Author: fifteenkey (Page 40 of 95)

It’s great HDTV to see an artistic masterpiece unroll (literally via a giant illuminated scroll) in front of you… Even if it is Memorex.

Zhang Yimou, China’s most-famous filmmaker, directed the performance and led 13 months of rehearsals by some 14,000 performers. Sir Stevie Spielberg was assisting, but later bailed protesting China’s inaction in Sudan. I think it’s a little hypocritical for us to critique China over human rights given our last seven years, and the Chinese still invited Mr. Spielberg in spite of our Iraqi adventure… I’ll sandbox that for a future post.

I know the Olympic grandeur brings some to tears and this edition is good for a Kleenex box. I haven’t cried, but I share the feeling Chris Farley might have blurted had he seen this: “That was awesome!”

This year’s competition holds the prospect of China winning more medals than the US. It will take a few more years for the Chinese economy to surpass ours, but this may be the year China symbolically nips us at the wire and begins to pull away.

The future of the planet rests on how we handle that.

• Brett Favre, please go away.
• Why can’t Bill Clinton play the role of ex-President with some dignity?
• The apparent suicide of a government employee suspect in the 2001 anthrax mailings is deserving of additional investigation.
• Manny’s happy in LA, but in spite of Joe Torre’s request, he can’t find a barber shop.
• Paul Pierce recently declared himself “the best player in the world.” Much of the respect he earned in the NBA playoffs was just lost through classless conceit.
• There were 5.2B credit card solicitations by mail in 2007. Megan received about 20 of them.
• The McSame campaign is spending money criticizing Barack Obama for being popular.
• They’re also accusing him of flip-flopping on domestic drilling. I’m for drilling to meet short-term needs, but I want it tied to funding for alternatives; and long term solutions. Just like Barack.
• I hope Morgan Freeman recovers…
• …and that goes for the Dark Knight himself, Robert Novak.
• Kyle and I watched “Hancock” in an empty theatre this past weekend. Well, we were there.
• Our efforts to see “The Dark Knight” were thwarted at the Natick IMAX (all weekend shows sold out), but we did get into a 2/3 full matinee at the AMC 16 in Framingham. That flick is still raking it in.
• I’m not psyched for football season. Bill Belichick can take the joy out of world peace.
• The high-maintenance nature of my near 80 year old house is beginning to irritate me.
• What’s wrong with this world is there’s always someone there to exploit human weakness.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played in Tom Brady’s stadium last night and twice this week, I declined tickets. Yesterday, as Kyle and I were soaked coming out of a movie matinee like we were standing under a Commando 450, I was transported back exactly five years to the day, to the monsoon-like conditions prequeling my first Bruce show.

It’s funny how time can crumble some passions like Sphinx in the sand, but leave others fresh and forever. Five years ago, last night was the first of a trifecta of 2003 Springsteen shows for me, including Gillette, Fenway Park and Shea Stadium, the final show of the tour. I’m not sure why it was so important to me five years ago, but not now. Cringing, I wrote to a ticket suitor this week, “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to go. I listened again last night, and I’m not into the new record (or the recent set-lists) and I don’t feel like going through the whole trek to Foxborough when I’m not into it.”

What’s changed? “The whole trek to Foxborough” is a rest stop compared to the NYC drive, yet I enthusiastically did that for the Shea show. That was a time when Bruce Springsteen’s music connected me to something and his guitar was an analgesic. These days, as I continued passing on tickets, “‘Rosie’ doesn’t really do it for me. I’m not much into the happy, sing along songs like ‘Mary’s Place.’ I want the guitar driven songs and they are few on this tour.”

“You strike me as such a happy, sing along kind of guy…” Yep, that’s me… and I’m looking forward to an angst-fueled Wilco show on August 12th.

Well, Manny is in a Fed-Ex overnight box to Chavez Ravine, aka, the Island of Malcontent Sox. Four years ago to the day, No-More Garciaparra was shipped West after a classic, extra-inning Sox-Yanks game in the Bronx where Derek Jeter made a 12th inning grab of immortality while Nomie caught some pine. Ironically, Manny’s sit-in last Friday during a 1-0 loss to the Pinstripes was his last, uh, sit with the Sox.

In 2004, the Sox went on to win it all and it remains to be seen if ridding the ballclub of the “Manny being Manny” malaise will yield another World Championship. For sure, a distracted Sox have been awful lately and Manny has been the side show freak.

Thanks for the memories.

The Pats are in camp this week and it’s the first time since the big game copyrighted by the en eff el I’ve thought about how 18-0 became a joke. Streaks are destined to end, but some, like the consecutive scoreless run I’m on sure seem to keep themselves alive. Speaking of a long-ass streak, my baby brother has never beaten me on the golf course. Ever. Yeah, there was that time he hung with me through 18 while he had a testicle ascended into his left lung, but still, an “L” is an “L” whether you’ve got one nut or three. Lance Armstrong won 7 consecutive Tour de France, but enough about the one shy of a pair thing.

Even swinging with both boys descended, Corey has been unable to prevail. Sunday’s contest at Templeton’s Templewood Test Track was no exception. Lil’ Bro had a four stroke lead after two, but was down one after 4 in a furious contest of wild inconsistency. As we puffed “Acid” spice infused cigars, the match turned on the par 3 7th when I skulled an 8 iron just enough to cruise it on a line over an 80 yard pond, hop the bank and roll, pin high onto the green. Yep. Dumb luck. The par gave me a two stroke lead I didn’t give back. The truth is, if Corey could putt, he’d win a lot, but he can’t, so he doesn’t.

A couple ugly incidents marred the afternoon’s stroke fest, including a vain breach of the gentleman’s game etiquette by yours truly… Templewood’s Number 6 is a wide, downhill 405 par 4. After holding back all day to minimize my slice, I announced, “Boys, I’m lettin’ her rip.” Some commentary about the woods ensued, but I silenced the critics with a booming drive that sliced less than usual and landed 55 yards beyond Corey’s 200 yarder. Here’s where things went, um, downhill. During a Dad backswing, loud talking by an unruly gallery member (Kyle), prompted a large clump of turf, a 20 yard dribbler, and a piercing scowl from the Senior Circuit member. We called it a grandson mulligan and let “Papa” replay shot # 2 with the extra yardage as a bonus.

Still obsessed with the majesty of my drive, we raced toward it where I proceeded to loft it high with my 7-iron. Then I hit another just short of the green. On the green, Corey spoke with the dryness of a bottle of red wine chased with several bong hits and stale Pringles: “We were going to say something about you committing a breach of etiquette by shooting before Dad and me who were behind you, but when we saw your second shot sail into the woods we decided to let it go…”

I apologized and learned a lesson there. When playing golf, take your time. The woods/water/sand will still be there when it’s finally your turn.

Yesterday I attended a charity “Girl Scout Golf Classic” and bid several times on 4 “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” musical tickets, something Kyle would have loved. Well, the Grinch did steal the tickets, I’ll tell you that. I placed my final bid just as “30 seconds left” was announced and then waited to see that the bid would be the winner. About 30 seconds after the end was called, a guy came over and tried to place a bid. I intervened and said, “the bidding’s closed.” He gave me a dirty look and walked toward the dining room of the William J. Devine Golf Course in Dorchester. As the sheets were being collected, I went to the dining room. Somehow, the cheater got back to the sheet and submitted his late, cheating bid. When his name was announced, he was hiding in the shadows…

What is wrong with people like this?

“Give me that! Don’t you know you’re not supposed to take things that don’t belong to you? What’s the matter with you, you some kind of wild animal?”

– Jim Carrey as The Grinch in
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” (2000)

Occasionally I’ll catch a whiff of a woman’s perfume that squeezes me through a time-space wormhole back to a time and a place and a woman. It hasn’t happened lately, either because my sense of smell is gone or I simply don’t get close enough for the sense to operate.
Whatever. That’s just a cheesy intro to my new car smell post. Yep. I sent an offer to three dealerships of what I wanted to pay for a new “Carbon Gray” 2008 Acura TSX w/ Navigation and within 12 hours, one accepted. Pete Boudreau, Internet Sales Manager at Acura of Auburn was simply great to deal with. Last night I signed up for some serious debt and this morning plugged in my iPod and drove away very happy.

Sadly, the old girl didn’t go without a fight. I don’t mean to go “Christine” on this, but some odd things happened with my Volvo once I made the decision to trade up. A “check engine” light caused a failed emissions test and $1,196.20 since May couldn’t turn it off. On Sunday it went out by itself and didn’t come back on… This morning as I put the car in reverse to exit my garage for the last time, it wouldn’t move. It felt like something was blocking the car behind me, so I got out and went back to check if I left something back there while emptying the trunk. Nothing. I got back in and backed out. (Queue X-Files music…)

First impressions…

• I really can’t drive 55 and spent a good deal of time in the left lane being careful about speeding.
• The iPod sounds amazing plugged directly into the Audio system…
• XM Radio (trial) is a great way to experience new music. A Lewis Black sketch on the Comedy station was cool.
• A navigation system is a cool new toy, but I always found my way without one. Still, if you’re in a strange place, you push “Go Home” and follow the breadcrumbs.

On the downside, I’ve been unable to successfully pair the “LeoTreo” with the female voiced Bluetooth system… On a certain level, that makes perfect sense.

I admit an embarrassingly high degree of ignorance of the Pearl Jam catalog, and I acknowledge they didn’t build their rabid fan base with stage gimmicks. A couple weeks ago I was trimming large swaths of weeds surrounding my house when “Release” randomly shuffled through my head. At a certain point in the song I simply stopped, um, released the mower, and stood there. Stunned. Intense doesn’t really cover it.

Speaking of covers, I’ve always considered this jam with Neil Young tearing up Young’s “Keep on Rockin in the Free World” one of the best “live” TV music performances I’d ever seen.

Fifteen years later, here’s another just as good… Wear earbuds if ya got ’em…

That Pearl jam is pretty, pretty, pretty good.

I parked my faithful 1996 Volvo facing away from the club full of eligible new hotties. I didn’t want it to have to see me straying with the younger, smoother models. The 2006 Acura TSX isn’t exactly a trophy, but it’s got a hot body and is very tempting. A chaperone accompanied me as I courted the youthful version of my faithful four wheeler. Ego plays a part in this equation. I’m sure I’ll look better with a partner ten years younger than my own, but I’ll pay a price. The looks. The snickers. I know what they’ll think… Bastards. They don’t get it. They’re not there when she talks to me and says, “turn left.” Clearly, she understands me. That’s all I really want. It’s not about the firm, supple leather seats…

Still, there was something not quite right. The new edition of my trade-in had been on the market since February. When I asked about that, the only answer I got was, “maybe it’s the color,” like race was something to do with it. Hmm… I wondered about stability. By accident, I found out an engagement was broken off back in June. A terse answer on that query was, “financing.” Was I dealing with a golddigger? I also noticed a little hesitation in the performance, which led me to wonder if that would worsen once I made a real commitment.

The ride home was understandably quiet. Cool air blew from the vents in a way I hadn’t felt in weeks since the A/C failed. Yeah, cold silence. I threw on some Sloan and they spoke to me. If I’m going to make this break, it’s not going to be easy. There will be payments and legal proceedings. I’ll have to “walk through the fire, and burn for it.”

Does anyone else find this headline/picture combo a little strange?