Marie Antoinette, Pearl Jam, Foer and SNL. A potpourri. March 15, 2011
Greetings.
I finished watching Marie Antoinette last night. It was goodish. Beautiful sets/costumes. But I think what I’m in need of is less about HER and more about the French Rev in particular. Although I did stick around for the credits and saw that the movie was based on a book by Antonia Fraser and that did get me curious about the book. The modern music in it…I’m not so sure about that action. Jarring to me. Although my ears did prick up when I heard a KANYE song melody playing near the end. I had to Google it and turns out it’s a 2001 song by somebody and the melody is sampled in “Blame Game” on Kanye’s latest album. That music sampling is tricky business. On one hand you have people who aren’t writing their own music. But on the other hand, you have their artistic interpretation of someone else’s basic melody into something completely new and different. And yes, I realize I’m opening myself wide for comments vis-à-vis Kanye and ARTISTIC in the same paragraph. Have at it. I can take it. I hold strongly that there are Rap & Hip Hop ARTISTS out there – doing masterfully creative stuff, even if it does rip off a bit of someone else’s gig.
What else? My boys! So cute with their Pinewood Derby wins, especially Z-man. He was SO happy last night and wanted to take his trophy to school today to show off.
ELIC – the new acronym for Extremely Loud Blah Blah. I read a bit more last night. So good, but I’m not finding it an easy read. Are you, Frog?
My cube neighbors are gone today which is a WIN in my book. I get to listen to music and not have to worry about bugging anyone. Playing right now: Pearl Jam, “Go.” Totally annoying song, not fit for neighbors. YESSSSSSSSSSSS.
Readers, when did you start learning algebra? Do you remember? I don’t, but I don’t think it was 3rd grade. B’s homework last night had some really simple algebra problems in it. I mean really simple. But the whole point is – really? In third grade?? It was this kind of fandango, what is X? (8 x X)(3 x 2) = 48
LERD HELP ME IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, IS ALLS I’M SAYIN’.
Who watched Zach Galifinakis on SNL last week? Man alive that guy is funny. His opening monologue was his regular weird stand up stuff which I love. So refreshing to see a real talent on there, versus some tool promoting their latest shitty movie.
Opinions? I have ‘em.
I think that’s all for this lunchtime update. You are welcome, readers, you are so welcome.
Oh. For. The. Love. January 30, 2011
Why do you vex me vis-a-vis the GOTTDAM Social Network so late at night? I am so riled up I had to bring the computer upstairs to blog properly, not on the iPhone.
I am not more moral than you. That is redonkeylous. Alls I said was that the movie was good, okay, meh, whatever. But I did not love it. That is all. You know what I think was a better movie? The Town! I enjoyed that more! I think the Social Network suffered by my seeing it late. Me seeing it late? I’d heard you raving about it for months and expected the next My Dinner With Andre. And was a little underwhelmed.
Now let’s talk about Mark Zuckerberg. I’d bet every big huge business like FB has some seedy beginning story like that. Who’s screwing whom and who got Left Behind. I don’t think it’s a revolutionary topic. It’s MONEY. The only f’ing reason The Social Network was made into a movie is because of Our Times. It’s the confluence of our internet obsessed culture (hello, yes, that’s me), our LOVE for hearing about people who make one jillion dollhairs and the Tech Savvy At Risk Youth (hat tip to Dan Savage). Where’s the movie about Meg Whitman and the juggernaut rise of eBay? Where’s the movie about Jeff Bezos and the huge megastore that is now the Amazon dot com? Where’s Steve Jobs movie? (ugh – surely there’s been one?) I’m sure there are several people in those stories who were Left Behind and used and abused. It’s just timing. It’s not some new phenomenon.
In summary – I didn’t not enjoy the movie. I liked it. I did not love it. It had nothing to do with the morality of the protagonist. If anything, I was fascinated by his brilliance. I like the smarties. I like watching how weird the super smarties are!
That is all!
Kanye West – I have no thoughts on him really. His swagger both repulses me and compels me. I guess we call that Mission Accomplished. I think he is a Boy Genius for sure, quite talented. I started to listening to “Stronger” a lot after Emily mentioned it and he is poetic with the lyrics. But ugh what a douchebag. I would not go so far to say I like him. Or Mark Zuckerberg. My tastes are more refined than that.
Now excuse me while I go watch Jersey Shore.
Movies January 26, 2011
Toad, I’ll save you the time- I have seen all the movies you have listed and the Social network is the best. There you go’s. Actually, True Grit was superb. Superb. Capital S. Anyone who says that the old one was better is a cracked out tweaker that thinks that just because a movie is OLD and stars The Duke, it must be better than any remake. Clearly because cracked out tweakers are all self-proclaimed movie aficionados. Clearly. Well, The Dude takes this one, but it’s not even because of him. It’s the Cohen’s, dummies! And the fact that they chose to cast a much more engaging child to play 14 year old Maddie instead of a clearly adult “child” who had the annoying market cornered. Then they let the movie be about her. Because, the story IS about her.
I saw Black Swan again. It’s good stuff. King’s Speech = great. Lower case “g.” I defy anyone to watch Toy Story 3 and not cry. Seriously. My eyes burn just writing this. Inception- rent it. Pretty poor screenplay in my opinion, good execution and pretty entertaining in general. 127 hrs- good stuff.
In case you did not know before, I have some opinions when it comes to movies. You will all be relieved to know that I have a standing Oscar night engagement with Bailey’s mom and SHEILA MCGOVERN. What about hosting something for the SAG awards? Has that already passed? I joke.
Two Things:
First, thank you for siding with me, Ellen, in this craziness around the 900. There were some other circumstances that lent to my favor, but you got enough of the message. Again, thank you. It was helpful for my mental health even though Portia rejects the outcome (weak ego).
And B: Toad! You’s so wrong about the Social Network. So wrong wrong wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know what pushed this movie over the edge for me was thinking back to the conversation you and I had about Mad Men, the episode where Don “quit tobacco.” You tried and tried to get me to see why it made sense that Burt (and others) were appalled and not just impressed with his guts to throw that hail mary. This story was the opposite end of that. It got me thinking so much about how the rules now are pretty much what we say they are as we go along. There is no sense of “well, I probably shouldn’t.” All it takes to succeed is guts and brains now, whereas for Don, not so much. Plus, the pace of the movie- everything. God, it was so good. Readers, don’t let Ms. Meh dissuade you from watching this movie. Best Movie of the Year!
Glorious Day
Yo peeps! It’s a great day to be alive in Portland-adjacent. The sun is shining, the weather is clear and dry, I met Emily for some sit’n’knit and now I’m waiting for J at our secret romantic getaway, Tigard’s Hi-Hat.
It’s divey Chinese. Strong drinks, senior citizen clientele and a biiiig tv. I ordered a Malibu Rum and pineapple juice, which is quite possibly the greatest sweet cocktail ever in life. When I ordered it, the gal said “oh I know your husband! Coors Light guy.” Um, no. I’m married to White Russian guy. I think! Unless J comes here with someone else who orders sorority girl drinks! We are going to see a movie after this, either True grit or The Fighter. We are truly torn between both movies and may have to flip a coin to decide. On one hand you’ve got your Jeff bridges but on the other you’ve got your Marky Mark. Can you feel it baby? I can too. J just texted and said “Five minutes, order white russian.”
Sweet!
Um, no November 20, 2010
This movie? No. Wait for it to come on TV. Or on an airplane. Where you don’t have to pay for headphones.
The good news is that I get to pick the next movie for date night, which will be in approximately 47 weeks. At least it was free.
Bah! I’m going to go read and drink ice water now. I et too much Noho’s. We shoulda seen James Franco cut-your-hand-off.
And now Sports Center is on?? Double bah!
I love Doobie! November 7, 2010
Herrow Dere!
I have a lot of of nuttin’ to say, but what is new? I don’t let that stop me, so let’s get started.
Here’s some knitting for you.
Isn’t it a grand picture? It’s the cowl I was working on at Craft Night Saturday. I finished it up that night and it was too dense/stiff for me, so I gave it a Soak soak (knitters, you know of what I speak) and it loosened right up and now it’s more floppy and a little looser. Win. Emily – it was only 16″ on size 13’s – the pattern says to knit to 18″. So Big Wool will do the job, if you “block” it. I say: go for it.
Y’all saw my crafty goodness from earlier today – I got my crafty mojo this morning and made all my tshirts for the Gulag Craft Exchange. I can’t believe I’m done so early. I used a new Cricut cartridge that Alicia bought and made 5″ stencils and I think they turned out super cute. Best of all, the tshirts were only $2 each, so my whole fandango only cost me ten doll-hairs (plus paint. And um, the Cricut machine, but let us not speak of that.).
What else? Oh! The CotC went to a birthday party Saturday night. It was at a gymnastics place in a business park in Beaverton and it was very poorly lit and just generally a little shady seeming in the dark and rainy night. It was a drop-your-kids-off type gig, so I sent the boys in with their “uncle” gabe (J’s cousin) and his son and said I’d be back to pick them up. Fast forward two hours…I drive up there to get them and the LIGHTS ARE OFF in the place and there is ONE car in the parking lot. There were at least 10 when I dropped them off. I quite nearly pooped my pants and in the 20 seconds it took me to park the car and get to the door, I imagined every horrible scenario that could possibly have happened. I got to the door and it was locked and the kids were sitting on the floor watching a movie! Whew. But I was so freaked out on adrenaline that I was super pissy britches and just wanted to get the hell out of there. How about leave a light on by the front door, folks? The kids had a great time – they did mucho playing in the gymnastics area and had dinner and cupcakes and the movie. Good times. Bad business lighting.
In book news, I’ve started The Heretic’s Daughter but it has yet to suck me in. I dunno – I have little patience for the stories from those days told from a kid’s point of view. Life was SO cruel. And the English were just so TURRIBLE to their children. Life was just turrible back then, and then you add in the Puritan wack-doodle-ness and oy. Their life was like death!
I watched “Winter’s Bone” on DVD last night. As predicted, J made it for about 1.1 seconds on the couch after the looong day of tailgating and Duck football watching and was in bed almost immediately. The movie was okay. It’s gotten all kinds of hype – and the actress gal was great – but I didn’t lurve it. Again, the sad-kid-quality-of-life situation is hard on my soft soft heart. These were like “hill people” in the Ozarks who cook meth and live in these shack type houses in these weird communities. The one bright spot was that it did include my favorite underused word: Doobie. This gal’s aunt was sending her off to walk home in the frigid winter and said, “Here’s a doobie for your walk.” Doobie? For your teen niece? How about some freaking food for her starving family. Oh but ‘doobie’ makes me laugh. When J. was voting for us, we voted YES for the mary-wanna dispensaries and J said, “well the doobie sales can fund the extra money they’ll need if the DUI and sex offender law passes.” I said sure…as long as they don’t build one in Tigard. Oh just kidding, marijuana enthusiasts! But really, I think doobies are for SE Portland. And Alberta.
B. had his Intro to Physics class (Lego Physics) today and he looooooved it. He came home with “notes” they wrote down and he’s getting a whole new science-y vocab that me no speaky. He “quizzed” me on the definitions and I felt like a big dumbass. I really thought it would be a little later that my children would become smarter than me. Mebbe I need to quit with the extracurricular activities and the focus on reading around here. Lerd. They’re doing geometry in math now and there’s shit I just don’t remember. I can never remember the difference between diameter and radius. I needed to know one time (for a craft thing I was making) but was too lazy to get up and look it up (try and picture it) so I texted J. who was out. And he read my text to the table of folks. And 30 sec. later I get a text from his bro saying, “I can’t believe you don’t know what radius is.”
I think that’s all for now folks. Tune in tomorrow when I: Eat a sandwich! And bitch about work! And talk about my kids!
Feeling Better, Making Progress –or– I’ll show you lazy, you little bastard October 14, 2010
I was able to get back to the crafty action today. Here’s my progress:
Isn’t she lovely (made from love)?
I got out the Wii remote and watched two movies today. Hey, get off me, I’ve been sick. I watched “Babies” and “The Opposite of Sex.” TOoS came out in 1998 and it is a 90’s classic, IMHO. It stars Christina Ricci as a horrible person who manipulates her gay brother, seduces his lover, steals money, and drinks Long Island Iced Teas while pregnant. It is hilarious. If you haven’t seen it – get on it immediately. One of her lines in the first three minutes of the movie is:
“My mother was the type of mother who always said, “I’m my daughter’s best friend.” Whenever she did I thought, “Great, not only do I have a shitty mother, but my best friend is a loser bitch.”
That is good clean comedy. Ok, maybe not clean, but good comedy nonetheless. It’s comedy gold, with a little heart at the end. Rent it or stream it – whatever.
B. just asked me, “do you think I’m lazy?” I said, “NO! Do you think I’m lazy?” and he said, “Kind of…” On that note, I think I’ll go fold some laundry.
Frog and Toad Together Blog 