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The return of the thin white duke
The entire Thin Man series is now out in a 7-DVD box set. This is cause for great celebration, or at least several rounds of martinis. But what makes the original movie pop so, where the follow-ups threaten to fizzle? First of all, W.S. Van Dyke shot the entire thing in twelve days. Yes, one…
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A small break from the dogmatic slumber?
Anderson Cooper on Bill Maher just now: “People aren’t frustrated. They’re dead.”
Categories: etcTags: Politics -
Over, Under, Sideways, Down
LGA, 6:13 am: The cab pulls up to the AA departures outside lane. “Thank you sir. You’re a good tipper.” Odd. But that’s not where I meant to begin. That is not where I meant to begin at all. One week earlier. JFK, a somewhat saner hour (the Little Rascals is now over). : The…
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san fran
“Welcome to the most beautiful city in the world.” Just after touching down, the lead of the front attendant crew came over the P.A. and uttered this in his thick Russian brogue. I already liked this guy for his sense of humor–playing up his accent for comic relief in a Bronson Pichot kind of way,…
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They’re Back?
Crossing Delancy is the perfect example of a great not-so-great movie. I think I owe FB for that one, but it’s an important and indispensable category. And CD hails from 1988, no less, so there I go being kind to an 80s film. But, does that mean we want to dress that way again? You…
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Saturday Cat Blogging?
Zachary can’t live on Southern exposure alone. Hangin’ on the Frigidaire: Bonus round! Ontario melted dog blogging! (It’s been hot in the Great White North, too.) To re-constitute, just add water.
Categories: etcTags: Cats -
Rock ‘n Roll politics
A while back I celebrated my long-delayed Karaoke debut. This took place appropriately enough in “Music City, USA”. Nashville certainly earns that title, covering as it does that wide stylistic expanse from Country to Western.*** Up on stage, S.Fo and I performed My Generation (my choice) and LA Woman (his choice). Both songs are probably…
Tags: Politics -
Fizzle, fo-shizzle
Some things need to be blogged in quasi-realtime, and this is surely one of them. Just got back from a silly, trendy club on W58th st. Ha ha. SF, who, being a recent NY transplant from San Fran, and whom therefore I like to think of as S.Fo, decided to damn the torpeedos and go…
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From Cinemarred to Keano Kino
Cinemarred: Paul Newman is a great actor–or perhaps it’s just enough to say that he is an actor. He’s got range, and it covers roles from the despicably compelling Hud to the sharply comedic like, ok, I’ll say it, Reggie Dunlap in Slap Shot. Beyond that, he’s just likable. He doesn’t have any “Bosom Buddies”…
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A.N.N.O.Y.I.N.G.
So. There’s. This. New. Trend. In. Annoying. Punctuation. That’s. Especially. Popular. With. Bloggers. Because. I. Guess. They. Think. It’s. Cool. And. Emphatic. But. I. Think. It’s. Lame. And. Psychotic. Michelle. Malkin. Does. It. Need. I. Say. More. You. Won’t. See. Me. Do. It. Again.
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Positing an alternate reality
August 6th was the anniversary of two days of infamy. About August 6th, 1945, the title of a book I read as a teenager sums it up: “The Day Man Lost”. More recently, August 6th 2001 was the day that President Bush, on vacation at Crawford TX, received the infamous Presidential Daily Briefing that warned…
Categories: etcTags: Politics -
Our first poetry submission
And here it is: If, by chance, you fly Air France And are landing in Toronto, You may require, in case of fire, A way to exit pronto. Props to PM…
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yo brutha! / Hey-Micky!
Mr. Mick writes: “Mista Chesta! thanks for lookin’ at my blog! I guess you got there from that sissy horn player, right? How nice to hear from you! When last we spoke, t’was over drinks at that Oscar party, right? gimme a holla and tell Nora ‘howdy!’” And it’s quite a fine blog too. Yes,…
Categories: etcTags: Oscars -
Lawrence Tierney: old school tough guy
The second volume of the “Film Noir Classic Collection” came out a couple of weeks ago. It’s a five-DVD set featuring, one has to say, some second-tier pics, some of which are closer to crime thrillers than true noirs. For example, Lawrence Tierney’s breakout role as the lead in 1945’s Dillinger. This pic undoubtedly closer…
Categories: FilmTags: Film noir -
The long-awaited return of Friday Cat Blogging!
Zachary in his favourite spot: Billie wondering why we haven’t been taking enough snaps of her: Bonus round! Mexico hotel baby lizard blogging!
Categories: etcTags: Cats -
Command Blogging
When the second best writer I know tells me to blog more, dammit, I’d better do as I’ve been told. Especially when I see cyberkrunk linked at the top, mind you, of his blogroll. I teared up a little when I saw that. But maybe it was just continuing ill after-effects of that late Wednesday…
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Whole lotta Jankowskis
More than 85,000 people tried to get in to this year’s NY Marathon, and among those were a record number of Jankowskis. Five of us are in, three will have to sit out. My goal this year? Well, of course to be the first Jankowski at Tavern on the Green. But take heart, fellow runners,…
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Proof that advertising works
OK, you’ve all seen that VW ad featuring the kids that look like all of us circa 10 years ago dancing to this great garage song, getting into a row with their downstairs neighbor. They climb into their VW, the song still blaring. Eventually you see them dancing to the tune in their new house.…
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Movie Review: Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith
I’ve got an ear for accents and I delight in listening to them, placing them. Quite naturally, I’m somewhat of an expert in Canadian accents, and please notice the plural there. There is no more one single, defining Canadian accent than there is a single defining American or French accent. But, of course, there are…
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Breaking News!
From the “Now-he-can-tell-you-what-he-Really-thinks-about-library-science” department: This just in: we have heard that Prof. Downey has been granted tenure!!! Proof that you can slag off your flute practicing and still be a success in life. Congratulations, J.S.!
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Things that go boom… chuppa-chup-chup-chup in the night
Early this morning, I had a dream that I was piloting a helicopter. I’ve never actually piloted a real helicopter, although I’ve played with a simulator a bit. Frankly, I think I would be a bit nervous if I ever had to take over the controls–I’d feel more comfortable if I had to, say, land…
Categories: etcTags: New York -
Enron
I’ve been spending the past week with Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, Andy Fastow and the whole gang from Enron. It began Sunday afternoon, when I saw a screening of “The Smartest Guys in the Room,” the new documentary based on last year’s book. So what really felled Enron? Was it hubris? Greed? Well, yes of…
Categories: etcTags: Politics -
Steve Martin, tax attorney
I’m almost certain that everyone reading this remembers this great old-time Steve Martin Bit: You can be a millionaire–and never pay taxes! You can be a millionaire–and never pay taxes! You say, “Steve… how can I be a millionaire, and never pay taxes?” First, get a million dollars. Now, you say, “Steve, what do I…
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Politcs and the Schiavo story
Anyone tracking the Schiavo story for the past few weeks is doubtless aware of the now infamous “GOP Schiavo Talking Points memo” which was circulated by GOP leaders on the senate floor around March 18th, and subsequently leaked to and reported by the press in the next few days. Something of a footnote in the…
Categories: News -
Firewire audio interfaces & such
An anonymous friend, who still prefers that quaint old techology, email, writes: I’ve got a tech question for the computer gurus over at krunk audio (that would be you). I’m just assuming you know more about digital audio than I do these days. Is it safe/advisable to run both one’s audio interace and one’s audio…
Categories: Technology
