Catching Up on TV Too

Please accept my apologies for mentioning that crazy guy (who needs to be on meds!!) so much. I just can't believe how much he's covered in the media, and I'm contributing to it by expressing my amazement. Donovan was on to something with the bodywork he suggested a while back in my comments.

I like the celebrity dance show. I cringe a little tiny bit when dancers aren't perfect in their posture or they look scared. I don't care if they miss steps since none of it compares to when Evander Holyfield was still on the show. John O'Hurley is hilarious and his partner is a trippy lady who looks like a kissblowing barbie doll. She reminds me of a character in the second season of Twin Peaks -- the freaky domestic violence victim turned pedophile. Nevertheless, she totally rules in dancing.

While watching the show, I saw an M&M ad that featured a Postal Service song sung by Iron and Wine. Weird.

I'm thinking about switching to reading and yoga classes to fill my evenings.

Catching Up

I've been reading up on blogs and news I've missed for the past week. It turns out the Huffington Post can't stop reporting on Tom Cruise.

Bereavement Leave

My dad passed away on Sunday, so there won't be any posts this week other than some highlights of the obituary I had to write.

He was known as Sheff long before I appropriated the name. He was born Gary, Texas in 1927. He attended Xavier University in New Orleans, and later graduated from Tennessee State University. He received his DDS at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN. He practiced dentistry until the mid-90s.

Dad enjoyed telling stories, hunting, fishing, golf, bowling, and spending time with his family and friends. As a young man, he played basketball, football, and swam competitively. In his later years, he watched his sports chair-side especially enjoying the 49ers, the Giants, Tiger Woods, and Court T.V.

Also Coming Soon ...

Yesterday I wrote about the previews playing with Batman Begins, and I forgot to mention a couple.

[SPOILER ALERT -- if I am accurate about my predictions, reading any further might ruin everything.]

Howl's Moving Castle. Even though the trailer was boring, and Billy Crystal's voice is in it, and it has a Disney label, I'm going to see it. I'm sure I'm going to like it a lot.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Johnny Depp plays a creepy looking guy who wears makeup and invites children to his fantasy land of juvenile joy and delight. At first, I was tempted to dismiss this new version because Willy Wonka was perfect. But I'm predicting there will be enough freshness to pull it off. Also, it seems more timely than ever. Here's the twist on the classic I foresee: In Wonka, Gene Wilder played a man who knew Charlie was his boy at the get-go. To pull it off, he had to devise the contest/scheme and win Charlie over. But, from the Charlie trailer I saw, it looks like Depp's Wonka hates all the kids and has to open up his Neverland chocolate factory for public relations purposes. In spite of himself, he is slowly seduced by Charlie's humble and gentle ways.

I really think I'm on to something with critiquing trailers and discussing how I feel about films I haven't seen... . I'm finding my voice or something.

Search Engine

Chuy would like this.

The Modern Cinema

The new Batman movie rules. The best of the batty films and better than the newest Star Wars installment.

Seeing it opening night was a hoot. The theater was full of dressed up rich kids who like to hang out at the mall, and I felt a little under-dressed in my sweats. But the comic book crowd put me at ease. York and I spent the 1/2 hour pre-trailer show of ads (it's worse than television!!!), presenting arguments about whether the young males in front of us were in high school or college. York finally saw it my way after the movie when we overheard the boys were discussing Batman's tool belt features.

Unlike the product ads, the previews were exciting.

Serenity. I am soooo psyched! Eli and I have watched all the t.v. episodes thanks to netflix. I don't think it was the best show, but I'll see anything Joss Whedon does. There was applause in the theater after the trailer.

War of the Worlds. Normally I'm the first to say Tom Cruise can give good performances, but this one looks kind of icky. I'll wait for the reviews.

Dukes of Hazard. Embarrassingly, I must admit that it looks like fun. It kind of looks like Johnny Knoxville will be playing himself, but his lack of range doesn't seem like it will be a problem.

He Beat It

Ed reminded me of some of the lyrics to that song:

They're Out To Get You, Better Leave While You Can
Don't Wanna Be A Boy, You Wanna Be A Man
You Wanna Stay Alive, Better Do What You Can
So Beat It, Just Beat It

I lost a quarter in a 3-way pool over the MJ verdict. In my defense, I didn't pay much attention to the case even though the media gave me every opportunity in the world. I read here and there that the accuser's mother blew it by coming off as a scammer. I heard the accuser himself gave inconsistent testimony. But then I heard about the video tape that the judge let in on rebuttal. It sounded like a total rehabilitation of the accuser. I also read, word for word, some of the accounts of abuse it in Vanity Fair.* Yuck. So I thought they'd convict him. After all, who doesn't totally hate child molesters?

Turns out the jury thought the case was really weak. I heard on the news that one juror believed MJ was indeed a child molester, just not in the case at hand.

How do I really feel about it? I wish Michael would have called me a long time ago for advice. I would have recommended that he not act like such a freaking freak. I would have told him not to share his bed with children other than his own and not to expect the world to think it a beautiful thing when he did. But alas, I'm not sure there really is a cure for what ails him. So sad.

Also, I don't know what to do about patronizing his work. I love many of his songs. Will people think me a child molester-lover if I own some of his albums? Or will I appear ironic? I don't want that. I clearly have a lot to think about.



*Normally, I boycott Vanity Fair because even though it is so satisfying with its in-depth coverage of celebrity gossip and true crime, I decided a while back that it is too classist and racist in its overall point of view. It worst offense is Christopher Hitchens, and he's always published in it. (No exception for this latest issue, but I plan to defile the whole piece with red and black markers.) I get to break all my rules when shopping in airports, and I bought the July issue while on a weekend trip to see Eli. It's great (worth several 1-2 hour plane rides). It contains stories about MJ, Hillary Clinton, Nicole Kidman (ex wife of Tom Cruise whose every move is covered in the HP), a story about some drug addicted rock star who's in love with Kate Moss, a story about those hawks who nested on a building in NY City, plus the breaking story on Deep Throat. Don't go buying it or anything since some of the stories are available on line. Call me at work, and I'll read the others out loud to you.

Happy Birthday Elias!

Here I am,trying to do my thing before work ... .



And look what I have to put up with ... .




Stop being so cute!



Just kidding. Keep it up.

Stitch and Bitch

Some of my crafty friends came over last night to do the group knitting thing. It was about 10% knitting, 40% eating, and 75% talking about boyfriends, getting by in L.A., Eli's grammar godliness, and the news (the immigration stories on the Pasadena NPR station this week, Martin Ludlow and how interesting it will be if he heads the County Federation of Labor, and of course the unbelievable amount of Tom Cruise coverage on the HP).

At this rate, I'll finish the baby's blanket by his first birthday.

MSM

I don't understand why there's so much coverage of the Supreme Court decision about medical marijuana use and so little on Brad and Angelina. To hell with the main stream media. I'm going to the Huffington Post for my news these days. I could do with fewer stories about Tom Cruise, who is acting all manic and weird like his character in Magnolia. But on the whole, all the news that's fit for me is there.

Rest In Peace

I finally sold my antique car and bought a newer used one. It took the kid I sold it to about a month to kill it.

Trained to Disassemble

O.K., Robin, here's what he said when asked about the Amnesty International report:

"It's an absurd allegation. The United States is a country that promotes freedom around the world. We've investigated every single complaint against the detainees. It seemed like to me they based some of their decisions on the word of and the allegations by people who were held in detention, people who hate America, people that had been trained in some instances to disassemble --— that means not tell the truth. And so it was an absurd report."