great song.
My guess is that the Drive By's are an acquired taste. That is you love them or you just do not get it. I get it. You should try to as well. Talent and trueness to one's vision of what kind of music you want to make should be rewarded.
I hear the songs of this band and when my daughter gets in the vehicle I tell her she cannot switch the channel right now. She sighs and rolls her eyes but then looks at the readout on the screem, if she sees Drive By Truckers she knows it is no use argeuing. The Disney Radio channel will have to wait.
This is a great band.
My guess is that the Drive By's are an acquired taste. That is you love them or you just do not get it. I get it. You should try to as well. Talent and trueness to one's vision of what kind of music you want to make should be rewarded.
I hear the songs of this band and when my daughter gets in the vehicle I tell her she cannot switch the channel right now. She sighs and rolls her eyes but then looks at the readout on the screem, if she sees Drive By Truckers she knows it is no use argeuing. The Disney Radio channel will have to wait.
This is a great band.
The Conversation by Hank Williams Jr
Hank Williams Jr. got himself into quite abit of trouble last fall. Speaking of Fox and Friends he gave an opinion of The President that appeared to compare Obama with Hitler. As one can imagine this causes quite a furor.
In all the hullabaloo that came about after none of the obvious questions that should have been asked were asked. Such as " Who cares what Hank Williams Jr says?" and " Does anyone really think he felt that the two were really comparitive?." I bet most of us, I know myself that I am guilty, have at times made comparisons between a person and Hitler. Hitler has become an adjective for being tyrannical. Nothing more, nothing less. Now if our Jewish friends want to call someone Hitler like they might have more ability to do so but for 99 percent of us Hitler is just a term for tryannical. And most of us know someone who is tyrannical.
So of course the folks on the left got all stirred up, Espn owned by Disney got scared off and replaced Hank's " All My Rowdy Friends" song as the theme song for Monday night football and the world was safe for democracy and reason again.
Lost in all this was the fact that Hank Williams Jr now became synomonous with being Anti Obama. The fact that Hank Williams is a Republican should be no surprise. It also should be no disqualifier. I do not know his heart, but I just think we all need to relax and give people the benefit of the doubt.
This whole controversy mitigates one thing that should not be denied. Hank Williams Jr has made some great music. Being a partisan of Outlaw Country on Sirius/XM I often hear the music of Hank Jr. The Conversation is a song, both talked and sung by Williams and Waylon Jennings talking about Hank Williams SR. When Jr talks about Hank Sr getting fired from the Opry and how that caused his greatest pain you feel it and understand why being embraced by the traditional Country Music Scene was never an imperative for him. In songs like Family Tradition Williams sings with a gusto that draws the line clearly from his Father to himself all the way to his son who now performs under the name Hank III and makes his Dad's music seem pristine and clear.
Hank Williams Jr has recorded some wonderful music. He is a man who has gone through great tragedy and hardship. Read about his mountaintop accident and subsequent facial reconstruction surgeries. He has some Conservative opinions. He said something the wrong way and used a word that has become an axiom understood by most to mean one thing but for those with their heads in clouds and seats on ivory towers can only be interpreted as hateful and mean.
Williams is a Conservative man of the South. He likes beer and women, smoking, guns and trucks. He could be my brother who died recently and who I miss very much. My brother said stupid things too, he did stupid things too. He also had a heart of gold and deserved the benefit of the doubt. Hank Williams Jr does too.
We all need to grow up and really remember what Jesus said about how we treat each other.
Listen to some Hank Williams. Tap your foot. Hit the gas pedal. Give him a break.
In all the hullabaloo that came about after none of the obvious questions that should have been asked were asked. Such as " Who cares what Hank Williams Jr says?" and " Does anyone really think he felt that the two were really comparitive?." I bet most of us, I know myself that I am guilty, have at times made comparisons between a person and Hitler. Hitler has become an adjective for being tyrannical. Nothing more, nothing less. Now if our Jewish friends want to call someone Hitler like they might have more ability to do so but for 99 percent of us Hitler is just a term for tryannical. And most of us know someone who is tyrannical.
So of course the folks on the left got all stirred up, Espn owned by Disney got scared off and replaced Hank's " All My Rowdy Friends" song as the theme song for Monday night football and the world was safe for democracy and reason again.
Lost in all this was the fact that Hank Williams Jr now became synomonous with being Anti Obama. The fact that Hank Williams is a Republican should be no surprise. It also should be no disqualifier. I do not know his heart, but I just think we all need to relax and give people the benefit of the doubt.
This whole controversy mitigates one thing that should not be denied. Hank Williams Jr has made some great music. Being a partisan of Outlaw Country on Sirius/XM I often hear the music of Hank Jr. The Conversation is a song, both talked and sung by Williams and Waylon Jennings talking about Hank Williams SR. When Jr talks about Hank Sr getting fired from the Opry and how that caused his greatest pain you feel it and understand why being embraced by the traditional Country Music Scene was never an imperative for him. In songs like Family Tradition Williams sings with a gusto that draws the line clearly from his Father to himself all the way to his son who now performs under the name Hank III and makes his Dad's music seem pristine and clear.
Hank Williams Jr has recorded some wonderful music. He is a man who has gone through great tragedy and hardship. Read about his mountaintop accident and subsequent facial reconstruction surgeries. He has some Conservative opinions. He said something the wrong way and used a word that has become an axiom understood by most to mean one thing but for those with their heads in clouds and seats on ivory towers can only be interpreted as hateful and mean.
Williams is a Conservative man of the South. He likes beer and women, smoking, guns and trucks. He could be my brother who died recently and who I miss very much. My brother said stupid things too, he did stupid things too. He also had a heart of gold and deserved the benefit of the doubt. Hank Williams Jr does too.
We all need to grow up and really remember what Jesus said about how we treat each other.
Listen to some Hank Williams. Tap your foot. Hit the gas pedal. Give him a break.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
This 2010 novel by Jonathan Franzen was his long delayed follow up to his famously popular novel of 2001 The Corrections. For all the wait this book delivers. For me this book actually surpasses it's predecessor and hit home in ways for me that the fist book did not.
Franzen returns to the Midwest to the suburbs of Minnesota, suburbs that are fast becoming his known place and setting as much as Faulkner and Cheever traditional settings that appeared over and over.
The story centers around Walter and Patty Berglund a couple who has raised two children, and now as the children are almost grown see their marriage disintegrating. The book is told in several flashbacks and time settings.
Much of the book is told under the section heading " Mistakes Were Made" an autobiography written by Patty at the urging of her therapist. We learn of Patty's problems growing up, her escape from her emotionless family and her meeting both Walter her future husband and his best friend, the cool as a cucumber narcissitic futire rock star Richard Katz. Attacted to Richard and comfortable in the knowledge that Walter adores her she wiggles on the hook of both until she takes the easy route and marries Walter.
Walter is a good man. He is a feminist, a proto typical liberal in everyway. He rides a bike to work, even in snow, to reduce his carbon footprint. Despite these eccentries Walter is a genuinly good person. His displeasure with good old boys can be traced to his childhood and his being invisible to his father and older brothers, none of whom could Walter be described as being remotely like.
Richard is the man we all know. He treats women like objects. He runs from success like it compromises his vision of a struggling future. Richard and Patty share a passion for each other that is kept at bay until way too late. Richard and Patty also share a love for Walter and his inate goodness that makes their passion for each other shrink.
We also meet Jessica and Joey, the children of Patty and Walter. We see Walter's passion for the environemnt lead him into the employ of a wildlife orgainziation run by a rich oilman who plans to use mountaintop mining to pave the way for a wildlife preserve. Truth to say that Walter is conflicted.
In the end Walter is a hermit living at his family's secluded camp in upstate Minnesota watching himself be fenced in even here by development and the enemies of his beloved songbirds, doemstic cats.
Patty is in New York having effected a settlement of her feelings with her family and at the same time her father's estate.
This book is too wide ranging to describe easily. For me the relationship between Walter and his son and Walter's struggles to deal with his son's differences from him felt like I could have wrote it. One has to be happy in having those feelings seeing the eventual resolution of that heartache for Walter and his son. It gives one hope.
In the end this novel Freedom is about hope, and second chances, and third chances, getting what you want and finding out you really want what you had and didn't want. It is the story of the emotions we all feel.
This is a monumental book.
Franzen returns to the Midwest to the suburbs of Minnesota, suburbs that are fast becoming his known place and setting as much as Faulkner and Cheever traditional settings that appeared over and over.
The story centers around Walter and Patty Berglund a couple who has raised two children, and now as the children are almost grown see their marriage disintegrating. The book is told in several flashbacks and time settings.
Much of the book is told under the section heading " Mistakes Were Made" an autobiography written by Patty at the urging of her therapist. We learn of Patty's problems growing up, her escape from her emotionless family and her meeting both Walter her future husband and his best friend, the cool as a cucumber narcissitic futire rock star Richard Katz. Attacted to Richard and comfortable in the knowledge that Walter adores her she wiggles on the hook of both until she takes the easy route and marries Walter.
Walter is a good man. He is a feminist, a proto typical liberal in everyway. He rides a bike to work, even in snow, to reduce his carbon footprint. Despite these eccentries Walter is a genuinly good person. His displeasure with good old boys can be traced to his childhood and his being invisible to his father and older brothers, none of whom could Walter be described as being remotely like.
Richard is the man we all know. He treats women like objects. He runs from success like it compromises his vision of a struggling future. Richard and Patty share a passion for each other that is kept at bay until way too late. Richard and Patty also share a love for Walter and his inate goodness that makes their passion for each other shrink.
We also meet Jessica and Joey, the children of Patty and Walter. We see Walter's passion for the environemnt lead him into the employ of a wildlife orgainziation run by a rich oilman who plans to use mountaintop mining to pave the way for a wildlife preserve. Truth to say that Walter is conflicted.
In the end Walter is a hermit living at his family's secluded camp in upstate Minnesota watching himself be fenced in even here by development and the enemies of his beloved songbirds, doemstic cats.
Patty is in New York having effected a settlement of her feelings with her family and at the same time her father's estate.
This book is too wide ranging to describe easily. For me the relationship between Walter and his son and Walter's struggles to deal with his son's differences from him felt like I could have wrote it. One has to be happy in having those feelings seeing the eventual resolution of that heartache for Walter and his son. It gives one hope.
In the end this novel Freedom is about hope, and second chances, and third chances, getting what you want and finding out you really want what you had and didn't want. It is the story of the emotions we all feel.
This is a monumental book.
Game Change
This 2012 Movie adapted from the Halperin and Heilman book of the same name opened to rave reviews as it aired on HBO earlier this month.
The book told the story of the 2008 Presidential campaign while the movie predominantly focuses on the Republican side. As the Republican candidate John McCain approaches his Republican convention his staff is aware of how badly he is trailing. They determine that McCain's preferred pick Senator Joe Lieberman will alienate the base, and that none of the other candidates will do anything to provide excitement. It is resolved to find a woman candidate but the list of Christine Todd Whitman and Kay Bailey Hutchinson is dispensed with quickly as too boring or worse yet pro choice.
Into this breach steps Sarah Palin. Viewing a videotape of her she appears to be a star. Attractive, a good speaker, and with a fire that shows itself easily Steve Schmight, McCain's campaign manager is smitten. With the convention only five days away the process of vetting Palin is started.
With an admittedly less than thorough job completed McCain is told there is nothing found that precludes Palin from being the nominee.
Now when watching a movie like this, based on an insider book one has to wonder how much is true, how much is conjecture, and how much is just axes being ground. Still Schmight and the Wallace's who worked on McCain and especially Nicole Wallace with Sarah Palin are still in the game. Being vindictive and untruthful would keep them from future jobs.
Palin emerges from her Convention speech in great shape. Soon however the truth of how unprepared she is to be President or even Vice President is apparent. From thinking the Queen of England is the head of foreign policy for Great Britian to the Katie Couric interview and many other missing pieces of information in her brain Palin is shown to unprepared.
What also becomes apparent however is that Palin is also to be felt sorry for. After all it was she as first term Governor in Alaska who was approached. She did not seek it out. She was not vetted correctly, as the McCain team fell in love with the possibilities of a Game Changing move. Palin makes the mistake of being an everyman and everywoman running for President when the truth of it is that we really do need so much more.
McCain is shown to be a very conflicted figure and perhaps an example of what is wrong with politics today. An honorable man he wants to run a campaign to be proud of. He will not use Senator Obama's association with the controversial Minister Wright to his advantage but does allow in the end the use of his association with former radical and accused domestic terrorist William Ayers. The hate and discontent this stirs up on the campaign trail, the jingoism, and racism unleashed makes McCain noticably uncomfortable. Finally when an older white woman tells him she does not trust Obama, that he is an Arab he takes the microphone away from her and tells her that she is wrong. Obama is not a bad man, that he is a good family man and that McCain only happens to have significant policy differences with him but that Americans should not be fearful of him.
McCain regains his center and from there is on his way to defeat. Even on election night when Palin prepares her own concession speech until being shut down forcefully by Steve Schmight it is clear that she does not get it. What she does understand however is the fervor and unmitigated admiration she has gained from those on the far right, and the anti intellectual tea party. Only in America it would seem would a candidate's inability to know basic facts be seen as a plus.
The acting in this movie is first rate. Ed Harris is very good as John McCain. Julianne Moore is a doppleganger of Palin. In interviews as Moore made the rounds promoting the movie she told about how she studied all of Palin's speeches and films to pick up not just her speaking style and accent but her mannerisms and ticks. it worked. Moore is great. Still the most incredible performance, the one you remember most is Woody Harrelson as Steve Schmight. Harrelson is often an underrated actor but in this role he shines so brighly you need sunglasses. As Schmight the experienced pol who soon realizes he has made a horrible mistake in leading the charge to choose Palin he is conflicted between his loyalty to McCain, his belief in the process, and his shame at what Palin is and is not.
As this movie ends Schmight tells Nicole Wallace no one will remmeber Sarah Palin two weeks after the election. He as noticably wrong but thankfully it is well apparent that Palin is nothing more than a pretty face on the lunatic right. She will never run for office again on a national ticket. Even she knows what she is and is not. She is the Kim Khardasian of the far right. She does not how she got where she is but she is going to milk it for all it's worth.
This is a great movie.
The book told the story of the 2008 Presidential campaign while the movie predominantly focuses on the Republican side. As the Republican candidate John McCain approaches his Republican convention his staff is aware of how badly he is trailing. They determine that McCain's preferred pick Senator Joe Lieberman will alienate the base, and that none of the other candidates will do anything to provide excitement. It is resolved to find a woman candidate but the list of Christine Todd Whitman and Kay Bailey Hutchinson is dispensed with quickly as too boring or worse yet pro choice.
Into this breach steps Sarah Palin. Viewing a videotape of her she appears to be a star. Attractive, a good speaker, and with a fire that shows itself easily Steve Schmight, McCain's campaign manager is smitten. With the convention only five days away the process of vetting Palin is started.
With an admittedly less than thorough job completed McCain is told there is nothing found that precludes Palin from being the nominee.
Now when watching a movie like this, based on an insider book one has to wonder how much is true, how much is conjecture, and how much is just axes being ground. Still Schmight and the Wallace's who worked on McCain and especially Nicole Wallace with Sarah Palin are still in the game. Being vindictive and untruthful would keep them from future jobs.
Palin emerges from her Convention speech in great shape. Soon however the truth of how unprepared she is to be President or even Vice President is apparent. From thinking the Queen of England is the head of foreign policy for Great Britian to the Katie Couric interview and many other missing pieces of information in her brain Palin is shown to unprepared.
What also becomes apparent however is that Palin is also to be felt sorry for. After all it was she as first term Governor in Alaska who was approached. She did not seek it out. She was not vetted correctly, as the McCain team fell in love with the possibilities of a Game Changing move. Palin makes the mistake of being an everyman and everywoman running for President when the truth of it is that we really do need so much more.
McCain is shown to be a very conflicted figure and perhaps an example of what is wrong with politics today. An honorable man he wants to run a campaign to be proud of. He will not use Senator Obama's association with the controversial Minister Wright to his advantage but does allow in the end the use of his association with former radical and accused domestic terrorist William Ayers. The hate and discontent this stirs up on the campaign trail, the jingoism, and racism unleashed makes McCain noticably uncomfortable. Finally when an older white woman tells him she does not trust Obama, that he is an Arab he takes the microphone away from her and tells her that she is wrong. Obama is not a bad man, that he is a good family man and that McCain only happens to have significant policy differences with him but that Americans should not be fearful of him.
McCain regains his center and from there is on his way to defeat. Even on election night when Palin prepares her own concession speech until being shut down forcefully by Steve Schmight it is clear that she does not get it. What she does understand however is the fervor and unmitigated admiration she has gained from those on the far right, and the anti intellectual tea party. Only in America it would seem would a candidate's inability to know basic facts be seen as a plus.
The acting in this movie is first rate. Ed Harris is very good as John McCain. Julianne Moore is a doppleganger of Palin. In interviews as Moore made the rounds promoting the movie she told about how she studied all of Palin's speeches and films to pick up not just her speaking style and accent but her mannerisms and ticks. it worked. Moore is great. Still the most incredible performance, the one you remember most is Woody Harrelson as Steve Schmight. Harrelson is often an underrated actor but in this role he shines so brighly you need sunglasses. As Schmight the experienced pol who soon realizes he has made a horrible mistake in leading the charge to choose Palin he is conflicted between his loyalty to McCain, his belief in the process, and his shame at what Palin is and is not.
As this movie ends Schmight tells Nicole Wallace no one will remmeber Sarah Palin two weeks after the election. He as noticably wrong but thankfully it is well apparent that Palin is nothing more than a pretty face on the lunatic right. She will never run for office again on a national ticket. Even she knows what she is and is not. She is the Kim Khardasian of the far right. She does not how she got where she is but she is going to milk it for all it's worth.
This is a great movie.
Boardwalk Empire
Even though it has been on for two seasons now on HBO we have just started watching Boardwalk Empire in our house. This is another show destined to be a classic for the folks from HBO.
Starring Steve Buscemi show opens with the passing of Prohobition. Buscemi plays Nucky Thompson the treasurer of Atlantic City. Nucky also is a mobster, who runs the town and gets a piece of every action that takes place in the town.
Buscemi may be the most noticable actor you will find. His face, seemingly elastic, shows expression like your dog shows expression, easily and often. This series when it was first released was of course compared to HBO's other mob series The Sopranos. Buscemi of course had a role in The Sopranos, until at least he met his maker at the hand of his Cousin Tony.
Boardwalk Empire is different however. Set at the beginning of Prohibition there is an element of history in this show. We have sets that reflect the time, characters, clothes and the whole world of 1920.
As Nucky Thompson Buscemi is a fantastic character. A gangster very willing to have someone taken out, he also has a tender spot for women in distress. He is a study in contradictions. When his protege left college to enroll in the Army during World War I he was bothered, when he returns and then runs an operation that endangers one of he is very upset. As the feds close in on the shooting that took place and Nucky has to kick him out of town Nucky's brother who happens to be the Sheriff tells him if it had been him he would not have been given the latitude Jimmy received. Nucky silently assents to the truth of this statement.
This show sparkles and shines. Having watched just three episodes I am sure I am in for many new twists and turns but one thing I have no doubt is that this show will be among the best on television as long as it is on. This show is to be rated five stars. Buscemi, second and third fiddle no more, easily proves he can carry the weight of stardom on his elastic man features.
Starring Steve Buscemi show opens with the passing of Prohobition. Buscemi plays Nucky Thompson the treasurer of Atlantic City. Nucky also is a mobster, who runs the town and gets a piece of every action that takes place in the town.
Buscemi may be the most noticable actor you will find. His face, seemingly elastic, shows expression like your dog shows expression, easily and often. This series when it was first released was of course compared to HBO's other mob series The Sopranos. Buscemi of course had a role in The Sopranos, until at least he met his maker at the hand of his Cousin Tony.
Boardwalk Empire is different however. Set at the beginning of Prohibition there is an element of history in this show. We have sets that reflect the time, characters, clothes and the whole world of 1920.
As Nucky Thompson Buscemi is a fantastic character. A gangster very willing to have someone taken out, he also has a tender spot for women in distress. He is a study in contradictions. When his protege left college to enroll in the Army during World War I he was bothered, when he returns and then runs an operation that endangers one of he is very upset. As the feds close in on the shooting that took place and Nucky has to kick him out of town Nucky's brother who happens to be the Sheriff tells him if it had been him he would not have been given the latitude Jimmy received. Nucky silently assents to the truth of this statement.
This show sparkles and shines. Having watched just three episodes I am sure I am in for many new twists and turns but one thing I have no doubt is that this show will be among the best on television as long as it is on. This show is to be rated five stars. Buscemi, second and third fiddle no more, easily proves he can carry the weight of stardom on his elastic man features.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
All the President's Men
Alan Pakula directed this 1976 movie adapted from the book by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's book of the same name. The book, of course, told the story of Woodward and Bernstein's reporting for The Washington Post that broke the Watergate story and coverup.
The movie is nothing short of fantastic. Starting with the discovery of the break in at The Watergate Hotel by a security guard that led to the arrest of the five burglars. Assigned to the case is Woodward, played by Robert Redford, a young reporter. At the arraignment Woodward is surprised to see that these small time burglars have a country club lawyer, and even more surprised when one of the burglars, Kent McCord claims he has been a CIA operative.
Eventually Woodward and then Bernstien, played by Dustin Hoffman, work thier way up the chain of the case. They tie Howard Hunt into the case, Hunt works for Charles Colson the President's counsel and eventually find the slush fund dispensed by the Commitee to Reelect the President, or CREEP, is controlled by H R Haldemen and John Mitchell. Haldemen as the President's Chief of Staff is considered the second most powerful man in the country and Mitchell is the former Attorney General who now heads up the President's Reelection campaign.
Jason Robards is perhaps the best actor in the movie, no mean feat, playing Editor Ben Bradlee. Bradlee continually pushes on his young reporters to get more information and more sources and get somebody to go on the record. Still when the reporters publish and the White House attacks the reporting he silently passes around a note at a staff meeting with his editors that says simply" We stick with the story." Bradlee is a hero and should be considered such.
The movie ends with Nixon taking the oath of office in 1973, the story did not break soon enough and deep enough to prevent that, and then we see headlines typed out over the next two years detailing the collapse of the Nixon administration.
The movie could have been twice as long but ends in a good spot. Once Haldeman and Mitchell were implicated the rest of the story only needed time.
This is a movie that as you watch it you are amazed at the ways that the reporters have to gain information as clearly everyone is scared to speak, and pressure is certainly coming from on high to protect the administration. Were the reporters, it should be noted young reporters at that time, not supported by Bradlee then this story might well have not broken.
A great movie.
The movie is nothing short of fantastic. Starting with the discovery of the break in at The Watergate Hotel by a security guard that led to the arrest of the five burglars. Assigned to the case is Woodward, played by Robert Redford, a young reporter. At the arraignment Woodward is surprised to see that these small time burglars have a country club lawyer, and even more surprised when one of the burglars, Kent McCord claims he has been a CIA operative.
Eventually Woodward and then Bernstien, played by Dustin Hoffman, work thier way up the chain of the case. They tie Howard Hunt into the case, Hunt works for Charles Colson the President's counsel and eventually find the slush fund dispensed by the Commitee to Reelect the President, or CREEP, is controlled by H R Haldemen and John Mitchell. Haldemen as the President's Chief of Staff is considered the second most powerful man in the country and Mitchell is the former Attorney General who now heads up the President's Reelection campaign.
Jason Robards is perhaps the best actor in the movie, no mean feat, playing Editor Ben Bradlee. Bradlee continually pushes on his young reporters to get more information and more sources and get somebody to go on the record. Still when the reporters publish and the White House attacks the reporting he silently passes around a note at a staff meeting with his editors that says simply" We stick with the story." Bradlee is a hero and should be considered such.
The movie ends with Nixon taking the oath of office in 1973, the story did not break soon enough and deep enough to prevent that, and then we see headlines typed out over the next two years detailing the collapse of the Nixon administration.
The movie could have been twice as long but ends in a good spot. Once Haldeman and Mitchell were implicated the rest of the story only needed time.
This is a movie that as you watch it you are amazed at the ways that the reporters have to gain information as clearly everyone is scared to speak, and pressure is certainly coming from on high to protect the administration. Were the reporters, it should be noted young reporters at that time, not supported by Bradlee then this story might well have not broken.
A great movie.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Toy Story
A couple of weekends ago Toy Story was rerun on one of the Disney Channels and my daughter and I came upon it. The first thing I noticed is how wonderful the movie looks on HD, when this movie was first released on VHS and then DVD the movie was great, but the sharpness of the picture on HD is amazing.
Perhaps one needs a nature show or a animated movie to see how impressive crisp HD is. The movie itself, however many times you see it, is amazing. This movie is wonderful. It is funny, it has humor for young children, but in many ways this movie has just as much to offer to adults.
Tim Allen and Tom Hanks are great actors but they are so well known that their voices alone are identifiable. As a child of the seventies toys like walkie talkies, remote cars, bo peep, and of course Mr. Potato Head and the now politically culturally relevant etch a sketch again, the toys themselves bring a comfort and familiarity that makes one embrace the movie before seeing the story.
Once the story lays out you are fully in. I watched this movie tons of times when my children were young, but the truth is last weekend when watching it I still laughed out loud. It is a rare movie that can do this the first time, much less forty two times in.
This is a fantastic movie.
Perhaps one needs a nature show or a animated movie to see how impressive crisp HD is. The movie itself, however many times you see it, is amazing. This movie is wonderful. It is funny, it has humor for young children, but in many ways this movie has just as much to offer to adults.
Tim Allen and Tom Hanks are great actors but they are so well known that their voices alone are identifiable. As a child of the seventies toys like walkie talkies, remote cars, bo peep, and of course Mr. Potato Head and the now politically culturally relevant etch a sketch again, the toys themselves bring a comfort and familiarity that makes one embrace the movie before seeing the story.
Once the story lays out you are fully in. I watched this movie tons of times when my children were young, but the truth is last weekend when watching it I still laughed out loud. It is a rare movie that can do this the first time, much less forty two times in.
This is a fantastic movie.
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead wrapped up Season Two last weekend. This is a flat out great show. The Zombies add an excitement to the show but the fact is there is much to like on this show even without them.
My middle son who is an avid devotee was stating that he could not believe he had to wait until October to see more of the show. This is one of the rarest of things these days in television. A show that one cannot wait to see the next episode. Lost, Mad Men, there are few shows that are the watercooler shows.
The Walking Dead is one of those. If you are not watching this show yet you now have the summer to catch up. You absolutely should.
My middle son who is an avid devotee was stating that he could not believe he had to wait until October to see more of the show. This is one of the rarest of things these days in television. A show that one cannot wait to see the next episode. Lost, Mad Men, there are few shows that are the watercooler shows.
The Walking Dead is one of those. If you are not watching this show yet you now have the summer to catch up. You absolutely should.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Analog Man by Joe Walsh
On Rolling Stone.com today one can hear the first single from the forthcoming album from Joe Walsh. Walsh who has had a bit of a comeback in recent months has not released an album in twenty years. Walsh a longtime rock God going back to the James Gang, a sole career, and of course a long membership in The Eagles has over the last decade done a radio show, and toured occassionaly as part of Ringo Starr's All Star Revue's.
On his albums in the late eighties and nineties Walsh recorded some funny songs such as Ordinary Average Guy and I Like Big T*ts.
Still Walsh has made some very good music, The Pretender being one of them.
The reason this most recent song works is that Walsh again is speaking for his target audience. White men who were teenagers in the late seventies and first half of the eighties will enjoy and relate to the lyrics.
Walsh still sounds, if not good, like Walsh. He plays guitar well. The song is a keeper. It made me smile. Hopefully the rest of the album will be as good. We need some actual good music, much of it is a wasteland.
Thanks Joe.
By the way check out this link to see the funny side of Joe Walsh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFWOV1nGPb8
On his albums in the late eighties and nineties Walsh recorded some funny songs such as Ordinary Average Guy and I Like Big T*ts.
Still Walsh has made some very good music, The Pretender being one of them.
The reason this most recent song works is that Walsh again is speaking for his target audience. White men who were teenagers in the late seventies and first half of the eighties will enjoy and relate to the lyrics.
Walsh still sounds, if not good, like Walsh. He plays guitar well. The song is a keeper. It made me smile. Hopefully the rest of the album will be as good. We need some actual good music, much of it is a wasteland.
Thanks Joe.
By the way check out this link to see the funny side of Joe Walsh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFWOV1nGPb8
Friday, March 16, 2012
Cedar Rapids
I watched this movie on HBO today. Before seeing it in the listings I had never heard of the movie. It was a theatrical release but it was not successful. Still advertised as a quirky comedy about a straight laced Iowa insurance salesman who at a convention in Cedar Rapids meets some folks who lead him astray.
The movie should have found a better audience. I thought that it was very,very good. I laughed out loud several times which is always a pretty good measure for me as I am a tough critic on comedies.
Ed Helms stars as Tim Lippe a solid insurance agency for the Brown Agency. We see him helping customers, giving them a fair deal and notably not overselling overpriced policies. After an office party Tim gets a call in the night telling him that the companies star agent played by Thomas Lennon has died in an auto asphyciation incident. Tim is naive in the extreme. He is having a sexual relationship with a former teacher from grade school. He thinks it is love and does not understand her hints that she is just having fun post divorce.
With the death of his hero Tim is sent to deliver a presentation to a regional convention in hopes of winning the Two Diamonds award. This award is very important to his boss Mr. Krogstad, played by Stephen Root.
At the convention he is approached by a prostitute. He is so naive he thinks she really wants a cigarette and not being a smoker he offers her a butterschotch. At the convention he rooms with an African American agent named Ron Wilkes and John C Reilly's character Dean Ziegler. Wilkes like him is a mild mannered man who " does not like to brag but does a good impression of characters on the HBO Series The Wire." Zeigler on the other hand is a loud, obnoxious man who Tim struggles to like. Over the course of the movie however Tim learns that both these men will be loyal friends.
Tim also meets a female agent named Joan Fox played by Anne Heche. Heche is fantastic in this role. She is likable and vulnerable as she tells Tim that her life is what she wants but maybe not all that she wants. What happens at Cedar Rapids stays at Cedar Rapids. She is taken by Tim's innocence and all in attitude, they partner in a scavenger hunt and when they win go out to dinner with the restearunt gift card they win. After his playmates convince Tim to drink, they end up in the pool and eventually Tim ends up in bed with his new lady friend.
The movie continues with Tim learning how his predecessor kept winning the Two Diamond awards. Tim goes to a party with drugs and alcohol, befriends a prostitute, challenges his boss and makes friends. After telling some highlights of his trip to the sterwardess on the way home she says that he desreves two bags of pretzels. He is naive enough even after his adventures to think this is really neat to get two bags.
This movie is funny, with raunch in places but also sweetness. Some of the vulnerability shown by the characters, especially when the four friends are all in the hotel room recovering from a night of drinking are really quite feeling. This is a very good movie. A movie that manages to be both funny and sweet without being saccharine. Highly recommeded.
The movie should have found a better audience. I thought that it was very,very good. I laughed out loud several times which is always a pretty good measure for me as I am a tough critic on comedies.
Ed Helms stars as Tim Lippe a solid insurance agency for the Brown Agency. We see him helping customers, giving them a fair deal and notably not overselling overpriced policies. After an office party Tim gets a call in the night telling him that the companies star agent played by Thomas Lennon has died in an auto asphyciation incident. Tim is naive in the extreme. He is having a sexual relationship with a former teacher from grade school. He thinks it is love and does not understand her hints that she is just having fun post divorce.
With the death of his hero Tim is sent to deliver a presentation to a regional convention in hopes of winning the Two Diamonds award. This award is very important to his boss Mr. Krogstad, played by Stephen Root.
At the convention he is approached by a prostitute. He is so naive he thinks she really wants a cigarette and not being a smoker he offers her a butterschotch. At the convention he rooms with an African American agent named Ron Wilkes and John C Reilly's character Dean Ziegler. Wilkes like him is a mild mannered man who " does not like to brag but does a good impression of characters on the HBO Series The Wire." Zeigler on the other hand is a loud, obnoxious man who Tim struggles to like. Over the course of the movie however Tim learns that both these men will be loyal friends.
Tim also meets a female agent named Joan Fox played by Anne Heche. Heche is fantastic in this role. She is likable and vulnerable as she tells Tim that her life is what she wants but maybe not all that she wants. What happens at Cedar Rapids stays at Cedar Rapids. She is taken by Tim's innocence and all in attitude, they partner in a scavenger hunt and when they win go out to dinner with the restearunt gift card they win. After his playmates convince Tim to drink, they end up in the pool and eventually Tim ends up in bed with his new lady friend.
The movie continues with Tim learning how his predecessor kept winning the Two Diamond awards. Tim goes to a party with drugs and alcohol, befriends a prostitute, challenges his boss and makes friends. After telling some highlights of his trip to the sterwardess on the way home she says that he desreves two bags of pretzels. He is naive enough even after his adventures to think this is really neat to get two bags.
This movie is funny, with raunch in places but also sweetness. Some of the vulnerability shown by the characters, especially when the four friends are all in the hotel room recovering from a night of drinking are really quite feeling. This is a very good movie. A movie that manages to be both funny and sweet without being saccharine. Highly recommeded.
127 Hours
Much was made of this movie upon it's release. Starring James Franco as Aaron Ralston, an avid outdoor enthusiast who while doing some rock climbing suffers a terrible accident. Franco who won an Oscar for his portrayal is good in the role.
Still for me the hoopla and excitement over the movie was over done. For me, frankly, this movie was not that good. Watching Ralston as he starts his day, excited about his trip, and even as the opening credits role, not being able to reach his Swiss army knife on the top shelf is a good start. This proves to be a pretty serious attempt at foreshadowing. As he explores the canyons we enjoy the scenery and his obvious joy. When he meets a couple of young ladies and helps them to his destination we are happy that he is such a nice guy.
However the scenes after he has his accident and his arm is stuck are not exciting. They are a bit tedious. The reflections on his family and friends did not move me, they just bored me. I am one who can be moved, the scenes just did not work for me. Perhaps it was because we knew what was going to happen, we knew he was going to get stuck, we knew he was going to cut his own arm off, perhaps it could not live up.
The end of the movie was better. When he finally cuts his arm off and falls to the ground, the amazement he feels is evident. He is thankful. Watching him realize he will have to rappel down the mountain, and risk injury again, is tough to watch and the scenes when he finally sees people in the distance and shouts to them for help and is rescued are well done and offer an emotional payoff.
Still for me this movie was not for me one I would recommend, it was not that good.
Still for me the hoopla and excitement over the movie was over done. For me, frankly, this movie was not that good. Watching Ralston as he starts his day, excited about his trip, and even as the opening credits role, not being able to reach his Swiss army knife on the top shelf is a good start. This proves to be a pretty serious attempt at foreshadowing. As he explores the canyons we enjoy the scenery and his obvious joy. When he meets a couple of young ladies and helps them to his destination we are happy that he is such a nice guy.
However the scenes after he has his accident and his arm is stuck are not exciting. They are a bit tedious. The reflections on his family and friends did not move me, they just bored me. I am one who can be moved, the scenes just did not work for me. Perhaps it was because we knew what was going to happen, we knew he was going to get stuck, we knew he was going to cut his own arm off, perhaps it could not live up.
The end of the movie was better. When he finally cuts his arm off and falls to the ground, the amazement he feels is evident. He is thankful. Watching him realize he will have to rappel down the mountain, and risk injury again, is tough to watch and the scenes when he finally sees people in the distance and shouts to them for help and is rescued are well done and offer an emotional payoff.
Still for me this movie was not for me one I would recommend, it was not that good.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Amanda Peet on David Letterman
Amanda Peet is on Dave tonight. She is promoting her new show soon to be airing on NBC. I really have not seen her in anything I can recall except Saving Silverman which had some funny moments.
Still I have seen her on quite a few talk shows and she is very entertaining. I have seen her a couple of times on Dave and it is always clear when he has a guest he enjoys and has a rapport with.
I can sometimes make a judgement about if i think someone is likable, for example I have never seen an appearance by Cameron Diaz in these environments that made me find her someone to be impressed by, Peet is just the opposite.That alone is reason enough to check out her new show.
Still I have seen her on quite a few talk shows and she is very entertaining. I have seen her a couple of times on Dave and it is always clear when he has a guest he enjoys and has a rapport with.
I can sometimes make a judgement about if i think someone is likable, for example I have never seen an appearance by Cameron Diaz in these environments that made me find her someone to be impressed by, Peet is just the opposite.That alone is reason enough to check out her new show.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Wrecking Ball by Bruce Springsteen
A new album by Bruce Springsteen is an event still in parts of the country. Certainly it is in my house. With the release of Wrecking Ball and a world tour pending I look forward to perhaps seeing him on the second leg of his American tour this fall.
The album has opened to mixed reviews. Some of the mainstream publications have called it uneven and dark while Rolling Stone, which might not be as objective as they should gave the recording five stars. Five stars is hard to get. Born in the USA got five stars so does that mean that this Wrecking Ball album is comparable to that album.
It is hard for me as a middle aged man to ever have the same passion for a new recording that was felt 25 years ago but this is a strong, a very strong record.
This album is an angry record. One criticism given and one that has some legitimacy is that the album appears to be a catch all for a few different recordings left over from various time frames. This point has some merit. Wrecking Ball is a strong song that was originally written for the closing of The Meadowlands. It as well as Land of Hope and Dreams, another concert staple for years, have been reworked a bit and placed on this album.
We Take Care of Our Own opens the album and is the first single. The song speaks with a snarl as a response to the anti help politics of the right. Rocky Ground is another song that shows that Springsteen is never shy about new ideas. This song features a rap beat in the middle.
For me the songs that strike the most are the songs that enter the album directly after the title cut. Easy Money and Shackled and Drawn are very good songs but the highlights of the album are the quietly angry Jack of All Trades in which Springsteen mourns what a man must do toe survive. Lastly and strongest is the fierce Death To My Hometown. Seen as a continuation of My Hometown and backed with an Irish beat this song is Springsteen at his best. Speaking of how without a war or a battle sound the corporate interests have killed his hometown. This song must resonate strongly through the Industrial Midwest.
In his early sixties Springsteen shows no signs of slowing down. He still has alot to say. We look forward to listening.
The album has opened to mixed reviews. Some of the mainstream publications have called it uneven and dark while Rolling Stone, which might not be as objective as they should gave the recording five stars. Five stars is hard to get. Born in the USA got five stars so does that mean that this Wrecking Ball album is comparable to that album.
It is hard for me as a middle aged man to ever have the same passion for a new recording that was felt 25 years ago but this is a strong, a very strong record.
This album is an angry record. One criticism given and one that has some legitimacy is that the album appears to be a catch all for a few different recordings left over from various time frames. This point has some merit. Wrecking Ball is a strong song that was originally written for the closing of The Meadowlands. It as well as Land of Hope and Dreams, another concert staple for years, have been reworked a bit and placed on this album.
We Take Care of Our Own opens the album and is the first single. The song speaks with a snarl as a response to the anti help politics of the right. Rocky Ground is another song that shows that Springsteen is never shy about new ideas. This song features a rap beat in the middle.
For me the songs that strike the most are the songs that enter the album directly after the title cut. Easy Money and Shackled and Drawn are very good songs but the highlights of the album are the quietly angry Jack of All Trades in which Springsteen mourns what a man must do toe survive. Lastly and strongest is the fierce Death To My Hometown. Seen as a continuation of My Hometown and backed with an Irish beat this song is Springsteen at his best. Speaking of how without a war or a battle sound the corporate interests have killed his hometown. This song must resonate strongly through the Industrial Midwest.
In his early sixties Springsteen shows no signs of slowing down. He still has alot to say. We look forward to listening.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Charly
This 1968 movie stars Cliff Robertson as Charlie Gordon, a mentally challenged man, who as the movie opens is attending night school to try to improve himself. Charly is quite challenged, he works in a bakery and is the constant butt of his co-workers jokes. His attempt at education are not as successful as he would like. His night school teacher Alice Kinian, played by Claire Bloom likes him and eventually takes him to a clinic that is working on a program to help people improve their mental acumen.
Charly takes tests and eventually is determined to be a good candidate for the treatment. The operation is a success and Charlie soon goes from having an Iq of 59 to becoming a genius.
A relationship with his teacher develops.
All of the above seems like an intereseting story. The first half hour of the movie is quite good. As Charlie develops intelligence though the story goes some places that seem far fetched, unlikely, and a bit offensive.
Robertson is strong as Charly, playing a mentally handicapped man in a good way though I wonder if playing a mentally challenged man is a good way to get an Oscar. One thinks of Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man and even Johnny Depp in Gilbert Grape.
Once blessed with intelligence Charly feels attracted to Alice. He attempts to kiss her, these fumbles lead to an actual physical assault which ends with her slapping him and calling him an idiot. We then see a trippy, it was 1968 after all, montage sequence where Charly becomes a motorcyle man, a hippy, smoking and drinking and apparently enjoying his new attractiveness to all sorts of young women. this sequence ends with Charlie returning home to his apartment and finding Alice there. They both agree they want to be together. Whether this is anyway realistic or not I do not know but then we are treated to another weird montage which shows them cavorting in love and with a voiceover of the two of them talking about marriage.
All in all it not a good movie. It is odd, trippy, and unrealistic. While improving thier mental acuity is a reasonable goal for all challenged individuals the idea of him becoming a genius seems more like science fiction than not. I have to wonder how can an actor in a movie this bad get the Oscar for Best Actor. Yes Robertson did well, yes he played a tough role but still in a movie as weak as this one wonders how he gained this Oscar.
Charly takes tests and eventually is determined to be a good candidate for the treatment. The operation is a success and Charlie soon goes from having an Iq of 59 to becoming a genius.
A relationship with his teacher develops.
All of the above seems like an intereseting story. The first half hour of the movie is quite good. As Charlie develops intelligence though the story goes some places that seem far fetched, unlikely, and a bit offensive.
Robertson is strong as Charly, playing a mentally handicapped man in a good way though I wonder if playing a mentally challenged man is a good way to get an Oscar. One thinks of Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man and even Johnny Depp in Gilbert Grape.
Once blessed with intelligence Charly feels attracted to Alice. He attempts to kiss her, these fumbles lead to an actual physical assault which ends with her slapping him and calling him an idiot. We then see a trippy, it was 1968 after all, montage sequence where Charly becomes a motorcyle man, a hippy, smoking and drinking and apparently enjoying his new attractiveness to all sorts of young women. this sequence ends with Charlie returning home to his apartment and finding Alice there. They both agree they want to be together. Whether this is anyway realistic or not I do not know but then we are treated to another weird montage which shows them cavorting in love and with a voiceover of the two of them talking about marriage.
All in all it not a good movie. It is odd, trippy, and unrealistic. While improving thier mental acuity is a reasonable goal for all challenged individuals the idea of him becoming a genius seems more like science fiction than not. I have to wonder how can an actor in a movie this bad get the Oscar for Best Actor. Yes Robertson did well, yes he played a tough role but still in a movie as weak as this one wonders how he gained this Oscar.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Televison Update
I was looking at the shows that I have reviewed recently and realized that many of the shows that I reviewed and reviewed well were never shows that I followed up on in any regular way.
Television is hard. For me a person who enjoys movies, news shows, late night television and of course during the season baseball committing to a series is difficult.
Rather than speaking to all the shows that did not make the cut after being considered a quick review of the Tivo will say what shows currently are in the lineup. Factually we as a family are so busy, if we do not Tivo something we do not watch it. Zapping through commercials is an artform in our family.
Saturday nights are wastelands but we usually do record Saturday Night Live. Sometimes it is good, sometimes it is poor, very occasionally it is great but it is always worth seeing as a cultural touchstone.
Sundays we record CBS Sunday Morning, we do not watch every story but often the show will feature a great story or two.
On Sunday nights we Tivo The Walking Dead which is one of the strongest shows on television. We check out what the stories will be on 60 Minutes but this is in no way a must see anymore. When PBS airs a good show, which is often, on Masterpiece we tape that and watch it, Upstairs Downstairs was one and of course Downtun Abbey. We still have six episodes of that on Tivo but it will be well worth watching. Luck on HBO was a show we watched for two episodes and I did enjoy it but we lost some interest in it and it has fallen by the wayside. Sunday night's are about to get busier again with the return of Mad Men and Game of Thrones, two shows that are high on our list.
We also are watching on HBO Go right now Boardwalk Empire but have two season to catch up on. We have only watched one so far but it looks very good.
Mondays bring us The Voice now which is a big hit for my wife. How I Met Your Mother is one of the few sitcoms which make the list but it is a great show.
Tuesdays we have left Last Man Standing. I enjoyed it, love Tim Allen but just cannot find the time. We really have no show on Tuesdays currently but Parenthood is a must see when it is on the schedule.
Wednesdays and Thursdays American Idol are constants. Tivo is a wonderful friend on a show such as this. We enjoy The Middle and Modern Family but they fall just shy of must see programming. One show we regret missing with all the hot buzz around it is Revenge. This might be a show we attempt to catch up on later.
Thursday has The Big Bang Theory which might be the funniest show on television. As geeks become more celebrated in our society isn't it wonderful that a show like this can show them being themselves and still in a positive light.
Grey's Anatomy is also a show that we never miss.
The NBC comedies on Thursday night always look good but yet we never find the time to watch them.
I also have been recording Brian William's Rock Center, it's time slot seems to be moving but Brian Williams is always one of my favorite personalities.
Also of note and importantly so Morning Joe on MSNBC is must see television. This is one of the smartest, most intelligent shows on television. With commentators and interviews from both the left and the right one cannot come away from this show feeling anything but more prepared to understand the issues of the day.
Lastly late night television has no one like Johnny Carson. I think, as part of my teenage years Carson will always hold a speical place. However not enough good things can be said about late night television. David Letterman has certainly calmed down, the out of the studio bits he and Paul used to often do are pretty much done but Dave is still the King. He is a good interviewer, a funny person and a great pleasure each night. Craig Ferguson is a very good host, at times he is hilariously funny but against Jimmy Fallon, in our house, becomes second fiddle. Fallon is great. He is funny, as we have discussed before his being a fan is never far from being apparent and he never takes himself too seriously. Jimmy Kimmel is funny and likable too but sandwiched between Dave and Fallon he is a casualty of choice in our house but still is very funny. Many of his comedy bits go viral and deservedly so.
A final note on Jon Stewart and Bill Maher. Genius in what they do Stewart is must see televison, he has put Conan off our dial and I like Conan too. It is a wealth of talent at night. Of course the show we do not mention is obvious and for a reason, Jay Leno is not seen in this house, we do not find him funny and he just does not make the cut.
Maybe we watch too much television but there is plenty of good, smart, intellectually stimulating television to watch.
Television is hard. For me a person who enjoys movies, news shows, late night television and of course during the season baseball committing to a series is difficult.
Rather than speaking to all the shows that did not make the cut after being considered a quick review of the Tivo will say what shows currently are in the lineup. Factually we as a family are so busy, if we do not Tivo something we do not watch it. Zapping through commercials is an artform in our family.
Saturday nights are wastelands but we usually do record Saturday Night Live. Sometimes it is good, sometimes it is poor, very occasionally it is great but it is always worth seeing as a cultural touchstone.
Sundays we record CBS Sunday Morning, we do not watch every story but often the show will feature a great story or two.
On Sunday nights we Tivo The Walking Dead which is one of the strongest shows on television. We check out what the stories will be on 60 Minutes but this is in no way a must see anymore. When PBS airs a good show, which is often, on Masterpiece we tape that and watch it, Upstairs Downstairs was one and of course Downtun Abbey. We still have six episodes of that on Tivo but it will be well worth watching. Luck on HBO was a show we watched for two episodes and I did enjoy it but we lost some interest in it and it has fallen by the wayside. Sunday night's are about to get busier again with the return of Mad Men and Game of Thrones, two shows that are high on our list.
We also are watching on HBO Go right now Boardwalk Empire but have two season to catch up on. We have only watched one so far but it looks very good.
Mondays bring us The Voice now which is a big hit for my wife. How I Met Your Mother is one of the few sitcoms which make the list but it is a great show.
Tuesdays we have left Last Man Standing. I enjoyed it, love Tim Allen but just cannot find the time. We really have no show on Tuesdays currently but Parenthood is a must see when it is on the schedule.
Wednesdays and Thursdays American Idol are constants. Tivo is a wonderful friend on a show such as this. We enjoy The Middle and Modern Family but they fall just shy of must see programming. One show we regret missing with all the hot buzz around it is Revenge. This might be a show we attempt to catch up on later.
Thursday has The Big Bang Theory which might be the funniest show on television. As geeks become more celebrated in our society isn't it wonderful that a show like this can show them being themselves and still in a positive light.
Grey's Anatomy is also a show that we never miss.
The NBC comedies on Thursday night always look good but yet we never find the time to watch them.
I also have been recording Brian William's Rock Center, it's time slot seems to be moving but Brian Williams is always one of my favorite personalities.
Also of note and importantly so Morning Joe on MSNBC is must see television. This is one of the smartest, most intelligent shows on television. With commentators and interviews from both the left and the right one cannot come away from this show feeling anything but more prepared to understand the issues of the day.
Lastly late night television has no one like Johnny Carson. I think, as part of my teenage years Carson will always hold a speical place. However not enough good things can be said about late night television. David Letterman has certainly calmed down, the out of the studio bits he and Paul used to often do are pretty much done but Dave is still the King. He is a good interviewer, a funny person and a great pleasure each night. Craig Ferguson is a very good host, at times he is hilariously funny but against Jimmy Fallon, in our house, becomes second fiddle. Fallon is great. He is funny, as we have discussed before his being a fan is never far from being apparent and he never takes himself too seriously. Jimmy Kimmel is funny and likable too but sandwiched between Dave and Fallon he is a casualty of choice in our house but still is very funny. Many of his comedy bits go viral and deservedly so.
A final note on Jon Stewart and Bill Maher. Genius in what they do Stewart is must see televison, he has put Conan off our dial and I like Conan too. It is a wealth of talent at night. Of course the show we do not mention is obvious and for a reason, Jay Leno is not seen in this house, we do not find him funny and he just does not make the cut.
Maybe we watch too much television but there is plenty of good, smart, intellectually stimulating television to watch.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
The Voice & American Idol
In the interest of seeing just how many music and singing competitions America can stand both NBC and FOX are airing shows which feature singing competitions. For the most part however the similarities between the shows end there.
American Idol now in it's tenth, eleventh, twenty-seventh, one of those seasons is a tried and true success. The loss of Simon Cowell did little to slow down the success of the show and now with Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez in their second season seems to have found its groove again.
Watching the auditions on Idol is a formula that many people enjoy and others grit their teeth through. Now that we are into the final 13 the singers on Idol are quite good. So much depends on their song choice of course and no matter how experienced they are in singing nerves play a big part. Idol has a maximum age of 28, as they are seeking a person that will provide the full star experience.
The Voice has a different set up entirely. Stating that for them The Voice is everything they audition performers only by listening. As the celebrity judges sit back to the stage the singers sing. The judges then depending on their impression of the singer turn around and then try to convince them to join their team. It is a neat setup, seeing the surprise on the judges faces when someone is not what they expected is a genuine television moment on a platform that is becoming more and more contrived.
The singers on The Voice seem to be as strong and certainly with no age limits on the performers a much more diverse group. On The Voice no performers are put on stage to fail, only good singers even appear on the show. They might not get selected but they are not some of the freak shows that Idol puts on.
What will be interesting to see is if The Voice ever puts some successful performers on the music map such as Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, and Chris Daughtry.
In the end it is simply a matter of taste. Idol is less about singing and more about the show. The Voice is more about the singing but the interplay between the judges is also a big part of the show...if you like that it is a plus, if not it can get tedious.
On Idol Steven Tyler is silly and amazingly likable. Jennifer Lopez has an approachability which is startling and act or not seems to genuinley care about the singers. Both are high on the likability scale. Randy Jackson seems to be attempting to fill some of the Simon Cowell role and he himself is a tired act.
The Voice has four judges. Adam Levine from Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera have a constant back and forth, maybe it's sexual tension. If it is not they play it up to be. One of the distracting things about The Voice is all the auditions were done on the same day and they make no effort to mask this with different outfits on the judges. As my wife says Christina is a bit distracting as she has her boobs out constantly.
The other judges are C Lo Green. He is likable more so than the first two and the singers flock to him. The last judge is country singer Blake Shelton. He is perhaps the most likable of the four.
I think that I like The Voice better. Both are shows that my wife enjoys very much. I like that she gets to watch shows she likes.
American Idol now in it's tenth, eleventh, twenty-seventh, one of those seasons is a tried and true success. The loss of Simon Cowell did little to slow down the success of the show and now with Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez in their second season seems to have found its groove again.
Watching the auditions on Idol is a formula that many people enjoy and others grit their teeth through. Now that we are into the final 13 the singers on Idol are quite good. So much depends on their song choice of course and no matter how experienced they are in singing nerves play a big part. Idol has a maximum age of 28, as they are seeking a person that will provide the full star experience.
The Voice has a different set up entirely. Stating that for them The Voice is everything they audition performers only by listening. As the celebrity judges sit back to the stage the singers sing. The judges then depending on their impression of the singer turn around and then try to convince them to join their team. It is a neat setup, seeing the surprise on the judges faces when someone is not what they expected is a genuine television moment on a platform that is becoming more and more contrived.
The singers on The Voice seem to be as strong and certainly with no age limits on the performers a much more diverse group. On The Voice no performers are put on stage to fail, only good singers even appear on the show. They might not get selected but they are not some of the freak shows that Idol puts on.
What will be interesting to see is if The Voice ever puts some successful performers on the music map such as Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, and Chris Daughtry.
In the end it is simply a matter of taste. Idol is less about singing and more about the show. The Voice is more about the singing but the interplay between the judges is also a big part of the show...if you like that it is a plus, if not it can get tedious.
On Idol Steven Tyler is silly and amazingly likable. Jennifer Lopez has an approachability which is startling and act or not seems to genuinley care about the singers. Both are high on the likability scale. Randy Jackson seems to be attempting to fill some of the Simon Cowell role and he himself is a tired act.
The Voice has four judges. Adam Levine from Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera have a constant back and forth, maybe it's sexual tension. If it is not they play it up to be. One of the distracting things about The Voice is all the auditions were done on the same day and they make no effort to mask this with different outfits on the judges. As my wife says Christina is a bit distracting as she has her boobs out constantly.
The other judges are C Lo Green. He is likable more so than the first two and the singers flock to him. The last judge is country singer Blake Shelton. He is perhaps the most likable of the four.
I think that I like The Voice better. Both are shows that my wife enjoys very much. I like that she gets to watch shows she likes.
Fargo
Fargo is a 1996 movie from the Coen brothers. Considered a dark comedy it is one of the more influential movies of the nineties. Featuring a very strong cast including Best Actess Winner Frances McDermond, Steve Buscemi and William H Macy the movie as well as being well reviewed has been a cult classic with a very devoted fan base.
The story centers around Jerry Lundegaard as a Minneapolis car salesman, actually executive sales manager as he likes to say at a dealership owned by his father in law. Jerry is deeply in debt and as the movie begins he has hired two hit men to kidnap his wife. He does not wish her harm, he merely hopes to get his very wealthy father in law to pay a ransom. To be further ahead in the game he has told his hired hands that he will pay them 40,000, while advising his father in law that the ransom that has been asked for is one million dollars.
Of course nothing goes as planned. William H Macy is wonderful in his role as the hapless salesman mixing his deceptiveness with " Minnesota Nice."
The hit men kidnap Mrs. Lundegaard but on the road are pulled over for a license plate issue. In the end they shoot the police officer. Carl, played by Steve Buscemi is dragging the body off the road when a car with two teenagers goes by. His accomplice Gaaer chases them down and when they in fleeing goes off the road shoots them both.
The crime scene is investigated by Brainerd Chief of Police Marge Gunderson. In the role that won McDermond the Oscar Marge is seven months pregnant and a very good detective. Quickly ascertaining the timeline she then backtracks and is quickly on the trail.
Harve Presnell plays Wade, Jerry's father in law and is strong in the role. Buscemi, does he ever come to a good end in his movies has a memorable moment with a wood chipper and in the end Marge lectures Gaear about why would anyone make the choice he has made when after all.....it is a bueatiful day.
A very interesting movie. Not a classic but for any of us who have experienced the North Dakota, Minnesota personality a welcome reminder of this personality climate.
The story centers around Jerry Lundegaard as a Minneapolis car salesman, actually executive sales manager as he likes to say at a dealership owned by his father in law. Jerry is deeply in debt and as the movie begins he has hired two hit men to kidnap his wife. He does not wish her harm, he merely hopes to get his very wealthy father in law to pay a ransom. To be further ahead in the game he has told his hired hands that he will pay them 40,000, while advising his father in law that the ransom that has been asked for is one million dollars.
Of course nothing goes as planned. William H Macy is wonderful in his role as the hapless salesman mixing his deceptiveness with " Minnesota Nice."
The hit men kidnap Mrs. Lundegaard but on the road are pulled over for a license plate issue. In the end they shoot the police officer. Carl, played by Steve Buscemi is dragging the body off the road when a car with two teenagers goes by. His accomplice Gaaer chases them down and when they in fleeing goes off the road shoots them both.
The crime scene is investigated by Brainerd Chief of Police Marge Gunderson. In the role that won McDermond the Oscar Marge is seven months pregnant and a very good detective. Quickly ascertaining the timeline she then backtracks and is quickly on the trail.
Harve Presnell plays Wade, Jerry's father in law and is strong in the role. Buscemi, does he ever come to a good end in his movies has a memorable moment with a wood chipper and in the end Marge lectures Gaear about why would anyone make the choice he has made when after all.....it is a bueatiful day.
A very interesting movie. Not a classic but for any of us who have experienced the North Dakota, Minnesota personality a welcome reminder of this personality climate.
What We Talk About When we Talk About Ann Frank by Nathan Englander
This collection of stories published recently provide many different views of the Jewish experience. Being a full bred Irish WASP, our family left the Pope for the Protestant side of the aisle, I can confess no real knowledge of the Jewish experience.
Englander' stories in this book are varied and all are interesting.
The first story in the collection, and the titled one is a story I had read somewhere before. The credits do not state the story had appeared in The New Yorker but I do not know where else I would have red it. Centering on a visit between two Jewish girls who grew up together years after the fact. One girl married an Orthodox Jew, they emigrated to Israel and have ten daughters. The host girl has not stayed that true to her faith living a mostly secular life in the land of plenty. The girls and their husbands share bread, drink, and dope ( pilfered from the son of the stateside Jewish girl) and eventually play the Anne Frank game leading both wives to consider the choices they have made.
Sister Hills traces the history of the settlements in the occupied territories thru two women who with their husbands were the first settlers of Two Hills. The different paths their lives have taken since the pioneer days are laid asunder when a promise on a scary night to " fool fate" comes home to roost years later.
How We Avenged the Blums centers on schoolchildren and how they deal with the AntiSemitism they face while Camp Sundown features what happens when a group of geriatric oldsters at a camp for the same deal with the belief that one of thier fellow campers was a guard at the camps.
Peep Show was not to my taste, a little too non linear for me, while The Reader was interesting in its tale of an author whose audience has left him save for one devoted fan.
The story that was most affecting for me was Everything I Know About My Family on My Mother's Side. In this story of numbered paragraphs we meet a man and learn his story. We learn of his relationship with a Bosnian woman that has come to an end. We learn of his belief that he has no history. He does not know enough about himself and his history in his very historied group. We hear of his history, we see his ancestors and what he learns and what he tells as his history but it is as his ex lover tells him. If you do not know your history create one and soon the stories are real. As one who regrets not knowing of his grandparents and family history and the stories that must be out there somewhere I can relate. One of the best things a family can do is make sure that a family history is there to be heard if one longs for it. As this story shows sometimes a story is all one can have to give that touchstone.
Englander' stories in this book are varied and all are interesting.
The first story in the collection, and the titled one is a story I had read somewhere before. The credits do not state the story had appeared in The New Yorker but I do not know where else I would have red it. Centering on a visit between two Jewish girls who grew up together years after the fact. One girl married an Orthodox Jew, they emigrated to Israel and have ten daughters. The host girl has not stayed that true to her faith living a mostly secular life in the land of plenty. The girls and their husbands share bread, drink, and dope ( pilfered from the son of the stateside Jewish girl) and eventually play the Anne Frank game leading both wives to consider the choices they have made.
Sister Hills traces the history of the settlements in the occupied territories thru two women who with their husbands were the first settlers of Two Hills. The different paths their lives have taken since the pioneer days are laid asunder when a promise on a scary night to " fool fate" comes home to roost years later.
How We Avenged the Blums centers on schoolchildren and how they deal with the AntiSemitism they face while Camp Sundown features what happens when a group of geriatric oldsters at a camp for the same deal with the belief that one of thier fellow campers was a guard at the camps.
Peep Show was not to my taste, a little too non linear for me, while The Reader was interesting in its tale of an author whose audience has left him save for one devoted fan.
The story that was most affecting for me was Everything I Know About My Family on My Mother's Side. In this story of numbered paragraphs we meet a man and learn his story. We learn of his relationship with a Bosnian woman that has come to an end. We learn of his belief that he has no history. He does not know enough about himself and his history in his very historied group. We hear of his history, we see his ancestors and what he learns and what he tells as his history but it is as his ex lover tells him. If you do not know your history create one and soon the stories are real. As one who regrets not knowing of his grandparents and family history and the stories that must be out there somewhere I can relate. One of the best things a family can do is make sure that a family history is there to be heard if one longs for it. As this story shows sometimes a story is all one can have to give that touchstone.
Monday, March 5, 2012
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
The Corrections was a 2001 book written by Jonathan Franzen that received rave reviews, multitudes of awards, and is often cited as the greatest work of fiction of the first decade of the new century.
Over the last week I have read this book and must admit that I enjoyed it, parts of it were extremely well written and affecting, and that the story itself was very strong. The story is also unsettling.
Albert Lambert is a retired Railroad Engineer. In his late seventies he now suffers from Parkinson's disease and dementia. As his personality and physicality crumble from what they were his wife Enid endures but suffers as well.
The books features a section on each character, in these sections we travel back and forth in time from the characters childhood through some of the their major life events. Interestingly some of the characters relate the same event through different viewpoints.
Alfred the patriarch of the Lambert family is dignified and correct. He also has been a bit tyrannical in his administration of his house. To me his character represents old America, perhaps even how I feel seeing the technology of cell phones, texting and constant engagement that I sometimes am shocked in seeing. His loyalty to his company, even after he is discarded, is typical of people from that era. His battle with dementia is uncomfortable to see. He keeps his shotgun handy and we pray he does not use it. He suffers with bathroom problems, enemas, and bladder control, adult diapers and conversations with illusory feces. He is a man breaking apart mentally and physically. Near the end of his ability to speak begging his son Chip to, in a moment of final clarity, help him end it he says I and we are told of all he wishes to say. He wishes he could say he is scared, he is in pain, he wants to die, he loves his family, he did his best. Al is a man who has come to the end of his sanity, his clarity, and in that final moment of clarity rages against the world whose rules he has tried to follow.
His wife Enid is a sympathetic character. Raised in the Depression she is constantly concerned about money and finds fault with her husband, her children and like many people we may know is a good person who is too caught up in appearances.
Oldest son Gary is the most unlikable character. A weak willed character he lives in Philadelphia. Rich beyond his dreams, with a wife and kids who have nothing good to say about his family, indeed ridiculing his parents and their Midwestern lifestyle one can sense he has given in so long when he attempts to be the man it is not taken seriously. Perhaps his attitude is explainable as his way to deal with the fear of what is taking place with his father. His desire to control, to make sense, leads to outbursts and cruelty to his parents that is tough to witness. His miserly hounding of his Mother for $4.46 tells much about his character.
Middle Son Chip has made many mistakes. Gaining a Doctorate he is teaching on tenure track at a small collage but in his last year before tenure he self destructs by having an affair with a student. Soon he is working on a screenplay, proofreading for a law firm, dressing too young and too cool for who he is, and placing studs in both ears. When this falls apart he is Lithuania being the marketing and computer muscle in a scheme to defraud investors, mostly American. For all that however Chip becomes a sympathetic character. His ability to understand and accept his father's frailties without judgement show why Alfred over the last year has called out for Chip before asking for anyone who was there. Alfred, losing traction on reality, knows who Chip is.
Lastly we have Denise the baby of the family. A woman of confused sexuality who has made multitudes of mistakes in relationships with both men and women is a Chef of very chic restaurants written up for reviews in the Times and other papers. She is however a wreck, having left her parents hometown of St Jude as long as possible she is haunted by her parents and their mundane lives in contrast to hers. Her discoveries of her father's knowledge of a mistake she committed years ago, known by him since it happened, but never discussed or the knowledge disclosed, feeds her guilt to new levels and fuels her desire to protect her Dad from her older brother's sanctimonious efforts to help.
HBO is currently at work in a series adaption of this book. It should be powerful viewing. It certainly was powerful reading. More like Updike than Cheever, two of the authors I have most seen him compared to Franzen is very very good. If a bit too modern for some of my tastes that is a reflection on me not him.
A book highly recommended.
Over the last week I have read this book and must admit that I enjoyed it, parts of it were extremely well written and affecting, and that the story itself was very strong. The story is also unsettling.
Albert Lambert is a retired Railroad Engineer. In his late seventies he now suffers from Parkinson's disease and dementia. As his personality and physicality crumble from what they were his wife Enid endures but suffers as well.
The books features a section on each character, in these sections we travel back and forth in time from the characters childhood through some of the their major life events. Interestingly some of the characters relate the same event through different viewpoints.
Alfred the patriarch of the Lambert family is dignified and correct. He also has been a bit tyrannical in his administration of his house. To me his character represents old America, perhaps even how I feel seeing the technology of cell phones, texting and constant engagement that I sometimes am shocked in seeing. His loyalty to his company, even after he is discarded, is typical of people from that era. His battle with dementia is uncomfortable to see. He keeps his shotgun handy and we pray he does not use it. He suffers with bathroom problems, enemas, and bladder control, adult diapers and conversations with illusory feces. He is a man breaking apart mentally and physically. Near the end of his ability to speak begging his son Chip to, in a moment of final clarity, help him end it he says I and we are told of all he wishes to say. He wishes he could say he is scared, he is in pain, he wants to die, he loves his family, he did his best. Al is a man who has come to the end of his sanity, his clarity, and in that final moment of clarity rages against the world whose rules he has tried to follow.
His wife Enid is a sympathetic character. Raised in the Depression she is constantly concerned about money and finds fault with her husband, her children and like many people we may know is a good person who is too caught up in appearances.
Oldest son Gary is the most unlikable character. A weak willed character he lives in Philadelphia. Rich beyond his dreams, with a wife and kids who have nothing good to say about his family, indeed ridiculing his parents and their Midwestern lifestyle one can sense he has given in so long when he attempts to be the man it is not taken seriously. Perhaps his attitude is explainable as his way to deal with the fear of what is taking place with his father. His desire to control, to make sense, leads to outbursts and cruelty to his parents that is tough to witness. His miserly hounding of his Mother for $4.46 tells much about his character.
Middle Son Chip has made many mistakes. Gaining a Doctorate he is teaching on tenure track at a small collage but in his last year before tenure he self destructs by having an affair with a student. Soon he is working on a screenplay, proofreading for a law firm, dressing too young and too cool for who he is, and placing studs in both ears. When this falls apart he is Lithuania being the marketing and computer muscle in a scheme to defraud investors, mostly American. For all that however Chip becomes a sympathetic character. His ability to understand and accept his father's frailties without judgement show why Alfred over the last year has called out for Chip before asking for anyone who was there. Alfred, losing traction on reality, knows who Chip is.
Lastly we have Denise the baby of the family. A woman of confused sexuality who has made multitudes of mistakes in relationships with both men and women is a Chef of very chic restaurants written up for reviews in the Times and other papers. She is however a wreck, having left her parents hometown of St Jude as long as possible she is haunted by her parents and their mundane lives in contrast to hers. Her discoveries of her father's knowledge of a mistake she committed years ago, known by him since it happened, but never discussed or the knowledge disclosed, feeds her guilt to new levels and fuels her desire to protect her Dad from her older brother's sanctimonious efforts to help.
HBO is currently at work in a series adaption of this book. It should be powerful viewing. It certainly was powerful reading. More like Updike than Cheever, two of the authors I have most seen him compared to Franzen is very very good. If a bit too modern for some of my tastes that is a reflection on me not him.
A book highly recommended.
John Prine
John Prine has been making music for a long time. I have heard his name around the fringes of my music knowledge for many years. Usually indicated as an influence of other artists I had never really explored his music.
Christmas in Prison is a song I have heard a couple times at Christmas when a Deejay tired of playing the standard accepted Rock Christmas Songs but that was my only experience.
Until today. Hearing a song called Paradise on Outlaw Country this morning I was struck by what a fine song it was. I love old school country, I like lyrics that tell a story. One cannot listen to Prine and not hear Springsteen and Gram Parsons and scores of other artists that truly have been influenced by John Prine.
Spotify makes it easy to explore new artists or older artists you never gave enough attention to. Tonight I have listened to about a half hour of Prine's music on random on Spotify. Hearing Souveniers, Jesus the Missing Years, In Spite of Oursevles I feel like I have just found a diamond in a spot that I passed every day for years.
Life is busy. I read, write, watch old movies and of course listen to music. New idea for the day, find time to listen to as much of John Prine's catalog as I can. He is amazing.
Christmas in Prison is a song I have heard a couple times at Christmas when a Deejay tired of playing the standard accepted Rock Christmas Songs but that was my only experience.
Until today. Hearing a song called Paradise on Outlaw Country this morning I was struck by what a fine song it was. I love old school country, I like lyrics that tell a story. One cannot listen to Prine and not hear Springsteen and Gram Parsons and scores of other artists that truly have been influenced by John Prine.
Spotify makes it easy to explore new artists or older artists you never gave enough attention to. Tonight I have listened to about a half hour of Prine's music on random on Spotify. Hearing Souveniers, Jesus the Missing Years, In Spite of Oursevles I feel like I have just found a diamond in a spot that I passed every day for years.
Life is busy. I read, write, watch old movies and of course listen to music. New idea for the day, find time to listen to as much of John Prine's catalog as I can. He is amazing.
Davy Jones Dies
Davy Jones died last week. It was one of those pieces of news that makes you feel old. One cannot help when they hear of the death of a person who has a spot in their memory from years past. I can easily remember The Monkees show on television. Not the endless reruns but from a time frame in which I was so young that I do not know how old I was.
I remember the theme song and the intro sequence with them all running around. I want to think it was on Saturday mornings but am not sure.
When the Monkees started they were a created band. They did not play instruments. But they could sing. Some of their songs have aged very well. Pleasant Valley Sunday, Last Train to Clarksville and the like are still songs I like to hear. Davy Jones was very talented.
Those of my age group all remember when Davy appeared on The Brady Bunch as Marcia Brady's dream date. I beleive it is true that David Bowie, whose real name was David Jones had to change his name as it had been appropriated.
Davy Jones was 66. He had a massive heart attack. He lived a good life. He died too young. We are all mortal. Even Monkees.
I remember the theme song and the intro sequence with them all running around. I want to think it was on Saturday mornings but am not sure.
When the Monkees started they were a created band. They did not play instruments. But they could sing. Some of their songs have aged very well. Pleasant Valley Sunday, Last Train to Clarksville and the like are still songs I like to hear. Davy Jones was very talented.
Those of my age group all remember when Davy appeared on The Brady Bunch as Marcia Brady's dream date. I beleive it is true that David Bowie, whose real name was David Jones had to change his name as it had been appropriated.
Davy Jones was 66. He had a massive heart attack. He lived a good life. He died too young. We are all mortal. Even Monkees.
Harry and Tonto
I had never heard of this movie until I saw it in the listings on TCM a couple of weeks ago. Seeing that Art Carney had won the Oscar for Best Actor I was interested, Carney famous to me from The Honeymooners was worth watching.
The movie was, for me, a great film. I love old people. I think that an older person who makes his way in the world with dignity and caring, against the pains and troubles of age is a person to be revered. Putting that in perspective with my own father's illness to early and death when I was still young and I am always enamored of older men who could be father figures.
Carney who I was surprised to see was only on the young side of his sixties when this movie was made, played an older man, a retired widower named Harry Coombs. Harry has a cat named Tonto who lives with him. Harry treats Tonto like a dog. Putting him on a collar and leash Tonto joins Harry on his travels through his neighborhood in New York.
When Harry's building is condemned he refuses to leave. Eventually Harry is removed, sitting in his favorite chair. He moves in with his eldest son, Harry Jr, who desperatly wants his Father to feel comfortable and happy. As Harry says however he is " a pain in the ass" and eventually he feels underfoot.
His son gets him tickets to visit his daughter in Chicago. Troubles with taking his cat get Harry off the plane and onto a bus. Troubles with his cat adapting to bus travel get Harry off the bus and into a car. Harry has a series of adventures on his way to Chicago and then from there on his way to Los Angeles.
Ellyn Burstyn plays his Chicago daughter, a scene with them walking along the shores of Lake Michigan is quite powerful. Scenes with Harry driving in his car by himself talking to his cat held me rapt. Are we all not afraid of the ultmate lonliness of talking to our cat.
Larry Hagman post Jeanie and pre Dallas appears as Harry's high flying L A son who Harry soon finds out has money trouble, a pending divorce and a life in shambles. Harry resolves to help him but tells him he has to live by himself, they both do.
Tonto does not finish the journey with Harry and we are sad. The sad fact of getting old is that we often spend too much time saying good bye. The movie ends with Harry as part of another community of old folks who get together each day, instead of at a park in the city at the beach in California. Harry meets a lady who is feeding many strays and they joke about combining the expenses of living. The movie ends with Harry chasing one of the stray cats that reminds him of Tonto and then watching a little girl build a sand castle.
A movie where not much happens but which is totally effecting. Joshua Mostel who has been in scores of movies since then appears as his grandson Norman who is a very likable character. At first in the movie exploring a vow of silence, then joining Harry in Chicago, and then going with a young girl Harry befriends on the road to a commune in Colorado. His character is soft and sweet and harmless and one that we all would welcome in our lives, if we put down our preconceptions. A loving young man confused by the world.
This is a great movie. Art Carney with his bushy sideburns and huge eyebrows, glasses, hat, and ex salesman's friendly greeting to strangers is a wonderful character. This is a movie to watch and enjoy for the pace. What we all see in our future could be well served by loving people like Harry Coombs.
The movie was, for me, a great film. I love old people. I think that an older person who makes his way in the world with dignity and caring, against the pains and troubles of age is a person to be revered. Putting that in perspective with my own father's illness to early and death when I was still young and I am always enamored of older men who could be father figures.
Carney who I was surprised to see was only on the young side of his sixties when this movie was made, played an older man, a retired widower named Harry Coombs. Harry has a cat named Tonto who lives with him. Harry treats Tonto like a dog. Putting him on a collar and leash Tonto joins Harry on his travels through his neighborhood in New York.
When Harry's building is condemned he refuses to leave. Eventually Harry is removed, sitting in his favorite chair. He moves in with his eldest son, Harry Jr, who desperatly wants his Father to feel comfortable and happy. As Harry says however he is " a pain in the ass" and eventually he feels underfoot.
His son gets him tickets to visit his daughter in Chicago. Troubles with taking his cat get Harry off the plane and onto a bus. Troubles with his cat adapting to bus travel get Harry off the bus and into a car. Harry has a series of adventures on his way to Chicago and then from there on his way to Los Angeles.
Ellyn Burstyn plays his Chicago daughter, a scene with them walking along the shores of Lake Michigan is quite powerful. Scenes with Harry driving in his car by himself talking to his cat held me rapt. Are we all not afraid of the ultmate lonliness of talking to our cat.
Larry Hagman post Jeanie and pre Dallas appears as Harry's high flying L A son who Harry soon finds out has money trouble, a pending divorce and a life in shambles. Harry resolves to help him but tells him he has to live by himself, they both do.
Tonto does not finish the journey with Harry and we are sad. The sad fact of getting old is that we often spend too much time saying good bye. The movie ends with Harry as part of another community of old folks who get together each day, instead of at a park in the city at the beach in California. Harry meets a lady who is feeding many strays and they joke about combining the expenses of living. The movie ends with Harry chasing one of the stray cats that reminds him of Tonto and then watching a little girl build a sand castle.
A movie where not much happens but which is totally effecting. Joshua Mostel who has been in scores of movies since then appears as his grandson Norman who is a very likable character. At first in the movie exploring a vow of silence, then joining Harry in Chicago, and then going with a young girl Harry befriends on the road to a commune in Colorado. His character is soft and sweet and harmless and one that we all would welcome in our lives, if we put down our preconceptions. A loving young man confused by the world.
This is a great movie. Art Carney with his bushy sideburns and huge eyebrows, glasses, hat, and ex salesman's friendly greeting to strangers is a wonderful character. This is a movie to watch and enjoy for the pace. What we all see in our future could be well served by loving people like Harry Coombs.
Bullitt
This iconic movie is well known for it's car chase scene. Considered one of the , if not the best, car chase scene ever placed on film it has out shined what was a very good movie.
Steve McQueen was known as The King of Cool. The title may have changed hands in the decades since his death but he still is one of the leading contenders. When I was a young boy, still in the single digit years I had no real knowledge of who Steve McQueen was, I certainly had not seen his movies. I did know though that he made movies and he was cool. His spot in the culture was so big that somehow it drifted down to a young boy like me, perhaps from my older brother, perhaps from other sources. Steve McQueen was a cultural icon.
In this movie he plays Frank Bullitt, a San Fransisco police lieutenant given the task of protecting a mob informant the weekend before he testifies. Nothing goes as planned, the police officer protecting him is overpowered, the witness is shot and eventually dies but all is not as it seems. Frank Bullitt over the course of the movie solves the case but not before several people are dead. The movie has several actors that we came to know later. Norman Fell, who long before being Mr. Roper was a well known character actor in many films. Vic Tayback, later well known as Mel in the Alice movie and television series also appears.
I pointed out to my sons that the actor playing Senator Chalmers the ambitious politician driving the case against the witness was played by Robert Vaughn. For the current generation at least here in Maine, Robert Vaughn shills for Joe Bornstein advising us to tell our potential plaintiffs that we mean business. Most notably appearing beside McQueen is a young Robert Duvall in a small role as a cab driver who provides some information to the Lieutenant. From small parts big careers develop.
The movie is all McQueen however. His ability to express himself with a look or a stare and usually with as few words as possible was well honed by this time. His collarless shirts with a nice jacket were a style that he put in place and that was copied not just by hipsters but suburban Dads trying to be cool. McQueen's image has lasted for several reasons. He was cool. He died young so we never saw him grow old and he in the sixties, a very culturally crazy time, was one of the few entertainment icons who could appeal to both sides of the emerging divide between young and old.
The car chase is great, the movie is good, but McQueen was immense. He filled the screen. He was The King of Cool.
Steve McQueen was known as The King of Cool. The title may have changed hands in the decades since his death but he still is one of the leading contenders. When I was a young boy, still in the single digit years I had no real knowledge of who Steve McQueen was, I certainly had not seen his movies. I did know though that he made movies and he was cool. His spot in the culture was so big that somehow it drifted down to a young boy like me, perhaps from my older brother, perhaps from other sources. Steve McQueen was a cultural icon.
In this movie he plays Frank Bullitt, a San Fransisco police lieutenant given the task of protecting a mob informant the weekend before he testifies. Nothing goes as planned, the police officer protecting him is overpowered, the witness is shot and eventually dies but all is not as it seems. Frank Bullitt over the course of the movie solves the case but not before several people are dead. The movie has several actors that we came to know later. Norman Fell, who long before being Mr. Roper was a well known character actor in many films. Vic Tayback, later well known as Mel in the Alice movie and television series also appears.
I pointed out to my sons that the actor playing Senator Chalmers the ambitious politician driving the case against the witness was played by Robert Vaughn. For the current generation at least here in Maine, Robert Vaughn shills for Joe Bornstein advising us to tell our potential plaintiffs that we mean business. Most notably appearing beside McQueen is a young Robert Duvall in a small role as a cab driver who provides some information to the Lieutenant. From small parts big careers develop.
The movie is all McQueen however. His ability to express himself with a look or a stare and usually with as few words as possible was well honed by this time. His collarless shirts with a nice jacket were a style that he put in place and that was copied not just by hipsters but suburban Dads trying to be cool. McQueen's image has lasted for several reasons. He was cool. He died young so we never saw him grow old and he in the sixties, a very culturally crazy time, was one of the few entertainment icons who could appeal to both sides of the emerging divide between young and old.
The car chase is great, the movie is good, but McQueen was immense. He filled the screen. He was The King of Cool.
The Magic Power by Triumph
Growing up in the late seventies and early eighties the radio station of choice was clearly WBLM. As we stood around in our early teens, smoking a cigarette badly, convincing ourselves we were cool I remember a friend advising that the call letters stood for We Believe in the Legalization of Marijuana. I do not know if that is true, we surely did not smoke marijauna but it seemed like a cool idea.
Then at some point WBLM changed their signal and we could no longer get it. The radio station for those of us who were way too cool for Top 40 Radio was WTOS. Otherwise known as The Mountain of Rock and Roll. They played Dr Demento on Sunday nights and album oriented rock the rest of the week.
They also were big fans of the band Triumph. For a period of time The Magic Power was the most played cut on WTOS. Even after it was not you could still count on hearing it each weekend night and most weeknights as well. The song was powerful with it slow buildup was more popular than any of the many songs that their Canadien predecessors Rush released.
Last week driving flipping through the Satalite radio what should I hear on Classic Rewind but Magic Power. How is it you can go twenty five years without hearing or thinking about a song, and then when you hear it be transported to a very specific place and time. Yesterday was 2012 but hearing that song makes yesterday 1982.
I am riding in my friend Ted's car. It's a early seventies gold colored Plymouth Satalite with a Mopar 318. It will fly at any rate of speed one wishes to. Ted has equipped the vehicle with sidepipes so that as good as it looks it sounds even better. WTOS is on the radio and with the side pipes one has to be thankful for the supersonic speakers, only those could be heard and on this night as on many nights in the early eighties Triumph is singing about The Magic Power. For those on the edge of adulthood in the early eighties, for this person sitting in that car on that night Triumph's message hit home. We were sure we had the power.
Then at some point WBLM changed their signal and we could no longer get it. The radio station for those of us who were way too cool for Top 40 Radio was WTOS. Otherwise known as The Mountain of Rock and Roll. They played Dr Demento on Sunday nights and album oriented rock the rest of the week.
They also were big fans of the band Triumph. For a period of time The Magic Power was the most played cut on WTOS. Even after it was not you could still count on hearing it each weekend night and most weeknights as well. The song was powerful with it slow buildup was more popular than any of the many songs that their Canadien predecessors Rush released.
Last week driving flipping through the Satalite radio what should I hear on Classic Rewind but Magic Power. How is it you can go twenty five years without hearing or thinking about a song, and then when you hear it be transported to a very specific place and time. Yesterday was 2012 but hearing that song makes yesterday 1982.
I am riding in my friend Ted's car. It's a early seventies gold colored Plymouth Satalite with a Mopar 318. It will fly at any rate of speed one wishes to. Ted has equipped the vehicle with sidepipes so that as good as it looks it sounds even better. WTOS is on the radio and with the side pipes one has to be thankful for the supersonic speakers, only those could be heard and on this night as on many nights in the early eighties Triumph is singing about The Magic Power. For those on the edge of adulthood in the early eighties, for this person sitting in that car on that night Triumph's message hit home. We were sure we had the power.
Bruce Springsteen on Jimmy Fallon
Last Friday night Jimmy Fallon finished Bruce Springsteen week with a bang with Springsteen as his only guest. It was a very entertaining show. Fallon, perhaps better than anyone else, has the ability to " be us " in the interview, sometimes showing excitement that seems a bit unprofessional. For him though it works, we appreciate his excitement.
Springsteen sat for an interview and was very personable. Telling a very funny story about a visit, or attempted visit to Disneyland in 1982 with Steven Van Zandt that did not work out as planned but was very funny now, thirty years later.
On the cold open Springsteen and Fallon did one of his famous singing skits with Springsteen as himself circa early eighties and Fallon as, of course, Neil Young. Playing an extremely slowed down version of LMFAO's Sexy and I Know It. One has to be pretty comfortable to poke fun at oneself so easily.
Later in the show it was music time. With Tom Morello on guitar, Tom seems to be an unofficial member of the band these days, Bruce played Death to My Hometown and Jack of All Trades from the new album and ended the show with a version of The E Street Shuffle that included The Roots and even Jimmy playing in the band. The show ended with the audience on stage while a seemingly impossible number of people, Springsteen's band and ensemble as well as The Roots gathered on the band stage.
In today's late night environment only Jimmy Fallon could pull this off. He brings a level of excitement and enthusiasm that allows for the spontaneity that you cannot find on other shows.
An example of how good late night television can be.
Springsteen sat for an interview and was very personable. Telling a very funny story about a visit, or attempted visit to Disneyland in 1982 with Steven Van Zandt that did not work out as planned but was very funny now, thirty years later.
On the cold open Springsteen and Fallon did one of his famous singing skits with Springsteen as himself circa early eighties and Fallon as, of course, Neil Young. Playing an extremely slowed down version of LMFAO's Sexy and I Know It. One has to be pretty comfortable to poke fun at oneself so easily.
Later in the show it was music time. With Tom Morello on guitar, Tom seems to be an unofficial member of the band these days, Bruce played Death to My Hometown and Jack of All Trades from the new album and ended the show with a version of The E Street Shuffle that included The Roots and even Jimmy playing in the band. The show ended with the audience on stage while a seemingly impossible number of people, Springsteen's band and ensemble as well as The Roots gathered on the band stage.
In today's late night environment only Jimmy Fallon could pull this off. He brings a level of excitement and enthusiasm that allows for the spontaneity that you cannot find on other shows.
An example of how good late night television can be.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Harry Smith on Brian Williams Rock Center
Longtime CBS News reporter Harry Smith has found a new home on NBC. I have not been a CBS news fan, always tending to Brokaw and now Williams on NBC, my biggest exposure to Harry Smith was on David Letterman's constant running jokes regarding his on air colonoscopy.
So it is with surprise that I in watching the new Brian Williams show what a strong reporter Harry Smith is. Not a pretty boy by any means, and being so incredibly personable one cannot help but like Smith. Beyond that however his interview skills are very strong.
When the Brian Williams show debuted this year the first story was about a town in the Dakotas in the burgeoning oil fields that could not get enough workers, in short if you were willing to go there a job was waiting. Recently he visited Africa and dealt with the story of the illicit trade of rhino horns and ways that is being attacked. This week he was in Russia speaking to dissidents against the corruption of the Putin regime. No matter the story Harry Smith connects. He is a fantastic reporter and another reason not to miss Rock Center.
So it is with surprise that I in watching the new Brian Williams show what a strong reporter Harry Smith is. Not a pretty boy by any means, and being so incredibly personable one cannot help but like Smith. Beyond that however his interview skills are very strong.
When the Brian Williams show debuted this year the first story was about a town in the Dakotas in the burgeoning oil fields that could not get enough workers, in short if you were willing to go there a job was waiting. Recently he visited Africa and dealt with the story of the illicit trade of rhino horns and ways that is being attacked. This week he was in Russia speaking to dissidents against the corruption of the Putin regime. No matter the story Harry Smith connects. He is a fantastic reporter and another reason not to miss Rock Center.
Friday, March 2, 2012
The Early Stories 1953-1975 by John Updike
John Updike was a writer. While that seems obvious what that sentence means is that John Updike was a constant writer. When one looks at the output he amassed in his years of writing it is easy to understand the difference between a writer and a WRITER. John Updike was a WRITER. He write poetry, essays and reviews. Along with that he wrote a great quantity of short stories, many of which were in this book. And of course he wrote many novels with his four novel set of Rabbit books being perhaps the quintiessential novels of the second half of the twentieth century.
As I read several books at once this set of stories has been something on my bedstand for about a year. With a collection this large I would read one or two a night and then miss a week or be faithful for a month and then miss a month. With stories so strong one does not want to hurry through but to savor and enjoy.
Of course an issue with reading a book over so much time, especially a book of short stories is your recall may be limited. I can say that this book is wonderful, that the stories are among the best collections you will ever find but to isolate more than a specific few stories may be a bit impossible.
Still the series makes it easier by putting the stories in subsets. Those that especially moved me were the Olinger stories, Married Life, Family Life and the Tarbox Tales. A couple of the sets were a little out there for me, but in a book of short stories over 800 pages long this will happen. Updike was nothing if not adaptable. He would tackle any subject.
The Tarbox tales along with the Olinger series appear to come from as close to Updike's foundation as one might find. Reading The Indian one sees what a good short story can do. I remember reading a paragraph from one of the stories about a month ago and telling her that to have a talent like that is something few mortal men will ever know.
Updike died in 2009. It was a great loss as he wrote right up to the end. When Pierre Salinger died recently there was a great outcrying. Of course he wrote the great Catcher in the Rye and then did the hermit thing for forty years. That will attract it's own set of attention. What Updike did was write. He did not hide. He knew it was not about him, it was about the stories. When one thinks of what a writer is and can be think not of the Salinger's and others who are more about them, think of someone like Updike who always knew that writer's write and it is always about the story.
A wonderful collection. Superior. Must Have.
As I read several books at once this set of stories has been something on my bedstand for about a year. With a collection this large I would read one or two a night and then miss a week or be faithful for a month and then miss a month. With stories so strong one does not want to hurry through but to savor and enjoy.
Of course an issue with reading a book over so much time, especially a book of short stories is your recall may be limited. I can say that this book is wonderful, that the stories are among the best collections you will ever find but to isolate more than a specific few stories may be a bit impossible.
Still the series makes it easier by putting the stories in subsets. Those that especially moved me were the Olinger stories, Married Life, Family Life and the Tarbox Tales. A couple of the sets were a little out there for me, but in a book of short stories over 800 pages long this will happen. Updike was nothing if not adaptable. He would tackle any subject.
The Tarbox tales along with the Olinger series appear to come from as close to Updike's foundation as one might find. Reading The Indian one sees what a good short story can do. I remember reading a paragraph from one of the stories about a month ago and telling her that to have a talent like that is something few mortal men will ever know.
Updike died in 2009. It was a great loss as he wrote right up to the end. When Pierre Salinger died recently there was a great outcrying. Of course he wrote the great Catcher in the Rye and then did the hermit thing for forty years. That will attract it's own set of attention. What Updike did was write. He did not hide. He knew it was not about him, it was about the stories. When one thinks of what a writer is and can be think not of the Salinger's and others who are more about them, think of someone like Updike who always knew that writer's write and it is always about the story.
A wonderful collection. Superior. Must Have.
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