It’s been a while since I could just post about whatever I felt like, so I thought I might take a few minutes to update you, faithful readers, about some of my ongoing obsessions.
Abe Vigoda
According to every source of information at my disposal, Abe Vigoda remains alive. Among those who have shuffled off this mortal coil since I last wrote about Abe (2/25/11):
Andy Rooney Amy Winehouse Whitney Houston Adam Yauch Donna Summer Ernest Borgnine Sherman Hemsley Gore Vidal Phyllis Diller Jack Klugman Charles Durning Norman Schwartzkopf James Gandolfini Peter O’Toole Slim Whitman Philip Seymour Hoffman Elaine Stritch Robin Williams
Just to name a few. Whereas Abe’s to-all-appearances-imminent death has been a running gag in popular culture for about 40 years now. Long may he reign. (more…)
Since I haven’t updated this list in about 4 years it seems like I should, although my live music consumption has gone way down. This is partly because I am getting old and tired and most of the bands I love have broken up, and partly because a couple years back I relocated to Darkest Northern California, which is not often visited by the major touring bands. Every once in a while someone throws us a bone — for example, Ozomatli put on a sizzling show at the Van Duzer Theater Tuesday night, complete with encores in the lobby — but mostly we are left with only local options. And some of those are quite good, but they have a tendency to be late-starting shows aimed at college kids (see the second sentence of this paragraph).
One of the better shows I’ve seen since I got here was by Naïve Melodies, who are a Talking Heads cover band; I’m not sure whether they should go on the list (though I have included cover bands before, specifically AC/DShe, the all-girl AC/DC). Another was a screening of Stop Making Sense at the Arcata Theater Lounge (complete with dance floor), and that definitely doesn’t count.
After all these years I’m still missing an “I” and a “Q.” I never saw Queen, Quarterflash, or the Quicksilver Messenger Service, but I would see Q-Tip given half a chance. As for “I,” it may have to wait for time travel so I can see the Ink Spots. (more…)
So in the time it took me to get all the way through Apocalypse Now, the NBA Playoffs, the World Cup, the Tour de France, and many other world and personal events came and went. In the interest of economy and brevity, I have composed some haikus to cover this lacuna.
I hate the Clippers I wish we could have beat them Andrew Bogut’s ribs 🙁
The pain of Brazil Four goals scored in six minutes Unprecedented
Do you believe that Vincenzo Nibali is Drug-free? Please discuss.
We have a new house It’s full of boxes and cats Please come and visit
Out of the boonies Man, the Internet is fast! What’s good on Netflix?
I have a new job I know, it’s hard to believe But what can you do?
