Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Mmmm, Beer . . .
My big project for this year is learning how to brew my own beer. I finished reading the excellent how-to manual pictured above, and I am off to the supply store this weekend, with a view to getting started the weekend after that. I'll keep you guys posted on my progress, but the reason for this premature post is that it occurred to me one or more of you might be interested in undertaking the same project, in which case we can get going at the same time and compare notes.
Speaking of Lightning . . .
This is a song I hear the other day by a chap called Jeffrey Lightning Lewis. Quite captivating, I thought.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Lightening in a Bottle
There are plenty of obvious "lightening in a bottle" type albums out there, like London Calling, Andy's Warehouse, Born to Quit, Pet Sounds and Burn Your Cardigan, but what are some less obvious choices that would make your list? Show me yours and I'll show you mine.
The Graveyard Book
Congratulations to Neil Gaiman, who was awarded the Newberry medal for 2009. Not bad for an old comic book writer.
The Graveyard Book is "a delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing" according to the Newberry people, all the things I look for in children's books.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Ugly Suit
It's amazing what you'll find when you Google "Ugly Suit."
The band/CD that is so named is OK. It's been spinning in my truck since xmas and starting to grow on me. I was put off at first by how Wilco it sounded, to not be Wilco, but I've come around to it anyhow. There are some odd things about it, but I think it's worth a listen.
This ain't no stinkin book blog, but I'll mention 2 novels that I've read lately anyway: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which our Dave has mentioned, and Ironweed by William Kennedy, which is just a terrific little novel. Both are worth reading, should you find time for such a thing.
Yep, New Sheriff In Town
From Bloomberg:
The president said that when top White House aides leave government, they are barred from lobbying “for as long as I am president, and there will be a ban on gifts by lobbyists to anyone serving in the administration.”So, oil lobbyists can't run the EPA anymore?! Jesus, what's next, fiscal responsibility?
A lobbyist who joins the Obama administration also is forbidden from working on issues they previously were involved with, he said. Any person who leaves the administration will be barred from lobbying the government for two years.
“We are here as public servants, and public service is a privilege,” Obama said, addressing his White House staff and Cabinet on his first full day in office. “It’s not about advancing yourself or your corporate clients.”
“We need to close the revolving door that lets lobbyists come into government freely and lets them use their time in public service” to promote their own interests when they leave, the president said. Government hiring, he said, will henceforth be based on qualifications, competence and experience, “not political connections.”
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Work Travel Bad
The term "unbelievably bad" can no longer be used to describe air travel, because no matter how bad it is, it's all too believable. I mean, we got planes landing in fucking Hudson Rivers, for chrissakes. So my trip to Vermont was simply bad. Canceled flight bad, 10-hour layover bad, checking in to an Indian-run motel at 2 a.m. and having to stand outside in 10 degree weather at the after-hours check-in window bad. And 10 degrees is plenty damn cold for a Tennessee wuss. Kept fucking thinking about fucking Joe's last fucking work fucking travel fucking post.
I did get to spend a few not-horrid hours in historic Philadeathia and learned some interesting facts about the Liberty Bell (it didn't have crack in it, but "A" crack, a literal crack in it, go figure).
Just got home sweet home and the old place feels like Christmas in heaven.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Nazi Zombies? I'm In
From the Sundance Film Festival site:
For eight medical students, Easter vacation begins innocently enough. They pack their cars full of ski equipment and enough beer to fuel their escape from everyday life to the snowy, isolated hills outside of Øksfjord, Norway. Once there, they receive a late-night visit from a shady hiker, who tells them a story about Nazi occupation of the area during World War II. After doing their fair share of raping and pillaging, the dreaded battalion faced a brutal and vengeful uprising by the citizens of the town. The soldiers who managed to survive the onslaught, including their dreaded leader Colonel Herzog, were driven into the hills by the angry mob, where they supposedly froze to death, never to be seen again. But if the horror genre has taught us anything, it’s that the raucous behavior and promiscuity of the younger generation always have a way of bringing evil spirits back to life.Director Tommy Wirkola pulls no punches in the carnage department—heads roll, blood flows, and entrails ooze as the young vacationers attempt to make it through the night. Wirkola adeptly utilizes the snow’s eerie and ominous backdrop to its fullest extent while orchestrating this wickedly gory, yet somehow delightful, tale of Nazi zombie terror.The downside? The film is from Norway.
Watch the trailer for Dead Snow here and decipher what you can ...
A little history for your MLK Day
Most are familiar with Norman Rockwell's iconic portrait from the Civil Rights movement. But did you know the little girl depicted is Ruby Bridges, the six year old who integrated New Orleans public schools? Read a great article about her here. The Disney made-for-TV movie is very good as these things go; I use it in my class every year.
Game On!
Fox and WB reach a settlement. Watchmen is a go!
Here's the official statement from both studios:
Warner Bros. and Twentieth Century Fox have resolved their dispute regarding the rights to the upcoming motion picture Watchmen in a confidential settlement. Warner Bros acknowledges that Fox acted in good faith in bringing its claims, which were asserted prior to the start of principal photography. Fox acknowledges that Warner Bros. acted in good faith in defending against those claims Warner Bros. and Fox, like all Watchmen fans, look forward with great anticipation to this film's March 6 release in theatres.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
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