My Music Monday

September has no theme.  And it's almost over.

But one day in the last week, I woke up with a song in my head. This happens often. Usually it is from something I had heard in the last few days - but this time, it was not the case.

Love love love Neil Young and arguably, he was no better than between 1977-1981.  He has lots of great periods in his career, but I'm fond of the (mostly) Crazy Horse era.

His disk Rust Never Sleeps, which is a live album - but shouldn't be confused with his other live disk, Live Rust - is primarily known for the opening and closing numbers:  "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)" and "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)", semi-acoustic and full on electric respectively.

The album has lots of good songs, but the best (my opinion, of course) is "Powderfinger). This song is fully electric along with distorted guitars for which Crazy Horse could be known.  The phrase "fade away" comes in this song, as it does in the two aforementioned tunes. I won't say it's a theme, but Rust's overriding sentiment is survival.

The song was originally recorded but not released in 1975. It was offered to Lynyrd Skynyrd two years later, but never recorded after some band members died in a plane crash.  This always interested me, since Skynyrd's song "Sweet Home Alabama" was a response to Young's "Alabama".

I have never been able to pinpoint why this song resonates with me so, but it does. For me, it ranks up in Young's top 10 songs.....maybe top 5.

Choices

"Oh yes, we are playing", said Mike in a text back in mid-July - but without the comma.

I had given us both an out on this year's Emmy shindig, but my winning the Oscar thing this year must still sting.  As it should.

This one isn't going to go to well for me. Maybe for us. I haven't seen a lot of these. I haven't heard of many of them either.

I thought about just saying, "they're all winners in my book!", that way, I cover my bases and no matter who wins, I win.

Pretty sneaky, sis!

But Mike would call 'foul' or maybe 'fowl'. Stupid homonyms.  So it's basically pin the tail on the TV show.  If I lose, I won't feel too bad.  If I win, I'll gloat like no one's business.

While the list below seems extensive, it was more so, until I found out we didn't need to worry about the Creative Arts Emmys, which were last week.  .....and just to nitpick, isn't acting, writing and directing creative and arty?

This works to my advantage, as I know Mike would have voted all things RuPaul and Queer Eye.  There is a fine line between being gay and being gay!  But he found that line and pranced right over it.

Full disclosure:  I started this fully sober.  I'm not ending it that way.  Mike is aware of this. I'm not absolving myself of my decisions due to alcohol, unless I lose, then all bets are off.

Well........on with the guess-fest, shall we?


Outstanding Drama Series Better Call Saul Bodyguard Game of Thrones Killing Eve Ozark Pose Succession This Is Us

If it were up to me, it'd be Succession.  But it's not up to me. 

Outstanding Comedy Series Barry Fleabag Russian Doll Schitt’s Creek The Good Place The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Veep

It's frickin' Veep, the final season  It's frickin' hilarious. 

Outstanding Limited Series Chernobyl Escape at Dannemora Fosse/Verdon Sharp Objects When They See Us

Don't bet against a show about race and Rape.  SVU hasn't been on for two decades for nothin'. 

Outstanding Drama Actor Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) Kit Harington (Game of Thrones) Jason Bateman (Ozark) Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us) Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us) Billy Porter (Pose)

I've never seen 35 seconds of this show. But fandom will win out. 

Outstanding Drama Actress Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) Robin Wright (House of Cards) Viola Davis (How To Get Away With Murder) Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) Mandy Moore (This Is Us) Laura Linney (Ozark)

How how I love Linney. How I hate she won't win. 

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Jonathan Banks (Better Call Saul) Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul) Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones) Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) Michael Kelly (House of Cards) Chris Sullivan (This Is Us)

Ummm.  Sure. Because he was great in the Boss? 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones) Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones) Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve) Julia Garner (Ozark)

I'm thinking Harry Potter's horrible aunt will win only because the 43 GoT actresses will cancel each other out.

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Game of Thrones “The Last Of The Starks” Game of Thrones “The Long Night” Game of Thrones “The Iron Throne” Killing Eve “Desperate Times” Ozark “Reparations” Succession “Celebration” The Handmaid’s Tale “Holly”

Oh, how the f*#k should I know? I'm just hoping Mike doesn't either. 

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Better Call Saul “Winner” Bodyguard “Episode 1” Game of Thrones “The Iron Throne” Killing Eve “Nice And Neat” Succession “Nobody Is Ever Missing” The Handmaid’s Tale “Holly”

You'd think GoT, but it's the final episode and everyone seemed to be so-so on the ending. It might knock it out of contention.  I have absolutely nothing to back up my selection. 

 Outstanding Comedy Actor Bill Hader (Barry) Don Cheadle (Black Monday) Anthony Anderson (Black-ish) Eugene Levy (Schitt’s Creek) Ted Danson (The Good Place) Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method)

It'll be Hader. I still haven't seen Barry, but it has good buzz. 

Outstanding Comedy Actress Christina Applegate (Dead to Me) Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek) Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll) Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)

Save for Waller-Bridge, whom I don't know, I love all these ladies. But c'mon. JLD. She is fucking awesome. 

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Henry Winkler (Barry) Anthony Carrigan (Barry) Stephen Root (Barry) Tony Hale (Veep) Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) Alan Arkin (The Kominsky Method)

Heyyyy.  It should be Shalhoub, but it won't be. 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Sarah Goldberg (Barry) Sian Clifford (Fleabag) Olivia Colman (Fleabag) Betty Gilpin (GLOW) Marin Hinkle (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live) Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) Anna Chlumsky (Veep)

I SO want it to be Chlumsky (I say that every year she's nominated for "Amy" on Veep.  But it won't be. Again. So let Coleman get an Oscar and an Emmy in the same year.

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Barry “The Audition” Barry “ronny/lily” Fleabag “Episode 1” The Big Bang Theory “Stockholm Syndrome” The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel “All Alone” The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel “We’re Going To The Catskills!”

Jews + Comedy = Catskills.   This seems reasonable enough for a win. 

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Barry “ronny/lily” Fleabag “Episode 1” PEN15 “Anna Ishii-Peters” Russian Doll “Nothing In This World Is Easy” Russian Doll “A Warm Body” The Good Place “Janet(s)” Veep “Veep”

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series Mahershala Ali (True Detective) Hugh Grant (A Very English Scandal) Benicio del Toro (Escape At Dannemora) Sam Rockwell (Fosse/Verdon) Jared Harris (Chernobyl) Jharrel Jerome (When They See Us)

Ali has two Oscars.  He don't need this. 

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series Amy Adams (Sharp Objects) Patricia Arquette (Escape At Dannemora) Michelle Williams (Fosse/Verdon) Joey King (The Act) Aunjanue Ellis (When They See Us) Niecy Nash (When They See Us)

While Nash could get it, she has all the Claws money.  Like Lola Heatherton, Williams is a triple threat. she acts, dance and acts. 

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series Ben Whishaw (A Very English Scandal) Stellan Skarsgard (Chernobyl) Paul Dano (Escape at Dannemora) John Leguizamo (When They See Us) Michael K. Williams (When They See Us) Asante Blackk (When They See Us)

Who doesn't like Whishaw?

 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series Emily Watson (Chernobyl) Patricia Clarkson (Sharp Objects) Marsha Stephanie Blake (When They See Us) Vera Farmiga (When They See Us) Patricia Arquette (The Act) Margaret Qualley (Fosse/Verdon)

It's Patricia Frickin' Clarskson.  She should win EVERYTHING!

Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special A Very English Scandal Chernobyl Escape At Dannemora Fosse/Verdon “Glory” Fosse/Verdon “Who’s Got The Pain” When They See Us

I want to say Fosse/Verdon, but I don't think that will get me the win. 

Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special A Very English Scandal Chernobyl Escape At Dannemora “Episode 6” Escape At Dannemora “Episode 7” Fosse/Verdon “Providence” When They See Us “Part Four”

It's about dance. Fosse dance. These TV folk think they're artsy, so they'll vote what they think is. 

Outstanding Television Movie Bandersnatch (Black Mirror) Brexit King Lear My Dinner with Hervé 

You don't fuck with Willie S. 

Outstanding Competition Program American Ninja Warrior RuPaul’s Drag Race Nailed It! The Amazing Race The Voice Top Chef

I'm going with what will inevitably be Mike's choice. If nothing else we'll tie this one. 

Outstanding Variety Talk Series -  Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Last Week Tonight With John Oliver The Late Show With Stephen Colbert  The Late Late Show With James Corden  Jimmy Kimmel Live!  The Daily Show With Trevor Noah

I'm betting the long shot. 

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series - At Home with Amy Sedaris  Documentary Now Drunk History I Love You America, Sarah Silverman Saturday Night Live  Who is America?

Not a fan of Sahsa Baron Cohen, but.........he kind of got stupid american assholes in his crosshairs. Yeah, I'm talkin' to you Palin.

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series Documentary Now! “Waiting For The Artist” Drunk History “Are You Afraid Of The Drunk?” Last Week Tonight With John Oliver “Psychics” Saturday Night Live “Host: Adam Sandler” The Late Show With Stephen Colbert “Live Midterm Election Show” Who Is America? “Episode 102”

Lord, I do love Drunk History.....which is not just Mike telling tales from his past. I mean, it IS, but they didn't make a show of that.                Yet. 

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series Documentary Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Last Week Tonight With John Oliver Late Night With Seth Meyers Saturday Night Live The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

It's about writing. And while I love Colbert, Oliver's written material is strong. 



Stay put until Tuesday to see who the winner might be............



Song by: Leonard Cohen

Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)

Good picture week, if I say so myself.

Spooky Cat. 

With our emergency lantern during our power outage, Sophie casts a nice shadow. 

Hotel Dog. 

I think he should get his own Marriott Rewards card.  He seems comfortable here. 

He did crash. I got the lean - which I love. 

Sophie and her shoelace.  

It's been hanging off a stool since she was a kitten. She still loves it. 

Happy Dog.   

I love getting him out after work. So does he. 

Sophie has been reaching out and pulling my arm to her constantly. 

Who am I to tell her 'no'?

Ball Ball. 

Someone is leaving her scent all over one of Shep's toys.  This isn't going to end well. 

Henry was asleep when I picked up Shep. 

But I said 'hello' to him and he came up for love. And I love him so. 

Henry has his own IG page.  As well he should.

Song by: Diana Ross

Lightening Strikes

As I mentioned last week while holed up in a Residence Inn with dog and husband, the storm we had was bad, and possibly a microburst.

Probable, I'd say.

It totally amazed me that it took Cleveland media - print, radio and TV - three days to even report on it, save "30,000 people without power".

I love a good thunderstorm, but before we lost our power, we actually gathered the pets and migrated to another area of the house. Quickly - especially when we assumed a bolt of lightening hit between our place and the neighbors.

As it turned out, we were right about the lightening and the neighbors, just the wrong one.  In the title image you can see how lightening travelled down this tree to the ground. Enough to damage, not enough to actually split the tree.

We had been worried about our 100ft oak right next to the house. Well, we were more worried about the house and the oak falling on it. And us.  As it turns out it didn't.

But that said, others close to us were not as lucky.

This was a few streets over. There is an entire Farmer's Insurance ad with this. It wasn't the only car on that street. 

Senna, an ex-neighbor dog (and still current daycare dog) helped with clean up. 

But there were trees everywhere. Down, that is.  Below is a very small sampling of some of the damage. There were streets that weren't even passable on foot, let alone vehicles. 

We had power trucks in from New York, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Maryland. ...and those were just the ones I saw. 

It took us 48 hours to get power. It took some another 48. I wouldn't have made a great pioneer. 

We totally lucked out. 

Song by: Lou Christie

In 3's

Well, it's been a week for celebrity deaths, no?

"They" say, they go in threes, and so it goes.

I was never much of an Eddie Money fan. Sure, "Shakin'" had pre-Apollonia Apollonia. And if I never hear "Two Tickets to Paradise" again, I think I'd survive. I didn't mind "Take Me Home Tonight", oddly enough.

Also oddly enough, I saw Money in concert back in 1978 {ugh, I can't believe I just typed that}. He opened for.............the Cars.  If Bob Welch, who was also on the bill, wasn't already dead, I'd tell him to "look out".  Todd Rundgren might want to take that advice though.

The Cars - in certain doses - I liked much more than Money, though even for my teen ears, they were awfully loud  Sure, MTV kind of made me hate them for a while, as they played "Magic" and "You Might Think" far far far too often.  Even their lesser known disks would usually have a decent hit on them. Maybe more.

I probably liked Ben Orr's vocals more than Ric Osasek, but he never quite got half the exposure, but had arguably vocals for some of their better songs:  "Moving in Stereo", "Drive", "Just What I Needed" and "Bye Bye Love", and my personal fave, "All Mixed Up".

But the death of the week is someone I've probably listened to more than either of these two artists. Cokie Roberts passing just sucks. For decades, every Monday morning at 06:20, she'd have her piece on NPR's Morning Edition, usually touching on the Sunday morning political shows and what things were said - and more importantly, what things weren't.

And OMFG, I hate to even say his faux-name at this point, but BLOTUS on Roberts, "she never treated me nicely" comment is just, well, uncalled for.

Admittedly, he never met her, so honestly, why is he commenting on her death at all, and better (?) yet, how did it become about him? 

Yes, I know - with him, it's all about him......24 / 7 / 365.  But fuck dude - just StFU.  Just once. Just for like 25 minutes.  But if you wanted to know why she might not have treated you nice, maybe look at what you just said about a dead woman you never even met.



Song by: Beastie Boys

Ad of the Month

Usually, I do "funny" ads here. While I tend to lean to the humourous, there are times when it should just be about a good ad.

Sometimes it should just be about the message. And while you think these democratic presidential candidates are overstating the obvious, clearly you haven't been paying attention to the last six administrations who have done nothing. Literally, nothing.

That all said, what is Harris doing with her eyes?

Still Within the Sound of My Voice

As foretold, we went to see Linda Ronstadt: the Sound of My Voice this last weekend, when we had no power.

The theater had power, but if they had air or fans was questionable.

This film was on my short list to see, and truth be told, I liked it, but didn't love it. And that was a shame.

Where David Crosby's film was almost like a history and part of his 12 steps, the Sound of My Voice was almost like a filmed obituary.

There is no doubt Ronstadt had a strong and powerful voice. It's no secret she seemed strong-minded enough to do multiple genres and still make them work at least in that sector.  Truth be told, I know no one of the three millions people who purchased Canciones de Mi Padre. Do you?

At the end of the movie, it says the film was based on her book Simple Dreams. And I can see that. I read it and it was interesting, more so than the film. So I've heard many of these tales before. Still it was nice to see the interspersed clips of Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Ry Cooder, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton and others.

While Ronstadt has said she has not sung for years, at the end of the film she certainly does a passable attempt with her cousin and nephew that was filmed this year. It's not perfection, but at 72 and with Parkinsons, it is never going to be.

All told, still a decent movie, but one you could see on Netflix just as easily.



2019 Movie Count / Goal: 15 of 15


Song by: Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville

My Music Monday

Today's selection is the Stone Poneys (that never looks correct) cover of Michael Nesmith's "Different Drum".

Linda Ronstadt was the singer along with two other dudes, one being Kenny Edwards, who would do a lot of album work with others over the years.

How the band played this song was much more folky than you've normally heard. The long standing story is that Ronstadt was called in to rerecord it after record execs didn't like it. Only when she got there, the band wasn't.  And the arrangement was different.

You can easily find the original version on YouTube, but you can also find a version of Raquel Welch doing the song in the USO - go-go boots and all.

Honestly, until the other day, I didn't even notice on this song there is orchestration - strings and such. It's amazing what one looks over now and again. The performance is strong though, especially for Ronstadt's debut

Powerless

Remember that impending storm I was trying to beat before yesterday's post was drafted?

Well, A. I didn't beat it. We lost power and I had to use my iPhone to complete.  B. We still have zero power - and don't expect to get it back before Monday evening.

Saturday morning's dog walk  - well before dawn - showed, or alluded to, damage, and nothing little.

It got uglier after the sun came up.

As bad as the above picture seems, and it is, as you drove outside of our neighborhood it was like a war zone.

I was so blown away by the severity of it, I didn't even think to take pictures.

The trees down are biggies - crushing cars, cutting off roads, going into houses.  .....and well, power lines. Enough so that no power still.

I'm crafting this at a hotel. A pet friendly hotel.

Sophie is good enough to stay at home in the dark, but the rest of us are roughing it at a Residence Inn.

And yes - roughing it. I have to manually brush my own teeth.  Oh, the hell of it.

Shep is having an adventure. As it seems lots of dogs are. The hotel, and the ones around us, are packed. We are not the only ones with this idea.  He was wild at first, but took to it fairly well.

We will see, but I think we wiped him out.  Currently, he is without power too.



Song by: Linkin Park

She's Thunderstorms

Trying to get this in queue before we get hit by a massive storm.  It's not here and we've already lost power twice.

We took Shep to Doggie Dipp - and event at the end of summer where after they close the pools but before they drain them - they let the dogs in. 

It turns out Shep cannot swim - as we suspected. So it was the shallow end of the kiddie pool for him. But he had a BLAST!  

Sophie's new hang place.  I don't get it, but I don't have to. 

Windy day at the Polo Fields. 

Petey Fries.  

The fries at the bottom of the bag we gave to Petey.  Shep wanted them. The struggle is real!

WHAT????

Same nook.  Different nose. 

...and we've lost internet now. I'm publishing by using my phone as a hotspot.



Song by: Arctic Monkeys

12 of 12

So I'm doing my 114th 12 of 12.

Normally it is 12 pictures taken on the 12th of the month. Since I only post once per day, you get my images the following day. All pictures taken with my iPhone. Click images to enlarge, if you choose.

Created by Chad Darnell and picked up from, what I can tell, any number of random bloggers who then link back to him and vice versa. Chad is no longer doing this, nor is successor coordinating the linking of other 12 of 12'ers anymore. Now it's just myself - that I know of.....as it's the only blog post he's still doing......for now.  

05:01.  Post Dog walk "paper" reading.

05:37.  Breakfast.  Honey Nut breakfast.

06:25.  Rainy ride to work

07:32.  Telecom. 

I was presenting at an IT meeting. This was all of us . and about 20 on the phone. The other end. 

08:15.  My would-be new office.  Finally!!!

This guy's moving out. I get the keys today. 

08:50.  Measure twice. Bury once. 

I still need to get a headstone for my parents. And while I have time, I need to get on it. I also want it to match the ones from my great-grandparents. So, as I traveled from one office to the other, I stopped and took measurements to see what I can order. 

10:40.  Second Office. 

On main campus, I no longer have and office. The chairman of my old department today gave this to me for the time being, but I'll have to give it up if they should ever need it. It was a great gesture. 

12:10.  Puppy Parade. 

Pet Pals is a volunteer organization whose dogs (maybe cats?) come in and visit with patients. They had a parade and costume show at lunch. Of course, I went to see. 

16:45. Slow Leak. 

Every 2-3 weeks I need air in this tire. I just need to bite the bullet and get it fixed. 

16:55.  Happy Dog Walk. 

He loves when I come home and rescue him. 

18:55.  What could it be???

It was rice with garlic and Parmesan.  710 was outside grilling the main course. 

19:30.  Pee Time. 

I've been pushing 120 oz of water per day. And there are consequences to that. 

That's it. For now.

Aqualung

I have to "laugh" (yes, quotes) regarding BLOTUS' stance on banning flavoured e-cigarettes. He's for it - and says the USDA will be putting out some "very strong recommendations" (insert: eye roll emjoi) at some point in the next few weeks. 

Do not get me wrong. I'm actually with BLOTUS on this - to a degree. 

Tina Fey while on the David Letterman Netflix show called out vapers. She out and out called them "disgusting", which made me laugh, because you know so many in the audience had to be them. 

And having worked in pulmonary medicine, you can easily see the issues that any smoker has - be it electronic or the old fashioned way.  The recent illnesses and single digit deaths certainly signal what could be in store for these companies down the road.  A strong recommendation seems like a 'suggestion' to me. 

Still, do some recent illnesses and single digit deaths now seem to warrant this level of scrutiny?  

Exactly how many school children have been shot to do death?  And fuck, due to all of those kid-murders, no one has even gotten a "very weak recommendation" from this (or any) administration. 

What I can't imagine, how did anyone in this administration not know these comparisons would happen?  If pea-brained bloggers like me can pick up on this, everyone else can. 

Yet these are the less than pea-brains who thought of bringing the Taliban to the U.S. on 9/11, so what the fuck do I know. 

Song by: Jethro Tull

Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect

Unfortunately, 710 and I lost a neighbor and good friend over the weekend.

Also unfortunate, we knew it would be coming.

Piet was 90 - and yes, we were friends with a nonagenarian, and yes, I did have to look up that word and its spelling.

Living only a few doors down, we bonded early with Piet and his wife, Bobbi, shortly after moving in 14+ years ago.

Bobbi might be Shep's best friend. He LOVES her. He stops at the end of her driveway every walk (both ways) too look and see if she's there. She is the one who will provide him with a toy now and again.

Age being no barrier (not that 710 and I are teens or anything), we had a great and easy time having dinner or being at a party and just conversing with them.

We were able to be at a party where he received an honorary doctorate, something for which he was very proud. 

Even better, we were able to go to dinner with the couple about a month after my mother's death and have a great meal and time together. Piet, being an architect, was a great companion for 710 who for . a time was a student of architecture. He's still enthralled with it, so they'd have great conversations.

Piet's and my life intersect at any number of places. Starting possibly with my mother. Piet, being of Dutch decent, had a Dutch last name. My mother dated someone of the same name. I'm not saying it was Piet, but there was only a three month difference in age. And his name isn't horribly common. I never got confirmation from either of them on this. And clearly will not now.

You see Piet above, standing at Blossom Music Center - a premier shell built for the Cleveland Orchestra's summer series. They also have concerts by popular artists there. I have a love-hate relationship with Blossom.

But my uncle was an ardent supporter of the Orchestra and helped get Blossom built. Piet was the architect, so he knew my uncle and aunt - and at least one of their sons - very well.

I also have worked in not one, but two, buildings Piet has designed and built - one of them being where I slipped on "his" marble floors and fractured my hand.  I playfully have blamed him for that.

Our last visit was fun and we had a good time. Piet was asking if we still watch the news. I admitted I rarely do anymore. He said he and Bobbi still did - but called it Booze News.  Depending on how bad it was determined how much they drank.

So, clearly, you can see why I'll / we'll miss him.



Song by: the Decemberists

What Are Their Names

It was a two movie weekend.

When we saw the Abby Road movie almost a month ago, they ran the preview for David Crosby: Remember My Name.

I'm no Crosby fan per se, but I'm not a fool either. I know some of the groups he's been involved with help shape the California music sounds - as well as the 60's and 70's music scene.  He is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - twice.

But I also know, just by articles over the last few decades, he's a fucking mess, to the point (his own, actually), that all the people he used to work with won't even talk to him now.

The clips they use of some of these artists are archived, mostly from 2000. Maybe it's telling (or not), but Stephen Stills isn't one of those.

I'm not truly comparing Crosby to BLOTUS, but he does claim a lot of firsts, a lot of records in numbers, that aren't ever really substantiated, though I'm not sure this film was looking to do that either.

But, at 76 (when this was filmed), he still tours as that's how he makes his money, but unlike others his age, has a pretty stellar voice (yes, I'm looking at you, members of Fleetwood Mac). While he does sing in this movie, in the Byrds and CSN(Y), if he wasn't singing lead, I'd have a hard time distinguishing which voice might be his. He harmonizes well with his co-artists, but as he will even say, the hits he played on were not his.

Crosby is an interesting subject matter - and he was interviewed by Cameron Crowe, who first interviewed him back in 1974. Some are good questions, and some good answers. It was a fun 90 minutes and the entire film was enjoyable.

This makes the third music documentary-like film we've seen this year. There will be a fourth. A movie on Linda Ronstadt was released the same weekend as this Crosby movie..........just not in Cleveland.  Not yet.


BTW, we're totally making the 2019 movie goal - most likely next weekend. I'll have to carefully evaluate what 2020 will look like in terms of a new movie goal.


2019 Movie Count / Goal: 14 of 15


Song by: David Crosby

My Music Monday

I don't necessarily have a theme this month and going by today's post, you might not want me to.

Sirius XM isn't always a good thing - as I've stated dozens of times before. The other day, and I have no idea to which station I was listening, but Jim Steinman's "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through".

Jim Steinman was the mastermind (well, with Todd Rundgren) behind Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album.

You'll also know him from songs he has written, and possibly produced, that have been done by Bonnie Tyler, Celine Dion, and yes, Air Supply.  These are not always pluses, though Tyler seemed to pull it off.

You know who can definitely pull it off?   Steinman himself.

The song is credited to him, but he doesn't sing on it. A background singer from Bat Out of Hell takes the lead.

Full disclosure:  I owned the 45 back in the day (1981). I'm guessing I liked it since I paid for it. I remember it being 'better' than this.

The singer.....well.......is just awful. To be all American Idol about it, the word 'pitchy' comes to mind. So does 'out of tune'.  Still, it's Steinman, so more than half of the song resides in the background vocals - and there's always a chorus of them.

Still, to release this with such a questionable vocals knowing this was still the best take of the bunch.

Mr. Loaf did record the song almost 15 years later.  The production and vocals are better, but in both songs there is saxophone.  One being bad and the later one being worse.

Still, I"m guessing (the Other) Brett will like this.

Marathon

As it has seemingly been advertised at theaters and in my Facebook feed, Brittany Runs a Marathon, seemed light enough and ok enough to give it a go.

The movie isn't a big-thinker one, for sure, but it is kind of cute enough.  It also seemed predictable enough - from what the trailer showed.

While the ending credits run, from 3-4 still shots, you figure this based on a true story - or elements of one.

Rotten Tomatoes gives it a high ranking 90%. Metacritic is a 74%, which is probably a truer number. Maybe higher to get to a C+ or B-.

While it is an Amazon Studio film, and not to disparage the studio itself, as they've put out many decent things, Brittany kind of seemed like a streaming movie than a theater one.

I have not yet read about 'the making of', but I have to assume for the most part, the movie had to be filmed in sequence. This seems to be made on a fairly low budget, so there isn't CGI or prosthetics, so the Brittany actress had to lose weight along the character.

Spoiler Alert: the movie isn't called Brittany Almost Runs a Marathon or Brittany Tries to Run a Marathon.



2019 Movie Count / Goal: 13 of 15


Song by: Santana

Blue

It's a good pet picture week...............if I say so myself.  And right now, as I draft this, I am.

Shep still doesn't know how to swim, but he loves the surf.  He just jumps right into the water. 

I disturbed her sleep to get a pic. It almost doesn't look like Sophie at all. 

Blue sky. Blue lake. Blue Angels. Thunderbirds. 

I get love when I pick him up from daycare. 

Together Alone. 

I can't even with this pic.  OMG. 

A worn out Bailey. Cooling herself on the vent. Upside down. Asleep. 

My pic of the week, if I say so myself. 

I don't know who she / he is. But just totally adorbs!

Song by: the Thorns