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This one minute commercial for the French movie channel Canal+ nearly had coffee spurting out my nose.
When I traveled through Wisconsin in the '70s, you could still buy these for a quarter at junk shops around the state. Sure wish I'd taken advantage of the opportunity—as if we needed more stuff around here.
As a child who grew up reading the light humor of S. J. Perelmam and James Thurber, I worshipped at the altar of Art Buchwald. I didn't know it at the time, but, looking back on it, he taught me a tremendous amount about the importance of voice. If the practice truly is treacherous, well, Buchwald certainly made it look easy.
Oh my gosh, how on earth did anybody ever manage to be so consistently funny on a twice a week deadline? When I was growing up, receiving Buchwald's annual collection of columns was as much a part of Christmas for me as getting the new Beatles album.
Buchwald…
Good morning, _____.
Thank you so much for following the show blog. My goodness, these shows are such great work. Writing, in general, you know, is a kind of solitary activity. I think that's partly why I've been drawn to it; I'm a kind of solitary guy. But this team-effort show-blogging stuff is not solitary at all. The entire process runs opposite to what I normally think of writing and to how I approach writing. By the end — actually, almost right from the start — I am feeling completely drained.
Thank you so much for following the show blog. My goodness, these shows are such great work. Writing, in general, you know, is a kind of solitary activity. I think that's partly why I've been drawn to it; I'm a kind of solitary guy. But this team-effort show-blogging stuff is not solitary at all. The entire process runs opposite to what I normally think of writing and to how I approach writing. By the end — actually, almost right from the start — I am feeling completely drained.
These shows leave me feeling a bit behind — more behind than usual, that is —…
"I was here first," grouses Bagheera.
"Were not," ripostes Huckleberry.
"Was so."
"Nah unh!"
And so we pass the day.
This video is making the rounds of the internets. It's a good way to remember a player who got far less respect than he deserved.
As history goes, the U.S.A. is weird shape these days. But not all is lost. Yeah, we got our shit: the war in Iraq, a warped, unconnected, hilariously inarticulate jackass for a president, a porous border with Mexico (oh wait, the republicans billion dollar fence will solve that). But just when it looks like it's all sliding down a rat hole it's good to remember that hey, we still got Ted Nugent. U!S!A!U!S!A!U!S!A!
That's right "The Nuge," as he's known among those who suspect he's a cartoon come to life—and truly what other choice is there?— once made poor man's Stooges music with the…
Steven Pinker has some interesting thoughts about language and the brain, but 'm linking to this article mostly because I can't resist its headline.
Over at Living In Stereo, Steve Messick argues that Southside Johnny has been making the records of his career over the last six years. Forced to tour without his legendary Southside Jukes largish band, Johnny and guitarist Bobby Bandiera have stripped down his R&B sound to its blues skeleton, Messick says.
Messick posts three examples that make his case, including a cover of Tom Waits' "Gin Soaked Boy" that chillingly channels Howlin' Wolf.