My Music Monday

There was a time that R.E.M. could do no wrong. Even their bad stuff wasn't very bad. And it certainly wasn't cringe-inducing.

A while back, someone mentioned the time the band went off the rails and could pinpoint it to 1991's "Shiny Happy People".  Sure they brought in Kate Pierson from the B-52's.  Sure it was bouncy. Sure it was everything that Michael Stipe is not. But it never made me cringe.

That song is not the worst thing out there, let alone from the band. Yet, it's not at the top of its craft either.

I can take that cringe factor of REM back a few years from that example to 1988 with "Stand" from the album Green.

Just annoying as fuck. Especially when it the next song in sequence was arguably one of their best songs ever, "World Leader Pretend".

The official video for "Stand" is just as cringe-inducing, so I won't show it.  I'll do a similar one, but done with LEGO.

Young Lion

Lion is a story in two parts.

Based on a true story of a young boy, Saroo, who gets separated from his brother in a small town in India and ends up 1200 miles away - alone. This would be part one.

The following part is Saroo as an adult, brought to the remembrance of his childhood and the potential strife his family had endured - along with with the inevitable search.

While clearly not two different movies, each section moves at its own pace and have two different tugs of the heart and head.

For the most part, I enjoyed Dev Patel's performance of the adult Saroo. Yet it was the young Saroo that made the movie. He was able to convey the love of family, the fright of being lost, alone, hungry et al. Young Saroo is adaptive, resourceful, brave and inquisitive. That actor holds more weight  - and while at times uncomfortable to watch, also very engaging.

Patel's performance is much more restrained than in the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, or even Newsroom. He could chew the scenery there.

The issue with the movie becomes the second half. One gets the need to know where one comes from in any circumstance, and more so in one like this. It's just the round-about of doing it seems underwhelming.

I finally figured out Rooney Mara has one acting style - and it's "boring". There seemed to be little connection to Patel's character. And Patel has way more lustrous and impressive hair than Mara.

I wanted more of a connection between Patel and his adoptive parents played by Nicole Kidman and David Wenham (whom I haven't seen since he played Faramir in the Lord of the Rings). The semi-connection that comes across is more from direction or script than it does from the actors abilities....except maybe Mara's.

Kidman gives a gives a great monologue in her big scene, but someone needs to tell the costume designers, just because the real woman Kidman portrays has crappy hair, doesn't mean the actress does too.

In the second half you get glimpses of what could have been better. In the first half, it is played nearly to perfection.

I'll give no spoilers.

Lion is a good movie, not always an easy one. I'm on the fence if it is Oscar worthy - which people are jabbering about. But nominations are not out, so we will see if it is eligible.




2017 Movie Count / Goal:  02 of 24


Song by: Vampire Weekend

Welcome Home

For a short week at work, it was a shitty one. So it's always fun to come home to the kids who just seem to love us not matter what.

Look who are becoming somewhat better pals? 

He's THE man. 

Shep's duck.  A present from our niece. 

Dad's Home!!!!!!

Another brother and sister shot.

Song by: Joy Williams

Silence is Golden

So, Good Ole Mike IM'd me yesterday - yesterday !! - to challenge me to a Golden Globes contest (which is on Sunday).

It would be our first, though he claims we've done it before.  Je don't think so.

As I mentioned to him, the Globes has weird-ass categories, like 'Best Drama or Musical performed by Left Handed People with A- Blood'.   Mike added......who stutter.

There is little rhyme or reason to their categories. And he suggested we play on them all. Lord.

I'm happy to do the movies, but I think I'm staying away from television, as it could take me another night to get all the categories in here. There's a lot of editing just to get it to this level. Sometimes HTML isn't all that fun.

Mike thinks he's all that, because he's seen one (!!!) movie this year. One.  (pssssst......he's voting for Manchester by the Sea for everything.....evening in categories it's not nominated).

Now if I want to win (and I do), I have to think like the Hollywood Foreign Press.  UGH! Torture. Remember, these are people who gave Madonna a Best Actress award!   Yeah. That!

These aren't all my choices of what's best - just what might win.

Which comes to the real reason Mike messaged me today. He must be out of cookies. It must be hell for Peter and Otis with Mike's Holiday Cookie DTs in full effect. He just needs a fix and sees me as an easy target.   .....and clearly, I'm an enabler.

So......away. we. go.

Best Picture, Drama 
Hacksaw Ridge, Hell or High Water,  Lion,  Manchester by the Sea,  Moonlight

Yeah - like anyone is voting for a Mel Gibson movie!  

Best Picture, Comedy or Musical 
20th Century Women,  Deadpool,  Florence Foster Jenkins,  La La Land,   Sing Street

Best Actor, Drama 
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea Joel Edgerton, Loving Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic Denzel Washington, Fences

It might be Washington, but the Other Affleck is riding great reviews. 

Best Actress, Drama 
Amy Adams, Arrival Jessica Chastain, Miss Sloane Isabelle Huppert, Elle Ruth Negga, Loving Natalie Portman, Jackie

Weird choices. Miss Sloane was out for 17 minutes. Though Huppert might take it. It is the foreign press. Portman will get it though I don't think her performance was that strong.  

Best Director 
Damien Chazelle, La La Land Tom Ford, Nocturnal Animals Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge Barry Jenkins, Moonlight Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea

Yeah, like anyone is voting for Mel Gibson. 

Best Actor, Musical or Comedy 
Colin Farrell, The Lobster Ryan Gosling, La La Land Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins Jonah Hill, War Dogs Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool

He's foreign. The film offbeat.   ....and it's not Jonah Hill.

Best Actress, Musical or Comedy 
Annette Bening, 20th Century Women Lily Collins, Rules Don't Apply Hailee Steinfeld, The Edge of Seventeen Emma Stone, La La Land Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

You know Benning is serious about her performance because in every scene in the trailer she's smoking. Oooooh.....acting!

Best Screenplay 
Damien Chazelle, La La Land Tom Ford, Nocturnal Animals Barry Jenkins, Moonlight Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water

Just spitballing here. It will probably go to Moonlight. 

Best Supporting Actor 
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water Simon Helberg, Florence Foster Jenkins Dev Patel, Lion Aaron Taylor Johnson, Nocturnal Animals

I'd vote for Patel, but last year's Oscars kind of will force the hand of any black man who isn't Will Smith......you know, cause he sucks. 

Best Supporting Actress 
Viola Davis, Fences Naomie Harris, Moonlight Nicole Kidman, Lion Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea

Davis might not fit into that mold I mentioned right above. Williams might take it, but probably not. 

Best Original Score 
Moonlight La La Land Arrival Lion Hidden Figures

Original Score. The only musical.  Slam and dunk. 

Best Original Song 
“Can't Stop the Feeling,” Trolls “City of Stars,” La La Land “Faith,” Sing “Gold,” Gold “How Far I’ll Go,” Moana"

I liked "City of Stars", but it's gonna come down to Timberlake or "How Far I'll Go" from the Hamilton guy, Lin Manuel Miranda. 

Best Animated Feature Film 
Kubo and the Two Strings,  Moana,  My Life as a Zucchini,  Sing,  Zootopia

It will probably be Moana, but I'm hoping here. 

Best Foreign Language Film 
Divines,  Elle,  Neruda,  The Salesman,  Toni Erdmann

I'm looking forward to seeing Elle. It looks great. Toni Erdmann looked dreadful, though the trailer kept saying how "hilarious" it was.  It wasn't. 


I suppose bakery is on the line. I don't mind if I lose to and need to concoct something - it's going the post office that grinds my gears......and losing.

I am assuming I'm tipping my hand at the 6th Annual Academy Award Guessing Game®  selections, but not all of these will be on that ballot.

Oh - and the Golden Globe itself?  F'ugly.  Only the People's Choice Award might be worse. But the GG looks like something stored in Bellatrix LeStrange's vault at Gringotts. Or at Mike's house in Boston.

I kid.....I kid.

Madame LeStrange would never own anything that tacky.



Song by: Garbage

To Live and Die in LA

Like last year, we kicked off the movie season early. Day 2 - only because we were too fucking lazy to do anything on Day 1.....and we had dinner plans with my mother, so it waited a day.

La La Land was the choice.

It has such great word of mouth - though I'm now beginning to think whomever they hired as their PR firm has been working overtime to get it on everyone's 'best of the year' lists.

Doubtful it will be on mine.

I don't actually know if it will end up in my Top 5 for viewed in 2017. I can tell you, it would not have made the top 5 for 2016.

I'm not saying La La Land isn't good. It's fine.

I'm saying it's not great and it's not all that.

Sure, I am fine spending $6 (it was a Monday matinee), or even twice that much, to stare at Ryan Gosling for two hours.

TOTALLY worth it.


As it goes, the taglines of 'bringing musicals back' is crap. Don't 'they' say that once every 2-3 years when one comes out? And as musicals go, the songs are mostly lackluster (I liked one).

The big opening number - I thought it was a crappy sound system, but it wasn't. It was so poorly recorded until they got to the end where they sang the same line over and over, I am not sure I truly picked out a word they were singing. When you have a few 100 people performing a sequence like that, it's best to make it worth it.

The acting is good. The story is good, if not horribly original. The cinematography is good.

But when they tout the movie as 'song and dance', you kind of better mean it.

Neither Emma Stone or Gosling (even with his Mickey Mouse Club background) are singers. They're just not. They are not horrible, but when you think someone in a musical, these would be the understudies personal assistants. And when you put their voices together?  ehhhhhhhhh.......no. They just don't work together.

Gosling fares better than Stone, but I might just be cutting him a break on this looks. As much as I was intrigued by his "City of Stars", it lost all shine (get it?  get it??) when they did it as a duet.

Then there's the dancing. There isn't a lot. I'm not necessarily complaining. The first real number (Stone & Gosling) on the street I thought was good. The one at the Griffith Park Observatory was just wires. It's visually pretty, but the guys running the pulleys and levers do most of the work.

If anything, jazz is more the center of the movie than song & dance, much like the way director Damien Chazelle featured it in Whiplash too.

It sounds like I'm down on the movie - and I'm not. While I read no actual reviews of the film beforehand (but plenty after), I'm not sure what I am missing with all the praise that has been heaped upon it.

Fine is fine. But fine isn't great.   ...and Ryan Gosling can certainly pull off a pair of spats.



(oh, 710 doesn't know it yet, but I settled on 24 as our movie goal for 2017. It's ambitious to say the least, but it's two movies per month.  It's a 25% increase in the goal of 2016, but a decrease of 4% from actual movies we did see.  Anyway, I'm hopeful - and we're already 1/24th in.)


2017 Movie Count / Goal:  01 of 24


Song by: Wang Chung

Like in the Movies

Since we went above and beyond any movie year - ever - I felt the need to wrap it up with what I thought was good.

This opens myself up, of course. Is it the best movies of 2016 that we saw?  Or just the best movies we saw in 2016?

Keep in mind, of the 25 movies we took-in, 5-6 movies in 2016 that actually had 2015 release dates. I fear that would limit my 'best of' if we took away the 2015-ers.

I know Raybeard did his Top 10 list, but he sees far more movies than I do. And If I did 10, that would be close to half of those films.   .....and some are borderline anyways, so......   Raybeard and I do have a few choices in common too.

Below are my Top 5 and they are in order - and two are 2015 releases (the underlined titles are hyperlinked to my past reviews - if you care. The hyperlinks in the text are to the official movie url). Mike - or anyone wishing to play along in the soon to be 5th Annual Academy Award Guessing Game® - can take note in how I might be voting.

Kubo and the Two Strings
I kept waiting for a movie that would knock Kubo out of my top place. I don't think one did. Again, it is not my style, but the trailer was enough to intrigue me and the movie captivated me. Motion-stop, Japanese animation in the big scheme does not speak to me. But in this instance, I took to heart the movie's first line: "if you must blink - do it now".

Spotlight
I struggled with not making this my top movie. I think it was just timing of seeing it almost a year ago is why it is at #2. Still Spotlight is deserving of anyone's top list for the last year. A tough subject matter for sure, and extremely well tackled. And Mark Ruffalo was robbed of his Oscar.

Manchester by the Sea
My friend James said, "it was a great movie......that you only have to see once".  I totally hear what he's saying. Manchester by the Sea was not an "up" movie, but as I said: well acted, written, directed and shot. The subject was just real and not always pleasant, such as life.

45 Years
One of those blink and you miss it movies was 45 Year. At least in Cleveland, it wasn't here long and opened very late in terms of circulation, but I'm glad we had the chance to see it. Charlotte Rampling did such an amazing job, but was robbed of her Oscar by daring to speak up regarding an all white Academy Award nominee list. She inadvertently dissed Will Smith - saying nomination is about ability not color - that she should have been handed the award right then and there for saying that.

Eye in the Sky
What could have been just an excellently edited trailer, turned out to be a really good movie. Considering non of the principals in Eye in the Sky have a scene together in the same location, the film editing was just as good at the trailer. It's a good story too and topical too, as we look at different avenues of warfare. And it was Alan Rickman's last role.


I will say, I did have some movies on the cusp I wanted to include in my top 5:

• the Lobster being one. I gave it an iffy review, but I will say, the more I marinated on it after seeing the movie, I grew to like it more.  
• Sing Street being another. It's not a classic, but I liked it. 
• Deadpool.  I know - it never occurred to me that I might like it - but I did. A lot. 

We like the Big Short, Florence Foster Jenkins and Hunt for the Wilderpeople too (though I know Raybeard did not enjoy that one), but not enough to make the top 5....or possibly 8.

I will go on record my least favourite movie of the year was Ghostbusters. I am constantly surprised how many people claim to have liked it. I smiled maybe twice during it and laughed a total of zero times. 

We have not yet set a goal for 2017, but suffice to say, viewing is already underway. 

Oh - by the way: what were your favourite movies you saw this past year?

Song by: Chrissie Hynde

Stardust

Finally got around to seeing Star Wars: Rogue One.

It was our last movie for 2016.

Unlike the others, I didn't feel the need to be their opening weekend. To be honest, I had read next to nothing on the film so didn't know where it fit into the Star Wars timeline, or if it did. I thought it might be a complete separate storyline.

Then, I saw a picture of Vader and figured it had to be somewhere after Episode III and before the end of Episode VI. But that's all I knew.

To be fair, we had tried to see it the day after xmas, but it was sold out. I had heard this from a number of other people who had tried to see it at different theaters and in different states. I guess no one was going near a store to return anything.

I took it as a good sign when John Williams sat in front of us at the theater.

To be clear, this was John Williams our neighbor, not John Williams the composer. Still - maybe there was kind of message being sent.

Now, I know many people loved Rogue One. I know just as many who thought it to be dreadful. I fall somewhere between, but closer to the 'love' part.

I'll give a brief synopsis, but even if you're planning on seeing it, technically there are not (m)any spoilers if you've ever seen the original Star Wars film and can put 2+2 together.

Visually, there are lots of nods to a New Hope, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. I would say part are for nostalgia, part to join Rogue One into the first trilogy. They do it somewhat seamlessly and often with no actual recognition or exposition to the fact. It forces you to either go "hey C3PO!" or if you're less savvy, "why the fuck did they just show those two droids?"  Ditto with Bali Organa (Jimmy Smits).

They do it to let you know that 'those two droids' will play a bigger part in the "next" installment. It's just not said. It's a reference point.

The CGI?  Eh - some was good. Some not. Some just downright fucking creepy.

All the Rebel fleet coming out of hyperspace to a screeching halt looked cheeeeeeesy.  It's like the self-braking cars. Sure it's great for you if you're driving, but if the car behind you doesn't have it, you're still gonna have a fucking accident. It's just like someone did a lot of copy / paste on their iMovie program and didn't know when to stop adding Rebel ships.

Peter Cushing - back from the dead by like 30+ years was the creepy one. It looks more stop action than anything that easily flowed. It kept reminding me of Anomalisa. Nothing about it was natural - though in our group, I seemed to be in the minority about it being well done.  Such is my life.

CGI'd Leia wasn't much better.

The filmmakers didn't go too over the top with the technology. Maybe it's just my take, but this sequence butts up right against Epsiode IV which has one in the franchise that has the least amount of gadgetry. I think they had to keep basic with basic.

The cast is passable. It is certainly the most diverse cast in the Star Wars franchise. Indian (!), Black, Female, Irish, Hispanic. I don't know if Forest Whitaker was doing a Blue Velvet bit or not. The main female character reminded me of a lesser Olivia d'Abo, but with dark hair.....and less talent.

And I loved the new droid - K-2SO. Finally a sarcastic droid. Not some fussy protocol one or a too cutesy roly one. And who doesn't love Alan Tudyk?

The story was itself was good. It's a nice lead-up to a New Hope and it fills in some gaps between the Clone Wars and Epi IV.  Organa even pseudo-mentions Obi Wan serving with him in that war - just at Leia would do hologram-style in the next film.

And while the Rebellion v Empire is about war and always has been, Rouge One seems to take that a little more literally, though can't quite commit to which war they'd like to portray - so they give them all a visual.

You got your 'on the beach' scene for WWII.  You have your jumping out of an aircraft into the jungle shots like you're in Vietnam. You have the overheads of islands and sea as if you're in the middle-east. And then last but not least, you have the Samurai films which influenced Lucas in the first place for the first film.

Oh - and the score was bland at best, but John Williams did not write or conduct it either.

Apparently, not everyone thinks you should MST3K a movie while it's going on - like when Ograna said he would head back to Alderaan - and I'm all like, "noooo, don't do it!!!" Or when Organa (again!) said he knows someone who can transport the Death Star's technical specifications and says, "I trust her with my life", (he means Leia, even though he doesn't say it) at least James laughed when I said, "that's what he told Debbie Reynolds too - and how did that work out?!"

Knowing they had limited options with the movie, since they knew the objective and we knew the next link in the chain, they filled in gaps quite effectively. I saw no huge gaps in the story. Sure - there were 1-2 little things that bothered me: a break away from the Rebel Alliance had all of 20 people who went to retrieve the Death Star plans - yet like 60 of them died after getting to that planet. Or after giving a commandeered ship the name "Rogue One", that almost no one recognizes or has heard (or both), suddenly the Rebel Alliance knows of the ship name and uses it freely.

All of those are minor, but my geekiness picks up on them immediately.

Rogue One was a nice diversion. It's not making my top 5 list for 2016. It might not even make my top 10. But we all enjoyed it.



2016 Movie Count / Goal:  25 of 18


Song by: Mika

My Music Monday

Erik picked the theme for this month - 80's songs that make you cringe.

I haven't given it that much thought yet, but that can't be too hard, right?  Right?  And since I have five Monday's this month, I'm hoping it won't be difficult.

Full disclosure, he selected this theme and emailed it to me while inebriated on the streets of New Orleans.  So.........there's that.

It's the 80's so I'm going on record that many a song wouldn't have been airplay worthy on the radio. But as the Buggles said - video killed the radio star. And such, some songs were made for video purposes, rather than the other way around.

I can think of no other point to illustrate this theory than the Bangles' "Walk Like an Egyptian".

In my mind, there is little redeeming value to this song, from a band that usually wrote its own music and did it well. Clearly the record company didn't think so and brought in basically what I call a 'novelty song'.

By all accounts, the band hated it, yet still perform it to this day. Hey - they know what pays the bills, I guess.

Considering all the really good music the Bangles were capable of, I do cringe a bit when I hear this - which isn't often, since I did not load it into my iTunes.

Last Year's Trouble

Good riddance 2016.

It started out so promising, didn't it?

I'd like to say I won't focus on the negatives, but there is 14 billion ton elephant in that room, and it's gonna be dumping dung on us for the next four years.

We've experienced deaths this year - canine and human, though we truly try to not wallow in those, but remember the good times we had with them.

And we've had celebratory times as well - weddings and family reunions, even if they're mini. I've seen a lot of my in-laws this years, and realize how much I really enjoy being around them. We've said we need to make an effort to do this more often, and not at weddings or funerals.

I alluded to in yesterday's picture post that I had seen a number of my cousins this year. December, six of them (and some of their spouses) were all in town. A gallery opening, dinner, a Shiva do-over, brunch and cemetery visit. And some of them got to meet Shep - which I would like to think was their weekend highlight. Robyn is trying to figure out a 2017 reason to all get together - - and she thinks it should be 710's and my 7th anniversary.  It is as good a reason as any. I truly enjoy all their company so much.

There was also the Indians. It was good and bad. They put their heart and talent into that World Series (well, except for Game 6). If it's possible to be happy and said simultaneously, this would be that scenario.  Sigh.

2017, I dare say, many of us will need friends and (some) family more than usual for a support system. At best we need to assemble a Rebel Alliance against the evil Empire.

So, so-long 2016.  I don't think I'll be missing you.


As I've did last few years, for the blog we have a few pieces of info you might (or might not) find interesting - 2016 specific *:

• Number of posts: 400. Remember, I have Pic a Day in May (plus my regular posts) and it was a Leap Year. And I had a few instances where two posts a day seemed necessary. It is my highest posting year.  
• Number of unique page views: 139,969 up a measly 3.4% from 2015.
• Month w most page views: October 2015 with 15,656. 
• Number of comments: 1,309 which is a 21% decrease. Ouch.  I blame Mike! ( comments always appreciated.....even from Mike)
• Top post for 2016: Because you're all a big bunch of love, Kitty was the winner. After that the next four top posts were 
• Stand or Fall
• a Shep tie: Fit for a King and Second Chance
• 12 of 12 for March
• ...and Warning Sign 
• My top post of all times is still a 2010 post on Camel Toe which now has almost 132,465 (!!!) views. That is only 1,217 more hits since last year - which is down by 25,000 than the year before. (search terms: camel toe, cameltoe, yoga pants camel toe, girls in tight pants......yes, how well they know me)
• Top Five Referring Sources (in order that is non-search engine related) oddly have not changed at all in the last year - even the order.:  I Should be Laughing, Doing Time in Shaker Heights, Closet Professor, BosGuy and Sean at Just a Jeep Guy - which is pretty good since Sean seems to have dropped off the blogging world and possibly the Earth itself. Congrats to all. 
• Viewing Audience Top Five Countries (in order): U.S., Germany, China, Ukraine and France.

*I'm still not 100% convinced that Goooooogle Analytics are accurate.

There you have it.

I am finishing drafting this at 22:04.  I don't believe I'll be awake for the actual new year, though as always gun shots might wake me up, though they've been pretty regular since around 20:30. So far they haven't made Shep get up and bark, so that's a plus.

I hope you all have / had a safe and happy New Year.

See you in 2017.


Song by: Suzanne Vega

A Year in Pictures - 2016

Time to wrap up 2016 - such as it was.

There is nothing about celebrity deaths or that g-d awful election in this. It's just a few moments in time that I experienced in the last 12 months. Usually I do two pics per month, but all bets were off this year. April isn't even represented!

I tried to keep it up.  (and yes, that's what she said.)

January 2016 - Service Station

....from my little used Instagram account (or: where I place my artsy pictures)

February 2016 - Pete's last trip to my mom's house. 

I miss this guy more than I can say. 

March 2016 - Morty & George's wedding reception

 March 2016 - same reception
with Rebecca and Dith

May 2016 -  specifically, May 15th!

Fucking, May 15th!!!

June 2016 - Yoga at Playhouse Square.

If it weren't for David, I might have skipped.

July 2016 - Storm on the Northcoast

This is not my photo. I took one, as I watched the front come down the Lake Erie shore. 

July 2016 - Downtown

July 2016 - Public Art

Instagram again.

August 2016 - National Portrait Gallery (Washington DC)

It wasn't art - that is, until I took a picture of it.  Instagram again. 

August 2016 - the sad indictment of America (North Carolina)

.....and no! I did not buy this. 

August 2016 - Nag's Head

August 2016 - Storm on the Sea

September 2016 - Cleveland's own Hiroshima.

Ok, they're tearing down a long abandoned church.

September 2016 - Shep's (fka Gaston) first meeting and picture

He was not ready for adoption at this point and as you might know, we lost him to another couple. He was returned a week later, as luck would have it.........for us and him. 

September 2016 - Adoption Day

Shep with his shelter toy. It's still his most favourite one. 

October 2016 - 710's niece's wedding in Charleston, WV.

Well, pre-wedding Rain had come and gone and it was a lovely outdoor ceremony. 

October 2016 - Family portrait. 

October 2016 - World Series, Game 1

October 2016 - World Series, Game 1

Ooooh. A-Rod and Pete Rose!

October 2016 - World Series, Game 1

44,000+ people at the stadium and I run into my cousin, Ted, in the men's room. Ted flew in from NYC for the game and I didn't know it.....well, until I had to pee. 

December 2016 - three days after my 'procedure'.  

They didn't tell me about swelling of the bridge of my nose....or my nose and eyes. Pretty!

December 2016 - Cousin Billy

Since other cousins have been featured, why not Billy?  I love Billy. 

He was in town for David's art show. And we had a Shiva Mulligan.....and brunch....

.....and a trip to the family mausoleum. 

If you ever consider being buried in one, go on cold cold day in December. You'll change your mind right quick.  Robin (avec hat), is another cousin, Billy's sister. Rachel is Robin's friend and a very nice and funny woman. 

December 2016 - possibly our last movie for 2016.  Review to come. 

So there you have it. It's not all that 2016 had, but again, can any one blog post do that?  Je think not.

The last 12 months had its good and bad. I cannot say I'm sorry to see it go. But I can't say I'm looking forward to the next year.......or four.

I am glad you stuck with me for the last annum.  Let's do it again, shall we?

A Year In Music - 2016

Normally, this is where I'd do my Year in Music segment.

2016 goes on record as one of the lamest years for music overall. For me, there were not a lot of releases I thought were good, let alone great. Ditto with individual songs.

I for once do not have a best album for the year. Nothing stands out.

If I had to go with one, it would be a pseudo-repeat from last year with New Order's remix album - Complete Music.

Songs were a little better, but I feel my lack of radio listening is snuffing out my ability to make good choices.

....and yes, I just used the verb, 'snuff'.

I do have a few songs of which I've enjoyed this year - some even surprises me a little.   ...and not unusual, I'm kind of all over the board here. I'm not saying it is great music, but again, I enjoyed it for one reason or another.




An song from the movie Sing Street.

The movie and its music borrows heavily from the '80s. "Drive it Like You Stole It" is heavily influenced by Hall & Oates' "Maneater" ....and it works.  They have some good vocal arrangements and I find myself hitting 'repeat' a lot when it comes through rotation. It's pure pop and I love it.




Capital Cities new song played incessantly on one of our trips this year, thanks to SiriusXM. I think it was to Maryland and back for my mother-in-law's service. If I have a problem with the song, it is that while it's called "Vowels", they only use three of them. But oddly, it's a catchy tune.




Fitz & the Tantrums rank with "HandClap".

Overall, I'm not a Fitz fan, but I like this one.  ....and I don't know why.


I have no rhyme or reason for liking "Heathens" by Twenty One Pilots. I think the music and lyrical phrasing are someone hypnotic. I'd never purchase it, but it is on the radio enough. What really baffles me:  537,570,134 views.   Really???




This is the third year in a row that Sara Watkins has made this list in one form or another (Nickel Creek or Watkins Family Hour).  I just enjoy a lot of her music. Her newest solo release has some good stuff, but really enjoy "One Last Time".


It's a little underwhelming - or at least I think so - but it is what it is.

Here's hoping 2017 brings a more robust selection.

Princess

As a gay geek with a blog, it seems I am contractually obligated to comment on Carrie Fisher.

I guess for me, the surprise isn't in the news that she had died, it is that folks claimed her to be alive and stable post heart attack.

Working in a hospital, you see a lot. Do-gooders might have used that AED to revive Fisher on that plane, but I can't imagine she was alive. Just my $0.02.

Of course, 'stable' means very little. She might not have gotten any worse (well, I mean, at the time), but she wasn't continuing to crash.

That said - she was kind of a marvel.

Let's face it, if we're truly being honest, Carrie could barely act her way out of a paper bag, yet we loved her in spite of it....or maybe for it.

My mother still will attest that she is the only good thing in the Blues Brothers. She just loves Fisher's performance in that. For her so-so performance in When Harry Met Sally, I still found her to be a highlight. And she was passable in Hannah & Her Sisters (though how Dianne Wiest's character \ dealt with Fisher's character in her screenplay within a movie is hilarious).

What she excelled at was writing....and talking......and bringing crazy out to where it isn't taboo.

For writing - it was books, or screenplays, plays or script doctoring. I loved the movie Postcards from the Edge. Sure, Streep was great. Yes, Mike Nichols did a great job directing, but it was Fisher's book-to-screenplay that made it all work.  That and her life, which it wasn't so loosely based upon.

Fisher was great in interviews. She was quick, she was funny, she was usually spot on. Her HBO special, Wishful Drinking, was just fun to watch, though it had it's shards of heartbreak. You can make fun of past relationships, but the demise of those is never fun - so you have to make it funny. Or try to.

Carrie was the queen of guest shots. If she got union scale for them, she still could have been wealthy. Family Guy, 30 Rock, Big Bang Theory, Sex and the City  - I'm sure there are a thousand more I never caught.

Yet it's been Fisher's up frontness (it's a word!), with being bi-polar that has been great. I'm sure at one point she tried to hide it, as that is the natural reaction. But at some point, she gave up the ghost and became the unofficial spokesperson for mental health.

She discussed the struggles on and off medication. That she happened to be in two top 10 movies of all times, gave her a cashe that you can't get from a no-name on a TedTalk. When Princess Leia talks, people listen.

Hopefully they did.

Honestly, my first thought when I heard she had a heart attack on a flight from London was, "oh - I hope she finished her scenes from Episode VIII".  Regardless of how that story arc turns out for her - assuming she survives that storyline - whatever they planned for Episode IX will most likely have to change.


And yes, most the interwebs first thought was "Fuck You 2016 - not ANOTHER one".

I haven't done a comparison - as if one really could - to see if there are more or less 'celebrity' deaths than other times. But here's what I think it is:

We are now older and this is no longer our parent's generation of entertainers dying off where we go, "oh, I've heard of him" or peripherally know their work. No, these are the artists with which we grew up - the ones that made impacts on our lives or have some kind of cultural connection.

The deaths seem more prominent now, because we've been with Prince since 1978, or Leia in '77, or Bowie since '73.

And if we want to get right down to why it sucks so much is: these 2016 deaths we've experience, the folks are not that much (if any) older than we are right now. That probably scares the fuck out of more than a few of us. Not me, as I've always been a fatalist, but I get the reaction.

Here's what really sucks - it's only going to see worse as we go along into 2017 and beyond.



Song by: Primary1

Praying for Time

As a gay man with a blog, it seems I am contractually obligated to comment on George Michael.

I remember seeing him when at Trilogy - a three story bar in Columbus, and oddly enough, not a gay one.

Well, I saw WhamUK's (which is what they were called before they were just Wham!). I was with a bunch of straight white boys, and when either "Young Guns" or "Bad Boys" (I now can't remember) came on, no one knew what to say.

The thing was so borderline homoerotic, it was uncomfortable for all - and at the time, they didn't know I liked guys. Oddly enough, it wasn't Michael that I found the attractive one - it was Andrew (pre-nose job).  I bought the record the next day (if nothing else than for their cover of the Miracles' "Love Machine")

Yes. I am that gay.

But I have to say, their second album, which I never purchased (nor their third), might have been good, but I couldn't get past "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go". I just couldn't. The music was bad enough - but George's make-over:  highlights, whitened teeth, tan skin, neon clothing. It went from homoerotic to just plain homo.

I chuckled over the girls who loved him. I was thinking even Louis Braille knew this guy was queer. And trust me, it wasn't wishful thinking.

Whatever you think (sorry - thought) about George Michael when he worked a song, he could make it great. The problem used to be for me - and it carried over long after - was that he cared more about the pop hit than the song. I mean, does anyone think that "I Want Your Sex" was a great song?  Or "Club Tropicana"?

The answer is rhetorical.

In his song "Freedom" he at least recognized his strike while it's hot mentality in his lyric:  "when I knew which side my bread was buttered / I took the knife as well"

His commercial problem started with the end of that song: it was basically his sign off that he'd no longer cater to that MTV faction. It was here I actually went back to purchasing my first George Michael album.

Maybe it was the music, maybe it was his public circumstances, maybe it is a pop star's life span or maybe it was all coincidence, but it was a this point his music became interesting to me. But his releases were fewer, and had less radio-friendly songs, regardless of how good they were. He hadn't had an album of original material for 12 years.

Four + years ago, I had Mr Michael as a My Music Monday selection. A live version of an Elton John song that to me is just a stand out.

Ironically enough, I heard a song of his the other day and thought, "I wonder what he's doing these days".  That question was answered two days later while sitting in a Chinese restaurant with 710, David and his wife.

So, we say goodbye to another one this year.

2016 has been hard on musicians.  ....and Keith Richards is still alive and kicking.  .....so mull that one over.




Song by: George Michael

We Learned the Sea

710 said after seeing Manchester by the Sea: "well, Casey Affleck is certainly can run rings around his brother's acting".

He laughed immediately after wards, because even in a dark car, he could feel my eyes go into a 'no shit, but who can't?' roll.

Yes, Ben has two Oscars, but one is for writing, one for best picture (which is production...not directing). He has zero Oscars for acting.

And yes, Ben has it over Casey in the looks department, but not in the acting one.

Anyway, by the sound of it, Manchester by the Sea is / was supposed to be the Feel Bad Movie of the Year®, and it well might be.  That said, I think my preconceived notions on how sad it might be were so elevated, that after wards I internally went, "well that wasn't so bad".

Make no mistake, there is little 'up' about this movie. It is a tale of a man trying to find his way through multiple layers of grief. Some you know about, some you learn about.

Around one-third of the movie is told in past sequences, though I'm reluctant to call then 'flashbacks'.

Grief is the central part of Manchester. It deals with family interaction, which entails their grief as well and all the way each individual processes it - though some have encountered more sorrow than others.

Writer and Director, Kenneth Lonergan, tells stories in 4/4 time. Well, this is only this third film and I've only seen one other with You Can Count on Me - which is now 16 years old (how is that possible?). Mark Ruffalo was in that film and just outstanding.....and I kept thinking he should be Affleck's character. In certain ways he was - as there was a vein that ran through "Uncle Lee" that reminded me of Ruffalo.

It would be easy to classify Affleck's acting as 'hanging his head and the ability to almost only use single word dialogue' method, but that's selling him and the story short. And it took to well past the end of the movie for me to really grasp that. With no spoilers - he is haunted, and rightful to be so. As he tells his nephew, "I can't beat it"........and there is not scenario in which he can.

You'll have to see what 'it' is.

Michelle Williams does a nice job in the few scenes with which she appears. Matthew Broderick makes his third appearance in a Lonergan film (3 out of 3), in a part that while not a complete throw-away adds extremely little to the story. Had Lonergan developed more of religion into storyline - which could have been natural given some of the circumstances - it might have fit into the movie, but I think it was there just to give something for Broderick to do.

Kyle Chandler does well - but when doesn't he? The kid who plays his son does a nice job. While you think he'd have more emotional needs and neediness than is portrayed, I have to remember it's a 16-yo boy. If he emoted more than most of his age, the movie; the story, would be dishonest.

There are no tidy endings here either, though I wasn't expecting them. However, I was expecting a sadder movie, though I suppose that is all relative.

Everyone is saying it is 'the best movie of the year'. I supposed that depends on what scale you use to judge. It is clearly well done - some of the cinematography is just magnificent - it is certainly well written, acted and directed. It's just the tone that makes it tough to say it's a 'good' or 'great' movie.




If you have seen the film (or have no plans to) and want to read an alternate review, I suggest reading one at ChristianAnswers.  There is the main review and then an opposing / even more negative one below it. This was delightful fun for me to read aloud to 710.



2016 Movie Count / Goal:  24 of 18


Song by: Dar Williams

My Music Monday

Last My Music Monday of 2016. And last one of the live music theme.

I'm going with the Dixie Chicks.

Well, the Dixie Chicks covering Beyoncé .

I mentioned when we saw their concert earlier in the summer, that the Chicks covered a long off Beyoncé's 2016 album Lemonade, called "Daddy Lessons".

I'm not fan of Beyonce, and I'll admit I've never heard the original, but I was down with DCX doing a version of the song. The performed it during their acoustic set and it seemed to work.

Allegedly, Beyoncé and DCX performed it live - and together - at the Country Music Association awards, which pissed off all factions of that part of the industry.

13 years in, and country music still holds a grudge against the biggest selling female act in their genre.  So they weren't happy the Chicks were there. And they certainly were not happy that a black woman - who isn't a country artist - was at their night of nights (though country music seems to have 18 of these award shows annually).

But it's Dump's 'Murica now, so racism, bigotry and misogyny reigns.......and it is country music where the only two people of colour are / were Charlie Pride and the lead singer from Hootie, so, you know blacks are not welcome.

Wow - I get a lot into a post about a live song, don't I ?

As it was only the second time the Dixie Chicks performed the song - though they'd end up doing it nightly thereafter - you have to endure the first minute of the video as spoken intro.....or you just skip ahead to the actual song.

Ringing of the Bells

Hope everyone is having a good holiday.

VERY low-key around here, which is fine this year. We somewhat miss not decorating, but honestly, it just wasn't our year.

We will exchange gifts of course.  Possibly a movie. We saw one two days ago - and it looks I won't be able to blog about that one until early in the week. And the next two (?) might not get posted until after first of the year!!

And then there is most likely Chinese fud tonight, though our go-to place is under renovation, according to my cousin.

But please enjoy your day.

And enjoy the only good version of "Ringing of the Bells".  Beeker and the Swedish Chef (he's got my hat!) make everything better.  And while not normally an Animal fan, he made me laugh.







Song by: the Muppets

We End Up Together

It's that one Saturday of the year when it is other time for other people's pets to shine. I've assembled some of my blogroll and some of my friends to have their cats and / or dogs be featured on a day usually dedicated to Sophie and Shep.

Most of the pics I requested via email or text.  A few I just swiped ((other) Brett, Torn, Jon, David and Anita).  Ok....maybe more than a few.

It's fun to include others.  So enjoy.......

(the other) Brett & Nico's dancing dogs - Harley & Holden.

I do love the Rhodesians. And Brett captures them well in motion. 

Otis.  Magic Mike's better half - - no offense to Peter, of course. 

And apparently Otis is a member of the Crips.  Or is it the Bloods?  I'm so off on my gang colours. 

Phoebe.  CB's brown tabby. 

Rebecca's Barkley. He's kind of a full-grown version of Shep. 

Morty & George's boys - Logan & Skeeter. 

Jon & Tommy's poodles - LiLou and Bruno. 

Meredith & Norman's Rollo (who is now much bigger), London and elder statesman, Ripley. 

Georgie !!!!!!    Torn & Serge's boy!

Our neighbor's stray to posh surroundings:  KitKat vanDijk

Fearsome's brood.  There are six of them.  You just have to look closely for all of them.
I am just loving this picture.  I can't even get Shep by himself to sit for a proper picture. 

Dr. Spo & Someone's Harper. 

I just love Harper, and I've never met her. 

Erik's lot:  milli, Luna, micro

Bob & Carlos' kids: 

Upper left -then clockwise: Tuxedo, MaxGoldberg, Consuelo Roca-Jones and Ozzo. 

John is writing again (well, kind of), which means there is more possibility of seeing more Scooter !!!

O.M.G.  it's Ted - my cousin David's dog. 

Not only is Ted so fucking cute - this picture just kills me!

Anita & Ritchie's Lola.  

It's just the best image of the bunch. I'm not playing favourites with the pets, but the picture itself is just outstanding. 

....and of course.....

Shep - early in his residency here, as taken by David. 

Shep didn't even have a name when this was taken. 

Soph & Petey.  

I still miss the guy. I think Sophie does too. She's around Shep all the time, but not as relaxed as Mr. Pete. But they're getting there. 

That's it for 2016. Well, in terms of pet pics.

I really want to thank everyone who participated. It was a great set of images, and a great gathering of four legged family members.



Song by: the New Pornographers