Namtab

Adventures with Johnny, Part 177

2010-07-13T17:45:00.001-04:00

I love my new Summer Cut!

Adventures with Johnny, Part 176

2010-05-17T15:19:00.001-04:00

Johnny frolics on the back lawn of The White House as President Obama talks with Sen. John Kerry.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 175

2010-05-07T00:03:00.003-04:00

This isn't an adventure pic, per se, I just like it because Johnny looks so happy. This was her in my parents' backyard with her stuffed chipmunk, taking a pause and letting me think I can somehow catch her.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 174

2010-05-02T21:25:00.001-04:00

Johnny snuggles up to President Obama as he delivers his monologue at the 2010 Washington D.C. Correspondents' Dinner.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 173

2010-04-08T23:09:00.002-04:00

Johnny sneaks onto the field as President Obama throws the first pitch of the 2010 Baseball season. (She piddled in the outfield)

Adventures with Johnny, Part 172

2010-03-23T17:06:00.000-04:00

Johnny is on hand at The White House when President Obama signs the HCR bill into law.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 171

2010-03-11T09:39:00.001-05:00

Johnny is on hand at The White House for their International Women's Day celebration.

Look What I Found In My Attic!

2010-03-02T21:11:00.001-05:00

Adventures with Johnny, Part 170

2010-02-16T16:35:00.002-05:00

I have heard stories from Johnny's Grandparents that she loves rolling in and on the snow, but for whatever reason I've never gotten to see it for myself.

But now that we've got approximately seventeen feet of snow on the ground, hard enough for her to walk on, she's taken to venturing off the sidewalk, onto the snow, and going all Paws Up, as this helpful diagram illustrates.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 169

2010-02-12T00:33:00.000-05:00

Johnny loves the snow maze Daddy shoveled out for her in Grammy and Grandpop's backyard!

Adventures with Johnny, Part 168

2010-02-05T23:13:00.001-05:00

While the snow falls, Johnny relaxes by building a fort on the couch. "No Parents Allowed."

Adventures with Johnny, Part 167

2010-01-30T23:17:00.001-05:00

A triptych I call "Snow Angel at Midnight."

Film Club: Black Sabbath

2010-01-25T00:03:00.001-05:00

It's time another movie review for The Film Club, the creation of Stacie Ponder over at Final Girl!

This month's movie is the 1963 anthology Black Sabbath, "hosted" by and starring Boris Karloff!

Made in Italy by Mario Bava, apparently this film was vastly fiddled with for its American release. The version I saw is the original, subtitled-in-English Italian one, titled I Tre Volti Della Paura:

This film opens with a wonderfully vivid, hyper-colorful shot of Boris Karloff, standing, apparently, on the edge of a dimensional vortex:

Boris does his typical (but still entertaining!) slightly-humorous-yet-creepy style of introduction, warning us of the scary stuff we're about to see.

The first segment is called "The Telephone", and it stars the ravishing Michele Mercier. Coming home after an evening out, Mercier's Rosy answers the phone, but no one's on the other end.

The phone rings again, with the same result. Finally, when it rings a third time, Rosy is told that she's being watched. Not only that: she will die tonight!

What follows is a trip through Rosy's quickly crumbling sanity, as the man on the other end--an ex-lover named Frank, now escaped from jail--is apparently able to see Rosy and everything she does.

Finally, Rosy calls a friend, Mary, who she hasn't spoken to in years, apparently ending the relationship on bad terms. Mary is a bit smug about Rosy calling her again, but after Rosy's pleading, she agrees to come over.

Mary arrives, and its fairly clear that this relationship is a little more than just a friendship, though in 1963 this could really only be hinted at. Mary stays the night (in the same bed, yet) to comfort Rosy.

Morning arrives, and Mary is writing a letter as Rosy is still sleeping. Mary confesses that she has been waiting for years to hear from Rosy. Unfortunately, she's there just as Frank breaks into the house...and for those of you haven't seen the movie, I'll leave it at that.

The second story is "The Wurdulak", starring Boris Karloff. Set in an undetermined time and place, a young man on horseback wanders into a tiny village, and meets a family haunted by the vampire-like Wurdulak, a creature that stalks the forest, drinking the blood of its victims.

The family's father is played by Karloff, who has been gone for days. He finally returns, in the middle of the night:

...I have to mention the astonishing art direction and set decoration for this movie. The colors and the staging are just gorgeous to look at. They're creepy and scary, yet have a pulpy, comic book-esque feel that give the movie a slightly lighter tone, something that will come into play at the end.

"The Wurdulak" is my least favorite of the three stories (I feel like it drags a little bit, and the hero is so thick-headed I wanted to punch him), but it has some amazingly creepy moments.

When Karloff's Wurdulak puts the bite on his grandson, Ivan, his parents are divided in the grief over what to do. The Father, believing every bit about the Wurdulak curse, wants to stab his son in the heart so he does not rise from the grave.

But Ivan's mother can't do it, so they bury the boy as is. That night, Ivan does indeed rise from the grave, and knocks on the door, meekly pleading to be let inside because he's cold. The father tries to convince his wife of the danger, but she can't bear the idea of her son being outside in the cold. It ends like you expect it would, when you ignore an ages-old curse.

The "hero" gets away with another member of the family, a woman he's in love with, but they don't get away for long.

The final segment is "The Drop of Water", about a nurse who is called in to dress the corpse of a woman who has recently died. The dead woman's meek sister can't bring herself to do it, so she begs the nurse to come over and do it for her, much to the nurse's annoyance.

While dressing the corpse (looking pretty ghastly), she sees that the dead woman is wearing a beautiful ring on her hand. While the sister is out of the room, she steals the ring. Bad idea.

The nurse heads home, but quickly begins to get creeped out the endless sound of dripping water, coming from various sources in her house.

Finally, the dead woman appears in the house, seemingly wanting her ring back. The nurse is so terrified, she strangles herself to death...or does she?

The next morning, the police find the nurse's dead body. The woman's neighbor--the one who found the body--tells them she heard the nurse scream in the middle of the night, broke the door down to find the nurse dead.

One of the police examines the body, and sees that someone has forcibly pulled a ring off the nurse's finger! We cut to the eyes of the neighbor, who begins to hear the sound of dripping water...

The film wraps up with Boris Karloff, this time dressed in his Wurdulak costume and riding the most fake horse you've ever seen. He wishes us good luck getting home, and "takes off" on his horse. Its here that Bava pans back, way back, and lets us peek behind the curtain:

Dear God, did I love this final scene. Despite all the genuinely scary stuff in this movie, Bava lets us in on the joke, in one of the most audacious ways I've ever seen in a movie. I found it utterly charming, yet it didn't take away from the creepy stuff that came before it.

I really enjoyed Black Sabbath, enough that it makes me want to see the Americanized version, just to see the differences (according to the commentary track on the DVD, the American version re-orders the stories, adds a supernatural element to "The Telephone", eliminates that segment's lesbian subtext, uses an entirely different opening with Karloff, and features Karloff himself on the English dubbing--whew!). And, aside from the all scary stuff, it is one gorgeous movie to look at!

What's next, Stacie?

Adventures with Johnny, Part 166

2010-01-18T16:07:00.001-05:00

Johnny is in attendance at The White House when President Obama met with former Presidents Clinton and Bush.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 165

2010-01-14T00:22:00.001-05:00

Johnny hasn't gone on many adventures lately, but she definitely wanted to take time out to wish her beloved Grandpop (the only person on Earth that she lets hold her paws-up) a Happy Birthday!

2009

2009-12-31T09:41:00.002-05:00

As 2009 comes to a close tonight, I take a moment to be thankful for another year with Tracy and Johnny and my family, and my continued health and career.

And even though I had some wonderful experiences this year, overall I look forward to 2009 ending because it was the year we lost Berry, and to me that overshadows everything else that happened.

Sometimes, in the morning, Johnny will run to the end of the bed and look over the edge, like she used to do when Berry was about to jump up on it. Tracy likes to say that once in a while Berry's spirit likes to come check in on us, and that's what Johnny is sensing.

I hope he knows how much we still miss him.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 164

2009-12-19T10:33:00.001-05:00

Johnny attends the after-party for the Kennedy Center Honorees, and she chats with President Obama, Robert DeNiro, and Bruce Springsteen.

Film Club: The Wicker Man

2009-12-13T23:40:00.000-05:00

It's time another movie review for The Film Club, the creation of Stacie Ponder over at Final Girl!

This month's movie is the 1973 classic The Wicker Man, starring the late Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, and Ingrid Pitt.

Before we start, I feel the need to preface my remarks with a warning that I'm not going to get too deep into the plot--unlike a lot of the other films I've reviewed for the Final Girl Film Club, this one's a genuine classic, and if you haven't seen it yet, you should.

I will reveal some things about it, but I'm going to try and be as vague as possible. But, WARNING: if you don't want the ending ruined for you, don't read too much further.

The opens with this weirdly unsettling card:

The film opens in a very mellow fashion, with shots of a plane heading towards Summerisle. Inside we see its piloted by a police officer, played by the late Edward Woodward:

Woodward's character, named Sgt. Howie, has arrived to investigate a case involving a missing little girl. He is met by some seemingly harmless islanders, who all claim they've never seen the little girl in question.

From this early moment, something feels amiss. It may be just a group of older guys, but there's something about the way they stand so close to one another, and seem so disinterested in the missing girl, that immediately tells you they're not telling Sgt. Howie everything they know.

Howie later checks into an inn, run by another islander and his comely daughter, played by Britt Ekland. Here, too, something's amiss: the locals get together to drink and sing, but there's something about the forced gaiety that's unsettling. Even more weird is a fairly raunchy song they sing about an Innkeeper's Daughter, directed right at Ekland, who laughs and plays along.

Sgt. Howie finds all this odd and even a little disgusting, a feeling he's going to experience a lot on this island. Later, he wanders outside and sees this:

...in a field outside, several couples are copulating, seemingly indifferent to a police officer wandering by. Next door to this, he sees a naked girl wrapped around a tombstone. What the hell is going on here?

What's really unsettling with this scene is how the movie just passes right by it...no one mentions it, and you start to wonder, what did I just see?

Sgt. Howie goes to sleep, and next door he is tempted by the Innkeeper's Daughter, who sings a song, naked:

The next day Sgt. Howie meets Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), who gleefully admits to the naked prayer circles and other assorted weirdness. He even full out states that the citizens of Summerisle aren't Christian, and believe in a sort of hodge-podge of Paganism, Wicca, and other nature-related religions.

He cheerfully disregards Howie's Lord and Savior, and Howie is horrified.

As if all this wasn't weird enough, the townsfolk don't seem particularly scared of Sgt. Howie's threats to continue the investigation, leave the island to get more reinforcements, etc. They all just sort of smile and agree, and Sgt. Howie is left to storm out.

They start messing with his head, like leaving this nifty item next to his bed:

...later, Sgt. Howie tries to hop back in his plane to get more police, but someone has fiddled with its engine and it can't take off.

Finally, he goes undercover as part of the harvest ceremony, which Lord Summerisle promises will produce a bountiful food crop next season...if the proper sacrifice is made.

Sgt. Howie, convinced that the missing girl is the sacrifice, tries to stop it, only to learn that the young girl is fine and in no harm. Rather, its he who was the sacrifice all along!

I found this scene especially chilling, because, for a few moments, the stiff and brave Sgt. Howie starts to cry out in utter terror:

I can't think of too many examples in movies where the hero is allowed, even for a moment, to become a weak, almost-blubbering mess...you know, like most of us would be if we learned we were the victim of a giant, island-wide plot to use me as a human sacrifice.

Its here we get to see, finally, who or what The Wicker Man is:

Sgt. Howie is thrown inside the Wicker Man, and burned to death, as he prays to his Lord. And that's the end of the movie!

I had heard so many good things about this movie before I saw it, so I expected it to be pretty damn good.

And it was, except not in the way I expected. The film is less in-your-face than I thought, and its sheer mundanity in certain scenes really throws you off the trail, leaving you wondering just what the hell is going on here?

And the ending is a kicker. Part of me now wants to see the remake, just to see how badly they screwed it up--there's no way a major movie studio let Nicolas Cage die the way Edward Woodward does here.

What's next, Stacie?

Adventures with Johnny, Part 163

2009-12-08T22:12:00.002-05:00

Johnny sits with the guest of honors and President and First Lady Obama at the Kennedy Center Honors award ceremony.

(left to right: Mel Brooks, Bruce Springsteen, Michelle Obama, Johnny, President Obama, Vice President Biden)

Adventures with Johnny, Part 162

2009-12-06T12:11:00.001-05:00

Johnny hangs out with Bo Obama during the official White House Christmas celebration.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 161

2009-11-24T20:17:00.002-05:00

Johnny accompanies President Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House, as they head for a joint press conference.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 160

2009-11-18T18:35:00.001-05:00

Johnny and President Obama visit the Great Wall of China. She likes it windy!

Adventures with Johnny, Part 159

2009-11-13T12:06:00.001-05:00

Johnny had a long, tiring week playing hostess to her cousin Colby. So she's taking today off.

Maybe This Is Why He Lost

2009-11-05T11:51:00.001-05:00

I found this sign on my running route...vote November 8?

Adventures with Johnny, Part 158

2009-10-29T01:18:00.001-04:00

Johnny is in the stands for Game 1 of the World Series, watching Chase Utley hit his first of two home runs.

Remember...

2009-10-22T08:53:00.001-04:00

Only DFH and mushy-headed liberals are pro-gay marriage:

Film Club: Slaughter High

2009-10-18T23:21:00.000-04:00

It's time another movie review for The Film Club, the creation of Stacie Ponder over at Final Girl!

This month's movie is the 1986 cheapie Slaughter High, a tale of revenge, incoherence, unwanted nudity, and bad lighting. Let's get started!

Slaughter High was directed by three people: George Dugdale, Mark Ezra, and Peter Litten. It took only one guy to direct Citizen Kane, but it took three people to direct Slaughter High.

The film opens with a shot of its ostensible star, Caroline Munro:

...this immediately made me kinda sad, to see the ravishing Ms. Munro appear in a Grade Z movie like this. The woman who helped usher me into puberty (via her appearances in films like The Golden Voyage of Sinbad and The Spy Who Loved Me) should not have to earn her keep in schlock like this. Oh well.

Her character is leading on an uber-ned named Marty (Simon Scuddamore), seemingly to a tryst in the girls' shower room.

But turns out its all a big practical joke--and I mean a really big one: look at all the other people involved, who follow them both into the showers:

...wow, Ben-Hur didn't have a crew that large!

Anyway, trusting but stupid Marty gets naked, thinking he's going to get a shot at Caroline Munro's Carol. But instead, the gang sprays him water, poking him with sticks, and giving him a nasty, head-first dunk in the toilet, where we see way too much of Mr. Scuddamore:

...yow!

The gang even partly electrocutes(!) Marty, but then they are stopped by the gym coach. Later, they pull another gag on Marty, which leads to an accident in the chemistry lab, causing a fire and burning Marty to a crisp. As he's carried off on a stretcher, he tries a half-hearted attempt at strangling Carol.

Cut to: years later, and we see all the rotten teens(even though Caroline Munro was 36 when she shot this!) as adults. Carol is a sort of skin-flick actress, haggling with her shifty agent:

...you just know this had to be one of the producer's houses. Just imagine how much coke was done in this room!

Anyway, all of them get invited to a high school reunion, which they improbably show up to, even though the high school is now a creepy, abandoned, dank building.

After they all show up, "accidents" start happening. When one of them is killed, they find they're all trapped in the building thanks to a series of death traps laid out for them. One of them does manage to escape, but before he can get far he's stabbed in the gut by a masked maniac!

At this point, the movie just kills off the cast one by one--one woman takes a bath(!), burning to death when acid starts shooting out of the faucet instead of water, and two of them are electrocuted while having sad, grubby sex (where we see another male cast member's naked butt--what's with all the man ass in this movie?).

Slaughter High is a classic example of the cheesy horror movie where every improbable thing that needs to happen does--Marty, now a (presumably) deformed killer, is some sort of mechanical genius, having arranged a series of complicated death traps that would make a Batman villain proud.

Finally, only two women are left, and he dispatches one of them when she falls into a tiny hole leading to a gooey pit--somehow, she managed to walk into the exact right spot. Better to be lucky than smart, I guess.

Finally, there's just Carol, who Marty hunts for about twenty minutes. Every time Carol gets a good shot in on Marty, she then drops the weapon in question (a bat, a sharpened spear), only to have Marty pick it up and chase after her again.

Marty then corners Carol in the exact same shower all this got started in (oh, the irony!), and stabs her to death. The end.

Or is it? Marty then starts hearing spooky voices, and he meets all his victims again, as ghosts, looking like extras from Thriller:

...Marty then wakes up, bandaged, in an insane asylum. Ah--it was all a dream!

Marty is approached by a nurse, and then we see an alarm go off. A doctor out in the hall looks to see what the trouble is, only to get stabbed in the eye with a needle, held by Marty who has switched clothes with the nurse for no good reason:

...presumably this means Marty will escape, and begin his plan of revenge, for reals this time. Ooh, Slaughter High 2: The Wrath of Marty!

Except...it was not to be. Actor Simon Scuddamore, who played Marty, apparently killed himself right after completing his work here, making this his only film appearance. This gives this movie an even more sad, depressing vibe to it.

Not that I don't enjoy a good (read: bad) cheesy slasher flick, but this movie was so grubby, so cheap looking, and so dull that I found it a slog to get through. Its only 92 minutes, but it feels like it goes on a lot longer than that. And it made me sad to see Caroline Munro have to waste her time in something like this. Oh well.

What's next, Stacie?

Adventures with Johnny, Part 157

2009-10-18T23:20:00.001-04:00

Johnny poses in the actual Batmobile from the 1960s TV series while attending the Big Apple Comic Con on October 16. She's Robin to Daddy's Batman!

Before Apple Demands It Be Taken Down...

2009-10-16T23:32:00.001-04:00

Best. Picture. Ever.

2009-10-16T21:09:00.001-04:00

Me and Loretta "Hot Lips Houlihan" Swit at the Wizard World NY Comic Con, October 16, 2009.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 156

2009-10-13T16:24:00.001-04:00

Johnny prepares to bring back the ball President Obama has just fired into the air (she nudges it with her shnoot).

Happy Birthday Dano!

2009-10-13T08:08:00.002-04:00

Today is my pal Dan Eaker's birthday--happy birthday Dano!

Dan and I went to the Kubert School together, but didn't really meet until our second year, where we ended up in the same class. In our third year we had our desks next to each other, and that's where our friendship really took off.

Since then--eighteen years(!) ago--we've kept intertwining in each other's lives. For around a year and a half, we worked together in a small room in an art studio, run out of our boss's home. I would definitely not want some of the stuff we said repeated (mostly Dan).

Since our art styles are pretty incompatible, we really haven't had much opportunity to collaborate on anything--the big exception was a page-a-day calendar made for the medical community, a page of which you see above. In a very short period of time, we had to write, pencil, ink, and color something like 275 medical-related cartoons, which was a grueling process.

But we finished it, and it was a lot of fun--in some sort of masochistic way--to work so closely with my friend on such a goofy project. Its too bad we really haven't had the chance to do so again. But who knows what the future holds?

In any case, happy birthday Dan!

Adventures with Johnny, Part 155

2009-10-09T14:56:00.001-04:00

Johnny is proud to be in attendance when President Obama delivers his comments regarding his winning the Nobel Peace Prize(!).

Adventures with Johnny, Part 154

2009-10-08T22:41:00.002-04:00

Johnny makes an appearance on last night's Rachel Maddow Show.

Off-air, she and Rachel are buds.

Tangled Up In Yule

2009-10-07T22:33:00.002-04:00

Via a special promotion with Citibank, I downloaded Bob Dylan's Christmas in the Heart album a week before its national release.

I immediately started playing it on my iPhone, and ran through the whole thing in one shot.

My first impression? Its a great, fun, goofy, heartfelt Christmas album! Bob isn't doing this ironically--his love old-timey songs is well established, and with the arrangements of the classic, well-trod holiday songs here, he's clearly trying to emulate those classic songs he heard as a kid, not remake them as "Bob Dylan songs."

Indeed, not being a particular fan of Christmas songs in general, even Bob's versions of such chestnuts as "Little Drummer Boy", "Do You Hear What I Hear?", and "O Come All Ye Faithful" leave me a little bored--I'm just so sick of these songs that even the great Bob Dylan singing them can't keep me enthralled.

But! There are lots of songs in here that are loads of fun, especially the album's mid-point song, "Must Be Santa", done here as a triple-time polka, with Bob trading vocals with a gaggle of background singers (his band? I still haven't seen the album credits yet). His versions of "Here Comes Santa Claus", "Winter Wonderland", and the relatively-obscure "Christmas Island" are also delightful.

All in all, it sounds like Bob Dylan is having a blast here--its also fun, after many consecutive albums of his being the only voice on display, to hear him share vocal duties with various background singers--and all he's trying to do is spread some holiday cheer.

Its amazing to think that the man, who turned 68 in May, has released two all-new albums this year; the last time he did that was before I was born. He's got the wind at his back, and he's sharing that sense of joy with the rest of us. What a generous man.

And speaking of generous, as if this wasn't enough, Bob is donating all his profits from this album--in perpetuity--to charity, so not only is buying this album just a good way to be entertained, but you're actually doing a good deed in the process. Ho ho ho!

(One quibble: All of Bob's albums since 1997's Time Out of Mind have been simultaneously released on vinyl. Considering CITH is such a conscious throwback to Christmas albums of old, I'm a little disappointed that, as far as I've seen, there is no vinyl version of Christmas in the Heart available)

R.I.P. Dick Durock 1937-2009

2009-10-06T21:55:00.002-04:00

I don't know how I missed this news from a few weeks ago, but I was saddened to hear about the death of actor Dick Durock.

Durock had a long career, but I (and most people) knew him best as Swamp Thing, starring in both Swamp Thing (1982) and its 1989 sequel.

My Dad took me and my sister to see Swamp Thing when it came out, and it was really the perfect kind of movie for an eleven year old: goofy, funny, some horror content, and, thanks to the presence of Adrienne Barbeau, even a little nudity! I know--its a perfect film!

Durock also appeared on The Incredible Hulk and Battlestar Galactica, so his fame among the nerd crowd (guilty) was legendary. Durock appeared at a lot of comic/sci-fi/fantasy cons over the years, so thankfully he got to bask in the love people who grew up with him had for him and his work.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 153

2009-09-29T22:52:00.001-04:00

Johnny participates in the Oval Office birthday celebration of Timothy Geithner and Austin Goolsbee, two of President Obama's cabinet who happen to share the same birthday.

She loves cupcakes.

Shameless Plug Department

2009-09-25T12:54:00.000-04:00

Okay, this is a bit self-aggrandizing, but I couldn't not mention that today over at MovieMorlocks.com, the official blog for Turner Classic Movies, is an interview I did with Richard Harland Smith, who is a regular writer for the blog.

This was the first interview I've ever done about my work, and I'm really happy how it turned out--it was a lot of fun and Richard's a great interviewer.

Check it out, I hope you like it, and thanks Richard!

Testify!

2009-09-22T18:00:00.001-04:00

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Adventures with Johnny, Part 152

2009-09-22T10:17:00.002-04:00

Johnny sneaks on stage during President Obama's appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman last night.

Coolest President Ever

2009-09-21T10:18:00.001-04:00

...sometimes I wish Obama could handle Republicans the way Luke handled Jabba the Hutt and his henchmen in Return of the Jedi: i.e., slash and hack into them with his light saber, sending them all into the Sarlacc Pit (in this metaphor, the South).

Then he grabs Michelle, wearing a gold metal bikini, swings over Congress, passes Health Reform, and calls it a day.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 151

2009-09-21T10:17:00.001-04:00

Johnny and Colby don't agree on much, but one area of consensus is: they really wish Grammy/Mommy was home!

Adventures with Johnny, Part 150: Fantastic Four

2009-09-17T00:03:00.000-04:00

Today is Johnny's 4th birthday, so she's taking some time off from helping President Obama and is going to spend some time romping, eating, and hanging out at her favorite place in the whole wide world, Grammy and Grandpa's house.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 149

2009-09-15T23:12:00.001-04:00

The Obama Cabinet. (Johnny is between Vice President Biden and Sec. Sebelius)

Arf! Arf!

Just Something To Remember

2009-09-14T08:14:00.002-04:00

"You know, it took me about a year to start hating the 9-11 victims' families. ... I don't hate all of them. I hate about, probably about 10 of them. But when I see, you know, 9-11 victim family, on television, or whatever, I'm just like, 'Oh, shut up.' I'm so sick of them, because they're always complaining. And we did our best for them."

--Glenn Beck on his radio show, 2005

Adventures with Johnny, Part 148

2009-09-12T00:03:00.000-04:00

Johnny sits with President Obama, David Axelrod, Sen. Dick Durbin, and a fourth adviser aboard Air Force One.

R.I.P. Larry Gelbart 1928 - 2009

2009-09-11T23:27:00.001-04:00

Adventures with Johnny, Part 147

2009-09-10T10:49:00.001-04:00

Johnny gets a primo spot to watch President Obama deliver his address to Congress.

Later, she snuck into Rep. Joe Wilson's office and and peed all over the place.

Representative Asshole Says What?

2009-09-09T22:43:00.001-04:00

Adventures with Johnny, Part 146

2009-09-08T20:01:00.002-04:00

Johnny poses as an elementary school student so she can hear President Obama's address.

Film Club: The Devil's Rain

2009-09-06T22:04:00.002-04:00

It's time another movie review for The Film Club, the creation of Stacie Ponder over at Final Girl!

This month's movie is a goodie--The 1975 film The Devil's Rain, starring a Love Boat-esque cast: Ernest Borgnine, Eddie Albert, William Shatner, Ida Lupino, Tom Skerritt, Keenan Wynn, and, in his first film, John Travolta!

The opening credits run over a series of Hieronymous Bosch paintings, a nice touch:

...ok, there is one credit in this movie that you probably wouldn't see on The Love Boat:

Not only is High Priest of the Church of Satan Anton LaVey the technical advisor to this movie, he's also in it! I'm trying to picture Anton LaVey applying for a SAG card.

Anyway, the movie is about a cult of devil worshippers operating out in the desert. It opens with Ida Lupino (that makes me sad, typing that) distressed that her husband has disappeared. She calls her son, Mark (William Shatner), to try and find him--she's worried he's been grabbed the weird cult that's hanging around.

Mark dismisses this, but pretty quickly we see that, yep, Dad's in a lot of trouble:

...I hope you like this melting effect, because you're going see a lot of it in this movie.

The father dies, melting into a puddle in the rain. Shatner and Lupino go back inside, where he prepares to find the leader of the cult:

"I'll show that punk J.J. Abrams a thing or two."

The next day, Shatner drives to the spooky ghost town where the church resides, and pretty quickly he meets the head of the cult, Jonathan Corbis, played by Ernest Borgnine, in an intro scene that is mostly about cowboy hats:

Turns out the reason the cult is targeting this family is that they possess an ancient book that is an artifact of the cult, and they want it back. The cult eventually grabs Shatner and Lupino, turning them into mindless zombies.

After that, the family's other son, Tom (Tom Skerritt), investigates to see what's going on, along with his wife Julie (Joan Prather). They snoop around the town, and are attacked by another member of the cult, Danny, played by John Travolta:

...we never see the future Vinnie Barbarino without his creepy black eye sockets, so its hard to see that it is Travolta. And he really doesn't have any lines outside of grunting, so it was hardly an auspicious start.

Anyway, it turns out that Julie is some sort of psychic, and has the ability to see into the past. Looking into the eye sockets of Danny, she sees the past, back into the 1600s, when the cult ran afoul of the local, God-fearin' townspeople.

This sequence is pretty goofy, what with Shatner wearing a puritan-style wig, but the way the movie chooses to visually represent Julie's ability to see the past is nifty:

...that's a great, simple way to convey this: just having Julie, in her modern clothes, sitting by as if she's watching all this transpire. A nice touch.

Like I said, the cult runs afoul of the townspeople, and they show up to burn the cult and its hideout to the ground:

"We're here to discuss healthcare reform!"

Turns out this past lives version of Mark Preston had a wife that double-crossed the cult, to save her own life and her husband's, so as they burn Jonathan Corbis he laughs and promises revenge.

Back in the present day, Tom decides to infiltrate the cult, and sends Julie off to where its safe. But they grab Julie, and prepare to use her as a sacrifice. Its here the movie really breaks the Goofy Meter.

During the ritual, Jonathan Corbis transforms into...

(Wow, those McHale's Navy wrap parties got wild!)

Tom gets the help from a Dr. Richards (Eddie Albert), who is an expert in the occult. While sneaking around the cult's church, they find a giant orb that seems to house all the souls of all the people the cult has enslaved (looking a little like The Phantom Zone from Superman II).

They grab it and, when in a face off with Corbis and his cult, threaten to destroy it, releasing all the souls and "the devil's rain" which will kill all the cult members.

Unfortunately, Dr. Richards is a hapless foe, and about two seconds after his threat, some cult members grab the orb from him. But...it ends up in the hands of Mark, who is only recently converted to the cause.

Richards pleads with Mark, trying to tap into the real human inside, telling him that if he smashes the orb, it will free him from Corbis' control. Mark pauses, thinks, and then smashes the orb! Yay, I love it when William Shatner gets to be the hero!

That blows a hole in the church's roof, and the devil's rain starts to fall, melting everyone in sight:

...now, I admit, this is a great, gross-out effect. The F/X crew should have been proud.

The only problem is, F/X-wise, this is the only trick the movie had up its cloaked sleeve, so they wanted to get their money's worth out of it, and they do: there's approximately fifteen minutes of footage of people melting, writhing, melting, and writhing some more. It goes on and on and on, until you're like, Okay, enough with the melting people already!!

Tom and Dr. Richards escape, just as the church blows up. They grab Julie, but she's acting a little odd. She embraces Tom, and he reciprocates, but when he turns we see that Julie is actually...Jonathan Corbis!!

Somehow, Corbis escaped and is inside Julie, while she remains trapped in some version of hell:

She screams, pounds, all to no effect, as the credits roll. Finally, after they're over, she stops, and just blankly stares into the camera.

Sure, its kind of a cheat of an ending (how did Corbis escape?), but it is genuinely creepy nonetheless, especially with how quiet it is--like Julie has just accepted she's trapped in Hell. *shudder*

I saw this movie once years ago, and watching it over again I see that its really not that bad--its got a nice paranoid feeling, and the cheap sets actually give it a sort of grubby realness that something with a bigger budget might not have had.

The only minus to me is the cast: I'm sure the movie makers were thrilled to have all those "names" in the cast, making the movie easier to sell, but...sorry, I just can't take Ernest Borgnine in a goat mask seriously. Maybe if they had given a couple of the bigger roles to unknowns it would've felt more "real" to me. In any case, there's a lot of potential here.

And maybe a little less melting people. That might have helped too.

What's next, Stacie?

The Truth Slips Out

2009-09-05T11:17:00.000-04:00

Some people are, in fact, just stupid:

As If I Didn't Already Love the Guy...

2009-08-26T19:53:00.002-04:00

...Bob Dylan is donating all of his profits and royalties--in perpetuity--from his new Christmas album, Christmas In The Heart (out Oct. 13th) to charity.

Mr. Zimmerman, you're a real mensch.

R.I.P. Ted Kennedy 1932-2009

2009-08-26T19:12:00.001-04:00

Thank You

2009-08-19T10:03:00.000-04:00

God bless Barney Frank:

Adventures with Johnny, Part 145

2009-08-18T20:55:00.001-04:00

Johnny frolics on the White House lawn with President Obama.

He threw a stick, assuming she'd bring it back. But as you can see, she's headed for Adventure!

R.I.P. Jim Dickinson 1941-2009

2009-08-17T08:10:00.003-04:00

That's legendary musician Jim Dickinson on the far right, with Bob Dylan and producer Daniel Lanois during the making of Dylan's classic 1997 album Time Out of Mind.

Dickinson died on August 15, at the too early age of 67. Dylan referred to Dickinson as "my brother" at his Grammy Award acceptance speech, and he's had an amazing career before and after (which you can read about here).

Of course, Dylan's worked with so many people, but Dickinson was special to me because right around the time TOOM came out, he did a long interview with the Dylan magazine On the Tracks, where he gave inside details as to what it was like working on the album.

To that point, I had read exactly zero inside reports on what it was like as Dylan crafted an album, so hearing from Dickinson, as he told hilarious/frustrating/amazing stories about working with Dylan was revelatory to me. And he did it in such plain spoken language, you could sort of picture yourself in the room.

It was Dickinson's contention that one of the unreleased songs recorded for the album, "Red River Shore" was, in his words, "the best thing we cut at those sessions." He was disappointed that it didn't appear on the released album, but I imagine he was gratified when it finally saw the light of day on last year's installment of The Bootleg Series.

I think I'm going to go read that interview again! Rest in peace, Jim.

He Just Wants To Not Be Hassled By The Man

2009-08-15T09:00:00.001-04:00

July 23, 2009 - Rock legend Bob Dylan was treated like a complete unknown by police in a New Jersey shore community when a resident called to report someone wandering around the neighborhood.

Dylan was in Long Branch, about a two-hour drive south of New York City, on July 23 as part of a tour with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp that was to play at a baseball stadium in nearby Lakewood.

A 24-year-old police officer apparently was unaware of who Dylan is and asked him for identification, Long Branch business administrator Howard Woolley said Friday.

"I don't think she was familiar with his entire body of work," Woolley said.

The incident began at 5 p.m. when a resident said a man was wandering around a low-income, predominantly minority neighborhood several blocks from the oceanfront looking at houses.

The police officer drove up to Dylan, who was wearing a blue jacket, and asked him his name. According to Woolley, the following exchange ensued:

"What is your name, sir?" the officer asked.

"Bob Dylan," Dylan said.

"OK, what are you doing here?" the officer asked.

"I'm on tour," the singer replied.

A second officer, also in his 20s, responded to assist the first officer. He, too, apparently was unfamiliar with Dylan, Woolley said.

The officers asked Dylan for identification. The singer of such classics as "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Blowin' in the Wind" said that he didn't have any ID with him, that he was just walking around looking at houses to pass some time before that night's show.

The officers asked Dylan, 68, to accompany them back to the Ocean Place Resort and Spa, where the performers were staying. Once there, tour staff vouched for Dylan.

The officers thanked him for his cooperation.

"He couldn't have been any nicer to them," Woolley added.

How did it feel? A Dylan publicist did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment Friday.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 144

2009-08-11T13:38:00.002-04:00

Johnny (in the back) stands at attention as President Obama meets with Canadian Prime Minster Harper and Mexican President Calderon for the North American Summit.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 143

2009-08-08T22:39:00.002-04:00

From the Vault: Johnny attends a party where President Barack Obama (then "just" Senator Obama) met actor Mike Farrell, most famous of course for playing B.J. Hunnicutt on M*A*S*H.

So Johnny's met one of the cast members of my all-time favorite TV show, and I haven't? Not fair!

The Next Time You Think Peggy Noonan Isn't Insane...

2009-08-07T23:46:00.003-04:00

...read this, her latest WSJ column:

We have entered uncharted territory in the fight over national health care. There’s a new tone in the debate, and it’s ugly. At the moment the Democrats are looking like something they haven’t looked like in years, and that is: desperate.
They must know at this point they should not have pushed a national health-care plan.
[....]
You know what would happen if he did this (nixed health care legislation)? His numbers would go up. Even Congress’s would. Because they'd look responsive, deliberative and even wise. Discretion is the better part of valor.
Absent that, and let's assume that won’t happen, the health-care protesters have to make sure they don’t get too hot, or get out of hand. They haven't so far, they've been burly and full of debate, with plenty of booing. This is democracy's great barbaric yawp. But every day the meetings seem just a little angrier, and people who are afraid—who have been made afraid, and left to be afraid—can get swept up.

"They must know at this point they should not have pushed a national health-care plan."

...Yes, Peggy, how dare Barack Obama--who promised health care reform in the campaign, and then won in a landslide--try and do one of the things he ran on?

This is Peggy Noonan basically saying, if the crazy mobs that are showing up with Obama as Hitler signs do something really crazy, like hurt someone, then it'll be Obama and the Democrats fault, because they didn't listen.

That line of thinking is also used by men who beat their wives, saying they knew what sets them off, so its they're fault if they get hit. Sickening.

I've come to learn that, when it comes to the GOP, there are no "less crazy" ones--its just a matter of when that crazy reveals itself, and in what form. Some days, Peggy Noonan sounds measured and reasonable, and then she writes shit like this.

R.I.P. John Hughes 1950-2009

2009-08-06T20:25:00.001-04:00

This Can't Possibly Be True, Right?, Part 2

2009-08-06T10:13:00.003-04:00

Wow, it sounds like there's actually going to be a Bob Dylan Christmas album:

It seems that this project was being mooted some months back. It is a personal project of Dylan himself rather than an idea put forward by his record company. The sessions took place in May of this year at Groove Masters studio in Santa Monica...

David Hidalgo is once again reported to be among the musicians involved and, at one stage, backing singers were considered but it isn't clear if any will appear on the finished product. The album is said to have been mixed and finished in June.

So far, five songs have been mentioned, none originals. Two reported directly to ISIS were "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" (the popular Christmas carol with the affecting phrase, "The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight") and "Silver Bells" (a song associated with Bing Crosby). Three others have been mentioned by another website, namely "Must Be Santa", "Here Comes Santa Claus" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas". A few years back, "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" was reportedly performed at a soundcheck for a Dylan concert, as was "The First Noel".

Jesus H. Christ, Part 4

2009-08-05T18:18:00.002-04:00

...South Carolinian Democratic Congressman Brad Miller receives death threat over the health care bill.

The modern Republican Party: America's Taliban!

This Can't Possibly Be True, Right?

2009-08-05T13:55:00.003-04:00

There's rumors floating around that Bob Dylan, who just released his Together Through Life album in April, recorded yet another new album in May, and is slated for release later this year!

Bob putting out two all-new albums in on year would be unprecedented in his 45+ year career as a recording artist, but you never do know with him.

Even more unbelievably, these rumors are saying it might be a Christmas album--i.e., Christmas songs. What?!? Bob Dylan singing "White Christmas", "Jingle Bells", and such?

Like I was about TTL, I won't believe a word of it until I see the title and sleeve show up officially via Sony/Columbia, but its hard not to get excited at the very idea, even if it is one of the most outlandish, hard-to-believe rumors this Dylan fan has ever heard...

And So It Begins

2009-08-04T21:10:00.001-04:00

Oh noes! Obama's super-secret plan to kill old people with his health care plan is starting with sweet little Helen Thomas!!

Well, that's what you get when you elect a President who wasn't even born in this country.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 142

2009-08-04T17:38:00.001-04:00

Johnny poses with Fmr. President Bill Clinton during their trip to North Korea, to broker the agreement freeing the two imprisoned American journalists.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 141

2009-08-01T18:59:00.001-04:00

Johnny attends the "Beer Summit" with Vice President Biden, Prof. Gates, Sgt. Crowley, and President Obama.

Even Johnny is sick of talking about this.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 140

2009-07-26T10:22:00.003-04:00

Johnny hasn't been feeling well the last two days, and last night it concerned us enough we took her to the Animal Emergency Service of South Jersey (staffed by a wonderful, understanding group of people) to see if they could figure out what was wrong.

After taking a blood sample (which she is *less* than helpful about), they told us all her internal numbers are okay, ruling out a kidney problem, or Lyme disease, and a number of other things.

While we were relieved, we still don't really know what's wrong. She was acting very lethargic Friday and Saturday, but this morning she seems a lot better--her eyes don't look so cloudy, her tail is up, and she seems overall more chipper.

We have a sort of all-purpose anti-inflammatory pain killer that we'll be giving her once a day, and if she doesn't improve she'll have to go back for x-rays (I shudder at how she could even get through such a procedure, she's so unruly while at the vet). But for now she seems better.

But since we didn't get back until around 130am, we all need some sleep, Johnny most of all.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 139

2009-07-19T15:04:00.001-04:00

Johnny recently accepted a part-time consulting position at The Daily Show; here she is going over some script material with host Jon Stewart and some of the production staff.

R.I.P. Walter Cronkite 1916-2009

2009-07-17T21:15:00.002-04:00

Adventures with Johnny, Part 138

2009-07-15T15:34:00.001-04:00

Johnny accompanies President Obama as he throws out the first pitch at the 2009 Baseball All-Star Game.

She loved running around the field!

Adventures with Johnny, Part 137

2009-07-14T08:03:00.001-04:00

Johnny accompanies President Obama as he addresses the leaders of Ghana, during his trip overseas.

She hates the heat. Why can't the President visit Iceland?

Adventures with Johnny, Part 136

2009-07-12T21:52:00.002-04:00

Johnny plans to steal a couple hot dogs as they're being grilled to smoky perfection by President Obama and Chef Bobby Flay during the White House's 4th of July celebration.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 135

2009-07-10T15:41:00.001-04:00

Johnny watches a July 4th fireworks display with President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 134

2009-07-08T23:03:00.001-04:00

Johnny attends the G8 Summit with President Obama, and is asked (politely!) by an assistant to clear the stage before the traditional "family photo" is taken.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 133

2009-07-07T15:08:00.001-04:00

Johnny attends the official swearing in of Minnesota's Junior Senator, Al Franken!

Film Club: Burial Ground

2009-07-05T22:49:00.000-04:00

After too long an absence, here's another movie review for The Film Club, the creation of Stacie Ponder over at Final Girl!

I had done a bunch of Film Club reviews back in 2008, and enjoyed them immensely. Then one month the selection was the Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez film Grindhouse. While I enjoyed that film, I didn't particularly want to see it again, and I couldn't really think of what I would say about it.

Then it sort of slipped my mind, and before I knew it five months went by and I kept forgetting to look and see what the newest Film Club movie was! So a few weeks ago I checked back in, and I'm glad I did, because this month's movie is a good one--the Italian zombie movie Burial Ground!

The movie opens with some sort of archeologist guy digging in an ancient cavern:

...Topol is Rasputin in Burial Ground!

No, no, that's not Topol. Its just some guy--typical in horror movies--who is messing around with forces he doesn't understand.

He finds some stone slab with some writing on it, brings it back home and does some research using ancient texts. He mutter something about it being "the answer" or something, and returns to the cavern to dig some more. But this guy is no Indiana Jones--he basically grabs a pick-axe and just starts wailing away at these sacred ruins.

That upsets a tomb, which slides open to reveal: zombies!!

The zombies attack the guy, one of them biting his ear off. We then get a big juicy close-up of zombie munching on it, letting everyone know exactly what kind of movie they're about to see.

We then cut to the credits of Burial Ground:

...okay, The Nights of Terror. These Italian movies have more names than Prince's drivers license (bada-bum!).

The credits are your standard list of Italian names, with one or two American ones thrown in. And then you get to this:

In all of the movies I have seen (The Omen, The Cat From Outer Space, The Joy Luck Club, etc.), I have never seen an actor or actress get a credit that screams out "special" as much as this one.

Of all the Big Deal Appearances I have seen--Marlon Brando in Superman, Frank Sinatra in Cannonball Run II, etc.--I've never seen anyone get their name in a box during the credits. She must be pretty special!

Anyway, the movie opens with three cars of people visiting an old Italian castle. They are three sets of couples, one of whom has a son. All of a sudden, this film felt familiar to me.

The couples all check into their rooms, and then it hit me--I had seen this movie before. It was this scene--when the mother of the young boy puts her son to bed--that clinched it for me:

You see, this little boy isn't a little boy at all--it's an adult male playing a little boy. He's not a "little person" per se, he's more the size of your typical jockey, with a little boy wig slapped on him.

It was this really laughable yet creepy touch that I remembered discovering back when I saw this movie in a theatre, part of a double feature put on by my friends at Exhumed Films.

At the time, I wondered why the producers had gone for such a weird, creepy touch as this--trying to pass off some 30ish man as a little tyke, floods and all. As I watched the movie, it became sickeningly clear.

Anyway, the plot of this movie is pretty typical for a 1970/1980s Italian horror film--zombies attack, for vague reasons. You really don't need to know more than that. The professor guy upset the zombies' tomb, and now they've risen, and they're attacking the people who are staying on the grounds above the tomb. Simple--elegant, really.

There are 2-3 scenes in a row of the various couples getting it on as soon as they arrive ("You look like a whore--I like that about you!"--actual line of dialog). To give you another hint how friggin' weird this movie is going to be, we see that the son overhears his Mom and her boyfriend getting it on.

He sneaks into their room, bursting the door open, surprising his Mom and her boyfriend in mid-copulation.

Once they see who it is, instead of putting the sheets up, the mother gets out of bed, giving us--and her son--a glimpse of her in full-frontal nudity, runs across the room, and grabs a sheet to cover herself. Boundaries, anyone?

Anyway, soon after, the zombies start to attack:

One couple is attacked outside, and barely escapes. Another couple is attacked, and meets up with the first couple.

They make it all inside the castle, but the zombies start finding a way to get inside. They manage to kill a few people, including a maid that works at the castle.

During all the chaos, the little boy runs to his mother for comfort, and she cradles him in her lap.

They get so chummy that the son starts nuzzling her, sticking her hand up her skirt! Ewwww!!!

He actually manages to get half up her leg before she wakes the hell up and slaps him for this atrocity. He runs away.

Eventually, though, the zombies get him, and he becomes a zombie, meandering around the castle. Some more of the adults get picked off, leaving just two of the women and one man left.

After escaping a room full of zombies munching on one of their friends, the mom finds her son and calls out to him. Her friends tell her not to do that, because its clear he's now a zombie.

But she won't listen, and she cradles her son again. She then flat out lets the son fondle her, so much so she lets him pull open her blouse, and starts...doing something he hasn't done since he was a baby, let's say.

At this point in the film, any food you might have eaten during the movie has now come up on you. So you hit the Pause button, clean yourself up, and resume the movie.

The zombie son clamps down on Mom, biting off a particularly sensitive hunk of flesh. Now we know why they didn't hire a little boy for this part--it would've been a Federal Crime.

We cut to this Says It All Shot:

When being attacked by zombies is not the weirdest thing you've seen recently, you know you're having one hell of a day.

Anyway, these two are the only ones left--they scream, run away, but are caught by some more zombies in the basement. As the woman is about to be torn apart, the movie ends with this uplifting quote:

...the end!

I don't know, maybe I'm missing the point, but I'm not that afraid of any prophecy that features spelling mistakes ("nigths"?).

Whew, what a film! Zombies, gore, an ancient curse, bad dubbing, horrible mustaches, incest, and then zombie incest. Just think: while the poor actress who had to play the Mom was suffering the indignities of being in a scene where her zombie son--played by an adult man--was biting off her nipple, Meryl Streep was on the other side of the world making Sophie's Choice.

That said, this is film is enormous fun, in its own sick, sick way. The zombie stuff is hard to make new, so the producers and director tried to add as much sick stuff as they could to make this movie memorable. And at that, they succeeded.

What's next, Stacie?

Final Score

2009-06-30T16:53:00.003-04:00

Back in November, I posted the above "score card", listing the things I wanted to see take place during the election, in order of importance.

Of course, one of those items was not decided on Nov. 4, and after umpteen challenges, the Franken/Coleman senate race was concluded today. So here's the final tally:

All in all, pretty good--Prop. 8 passing was a major disappointment, but with gay marriage being voted in a bunch of states since then, the Prop. 8 debacle looks more like a temporary step back, not a major blow to equal rights.

So, overall--a pretty good tally. And I'm glad I finally got to fill this card out and post it. Sometimes I thought maybe the Franken/Coleman thing would never be settled.

Congratulations, Senator-Elect Al Franken!

Adventures with Johnny, Part 132

2009-06-30T14:48:00.001-04:00

Johnny visits Senator-Elect Al Franken, to celebrate the Minnesota Supreme Court's 9-0 decision that Franken won the 2008 election.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 131

2009-06-30T11:01:00.003-04:00

Johnny attends the White House gathering for the GLBT community, to mark the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion.

Govenor Mark Sanford...Democrat?

2009-06-24T22:48:00.001-04:00

...it says it right there on Fox News! It must be true!

Adventures with Johnny, Part 130

2009-06-24T00:03:00.001-04:00

Johnny, using her Wayback Machine, goes back in time to 1983, where she visits her beloved Grammy, pretending to be a loose, hungry dog, hoping to score some chicken and/or London Broil.

Happy Birthday Grammy!

Adventures with Johnny, Part 129

2009-06-21T00:03:00.000-04:00

As a way to say Happy Father's Day (or, in this case, Happy Grandpop's Day), Johnny jumped in her Wayback Machine and arrived in October 1941, to visit my Dad--her Grandpop--age eight!

So as not to disrupt the time stream, she watched him from afar. I wish she had brought back that Shadow comic with her; today it'd be worth a pretty penny.

Anyway, Happy Father's Day and Happy Grandpop's Day, Dad!

Meow, x15

2009-06-19T16:19:00.002-04:00

Here are two pics of just some of the feral cats Tracy and I have taken to feeding the last couple of months.

At last count, we think there's around 15 cats, who all eventually make their way out of the woods when they see we've left food (and water) out for them. Some of them wait until we leave, but as you can see here, some of them are a little more aggressive.

Even though we both very much miss Berry, and more generally having a cat in the house, we not under any illusions about adopting any of them--they're called "feral" for a reason.

So the most we can do is feed them, and make sure they have clean water to drink. I think we spend more money now on cat food than we did we had Berry!

Jesus H. Christ, Part 3

2009-06-16T10:53:00.001-04:00

...and it continues, this time from a GOPer in Tennessee!

Check out the response from the dimwit caught sending the racist image--they're not sorry they did it, they're sorry they got caught!

Jesus H. Christ, Part 2

2009-06-16T10:46:00.003-04:00

More GOPers from South Carolina, more racist jokes aimed at the Obamas.

The first example of this, from yesterday, was via Facebook. Today's example was via Twitter.

So I guess you can say RNC Chairman Michael Steele was right--the GOP is using modern technology to get their message out.

The problem is, the message is still the same blinkered, racist, idiotic, misanthropic bullshit they've been pushing for the last eight years.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 128

2009-06-15T15:25:00.002-04:00

I've been trying to follow the amazing events taking place in Iran right now (Andrew Sullivan's coverage has been great in this regard), and I initially thought Johnny should make an appearance over there.

But then I realized, I don't want it to look as though I'm making light of this situation in any way--it seems pretty apparent this election was stolen, brazenly so; and I can still recall how mad I was at the outcome of the 2000 elections here. So I'm not putting Johnny in the middle of the action over there, as a sign of respect for the millions of Iranians fighting for their democratic rights.

But since the color green has been adopted as the sign of solidarity, I will let Johnny don a green paw, as a way to say we care...

Jesus H. Christ

2009-06-15T12:51:00.001-04:00

...and the GOP wonders why they're in the position they're in?

Adventures with Johnny, Part 127

2009-06-10T19:42:00.001-04:00

Johnny hangs out with President Obama on the steps of the U.S. Ambassador's residence in Paris, looking cool as cucumbers!

Yay

2009-06-09T22:20:00.002-04:00

I normally just try to talk about positive stuff here on the blog, but I had to take a moment to say a big "Thank You" to the voters of Virginia, who crushed former DNC chairman Terry McCauliffe's hopes of being the Democratic nominee for Governor of Virginia.

Sure, sure, once Obama had the nomination all was pretty much forgiven; Hillary did an amazing job supporting him when the time came.

But I never, never forget the night Obama clinched the nomination, making history, and then having to watch this jackass introduce Hillary Clinton as "The next President of the United States." With this guy running the DNC, no wonder the Dems faired so badly under the Bush years.

I have no idea who this Deeds guy is, the guy that beat McCauliffe for the Democratic nomination. All I know is, I'm glad he did it.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 126

2009-06-04T15:53:00.000-04:00

Johnny, President Obama, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak listen to the American national anthem at Qoba Palace in Cairo.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 125

2009-06-03T15:25:00.001-04:00

Johnny came out of the time stream long enough for her to accompany President Obama on his visit to Saudi Arabia.

Which is very nice of her, when you consider how much she hates the heat.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 124

2009-06-01T08:17:00.002-04:00

Johnny continues bopping around the time stream, this time landing in 1978, sneaking a look at her Daddy, age seven, and his cousin Lisa while on vacation in the Poconos.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 123

2009-05-28T22:59:00.002-04:00

Her time travel experiments now completed, Johnny goes back in time to around 1976, where she visits her Daddy, age six, while visiting at his Great Uncle Fred's house (where he was proud to show off his soda/beer can collection).

Its weird, I don't remember meeting Johnny before January 2006--it must be one of those weird time paradox/"I am my own Grandfather" things.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 122

2009-05-28T15:01:00.001-04:00

Johnny accompanies Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as a special envoy to the Mid-East.

She believes in what she calls "Diplomacy Through Snacks."

Adventures with Johnny, Part 121

2009-05-26T10:44:00.001-04:00

Johnny (flying back on the Red Eye from California) attends President Obama's official nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 120

2009-05-26T10:09:00.001-04:00

Johnny is in California, participating in a rally to repeal Prop 8, which the California Supreme Court will rule on today.

68 Years Ago Today...

2009-05-24T00:14:00.001-04:00

...Robert Allen Zimmerman was born. ("Bob Dylan" came along about twenty years or so later)

Happy birthday, Bob.

Adventures with Johnny, Part 119

2009-05-21T21:15:00.002-04:00

Johnny is in attendance (she's sitting in front of Secretary of State Clinton) for Obama's speech about Gitmo.