MANY OUTSTANDING MOMENTS during Granpda Weekend. Aiden hangin' with Huck; like Rick and Louis at the end of Casablanca, the beginning of a beautiful friendship. The heart-melting smile the first time the little cowboy turned the light switch off by himself (it doesn't take much to entertain a 10 month old). The classic Bubblebath/Rubber Ducky Hour to bring a quiet end to each day. But for this extended four-day weekend, nothing topped the precursor to yesterday's mid-morning nap. 10:30 hits and like clockwork, a rabid case of the "crankies" set in...imagine Chucky having a really bad day. But a diaper change and a chilled bottle of 2010 Infamil Private Reserve...which usually sends him right into Sandmanland and...Mr. Cranky Pants still wants more. So, I fix him another bottle and when I return, he's not the least bit interested; instead, perfectly content to lay in my arms and have me rock him to sleep with a couple of less-than-stellar James Taylor covers, Long Ago and Far Away and Sweet Baby James. Fortunately, the lad has no musical ear yet, so my ick-apella lullabys were enough to put him to sleep...and I got to walk around the rest of the day with a case of the uber-warm fuzzies...
THE OSCARS FOR this family is as follows: didn't watch it, weren't all that interested in who won. I remember back in the days when Oscar Night was a "big" deal; in fact maybe the first actual "Must See TV". Mostly I remember the hosts. I recall Bob Hope when I was younger, then the Carson Years of the late 70's/early 80's, followed by the Billy Crystal/Whoopi Goldberg 90's, probably the longest stretch of great Oscar nights, highlighted of course by Crystal's opening sequences that were always funnier and more creative than any of the movies nominated. If the Academy was smart, they'd pay Crystal whatever he wanted, give him 100% control and sign him to a lifetime contract. As for last night, my thanks to gal pal Patty Santin for her live updates via FB chat while I was sitting at the keyboard catching up on work I put off to spend the last four days with Mr. Smiley Face...
AL GORE DEPT: Here in IF, two years ago we had our last substantial snowfall on June 11. Last year, May 21. Yesterday, March 7, was our third consecutive day with temps over 35 and the second in a row over 40, and in every yard on our street, it was hard to find more than a melting snowman's worth of the white stuff. Being a NoCal boy, I'm as happy as Tiger Woods in a hotel room full of b-cup bleach blondes, but I am wondering how the anti-GW crowd will explain this one. Maybe passing it off as a reasonable result from all the extra driving we've been doing since our community-minded friends at the oil companies lowered pump prices to less than $3 a gal? Uh....yeah! I am sure the eco-folks are glad the guys at ExMob are finally starting to see the light...
NEXT UP, MARCH MADNESS: Today, my 13 year old heads back to school, while the 11, 15, and 17 year olds have the day off. Reason: The elementary and high schools on this side of the Snake are on Trimesters, while the Junior High, located directly next to and across the street, respectively, from each, is on a Semester schedule. Public Education at its finest...Always a day late and several million dollars short, our local, county, and state governments, along with a couple of dozen large corps are hosting a mini economic summit and jobs faire at the Civic Aud. here in IF today. Among the scheduled speakers will be Idaho Governor Butch Otter and IF Mayor Jared Fuhriman. Coming on the heels of last week's Labor Dept. announcement that new job losses were 7.2% less than expected last month, do ya think if they'd had job faires like this all over the US two years ago, we might have avoided this whole economic slump all together? Personally, I think if the gov required the banks to either lend every last cent of bailout money to businesses for expansion or give it back, with interest, we'd have all been back in black months ago...Final madness of the month: my good friend Stacy Beintema, late of arch rival Foothill High in Pleasanton and the Grupe Co. of Stockton, CA, where in 1984 she lured me into the maelstrom of property management when I began my slow departure from the peace and quiet of the rock and roll biz, turns...a year older...on the 15th. Once again, the Ides have it, and I'd say she's doing ok. A retired SJCO cop for a hub (and a fabo guy in his own right), two awesome kids (one war hero and one recent Fresno St. grad who is taking the "girls always fall in love with men just like their daddy" WAY too seriously), and a fulfilling career helping people stay alive at the American Cancer Society. Not bad for a salty (not) old gal who still doesn't look a day over 35. Happy Birthday, B...
THIS WEEKEND WAS also my brother Bob's 48th birthday. He, his lovely wife Susan, and their daughter Alex celebrated a week early in Maui, where they took a much needed vaca. Not surpisingly, I received notice on their 3rd day in paradise that they had been "Bartmaned" again. It seems everytime these two leave the continental US, disaster ensues. Nine years ago, nary a month after their wedding, they hopped a honeymoon flight to Ireland (the lengths my lil' bro will go to play a new golf course!). In the middle of their trip...9-11. Last Saturday, it was the Chilean earthquake and the very real, albeit temporary, threat of tsunami waves overrunning the islands. In the end it was an oddly enjoyable afternon for them and the thousands of other tourists bunking beachside to pack up, cart their rental cars up to high ground and watch the tide come in and out until the all-clear was given. The NTSB has politely requested the next time they are looking for a get away spot, they should try Kansas. Happy Brithday, Bubba...
AND SO ANOTHER week begins. Senioritis has already started setting in on school teachers (along with some students), geese are starting to head back to Canada, ticked they missed the Olympics, and I'm sticking pins in voodoo dolls of my friends back in Cali who are enjoying their home golf courses while, because of the snow that remains, I'm lucky to scare up a good game of Wii Golf. But we live, we love and we pray for the best, all the while remembering how blessed we are just to be able to experience the madness.
Showing posts with label Academy Awards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Academy Awards. Show all posts
Monday, March 8, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
And the Oscar Goes To
IT LOOKS LIKE the 'Pubs nominee for Mrs. Wholesome America, Sarah Palin, has some 'splainin' to do. After openly chastizing her former, future son-in-law, Levi Johnston for being "too Hollywood", here was Alaska's "I quit" Gov. with her uber-wholesome...cough...daughter Bristol sliding into Tinsel Town in the middle of Oscar Week. Not a biggie you say; they can go anywhere and if they're in LA when the Oscars are being presented, so what?
Well they did go anywhere; to three pre-Oscar bashes (including loading up on freebies from several gifting suites; according to witnesses, like an impolite, starving child wolfing their way through the all-you-can-eat at Chuck-a-Rama). That was of course, in between the Queen of Crib Notes and Survivor producer Mark Burnett taking several Hollywood meetings, shopping a reality show for the "so not Hollywood" hockey mom, while her not-so poster child of conservative values daughter was taping a guest spot on "The Secret Life of the American Teenager". Yeah, Levi is the one who has become too Hollywood.
You know, the neocon talking heads think the libs are afraid Palin will run for the Oval in 2012. I'm neither a neo, or a con, or a lib for that matter, but at some point each and every day, I do say a prayer that she will throw her newly gifted designer chappeau in the ring. It'll be 18 months of incredible comedy and our current CIC will get another four years to try and finish the job of AGAIN correcting the mistakes of yet another failed Bushie admin...
BETTER THAN OSCAR in the last ten years is the a debate of the Top Ten movies of all time. I love this discussion partly because my list is constantly changing, depending on my mood, and partly because I always hear at least one title I have never heard of or wouldn't have considered, which sends me surrying off (yes, I scurry) to Walkers (the local rental here in IF) to give it a try. AFI of course always puts Citizen Kane atop the list, and for filmmakers I undestand why. But as one of the regular folk who don't give two hoots about the technical aspects of a flick, I might put it in the top 15. For this time around, here, in order, are my Top 10 (and I'd love to hear yours): 10. Pride of the Yankees 9. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 8. Dead Poets Society 7. Patton 6. Field of Dreams 5. The Sting 4. The Ten Commandemnts 3. Braveheart 2. 12 Angry Men 1. On Golden Pond. And if you're wondering, I just realized that my top two both star Henry Fonda. Complete coincidence I assure you, but hardly surprising. We miss ya Hank...
ANTI-TRUST DEPT: We are a family of big movie watchers and so we go through two of the 24-bag boxes of micro-wave pop corn a week. Looking to trim a buck (and cholesterol point) or two, I suggested we go back to the air popper. Figuring I could snag one for a good price, I headed over to the local Wal-mart and found...nothing. Nada. Zip. The first two W-M associates I asked for help had never even heard of such a thing. Knowing the highest profit margins come from their grocery aisles, I wonder...would they really go so far as to not offer an inexpensive air popper just to hike up the sales of Orville's nuked product? Oh, the things we give up in the name of capitalism. If anyone knows where I can find a good Hamilton Beach...
DEATH OF A SALESMAN: Hazzahs to James Cameron for his groundbreaking work with Avatar, however, seeing that the next two summer blockbusters (including the next Harry Potter installment) will be released in 3D to capitalize on the phenomenon, I fear this is the beginning of the end of the movie going experience as we have come to know it. At the Edwards theater here in IF, the non-3D version of Avatar is going for $7.50 a pop, with the 3D ducats hiked up to $11.50. Now add to that $13 for popcorn, soda and the obligatory box of Red Vines and you're talking $25 per person. $50 bucks for a movie date and that's not counting dinner beforehand. Remember the days when a guy could take his gal to dinner, a movie and hit Inspiration Point for less than 20 smackers. Well ok, 21, considering the smack she gave you at the Point...
WHO SAYS GOOD parenting is going out of style? Overheard at a local movie house last week. Boy: Well, can't I even put my arm around you? Girl: No, my parents are sitting in the back row. Boy: No they aren't. Girl: Yes, they are! You think they'd let me go on a date with you by myself? I'm only 16! Sure enough, at the end of the movie, the boy and girl head up for the doors and meet up with the girl's parents and leave the theater together. I sure hope my daughter Caroline, who turns 16 in June wants to go see the Matt Damon movie this summer...
A SURVEY FROM Good Housekeeping states that 87% of all diets or weight reduction programs begin on January 1st. So is it just bad marketing or utter cruelty towards the masses that causes the Girl Scouts to hold their annual cookie onslaught less than 2 months later? Can't you imagine how many more boxes of tagalongs they;'d sell if they did this in October? Personally, I smell a conspiracy with the people at Jenny Craig and think Congress should investigate. Nah, they have enough on their hands already. I'll just wait for the movie...
Well they did go anywhere; to three pre-Oscar bashes (including loading up on freebies from several gifting suites; according to witnesses, like an impolite, starving child wolfing their way through the all-you-can-eat at Chuck-a-Rama). That was of course, in between the Queen of Crib Notes and Survivor producer Mark Burnett taking several Hollywood meetings, shopping a reality show for the "so not Hollywood" hockey mom, while her not-so poster child of conservative values daughter was taping a guest spot on "The Secret Life of the American Teenager". Yeah, Levi is the one who has become too Hollywood.
You know, the neocon talking heads think the libs are afraid Palin will run for the Oval in 2012. I'm neither a neo, or a con, or a lib for that matter, but at some point each and every day, I do say a prayer that she will throw her newly gifted designer chappeau in the ring. It'll be 18 months of incredible comedy and our current CIC will get another four years to try and finish the job of AGAIN correcting the mistakes of yet another failed Bushie admin...
BETTER THAN OSCAR in the last ten years is the a debate of the Top Ten movies of all time. I love this discussion partly because my list is constantly changing, depending on my mood, and partly because I always hear at least one title I have never heard of or wouldn't have considered, which sends me surrying off (yes, I scurry) to Walkers (the local rental here in IF) to give it a try. AFI of course always puts Citizen Kane atop the list, and for filmmakers I undestand why. But as one of the regular folk who don't give two hoots about the technical aspects of a flick, I might put it in the top 15. For this time around, here, in order, are my Top 10 (and I'd love to hear yours): 10. Pride of the Yankees 9. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 8. Dead Poets Society 7. Patton 6. Field of Dreams 5. The Sting 4. The Ten Commandemnts 3. Braveheart 2. 12 Angry Men 1. On Golden Pond. And if you're wondering, I just realized that my top two both star Henry Fonda. Complete coincidence I assure you, but hardly surprising. We miss ya Hank...
ANTI-TRUST DEPT: We are a family of big movie watchers and so we go through two of the 24-bag boxes of micro-wave pop corn a week. Looking to trim a buck (and cholesterol point) or two, I suggested we go back to the air popper. Figuring I could snag one for a good price, I headed over to the local Wal-mart and found...nothing. Nada. Zip. The first two W-M associates I asked for help had never even heard of such a thing. Knowing the highest profit margins come from their grocery aisles, I wonder...would they really go so far as to not offer an inexpensive air popper just to hike up the sales of Orville's nuked product? Oh, the things we give up in the name of capitalism. If anyone knows where I can find a good Hamilton Beach...
DEATH OF A SALESMAN: Hazzahs to James Cameron for his groundbreaking work with Avatar, however, seeing that the next two summer blockbusters (including the next Harry Potter installment) will be released in 3D to capitalize on the phenomenon, I fear this is the beginning of the end of the movie going experience as we have come to know it. At the Edwards theater here in IF, the non-3D version of Avatar is going for $7.50 a pop, with the 3D ducats hiked up to $11.50. Now add to that $13 for popcorn, soda and the obligatory box of Red Vines and you're talking $25 per person. $50 bucks for a movie date and that's not counting dinner beforehand. Remember the days when a guy could take his gal to dinner, a movie and hit Inspiration Point for less than 20 smackers. Well ok, 21, considering the smack she gave you at the Point...
WHO SAYS GOOD parenting is going out of style? Overheard at a local movie house last week. Boy: Well, can't I even put my arm around you? Girl: No, my parents are sitting in the back row. Boy: No they aren't. Girl: Yes, they are! You think they'd let me go on a date with you by myself? I'm only 16! Sure enough, at the end of the movie, the boy and girl head up for the doors and meet up with the girl's parents and leave the theater together. I sure hope my daughter Caroline, who turns 16 in June wants to go see the Matt Damon movie this summer...
A SURVEY FROM Good Housekeeping states that 87% of all diets or weight reduction programs begin on January 1st. So is it just bad marketing or utter cruelty towards the masses that causes the Girl Scouts to hold their annual cookie onslaught less than 2 months later? Can't you imagine how many more boxes of tagalongs they;'d sell if they did this in October? Personally, I smell a conspiracy with the people at Jenny Craig and think Congress should investigate. Nah, they have enough on their hands already. I'll just wait for the movie...
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