Category: Uncategorized (Page 82 of 96)

I’ve been whining incessantly to anyone who’ll listen, but not here until now. See, CBS broke up with “Love Monkey.” The show was smartly written with great musical references and sports analogies, plus the dialogue had a snappy, well timed pace. The NYC visuals were also very cool, including one memorable shot of the building from Physical Graffiti.

It’s ironic that the show, like the music central to its storyline, was critically praised, but lacked the raw audience numbers to be considered successful. “Wife Swap” lives and “Love Monkey” dies. Sadly, people with gray matter don’t matter to networks driven by ratings that they need to fuel their ad revenues.

Rumors on the web are that the Monkey may not be dead yet, and is being shopped to the WB. Unfortunately, I can’t see the show working with their young demographic. How about Bravo? If you actually saw and liked the show, you can sign an online petition (for whatever that’s worth) to keep it alive. I hope somebody picks it up. Until then I’ll keep watching that final DVR’d episode every Tuesday at 10:00.

A recent study reported in London’s Guardian suggests over thinking leads to bad decisions, and that our most important choices may be better left to our raw instincts. The issue seems to be that our minds can only focus on a few things at once, and when we obsess over a decision, the few areas we focus on may be unduly weighted one way or the other.

Obviously, important considerations require some thought, but the reflection needs to be objective. In “Blink,” author Malcolm Gladwell’s research on numerous cases of decision making, shows that in many instances of complex decision making, less input is better than more, as long as the input is balanced.

I also think that anxiety over decisions involving personal risk contributes to bad decisions or indecision, simply because the anxiety over the decision becomes associated with the subject of the decision itself. Of course, then there’s fear…

Oh, and “Honey Don’t Think” is a great little tune by Grant Lee Buffalo from their record, “Mighty Joe Moon.”

I’ve hesitated in criticizing on the veep over his gun going off prematurely. C’mon, it happens to the best of us. I just don’t want to pile on Dick. I do have a few questions, though. Was this poor guy who got blasted a Democrat? Ever? Does he look anything like Hilary Clinton from behind? Does he bear any resemblance to Teddy Kennedy? How do you not see when innocents are in the line of fire? Oh, Dick Cheney. Nevermind.

In other news…
Megan went with Super-Cinnamon toasted with butter chased by a Gatorade Rain Berry flavored water, sport, whatever, drink. She had a good day…

I received some feedback on my Hallmark Day celebration. Now, I’m a glass half-full kinda guy, so “dark” and “depressing” really hurt. Now I’m all sad ‘n stuff…

It’s 7:07am and Megan is up! My guess is that she’s really digging her ipod Nano, since she had it surgically attached. She also equipped her bedroom with her PC speakers and subwoofer so she can crank the tunes while she flings clean clothes on and off in search of just the right look for any particular day. She’s got pretty diverse taste in music, but most mornings the monotonous thump of hip-hop bangs down the door. This morning’s first selection was “My Favorite Mistake,” by Lance Armstrong’s ex-chick. I wonder if he’s hers? Anyway, either the music we play has a real effect on how we feel or how we feel effects the music we play. In High Fidelity, Rob, played by John Cusak, ponders, “What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?” Will Megan’s day be different today based on hearing Sheryl Crow instead of Em? A telltale sign will be her bagel selection… Super-Cinnamon with butter or Plain with scallion-bacon cream cheese? We’ll see. At least this morning she’s up in time to get one.

Today’s Boston Globe has an article on a rock poster exhibit at the MFA. The show focuses on the psychedelic art from the late 60’s San Francisco music scene. One collector suggests the level of creativity during the period had something to do with LSD. Hmmm…

I own this poster from the late 90’s San Francisco music scene. The show was at the historic Fillmore and documents the July night I froze my ass off in the freakish summer bay weather waiting in line to see Son Volt and discover Varnaline. It’s cool. It’s art. Of course not on the same artistic level as my KISS poster from a few years earlier…

Yeah, I’m a little cynical, but Valentine’s Day is just so contrived. The cheesy cards. The overpriced flowers. The once a year overture that simply doesn’t make up for sleepwalking through the other 364. Last night I took Kyle shopping so he could get his Mom and sister something, but with this young man, he loves them like every day is Valentine’s Day. He’s a 24/7 lover boy. Isn’t that how it should be? Unconditional? The way it used to be before the pain, regrets and burns… Sometimes I wonder if I can ever again risk enough to shed my jaded skin and get there. To a place where I relate as much to a love song as I do to this one:

PS – As I wrote this, the sweet sound of Megan reading to Kyle softly carried through the house. Moments like these confirm my heart still beats.

• The SuperBowl was just bad all around. It was especially frustrating to watch those two teams stumble about for 4 quarters knowing the Patriots would have slapped the shit out of either one of them.
• I read that Sir Mick was “outraged” over the NFL/ABC “censorship” of lyrics to “Start Me Up.” Dude, no one wants to drop the pork rinds at halftime and explain to little Suzie or Johnny what, “you made a dead man come” means, OK?
• Two words: Spring Training
• Barry from Jordan’s Furniture called me today to let me know Megan’s new dresser will arrive tomorrow between 7am and 11am. Yeah, it’s mass market stuff and all, but they really know how to serve customers.
• I’m moving offices for the 4th time in a little over a year. This time though, I’m getting four walls and a door. That’s going to feel good.
• Yesterday I had lunch with a “wicked smaht” guy who attended a Stanford Executive Training Course with Barb over the summer. It was a great lunch and we had fun. I’m very fortunate to be able to hang with people like them.
• Did U2 win those Grammy’s last night because of the music or Bono’s humanitarian politics?
• It’s no wonder “consultants” have a bad name. They act just like consultants.
• DVR’s are pretty cool. I’m going to watch Tuesday night’s 10pm episode of “Love Monkey” right now…

As we approached Stubb’s it was clear, even through a Maker’s Mark haze, that getting into this show would be our greatest challenge to date. In the Spring of 2000, there was quite a buzz surrounding Hank Williams III. The hope was that the talent of his grandfather had simply skipped a generation and that the kid “had it.” It was one of the shows we really wanted to see, but the line around Stubb’s and the packed outdoor venue just bummed me out. Shut out? We’d never been shut out of a show at SXSW and we’d seen some barnburners. This time, things looked bleak. “Follow me,” barked Dave and suddenly I was chasing him as he ducked into the restaurant entrance, about 100’ beyond the concert entrance. In 2000, Dave was pretty damn quick, and he was on a mission. He approached a management type who attempted to intervene, but Dave threw a pomp head-fake and left the poor guy grasping at air like some poor Packer linebacker trying to tackle Barry Sanders. After the whiff, the would-be stopper fell into a waiter and the resulting slow-motion splattering of marinara across a patrons white shirt looked like it came right out of a Mario Puzo novel. Not pausing to admire the Tarantino-esque artistic carnage, Dave quickly darted down a short set of stairs and then cut left as he led an out pattern through the kitchen. I could have sworn I saw Andy Warhol chatting with a busboy as we dashed past the dishwasher, but I’m sure it was just the excitement of the moment. Suddenly there was darkness, but only briefly before the light… The beautiful light of the Stubb’s stage!

We hurriedly moved into the crowd and took a position center-stage, just behind what became the mosh-pit. Just in front of us was this guy who was pretty big, especially in the cranial region. We didn’t realize it at the time, but he’s in a band with Jack Black called Tenatious D…We didn’t see Jack, especially with that big dude in our field of vision.

Anyway… Hank III, or “Hank Tree” as we were calling him finally hit the stage and acted all punk until he blew out his bass amp. Then he threw a hissy-fit and walked off the stage. Dave speculated at the time that we may have witnessed a classic moment in rock history when “Hank III walked off stage at SXSW.” Um, not so much. I don’t think “Tree” has lived up to the hype of those early years. Hey, maybe there’s hope for Hank IV.

I turned around to head out, but Dave suggested we stick around to see the next band. I completely trust Dave’s musical instincts, so stay we did. About ten minutes later Eddie Spaghetti and the Supersuckers emerged looking and sounding something like this.

A few months ago I read an interesting article in Slate that I vaguely recall insinuated the advertising industry was ripping off “Seinfeld” by using “Seinfeld-isms” in ads. I don’t know… I mean, in my little circle of life, I hear those Seinfeld references on a regular basis. Aren’t they in the public domain; just a part of our early 21st century lexicon? For example, the holidays just passed and I heard “regift” several times. I also believe I witnessed a “double-dipper” at a party I attended. At the same “festivus” gathering there was that woman with “man hands” who was a “low-talker.” I thought I had effectively engineered a “cleavage peek,” but maybe not since her boyfriend became a “close-talker” in my face soon after.

Then there’s the whole relationship/sex thing. I’m beginning to think I may be emerging from my “sexual camel” decade and might just be able to cancel my subscription to “Glamour Magazine.” After all, I am “Master of my own Domain,” right? Right now, I really don’t know. I don’t know whether I want “Hand” in a relationship or just to find a woman who thinks I’m “sponge worthy.” Anyway, I can’t really get into that. It’s in the vault. Just thinking about it is nerve-wracking and if I obsess about it, shrinkage is surely to result. I’ve got to get my mind off of this stuff. I think I’ll watch a movie, but not that gay cowboy movie. I don’t really like Westerns unless Clint Eastwood is spitting chewing tobacco on some dead guys forehead, so I probably won’t find kissing cowboys very entertaining. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

My household has accumulated quite a few toys in the past couple months. It began with Kyle’s kick-ass Darth Vader light saber for his birthday in November and concluded this week with the arrival of my Harmony 676 Universal Remote control. I’ve done exhaustive statistical analysis to determine how the toys rank in terms of their value. Without further ado, the envelopes please:

1. Darth Vader Light Saber – Simply the coolest toy EVER
2. “Light Up” Harry Potter Wand – This was a contender for #1, that is until Kyle unleashed a “fereverto” spell that grew a freakin tail on my ass! This toy is not for kids!
3. Treo 650 – Of course, I got the Jack Bauer Model, so this isn’t some lame Blackberry. All it’s really missing is a “Shut the Hell Up” mute button. CTU is working on it for me…
4. NEC 42XR4A Plasma Television – Like dropping a hit of acid. Um, well, from what I’ve heard…
5. Nikon CoolPix 4600 – Megan’s new camera is small and cool. She has it with her constantly, so I guess she’s digging it.
6. Airens SnowBlower – I was pretty fired up about this until 10” of snow arrived. After pushing this beast around for 2 hours, I think I like the TV better.
7. Harmony 676 – One remote replaces 4. I like it, but my juggling skills are going to take a hit now.
8. iPod Nano 2G – Megan’s toy and until she replaces some of that Eminem with some Sloan, it’s just an “iPud.”