Happy Birthday Sean!

Today is my pal Sean Tiffany's birthday. He and I have been friends since the first day we both arrived at the rundown shack that was The Clinton House, part of what the Joe Kubert School laughingly (by us) called its housing program.

And over the years our lives kept intersecting--we shared an apartment from 1994-1996, and I replaced Sean at an art studio which was my very first professional art job.

Since he moved to Colorado in 1996, we have only seen each other a handful of times, but we stay in touch since we've both managed to become successful freelance artists. When either of us has a question how to deal with a client (or just bitch about one), we call the other to vent. Its really nice having someone who is in the exact same position you are, and understands all the same pressures and motivations.

I hope that maybe some day, all of us Kubies will get together again at a comic con or something, but until that day, saying Happy Birthday via teh internets will have to suffice.

Happy Birthday Sean!

Adventures with Johnny, Part 95

In an unusual change of governmental ritual, Johnny sits behind President Obama during his Address to Congress, instead of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 94

Johnny sees off actor and goodwill ambassador George Clooney, as he leaves the White House after his visit with President Obama to discuss the situation in Darfur.

(Her favorite Clooney movie is Out of Sight)

Oscars Wrap-Up

Here's how I did, when I got it wrong the actual winner is in red:

Best Picture - Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director - Danny Boyle
Best Actor - Mickey Rourke----Sean Penn
Best Actress - Kate Winslet
Best Supporting Actor - Heath Ledger
Best Supporting Actress - Tarji Henson----Penelope Cruz
Best Screenplay - Milk
Best Adapted Screenplay - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button----Slumdog Millionaire
Best Animated Film - Wall•E
Best Song - "Down To Earth", Peter Gabriel----"Jai Ho" (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best Foreign Film - Waltz With Bashir----Departures (Japan)
Best Documentary - Trouble The Water----Man on Wire

Total score: only 6 right out of 12--that's a grade of 50%, I feel like I'm back in school.

I'm usually so much better at this--maybe actually seeing the actual movies would help...

Oops, I Forgot To Do My Yearly Oscar Predictions

My predictions for who will win (having seen so few of the movies I can't make any quality judgments about who should win*):

Best Picture - Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director - Danny Boyle
Best Actor - Mickey Rourke
Best Actress - Kate Winslet
Best Supporting Actor - Heath Ledger
Best Supporting Actress - Tarji Henson
Best Screenplay - Milk
Best Adapted Screenplay - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Animated Film - Wall•E
Best Song - "Down To Earth", Peter Gabriel
Best Foreign Film - Waltz With Bashir
Best Documentary - Trouble The Water


*except Heath Ledger

Advice to Colby On His Miscellaneous Birthday*

This is Colby, if not actually in a state of Bliss then definitely headed towards the off-ramp, as captured by the camera of Darlin' Tracy.

Yesterday was Colby's birthday, and as he falls asleep on the couch, in front of a roaring fire, belly full, I wonder if he has any conception of how lucky a dog he sis, to have landed in my parent's home.

He's a wonderful little guy, and I hope yesterday was the first of many birthdays he has in our family.


*The title of this post is a very obscure Bob Dylan joke, so don't feel bad if you don't laugh.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 93

"That was a wonderful Butterscotch Krimpet we had for Colby's 6th birthday, Grammy.

...I request another one."

Adventures with Johnny, Part 92

Johnny didn't go on any adventures today (it is her school day, after all, and she doesn't like being truant), so here's a photo we took recently, using some spooooky lighting.

She looks like the kind of dog that would be sitting at the throne of some evil wizard, with skulls on each arm of the throne, that kind of thing.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 91

Johnny is on hand, along with Vice President Biden, when President Obama officially signs the Stimulus Bill into law.

Holy Mack! New Dylan!

From the blog Dylan Digest:

As trailed in ISIS Magazine (see The Wicked Messenger #6649 for January 4, 2009), a completely new Bob Dylan album is in the can. Our understanding is that the album was recorded last October in California (maybe with the recording sessions starting slightly earlier than that). The sequencing of the tracks was completed in January and the album is expected to contain ten tracks.

Jeff Rosen has brought the finished album to Europe for listening sessions in various cities including London, Munich and Oslo. These "listenings" were mainly for sales and marketing staff at Sony. We must assume that similar sessions have taken place in the United States. Several different titles have been put forward for the album but, for the most part, these seem to be little more than internet babble and at the time of the listenings (mid February) no title had been decided upon.

At one time, it was suggested that the album would be released in the autumn, then a release date in May 2009 was mentioned but it seems that the release has now been brought forward to the last week of April, to coincide with later stages of Dylan's forthcoming European tour. There are strong rumours about the circumstances in which the album came about. There are also rumours that the musicians on the album are not all from the current touring band.

Meanwhile, we will leave you to speculate on the coincidence of any additional London concert date (April 26) and the release of a new album. We would suggest that you check the ISIS website regularly for further information.

STFU

Normally I try to lighten my political comments here with humor, or at least make some attempt at staying away from direct, nasty attacks--we have too much of that, in politics, on teh internets and in life, and I don't want to feel like I'm adding to the mix.

But in this case I'm going to hit the Pause button and suggest John McCain should just shut the fuck up.

This is a guy who picked Sarah Palin, putting this country--maybe even the world--in potential jeopardy just to pick up some votes, and he's giving Barack Obama lectures on who to pick for his cabinet? This is a guy who lost Republican strongholds Indiana, Florida, and Virginia.

I used to like John McCain--I guess I was one of the masses fooled by his occasional anti-Republican remark, thinking he was a decent, honorable man.

Back in 2003, I was in the audience of an episode of The Daily Show when he was a guest. At the end, Jon Stewart said "I think you'll always be my President", and I was the one of the ones who cheered and clapped in agreement.

But thanks to his run for president, we've all gotten to see who McCain really is--a small, petty man, and a sore loser. John--vote for Obama's initiatives or don't, but otherwise sit down and shut the hell up. No one cares what you think.

...except of course the media, who loves controversy, fights, conflict. CNN hack John King acts like what McCain has to say is somehow news. Tonight at 11: Dog bites man! What does this mean for the Obama presidency?!? Is it too early to say its all over?!?

Ugh.

Invasion, Body Snatchers, of The

I finally got around to watching the 2007 movie The Invasion, starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, the fourth movie version of the classic story by Jack Finney.

I've always had a particular interest in this, partly because the story is just so good, but also because all three film versions are pretty great, which is highly unusual. The story is so good, apparently, that filmmakers from 1956, 1978, and 1993 can each find their own ways into the story and make it into a compelling movie. So howabout 2007?

Well...it's not bad. Its by far the least of the four versions, and that's got to be because the film was tinkered with after its initial shooting. Apparently producer Joel Silver (who likes movies that go Crash! Bang! Boom!) didn't like the version director Oliver Hirschbiegel delivered, so he had The Wachowski Brothers rewrite some scenes, add new ones, and then had director James McTigue direct them--seemingly not the best way to make a movie.

And it shows. The movie starts off well, with an air of quiet creepiness, but by the end its all action scenes, and the Pod People are pretty much like zombies, chasing poor tired Nicole Kidman around. Superb actor Jeffrey Wright is in the movie as a scientist, and he seemingly single-handedly solves this crisis all by himself, in dialog so clunky even he couldn't sell it. If Jeffrey Wright can't make your dialog sound good, then no one can.

So while overall I thought it The Invasion was a decent movie, it suffers mightily from all the tinkering--which only reinforces my belief that the original story is so indestructible that if you set out to make a movie of that story, you end up with a great--and in some cases classic--movie.

Berserker Rage

Read this article about how many Republicans secretly support Obama's Stimulus Bill and see if it gives you the same feeling it gives me--namely, the desire to track down every single House and Senate Republican and punch them in the nuts.*


*If they're a woman, I'd have to think of an alternative.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 90

Johnny and President Obama share a lighter moment after the President's Stimulus Bill is passed by the Senate.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 89

Back on the road with President Obama, Johnny sits in the stands as the President addresses the economically-hard-hit town of Elkhart, Indiana.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 88

Johnny checks out some of the upcoming additions to the Justice League Unlimited action figure line at the Mattel booth at the New York Comic Con.

Defending Michael Phelps

Once in a while, SNL nails it:

He's right. The guy that took that photo of Phelps and then distributed it is a total dick.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 87

Johnny is roaming the aisles of the NY Comic Con as her Daddy takes a picture of two con-goers dressed as Kid Flash and Solomon Grundy, respectively.

Johnny was on the hunt for a solid Very Good+ copy of Aquaman #51, but she was having a tough time finding one.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 86

Johnny catches up on some last-minute comic book reading, in preparation for her joining her Daddy to the New York Comic Con on February 6th.

(She is reading Justice League of America #200, the greatest piece of literature produced by Western Civilization)

The Curious Case of Bob Button, Part 2

Yesterday, I broke my own Wii Fit record when I my daily Body Test measured me as being at age 20--minus 17 years!

This calls for a Brownie Ice Cream Sundae!

Adventures with Johnny, Part 85

Johnny assumes a ready-to-strike stance as she sits alongside President Obama as he is interviewed by NBC News' Brian Williams.

If Williams asks a stupid question, Johnny goes for the throat. Failing that, the pant leg.

Why I'm Not A Sports Fan

Its taken me many years to figure out just why I'm not a sports fan in any way, shape, or form. I finally came to a conclusion yesterday, and since today is the Super Bowl, the High Holy Day of Sports, it seemed like serendipity.

Yesterday I went to my nephew's basketball game. He's only 11, so it was made up entirely of kids his age or maybe a year older.

Anyway, around the 2nd quarter, my sister and brother-in-law had to leave, so I was left there alone and watch the game, and then take my nephew home. The two teams' respective fans sat on either side of the bleachers, so when one team would score a basket, the applause would come from just one side of the gym.

My nephew's team was down around 16-6 during most of the first three quarters, but then around the fourth quarter they began to turn it around, keeping the other team from putting points on the board while slowly catching up.

And I noticed something strange happening to me--I started to care. I mean, really starting to care. It began by me clapping when "my" team scored a basket, then it moved on to wincing audibly when they missed, and I think I even yelled out in agony when the other team earned a foul shot.

And it wasn't just when my nephew was on the court--I found myself just as interested in my team's victory when my nephew was on the bench. All of a sudden, I wanted these kids to win this thing.

But that wasn't all--as I sat there, I started to look at the other team as bad, evil; I wondered if any of these 6th graders were friends with William Ayres. Maybe it would be worth it to do some oppo research in the school library...

I would occasionally catch myself thinking these things, and shake it off. But I admit, I was clapping and cheering loudly when the buzzer rang and my nephew's team had prevailed, 22-19. Good had triumphed over Evil.


...despite the efforts of my father, and a close friend who likened me to a woman (and crocheting old biddy, at that) for not following sports, I have never given in. I've always told them its because I just can't find a reason to care about who wins and who doesn't.

But now I know that's not the whole truth. Its that I might care too much.