I’m convinced that the real Little Richard is either dead, ill, or retired, and a replacement is filling in for him. Not that Little Richard keeps a particularly high profile these days – I don’t know if he still tours or records – but he’s featured in a TV commercial for an insurance company. Ladies and gentlemen, that cannot be Little Richard. I refuse to believe that’s him. Yes, the wonders of technology can change the appearance of anyone or even bring the dead back to life (a la Forrest Gump), but Little Richard is supposed to be a 70-something year-old man and this imposter looks downright cartoonish. Mark my words and cite this blog entry when the truth is revealed.
Archive for August, 2006
Replacement Richard
August 21st, 2006Here we go again
August 18th, 2006
Well, boys.. here we go again. The Bronx Bombers are going to try to march into Precious Fenway in an attempt to put the end to the AL East race.. and I’m scared. The Sox have not been playing well lately, and though we’re only a game and a half out — thanks to my father’s Orioles — I’m hoping to win the series.
In true Yankee Fashion, they’ve managed to buy the top players in Major League Baseball, and crank it up a notch for the last half of the season. The Sox, down captainless, have been struggling as of late, and hopefully will be able to turn on the gas for the next few games. The starters (from Schilling on down) need to come around, the bats need to be hittin’ and the bullpen needs to snap out of the worst funk that it’s been in since the start of the season.
This is the first Sox-Yankees 5-game series during the regular season since 1973, and it’s no doubt going to be the first of the last few series during the later summer months that will determine the playoff matchup this coming fall. Let’s leave the Wildcard for the AL Central, and let’s knock the Yankees out of the playoff picture starting with a big series this weekend.
Speaking of buying their way back on top.. what are the Yankees going to do when Matsui comes back? Damon, Sheffield, Matsui, and Abreu makes one heck of an outfield, good thing the AL isn’t planning on adding a Rover to the lineup. Maybe the Yankees can buy that too.
In any event.. let’s get into high gear as we come into the last 2 months of baseball.. and watch the Sox try to climb back on top.. starting with a big win this weekend. C’mon boys. Show us what you got!
Back in My Day…
August 17th, 2006Am I getting old or is the world just changing faster than I can keep up? Last weekend, Swedish Girl and I went out for some drinks and appetizers and wanted to catch a movie – My Super Ex-Girlfriend, to be exact. I’m a fan of Luke Wilson, Rainn Wilson, and I don’t mind Uma Thurman. I had seen the trailer and I was game. It seemed like a decent 90-minute comedic diversion. I even had two free cinema passes given to my by my boss, so I was looking forward to a good night. Unfortunately, the mulitplex didn’t cooperate.
I was shocked and horrified to find out that, after lasting less than three weeks (JUST 3 WEEKS!), MSEG was pushed out of the theater. I stood there, incredulous, checking and double-checking both movie boards inside the cinema, as well as the big board outside. Gone. And later on, I checked on line and it’s only playing in two distant cinemas. And I’m not about to drive 30 to 45 minutes for a movie.
Is it just my rose-colored memory, or did movies used to stick around a lot longer years ago? Even really bad movies were guaranteed one or two months at the cinema. Guaranteed. And good movies stuck around for three months. Weren’t Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction around for half the year? What has happened over the last decade? I realize that this is a billion-dollar industry and cinemas want to have the hottest, latest movies, but this is ridiculous.
I’ve never felt pressured to hurry to the theater to see a movie within 10 or 12 days for fear that it will be pulled. Didn’t It’s Pat: The Movie even get a longer stay back in 1994? Maybe I’m just whining about nothing. Maybe this is yet another consequence of the fast-paced, attention deficit disorder, MTV generation. Maybe this is what we now get in the DVD era, where producers and movie studios don’t care about long box office runs and it’s only the opening weekend that really matters. However you define it, it makes me feel a bit old.
A Pint Short
August 16th, 2006
On my way into the office this morning, I decided to stop at the Blood Mobile parked at 2nd and Hudson in Hoboken this morning. Last week there was a van parked in front of my office, but I was heading to the gym that night and knew that I couldn’t give blood and workout. So, when I saw the vehicle this morning, I was enthusiastic.
I think this is the first time since High School that I’ve given blood, and I actually feel good about doing it. When in school, I gave blood at nearly every drive and think I even went to a clinic once or twice to give it between visits.
I only got a little light-headed this morning, as I had a donut and juice before being stuck with the needle. This is something I’d recommend, as it made the post-donation head rush a little less. My arm is a little stiff, and I don’t quite feel 100%.. but, it’s all in the name of helping out someone in need, right?
Going Deep
August 15th, 2006Just a quick note that Doug “Chicken Parm” Mirabelli has hit a home run in each of his last three games, the first such streak of his career. Tonight, he is expected to start and catch for Curt Schilling, so let’s hope his streak continues.
On a final, somewhat bummed out note, I have to say that Dougie has been much, much less of a mystery in his second tour of duty with Boston. In his first, he was a teammate-bullying cult figure who inspired one of the funniest things I’ve ever read in my life. Yet this year, the media is seeking him out a lot more and we’re learning more about his feelings, admitting he was “nervous” catching Tim Wakefield again. He’s even sought out a “performance enhancement counselor.” Despite the loss of the illusion, Doug is back with a vengeance and in position to set a new single-season career high for home runs. Of course, he knows, I know, LTJ knows, and Captain Larby knows that he hit home run #10 that day at SkyDome. The City of Toronto is lucky that Doug didn’t go ninja on them and use the CN Tower to wipe out scores of people at once.
The smell of home
August 15th, 2006So after a last-minute trip this past weekend, I flew back into Newark airport late last night and opted to take a cab home. When the cab first pulled up, I thought I was in luck, because it looked like one of those newer yellow cabs and the driver wasn’t talking on his phone (always a plus).
I get in the back seat of the car, and notice that the interior is the complete opposite from the exterior. The front dashboard is falling apart, and there’s a strong odor of unpleasant cologne eminatng from the driver’s area. It was then that I realized that all the windows were all the way down and for a good reason — the heat was BLARING. It didn’t look like the temperature controls were set that way, so I think there was something wrong with the cab.
As we pull away from the cab stand, it was nice to get some breeze into the back seat… I tried to keep my head towards the open window, as not to be assaulted by the hot air streaming through the two front seats into the back.
As we hit the highway, I started to notice another unpleasant smell — this time coming from outside. It must’ve been Newark, Elizabeth or just a general “Jersey Odor.” We’re coming across the Pulaski bridge, and I noticed the smell change several times — none of which were the even remotely resemblant of cookies, apple/cinnamon or Ng Champa. I had a choice, move away from the windows to avoid the Jersey smells or be faced with cologne man and his heat wave. I opted for the former, because at least the breeze felt good.
But, I realized that this was the smell of “home.” It wasn’t the comforting smell of baked bread or anything, but it was the scent of “my state.” Needless to say, this thought did not put me at ease. The only positive thought I had was that I would soon be in Hoboken.. free from the industrial wasteland of the Newark Area.
It’s good to be home.
Smith & Roeper?
August 14th, 2006Let me preface this by saying that I made a conscious decision some years ago to stop watching Siskel & Ebert. I enjoyed the show and I found the hosts personable, engaging, intelligent, and thoughtful. I also enjoyed their chippy banter. These were award-winning journalists from rival Chicago newspapers and I got the feeling they only played nice for the camera. If it was an act, then I bought it. I never watched the show regularly, mostly because it was always on at the worst time, something like 11:30 pm on Sunday nights. I’d catch it now and then, but eventually found it affecting my movie fun. I had to cut Gene and Roger loose in order to walk into the cinema fresh and enjoy a movie on my terms.
I was flipping through the channels on Saturday afternoon and came across Ebert & Roeper . Hats off to Roger Ebert for being able to keep the franchise alive after the death of his co-host, Gene Siskel. However, Ebert has been in declining health over the last several years and the franchise is in doubt once more. I tuned into the show over the last couple of weekends and saw Ebert and Roeper reviewing movies and thought nothing was up. But when I tuned in on Saturday, I saw Kevin Smith sitting in Roger’s chair.
Now I love Kevin Smith. I still haven’t checked out Clerks II, but I do admire the guy. While I think it would be cool to have a different director sit in to co-host the show every so often, I missed Roger and I hope he’s back soon. Smith did a fine job, had a good rapport with Roeper, and appeared to be a TV natural. Nonetheless, seeing someone else sitting in Roger’s chair was sad. I know he won’t be around forever, and the franchise might continue, but it’s just not the same.
