Oh, behave
While I've been very lax in going to the movies to see stuff I think I'd like, I did jump on the opportunity to make sure I saw Austin Powers in Goldmember, and I definitely wasn't disappointed. Sure the movie was a structural mess with a plot that meandered aimlessly (much more than in the past) and the character Goldmember wasn't all that funny, but throw enough jokes at the wall and you'll have enough stuff that sticks. That's probably the best way to describe this movie. The great "surprise" beginning, plus always raucous opening credits did hold things up until the movie found its footing after about 20 minutes.
The best thing about the Austin Powers series is how many pop culture spoofs and digs can get through, without seeming forced (for the most part). In some cases, the references will be dated very quickly. But other times, it can have a long shelf life. Again, just throw lots of stuff out there and see what sticks. The Dr. Evil in prison stuff (both the Silence of the Lambs and the Jay-Z parody) was top-notch, and Mini-Me was used as goofily as ever. Too bad, they didn't do much with No. 2 or Frau this time around. They sort of made up for it with Beyonce Knowles (who looked amazing; it's hard to believe she's just 20) and Michael Caine (who added a fun twist to the proceedings). Too bad, they didn't have enough to do in the picture.
Still, I laughed a ton, and it helped to be in a full theatre with everyone laughing along. But yet again, I ended up in a weird situation where I had to think about the gross-out humor. That's what happens when you end up sitting next to some five-year-old and wondering what in the world he's doing in there. Maybe I'll need to watch it again with a bunch of friends and enjoy that much more.
It's that guy, and that girl, and whoa, he's in here, too?
Outside of the American Pie movies, I still think Can't Hardly Wait is one of the better of the crop of teen movies that have popped up in the last five years or so. That's why I got it on DVD (that and because I just never seemed to stumble across it on pay cable). Plus, after a question in one of my quizbowl tournaments listed a bunch of the different actors in it, I was more intrigued to see it again. And I wasn't disappointed. It's somewhat amazing to think who showed up in this movie who would go on to better things a few years later. It wasn't the main stars, either.
I knew Lauren Ambrose from Six Feet Under was in it. I thought she was really cool in the movie, and her current role as Claire is pretty much a darker version of her role Denise in the movie. Plus with the looks and the hair, she seems to remind me of my own friend Lauren in a way. I didn't realize her SFU co-stars Freddy Rodriguez (also nominated for an Emmy) and Eric Balfour (Claire's creepy boyfriend, not to mention Milo from 24) were in this. Speaking of 24, Sen. Palmer's son also had a brief role in it. There was also the vastly overrated Selma Blair in a brief role and Sean Patrick Thomas before they both showed up in Cruel Intentions. There's also Breckin Meyer and Donald Faison from Scrubs in the band, plus Jason Segel from the Judd Apatow comedies. And never mind some of those who were actually recognizable when the movie came out like Seth Green and Melissa Joan Hart.
It's somewhat odd that with all of these notable names and faces showing up in minor roles, some of the more well-known actors have sort of faded back. Jennifer Love Hewitt is still around showing her goods but she's definitely not as big a star as she was when the movie came out. And poor Ethan Embry, who's hardly been heard from since this movie (at least in things in the mainstream).
Puffy invented the remix and Al Gore invented the Internet
I'm usually not up on my remixes, and it gets a bit tiresome hearing Puffy making bigger hits out of already big ones. This Slate piece goes into the history of it, and got me racing over to find the really cool mix of "Blue Monday" and "Can't Get You Out of My Head," which not surprisingly works amazingly.
Tuesday, July 30, 2002
Thursday, July 25, 2002
More on the retro uniforms
-- The bright yellow A's are cool, but I think I like the dark green better.
-- Why do those pullover shirts look a lot like pajamas (even more than NBA refs uniforms)? When did teams switch from buttons to pullover and then back? And what teams (besides the Yankees) opt not to take on the pullover look? I like the buttons a lot better -- seems more "professional."
-- The Mets' retros bring back great memories of the 1986 season. The Angels ones, while great, have me thinking about The Naked Gun.
-- The bright yellow A's are cool, but I think I like the dark green better.
-- Why do those pullover shirts look a lot like pajamas (even more than NBA refs uniforms)? When did teams switch from buttons to pullover and then back? And what teams (besides the Yankees) opt not to take on the pullover look? I like the buttons a lot better -- seems more "professional."
-- The Mets' retros bring back great memories of the 1986 season. The Angels ones, while great, have me thinking about The Naked Gun.
America's most traveled news/sports commentator
Pick a major news or sports media outlet and Keith Olbermann has probably worked for them. Add Salon to the mix. He makes a great point that most of the baseball poobahs probably missed. Their potential Sept. 16 strike date would be one day before the one-year anniversary of players returning to the field after Sept. 11. Interesting symbolism lost in the stubborness to avoid a salary cap.
Pick a major news or sports media outlet and Keith Olbermann has probably worked for them. Add Salon to the mix. He makes a great point that most of the baseball poobahs probably missed. Their potential Sept. 16 strike date would be one day before the one-year anniversary of players returning to the field after Sept. 11. Interesting symbolism lost in the stubborness to avoid a salary cap.
I know Chip Caray can be over the top when hyping things up during a game, as seen by this great link, but you've got to wonder how much hyperbole he can get into by claiming the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry is bigger than the Yankees-Red Sox. Maybe it's my New York/northeast bias kicking in, but it seems like Yankees-Red Sox has a lot more legs because it's actually very competitive on the field -- and has been part of some big games in history, like Bucky Dent.
I'm not debating Cubs-Cardinals isn't a big rivalry. It definitely is especially in downstate Illinois, but best in baseball? Hardly. It's probably the best in the Caray family since old Harry worked for both. But it's hard to call something a big rivalry when one team has won tons of pennants and the other is best known for being loveable losers. (Not just bad luck second-place stuff like the Red Sox.)
I'm not debating Cubs-Cardinals isn't a big rivalry. It definitely is especially in downstate Illinois, but best in baseball? Hardly. It's probably the best in the Caray family since old Harry worked for both. But it's hard to call something a big rivalry when one team has won tons of pennants and the other is best known for being loveable losers. (Not just bad luck second-place stuff like the Red Sox.)
When you're ratings are in trouble, feature "Whip It"
I loved VH-1's special on One Hit Wonders (and I've got all of them on tape). It got some of the network's best ratings in a long time. So how do you capitalize on it? Make it into a series. Something tells me it won't go over well, at least not like the specials. Then again Unsolved Mysteries and Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? both had nice runs after being a special, who knows.
I loved VH-1's special on One Hit Wonders (and I've got all of them on tape). It got some of the network's best ratings in a long time. So how do you capitalize on it? Make it into a series. Something tells me it won't go over well, at least not like the specials. Then again Unsolved Mysteries and Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? both had nice runs after being a special, who knows.
Assorted movie reflections
I felt like I stumbled into something good when Wet Hot American Summer ended up on Starz the other day. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed. I guess it could've been funnier, and I could relate somewhat to the characters, but something just didn't click despite all the decent actors in it. Maybe it was a bit too sprawling for its own good. Maybe it could've been slightly raunchier given the general plot. I don't know. I've never been a big fan of Owen Gleiberman, and his review in Entertainment Weekly may have shown how much we disagreed on the movie.
It took me a while to figure out who Ms. Alias was when watching Pearl Harbor before realizing she was the somewhat dorky looking nurse with the glasses. Definitely not the most flattering look for her, although I suppose it was a slightly better role than that in Dude, Where's My Car? Oh well, then again, I sat through the cool but somewhat overwrought explosions and whatever hideous accents Josh Hartnett and Ben Affleck had to further affirm how much I'm a fan of Kate Beckinsale.
On the other hand, I picked up the DVD for UHF and found that very entertaining, especially with the audio commentary. It's a silly movie for sure, but still holds up for camp value. It was amusing hearing Weird Al rattle off addresses of places in Tulsa where they shot different scenes. It helps being a big Weird Al fan to begin with.
I felt like I stumbled into something good when Wet Hot American Summer ended up on Starz the other day. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed. I guess it could've been funnier, and I could relate somewhat to the characters, but something just didn't click despite all the decent actors in it. Maybe it was a bit too sprawling for its own good. Maybe it could've been slightly raunchier given the general plot. I don't know. I've never been a big fan of Owen Gleiberman, and his review in Entertainment Weekly may have shown how much we disagreed on the movie.
It took me a while to figure out who Ms. Alias was when watching Pearl Harbor before realizing she was the somewhat dorky looking nurse with the glasses. Definitely not the most flattering look for her, although I suppose it was a slightly better role than that in Dude, Where's My Car? Oh well, then again, I sat through the cool but somewhat overwrought explosions and whatever hideous accents Josh Hartnett and Ben Affleck had to further affirm how much I'm a fan of Kate Beckinsale.
On the other hand, I picked up the DVD for UHF and found that very entertaining, especially with the audio commentary. It's a silly movie for sure, but still holds up for camp value. It was amusing hearing Weird Al rattle off addresses of places in Tulsa where they shot different scenes. It helps being a big Weird Al fan to begin with.
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
Must Eat TV?
I've seen plenty of tie-ins between entertainment and restaurants, but this NBC-Baskin Robbins marriage may be one of the strangest. Dwight had a solid idea for one not on here -- Law and Order: Death by Chocolate. I'm surprised there's no Friends-themed ice cream, but I guess you can always order vanilla. It's also curious to see them tie ice cream flavors with a couple of new shows that seem like iffy hits. Which reminds me (going back to the doppleganger bit), I think I've figured out why the girl on the ads for American Dreams seems familiar -- it's a blonde version of Stephanie McMahon.
I've seen plenty of tie-ins between entertainment and restaurants, but this NBC-Baskin Robbins marriage may be one of the strangest. Dwight had a solid idea for one not on here -- Law and Order: Death by Chocolate. I'm surprised there's no Friends-themed ice cream, but I guess you can always order vanilla. It's also curious to see them tie ice cream flavors with a couple of new shows that seem like iffy hits. Which reminds me (going back to the doppleganger bit), I think I've figured out why the girl on the ads for American Dreams seems familiar -- it's a blonde version of Stephanie McMahon.
Hey, you happen to look like ...
I've got a strange habit to almost immediately associate someone I run across with some other celebrity. Maybe it helps me remember names and faces later on, or maybe it's just a game I play. But whatever the case, it makes for some interesting observations down the line. It has helped out a bunch when casting "Quizbowl: The Movie" -- pretty much just an excuse to play this game where we cast famous people who most look like different personalities in the Quizbowl world. I won't get into here, at least not now.
However, with that said here are some other cases of celebrity lookalikes (when they can't seem to hire real celebrities) I've seen in commercials: (feel free to add your own in the comments)
-- One of the Heineken ads with a guy and girl fighting over the last beer at a party has a couple of dopplegangers. The guy definitely is a cross between Joe Rogan and Matt LeBlanc. A co-worker said the girl looks like Kristin Davis (which I do see), but I think this ad shows what Britney Spears will look like in about 15 years with dark hair. Interesting thought for sure.
-- The Bud Light Naked Swimmers ad features a dorky guy who looks like a skinner version of a former co-worker, but the more relevant part is that the woman could pass for Katie Couric's sister.
-- Finally, I haven't found the right comparisons for some of the ridiculously amazing women in the Captain Morgan Gold ad, but the guy turning aerobics into a spectator sport could be former WCW champion David Arquette invading the commercial world yet again.
By the way, bless those people at Ads.com for providing links to these commercials. This site will probably come in very, very handy when writing those trivia questions pretty soon.
I've got a strange habit to almost immediately associate someone I run across with some other celebrity. Maybe it helps me remember names and faces later on, or maybe it's just a game I play. But whatever the case, it makes for some interesting observations down the line. It has helped out a bunch when casting "Quizbowl: The Movie" -- pretty much just an excuse to play this game where we cast famous people who most look like different personalities in the Quizbowl world. I won't get into here, at least not now.
However, with that said here are some other cases of celebrity lookalikes (when they can't seem to hire real celebrities) I've seen in commercials: (feel free to add your own in the comments)
-- One of the Heineken ads with a guy and girl fighting over the last beer at a party has a couple of dopplegangers. The guy definitely is a cross between Joe Rogan and Matt LeBlanc. A co-worker said the girl looks like Kristin Davis (which I do see), but I think this ad shows what Britney Spears will look like in about 15 years with dark hair. Interesting thought for sure.
-- The Bud Light Naked Swimmers ad features a dorky guy who looks like a skinner version of a former co-worker, but the more relevant part is that the woman could pass for Katie Couric's sister.
-- Finally, I haven't found the right comparisons for some of the ridiculously amazing women in the Captain Morgan Gold ad, but the guy turning aerobics into a spectator sport could be former WCW champion David Arquette invading the commercial world yet again.
By the way, bless those people at Ads.com for providing links to these commercials. This site will probably come in very, very handy when writing those trivia questions pretty soon.
Even for a struggling network like ABC, you have to do your best to keep your funniest people away from some of the rest of the talent, as these stories concerning Drew Carey, Jimmy Kimmel and The Bachelor folks can attest.
On a related note, it looks like they're doing their best to get me to watch the Emmys after naming Conan O'Brien as host. To think how far he's come since those awfully awkward first shows that happened to coincide with my first days of college.
Steve Earle always seemed to me a bit off the mainstream path, so it's not surprising his new song about John Walker Lindh is drawing boos in Nashville, especially. Although it probably will play a little bit better with the "alternative" set, I'd imagine. In any case, it will probably feel ridiculously dated in a few years, but those are the breaks. It doesn't take away from the fact he's a pretty good musician/songwriter.
On the topic of music, I guess I'll throw my vote for "Hot in Herre" by Nelly as this year's top summer song, just nudging out the also-infectious "Without Me" by Eminem, although it's odd to hear the latter getting tons of airplay on the local alterna-rock station here.
On a related note, it looks like they're doing their best to get me to watch the Emmys after naming Conan O'Brien as host. To think how far he's come since those awfully awkward first shows that happened to coincide with my first days of college.
Steve Earle always seemed to me a bit off the mainstream path, so it's not surprising his new song about John Walker Lindh is drawing boos in Nashville, especially. Although it probably will play a little bit better with the "alternative" set, I'd imagine. In any case, it will probably feel ridiculously dated in a few years, but those are the breaks. It doesn't take away from the fact he's a pretty good musician/songwriter.
On the topic of music, I guess I'll throw my vote for "Hot in Herre" by Nelly as this year's top summer song, just nudging out the also-infectious "Without Me" by Eminem, although it's odd to hear the latter getting tons of airplay on the local alterna-rock station here.
Tuesday, July 23, 2002
Are you ready? ...
First off, the posts may be fewer and more far between as I work on a bunch of quizbowl stuff. With my schedule returning to "normal" next week, I'm actually able to make it up to Chattanooga for Muck Masters. Much of my inspiration for the blog may end up in questions, so bear with me.
Now then, I was definitely marking out hearing the old Degeneration X music, as they teased a HHH-HBK reunion, only to have Helmsley turn on Michaels for reasons we're all trying to figure out. It gets funnier and funnier every day to see a lot of the old gimmicks turning up, even for just a small bit of time. Next up, Doink returns to Raw (and not just in the gimmick Battle Royal).
First off, the posts may be fewer and more far between as I work on a bunch of quizbowl stuff. With my schedule returning to "normal" next week, I'm actually able to make it up to Chattanooga for Muck Masters. Much of my inspiration for the blog may end up in questions, so bear with me.
Now then, I was definitely marking out hearing the old Degeneration X music, as they teased a HHH-HBK reunion, only to have Helmsley turn on Michaels for reasons we're all trying to figure out. It gets funnier and funnier every day to see a lot of the old gimmicks turning up, even for just a small bit of time. Next up, Doink returns to Raw (and not just in the gimmick Battle Royal).
Friday, July 19, 2002
Blasts from the past
Those turn-back-the-clock gimmicks are back in full force, and in some cases showing that the old uniforms still work and are probably better than the current ones. The New York Mets are the best examples of this as their 1986 pinstripes beat the socks of their black hats and generic jerseys of today. The old Phillies uniforms of the '70s and '80s also hold up well today, whereas the Hank Aaron-era Atlanta Braves jerseys look very dated (although I do have a hat from that era).
The weird thing is that given the success of nostalgic jerseys, especially sold by one of my favorite stores in Atlanta, you have to wonder if some of the not-so-distinctive jerseys out there today will be big collectors' items in about 15-20 years. Sometimes I have to wonder to myself why I actually care to get something like a mid-1980s White Sox cap or a 1970s Texas Rangers cap when I could've cared less before. I wonder if I'll be clamoring for mid-'90s Brewers cap (after the cool ball-and-glove logo) or the boring navy blue Padres cap in a few years.
Hef have a few more to spare?
I end up watching a lot of daytime TV inadvertently at work with a bank of screens tuned to a bunch of channels during the day. Maybe that's why I'm a bit disappointed a pair of Barker's Beauties will be leaving so soon. I was especially a fan of Heather Kozar (first one pictured in the article), the former Playmate of the Year who caused a bit of a stir between Tim Couch and Cade McNown a couple of years ago. Given the two QBs career paths, I guess Heather made the right choice in picking Tim. (Anyone realize McNown was in 49ers camp?)
What you don't see during commercials
When we're lucky, we'll get the raw feeds of games and get to hear the "real" banter between announcers. In the past, I've heard Bob Uecker sing to the whatever music was playing at the stadium, and now Skip Caray keeps screaming, "I'm a heart patient" after missing a couple of cues. I guess it beats "Who's going to die next?" when preparing for a promo about an upcoming NASCAR race.
Those turn-back-the-clock gimmicks are back in full force, and in some cases showing that the old uniforms still work and are probably better than the current ones. The New York Mets are the best examples of this as their 1986 pinstripes beat the socks of their black hats and generic jerseys of today. The old Phillies uniforms of the '70s and '80s also hold up well today, whereas the Hank Aaron-era Atlanta Braves jerseys look very dated (although I do have a hat from that era).
The weird thing is that given the success of nostalgic jerseys, especially sold by one of my favorite stores in Atlanta, you have to wonder if some of the not-so-distinctive jerseys out there today will be big collectors' items in about 15-20 years. Sometimes I have to wonder to myself why I actually care to get something like a mid-1980s White Sox cap or a 1970s Texas Rangers cap when I could've cared less before. I wonder if I'll be clamoring for mid-'90s Brewers cap (after the cool ball-and-glove logo) or the boring navy blue Padres cap in a few years.
Hef have a few more to spare?
I end up watching a lot of daytime TV inadvertently at work with a bank of screens tuned to a bunch of channels during the day. Maybe that's why I'm a bit disappointed a pair of Barker's Beauties will be leaving so soon. I was especially a fan of Heather Kozar (first one pictured in the article), the former Playmate of the Year who caused a bit of a stir between Tim Couch and Cade McNown a couple of years ago. Given the two QBs career paths, I guess Heather made the right choice in picking Tim. (Anyone realize McNown was in 49ers camp?)
What you don't see during commercials
When we're lucky, we'll get the raw feeds of games and get to hear the "real" banter between announcers. In the past, I've heard Bob Uecker sing to the whatever music was playing at the stadium, and now Skip Caray keeps screaming, "I'm a heart patient" after missing a couple of cues. I guess it beats "Who's going to die next?" when preparing for a promo about an upcoming NASCAR race.
More Hollywood Minute ... (I'll try not to be David Spade)
I usually don't care a whole lot about the Emmys, but I care now after Six Feet Under got 23 nominations. 24 also getting some love is great as well. I never was one to watch one-hour dramas until now (never been big on ER, West Wing, Law and Order, etc.), so it's nice to see some shows I actually care to watch get recognized. Otherwise, I really could care less, which is odd given the amount TV I consume.
Who had two years in the Angelina-Billy Bob pool? I've never been a big fan of Angelina Jolie, and Billy Bob Thornton is still the guy from Sling Blade. Can I have some french-fried taters. Mmm-hmm.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Wednesday was the fifth anniversary of CNNSI.com. I won't mention anything else regarding it, other than it's interesting to see all my friends who blog linking to ESPN. Thanks. On a related note, Bob Pittman is out at AOL-Time Warner as the stock price starts approaching Scottie Pippen's latest scoring numbers. Maybe Billionaire Ted will be coming back, although I do recommend his new restaurant venture.
I usually don't care a whole lot about the Emmys, but I care now after Six Feet Under got 23 nominations. 24 also getting some love is great as well. I never was one to watch one-hour dramas until now (never been big on ER, West Wing, Law and Order, etc.), so it's nice to see some shows I actually care to watch get recognized. Otherwise, I really could care less, which is odd given the amount TV I consume.
Who had two years in the Angelina-Billy Bob pool? I've never been a big fan of Angelina Jolie, and Billy Bob Thornton is still the guy from Sling Blade. Can I have some french-fried taters. Mmm-hmm.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Wednesday was the fifth anniversary of CNNSI.com. I won't mention anything else regarding it, other than it's interesting to see all my friends who blog linking to ESPN. Thanks. On a related note, Bob Pittman is out at AOL-Time Warner as the stock price starts approaching Scottie Pippen's latest scoring numbers. Maybe Billionaire Ted will be coming back, although I do recommend his new restaurant venture.
Thursday, July 18, 2002
I think I need a DVD player soon
I've been passing on getting a DVD player, instead trying to spend it on other things (or just saving it). However, it looks like I'll need to grab one with both 24 and Sports Night headed to DVD. This is the type of stuff I've been looking for with the format. It may also encourage me to get the first season of The Simpsons on DVD (although I've got most of it on video taped directly off Fox 5 in New York years ago -- complete with really old ads and such).
Scratching the trivia itch
Hit the bar trivia circuit for the first time in months the other day, as a friend of my friend Chrissie set up his own trivia company in the midst of an ultracompetitive bar trivia scene down here. Chrissie and I cleaned up nicely, partly because we were somewhat ringers playing the inaugural game at the Elbow Room in Buckhead -- oddly enough, a hole in the wall-ish sports bar in the midst of all the pretentiousness that is Buckhead. I really do need to go around playing those things again, as long as I can round up a few close friends to put a hurting on the competition, and as well as finding a place worth winning house cash for.
NU alumnus does proud
Ah, Jerry Springer, Northwestern law school grad gets the nod for worst show ever from TV Guide in their big list. I'm not familiar with a bunch of shows there, but I'll tackle some of the choices in a later entry. Speaking of lists, Z-93 only listed the top 50 from their top 1000 countdown. A bit of a ripoff, but it's there.
I've been passing on getting a DVD player, instead trying to spend it on other things (or just saving it). However, it looks like I'll need to grab one with both 24 and Sports Night headed to DVD. This is the type of stuff I've been looking for with the format. It may also encourage me to get the first season of The Simpsons on DVD (although I've got most of it on video taped directly off Fox 5 in New York years ago -- complete with really old ads and such).
Scratching the trivia itch
Hit the bar trivia circuit for the first time in months the other day, as a friend of my friend Chrissie set up his own trivia company in the midst of an ultracompetitive bar trivia scene down here. Chrissie and I cleaned up nicely, partly because we were somewhat ringers playing the inaugural game at the Elbow Room in Buckhead -- oddly enough, a hole in the wall-ish sports bar in the midst of all the pretentiousness that is Buckhead. I really do need to go around playing those things again, as long as I can round up a few close friends to put a hurting on the competition, and as well as finding a place worth winning house cash for.
NU alumnus does proud
Ah, Jerry Springer, Northwestern law school grad gets the nod for worst show ever from TV Guide in their big list. I'm not familiar with a bunch of shows there, but I'll tackle some of the choices in a later entry. Speaking of lists, Z-93 only listed the top 50 from their top 1000 countdown. A bit of a ripoff, but it's there.
Tuesday, July 16, 2002
I've been tapped out regarding blog ideas, hence my lack of postings. Of course, I doubt any of you had missed me.
Let's see what's out there ...
This is what the "invasion" needed a long time ago
Well, it was odd enough seeing WCW folks last year after the ill-fated "invasion." However, adding Eric Bischoff to the mix (and throwing out all the "inside" information) almost reeks of desperation, but it does add another interesting heel to the mix. And his promo to introduce himself to the crowd seems to show that they are catering more to fans who know their history. Before the internet really took off in informing fans about what was going on (either PR-ish sites or insider stuff), fans were treated as if they had amnesia regarding the past. Now, it's embraced -- as seen with Goldust, the NWO and now Bischoff, who's decided to dye his hair and gain about 30 pounds. He looks more like Gene Rayburn than John Davidson.
He got mad because she asked him about PRACTICE
I think Kid n' Play need some work. They could co-star in House Party 4: House Arrest.
Fun with digital cable
I actually took some advantage of the free preview of the Extra Innings package to watch a bunch of baseball, although I still can't compel myself to order it for the rest of the season. However, it does provide for some more options while at home, and I did see that crazy Indians comeback over the Yankees on Sunday. A funny part about watching that game is that the Indians are still going ahead with Bartolo Colon baseball card day, even though he's now with Montreal.
Does he even have a lap?
Check out this interesting lawsuit about ADA violations at a Florida strip club. I suppose it's not as friviolous as the lawsuits from parents of failing kids.
Beam him out
It looks like James Traficant could be expelled from Congress on a variety of charges. It's too bad, if only because of his entertainment value.
Let's see what's out there ...
This is what the "invasion" needed a long time ago
Well, it was odd enough seeing WCW folks last year after the ill-fated "invasion." However, adding Eric Bischoff to the mix (and throwing out all the "inside" information) almost reeks of desperation, but it does add another interesting heel to the mix. And his promo to introduce himself to the crowd seems to show that they are catering more to fans who know their history. Before the internet really took off in informing fans about what was going on (either PR-ish sites or insider stuff), fans were treated as if they had amnesia regarding the past. Now, it's embraced -- as seen with Goldust, the NWO and now Bischoff, who's decided to dye his hair and gain about 30 pounds. He looks more like Gene Rayburn than John Davidson.
He got mad because she asked him about PRACTICE
I think Kid n' Play need some work. They could co-star in House Party 4: House Arrest.
Fun with digital cable
I actually took some advantage of the free preview of the Extra Innings package to watch a bunch of baseball, although I still can't compel myself to order it for the rest of the season. However, it does provide for some more options while at home, and I did see that crazy Indians comeback over the Yankees on Sunday. A funny part about watching that game is that the Indians are still going ahead with Bartolo Colon baseball card day, even though he's now with Montreal.
Does he even have a lap?
Check out this interesting lawsuit about ADA violations at a Florida strip club. I suppose it's not as friviolous as the lawsuits from parents of failing kids.
Beam him out
It looks like James Traficant could be expelled from Congress on a variety of charges. It's too bad, if only because of his entertainment value.
Friday, July 12, 2002
Maybe it's a good thing and a bad thing I don't live in Evanston anymore. Ben and Jerry's is opening up a new shop right across the street from my old apartment. I guess I was really spoiled by walking to all of these places of commerce while in school. I miss those days somewhat. Now walking to the nearest strip mall would be tantamount to one of my regular walks around the office part near the apartment.
Oddly enough, I had both of the Marlins who were traded away on my wavering NL fantasy team down here. All sides did fine with their deals. It seems like Florida is clearing house, but they're still picking up decent players who will also ask for some decent money next year (especially Juan Encarnacion). It is interesting to see the Expos gut their prospects at what is really a long-shot chance at the wild card, unless they can pull off a '93 Braves or '78 Yankees comeback.
Well, thankfully I don't jump too quickly on hoaxes like this one. Although I'm sure those in Yankee Hater Nation were in heaven for a few seconds before realizing the URL. Nicely done hoax, though.
Thursday, July 11, 2002
For a game that a lot of people say they don't care about, it's definitely been talked to death. But I guess that's because they're ain't much going on. In fact, the only live sporting events I could find on TV today were the Tour de France in the morning, some WNBA day games and some minor-league All-Star Games. (The Double-A one featured the infamous no-talent ass clown singing the anthem. Talk about a demotion.)
Anyways, I won't get into the infamous draw anymore other than a couple of links to Tom Verducci's cool screed and a smattering of columnists' quotes I helped dig up.
Anyways, I won't get into the infamous draw anymore other than a couple of links to Tom Verducci's cool screed and a smattering of columnists' quotes I helped dig up.
Wednesday, July 10, 2002
Bud, Bud, Bud, Bud, Bud ...
Only an All-Star Game in Bud Selig's hometown could be as screwed up as this. And oh yeah, they rename the All-Star Game MVP after Ted Williams and don't give it away????????????
Nice game, a number of decent hitting performances from surprise sources (Jimmy Rollins, Paul Konerko, Damian Miller, Omar Vizquel) and those closers can be very flighty in situations like this. I guess keep Byung-Hun Kim away from the big stages and he's fine.
I don't blame both managers for not wanting to send out their pitchers for a third inning and getting the wrath of their managers after the fact. Since both managers want to get all of their players in there, it leaves the bench and the bullpen bare should we come into an extra-innings situation. Both managers keep one pitcher for extra-inning purposes and they used them as far as they could. Unfortunately, Bud played the PR card horribly yet again, holding up the game in the middle of the 11th and then making the decision to call the game a tie before the bottom of the 11th. From the fans perspective, it was a bad call, but from a baseball perspective, it made sense. It just would've been nice for a better explanation.
Maybe it's time to expand the All-Star rosters, although this is a rare case, and you might have two or three pitchers left in the lurch if a game doesn't go extras. And you've got to feel for Joe Torre -- he said he wasn't going to take Barry Zito because he pitched Sunday and got criticized. So he takes Zito, pitches him for a batter, and then gets criticized because of all of what happened later. Or maybe you need to have pitchers, especially the starter and a couple of others, go more than two innings.
Unfortunately, Bud and folks caused more discussion for the negative about baseball. And for good or bad, we got to channel The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training.
Only an All-Star Game in Bud Selig's hometown could be as screwed up as this. And oh yeah, they rename the All-Star Game MVP after Ted Williams and don't give it away????????????
Nice game, a number of decent hitting performances from surprise sources (Jimmy Rollins, Paul Konerko, Damian Miller, Omar Vizquel) and those closers can be very flighty in situations like this. I guess keep Byung-Hun Kim away from the big stages and he's fine.
I don't blame both managers for not wanting to send out their pitchers for a third inning and getting the wrath of their managers after the fact. Since both managers want to get all of their players in there, it leaves the bench and the bullpen bare should we come into an extra-innings situation. Both managers keep one pitcher for extra-inning purposes and they used them as far as they could. Unfortunately, Bud played the PR card horribly yet again, holding up the game in the middle of the 11th and then making the decision to call the game a tie before the bottom of the 11th. From the fans perspective, it was a bad call, but from a baseball perspective, it made sense. It just would've been nice for a better explanation.
Maybe it's time to expand the All-Star rosters, although this is a rare case, and you might have two or three pitchers left in the lurch if a game doesn't go extras. And you've got to feel for Joe Torre -- he said he wasn't going to take Barry Zito because he pitched Sunday and got criticized. So he takes Zito, pitches him for a batter, and then gets criticized because of all of what happened later. Or maybe you need to have pitchers, especially the starter and a couple of others, go more than two innings.
Unfortunately, Bud and folks caused more discussion for the negative about baseball. And for good or bad, we got to channel The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training.
Tuesday, July 09, 2002
Cue up Bocephus ...
It's the day of the baseball All-Star Game, and I've already completed two fantasy football drafts -- one for a magazine already out and a long but fun online "experts" one -- and I'm in the midst of another "experts" league. It's fun, but it's hard to believe I've got to keep up with everything so dad-gum early. Oh well, maybe it will help me out when it counts against a bunch of my quizbowl friends and for the one or two leagues where money is actually on the line.
It's the day of the baseball All-Star Game, and I've already completed two fantasy football drafts -- one for a magazine already out and a long but fun online "experts" one -- and I'm in the midst of another "experts" league. It's fun, but it's hard to believe I've got to keep up with everything so dad-gum early. Oh well, maybe it will help me out when it counts against a bunch of my quizbowl friends and for the one or two leagues where money is actually on the line.
OK, let's see if I have the energy to get through a bunch of stuff today. Hot weather, erratic sleep patterns (must learn to sleep in on "weekends"), etc. are making me a bit off.
More ramblings from the classic rock 1000 countdown
Sometime Sunday, I know I caught at least a couple of classic Led Zeppelin tunes (including "Kashmir" and "The Immigrant Song"), which ranked it somewhere in the high 300s. I'm not a big fan of Zeppelin by any means, but what in the world is anything by America doing ahead of those two songs? ("Ventura Highway" was at 244, I think). As one of my co-workers said when he first saw the ad on CNN for America's Greatest Hits, "I didn't realize the same band did all of those songs I hated." On the flip side, it was cool but odd to see "Losing My Religion" chart a few songs later. To think, a song I remember when it first came out is now considered a big part of the "classic rock" landscape. I'll do more picking apart of the chart when it gets posted online and I welcome any comments on the chart.
Movie time
Finally got a chance to catch up on some of my movies, catching Minority Report this afternoon. (Bless AMC Theatres and their twilight rate -- $3.75 is a bargain, and exactly half of the matinee rate at Graumann's Chinese Theatre in L.A.)
I didn't read up on it as much as usually do with movies, so I wasn't spoiled right away with plot details. I enjoyed the film a lot -- a solid story with enough twists to keep the action moving. Plus, some solid acting performances across the board, including Tom Cruise, who played was still "super movie star" the whole way through but at least kept it muted for the most part. I'm impressed, if a bit amazed that Colin Farrell is actually a year younger than me. Even odder to me is that he's defintely a cross between Treat Williams and Ron Livingston of "Office Space" fame.
The premise for the movie (officers stopping murders before it happens) was pretty wacked out. However, I was taken by the visions of the not-so-distant future. The really personalized ads, quickly updating/morphing newspapers, the cool looking computers and cars, etc. And yet, there seems to be lots of Big Brother hovering over everyone. All in all, it's a solid sci-fi/action/thriller that can attract a wide audience (perfect for the summer) and still get good critical buzz. It's got enough geek elements, blow 'em up elements and "hey, there's a twisted plot" elements.
All-Star time
The baseball All-Star Game is still the best of the ones in the major sports, given its tradition and the fact that it pretty much occupies its own place in the sports landscape with nothing else sports-wise competing against it in the middle of the summer. We actually like to fight over who made the team and who didn't, and while many of the game's all-time greats are on display, it's also cool to see the smattering of "Who's that?" that makes the team each year, whether it be Jack Armstrong, Biff Pocoroba or Randy Winn.
This year's home run contest was lots of fun again, mainly because you get the oohs and aahs of blasts going to parts of ballparks you never knew existed. What helped out a bit this year is that the top two mashers the whole way through actually made the finals, although Sammy Sosa faded late to keep up the tradition of the best hitter there using up all the power in the early rounds. Jason Giambi was scarily consistent throughout, although he needed that swing-off to make the finals. And much like the "Who dat?" All-Stars, there's also the "Who dat?" in the derby. Paul Konerko acquitted himself well, taking Giambi to the swing off in the semis, while Torii Hunter struggled. Hopefully neither of them will fade into obscurity like Damian Easley or Carl Everett.
Hopefully, the All-Star Game won't turn into the Pro Bowl with about half the roster pulling out with made-up injuries (oops, I've got a hangnail), but it's starting to turn that way with Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez bailing this year after being selected. I will tip my hat to Tom Glavine, who won't pitch because of a blister, but is in Milwaukee anyway to take part in the festivities. I guess with all major sports, you work your whole life to be honored as an All-Star, but there's a point of diminishing returns that after so many years and honors, you get tired of it and want to be elsewhere -- and that's damn sad. So when will budding stars like Alfonso Soriano and Vladimir Guerrero get tired of this routine and either pull out or come up with a fake injury?
Oh well, if we're always harping on who get snubbed, maybe we should just invite those people who actually want to come. At the 2000 All-Star Game, fellow NU alum Joe Girardi made the squad after Mike Piazza's beaning. He was something like the third or fourth choice for the backup catcher because slightly more deserving stars that year like Javy Lopez and Todd Hundley passed because they already had plans for the break. Granted, this was done a day before all the hoopla started, but you have to wonder. Then again, it was great to see Girardi be introduced as an All-Star, no matter the circumstances.
More ramblings from the classic rock 1000 countdown
Sometime Sunday, I know I caught at least a couple of classic Led Zeppelin tunes (including "Kashmir" and "The Immigrant Song"), which ranked it somewhere in the high 300s. I'm not a big fan of Zeppelin by any means, but what in the world is anything by America doing ahead of those two songs? ("Ventura Highway" was at 244, I think). As one of my co-workers said when he first saw the ad on CNN for America's Greatest Hits, "I didn't realize the same band did all of those songs I hated." On the flip side, it was cool but odd to see "Losing My Religion" chart a few songs later. To think, a song I remember when it first came out is now considered a big part of the "classic rock" landscape. I'll do more picking apart of the chart when it gets posted online and I welcome any comments on the chart.
Movie time
Finally got a chance to catch up on some of my movies, catching Minority Report this afternoon. (Bless AMC Theatres and their twilight rate -- $3.75 is a bargain, and exactly half of the matinee rate at Graumann's Chinese Theatre in L.A.)
I didn't read up on it as much as usually do with movies, so I wasn't spoiled right away with plot details. I enjoyed the film a lot -- a solid story with enough twists to keep the action moving. Plus, some solid acting performances across the board, including Tom Cruise, who played was still "super movie star" the whole way through but at least kept it muted for the most part. I'm impressed, if a bit amazed that Colin Farrell is actually a year younger than me. Even odder to me is that he's defintely a cross between Treat Williams and Ron Livingston of "Office Space" fame.
The premise for the movie (officers stopping murders before it happens) was pretty wacked out. However, I was taken by the visions of the not-so-distant future. The really personalized ads, quickly updating/morphing newspapers, the cool looking computers and cars, etc. And yet, there seems to be lots of Big Brother hovering over everyone. All in all, it's a solid sci-fi/action/thriller that can attract a wide audience (perfect for the summer) and still get good critical buzz. It's got enough geek elements, blow 'em up elements and "hey, there's a twisted plot" elements.
All-Star time
The baseball All-Star Game is still the best of the ones in the major sports, given its tradition and the fact that it pretty much occupies its own place in the sports landscape with nothing else sports-wise competing against it in the middle of the summer. We actually like to fight over who made the team and who didn't, and while many of the game's all-time greats are on display, it's also cool to see the smattering of "Who's that?" that makes the team each year, whether it be Jack Armstrong, Biff Pocoroba or Randy Winn.
This year's home run contest was lots of fun again, mainly because you get the oohs and aahs of blasts going to parts of ballparks you never knew existed. What helped out a bit this year is that the top two mashers the whole way through actually made the finals, although Sammy Sosa faded late to keep up the tradition of the best hitter there using up all the power in the early rounds. Jason Giambi was scarily consistent throughout, although he needed that swing-off to make the finals. And much like the "Who dat?" All-Stars, there's also the "Who dat?" in the derby. Paul Konerko acquitted himself well, taking Giambi to the swing off in the semis, while Torii Hunter struggled. Hopefully neither of them will fade into obscurity like Damian Easley or Carl Everett.
Hopefully, the All-Star Game won't turn into the Pro Bowl with about half the roster pulling out with made-up injuries (oops, I've got a hangnail), but it's starting to turn that way with Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez bailing this year after being selected. I will tip my hat to Tom Glavine, who won't pitch because of a blister, but is in Milwaukee anyway to take part in the festivities. I guess with all major sports, you work your whole life to be honored as an All-Star, but there's a point of diminishing returns that after so many years and honors, you get tired of it and want to be elsewhere -- and that's damn sad. So when will budding stars like Alfonso Soriano and Vladimir Guerrero get tired of this routine and either pull out or come up with a fake injury?
Oh well, if we're always harping on who get snubbed, maybe we should just invite those people who actually want to come. At the 2000 All-Star Game, fellow NU alum Joe Girardi made the squad after Mike Piazza's beaning. He was something like the third or fourth choice for the backup catcher because slightly more deserving stars that year like Javy Lopez and Todd Hundley passed because they already had plans for the break. Granted, this was done a day before all the hoopla started, but you have to wonder. Then again, it was great to see Girardi be introduced as an All-Star, no matter the circumstances.
Sunday, July 07, 2002
Speedy delivery
Finally decided to get up a bit early after working Saturday nights and catch a Sunday Braves game. It helps that it was Greg Maddux vs. Jon Lieber, thus assuring a good chance of a well-pitched and quick-moving ballgame. It was a 2-0 Braves win that took about 2:30, so I was right (although it did lengthen itself out when the relievers started coming in). I was slightly disappointed in the crowd size, given it was a sunny (if somewhat hot) Sunday afternoon. But, hey, if that means I can walk up and get a dugout level seat, so be it.
Finally decided to get up a bit early after working Saturday nights and catch a Sunday Braves game. It helps that it was Greg Maddux vs. Jon Lieber, thus assuring a good chance of a well-pitched and quick-moving ballgame. It was a 2-0 Braves win that took about 2:30, so I was right (although it did lengthen itself out when the relievers started coming in). I was slightly disappointed in the crowd size, given it was a sunny (if somewhat hot) Sunday afternoon. But, hey, if that means I can walk up and get a dugout level seat, so be it.
I've got the Wimbledon men's final on now, and it's a bit unfortunate to see what "parity" can do to such a great event. World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt appears ready to blow away some kid David Nalbandian, who's playing his first match on Centre Court(!). With all of the upsets in Nalbandian's part of the draw, it was apparent some unknown was going to emerge in the finals, where as the Hewitt-Tim Henman semifinal was the de facto final. Sometimes, these "unknown" finals turn out to be somewhat entertaining -- Boris Becker years ago, the streaker in the midst of the Richard Krajicek-MaliVai Washington final, and even Goran Ivanisevic's surprise win last year (only because he had been close to obscurity at that point). At the same time, it's hard to get worked up or to pull yourself out of bed for something that seems inevitable.
At the same time, we now have had back-to-back finals with the Williams' sisters. And odd as it is to say, that's already getting a bit boring. (There's the flip side to parity.) Serena is closing the gap on Venus, having won the last two meetings, and you'd hope the quality of tennis gets better in their matches as time goes on.
Finally, it's nice to see Anna Kournikova make the final weekend of the fortnight after fizzling out in singles. Anna has proven herself to be a fine doubles player, and it's not a bad thing if she's the new version of Gigi Fernandez. It could make doubles a more attractive draw than it is now.
At the same time, we now have had back-to-back finals with the Williams' sisters. And odd as it is to say, that's already getting a bit boring. (There's the flip side to parity.) Serena is closing the gap on Venus, having won the last two meetings, and you'd hope the quality of tennis gets better in their matches as time goes on.
Finally, it's nice to see Anna Kournikova make the final weekend of the fortnight after fizzling out in singles. Anna has proven herself to be a fine doubles player, and it's not a bad thing if she's the new version of Gigi Fernandez. It could make doubles a more attractive draw than it is now.
Saturday, July 06, 2002
I've been listening off and on to the local classic rock station's Top 1000 countdown. I'm used to hearing Top 500 countdowns around Memorial Day/July 4th/Labor Day, but 1,000 is interesting because it forces the station to drag out songs you know aren't on their normal playlists. I think it's pretty arbitrary where some of these songs are -- Aerosmith's "Janie's Got a Gun" somewhere in the high 900s while Ace's "How Long" at 499, etc. Hopefully they'll put a list online when the countdown is over so I could have some fun picking through the selections. I haven't had the urge/energy to do the radio diary like Tim just yet, but if I've got time on my days off, I may do so.
I'm curious to see what makes the cut in the top 100 given some of the good stuff before it. One time in college, a handful of us sat around our dorm suite on Memorial Day taking bets on the top 10. I think we're all still wondering how ZZ Top's "La Grange" became so popular in Chicago. At least I can see decent reasoning for "Sweet Home Alabama" at the top of classic rock countdown here in Atlanta.
I'm curious to see what makes the cut in the top 100 given some of the good stuff before it. One time in college, a handful of us sat around our dorm suite on Memorial Day taking bets on the top 10. I think we're all still wondering how ZZ Top's "La Grange" became so popular in Chicago. At least I can see decent reasoning for "Sweet Home Alabama" at the top of classic rock countdown here in Atlanta.
The shopping continues as the Yankees get Jeff Weaver from the Tigers in a three-way trade with Oakland. The Yankees end up dealing the surprising Ted Lilly and a couple of really good prospects to the A's while Detroit gets Carlos Pena, who should be better than he is, and a couple of other less notable players. I wonder where that leaves El Duque for the Yankees, although you wonder how much more dealing there will be after getting Raul Mondesi. The A's somehow capture lightning in a bottle and got some decent players from the Yankees. (Everyone is still wondering how John Mabry became such a stud over there). And the Tigers, well, we're not sure about that, although I've already heard a lot from the Detroit bureau already.
Friday, July 05, 2002
I haven't been as inspired to post stuff the past couple of days. (I'll probably elaborate later.) But with things pretty slow here this evening, let's see what I can dig up ...
R.I.P. Ted Williams
With all of the losses this baseball season, it pretty much seemed fitting that Ted Williams would pass away after a long illness. But like Jack Buck, it's a time for celebration in remembering one of the game's all-time greats (although we've been in that holding pattern since the '99 All-Star Game).
A couple of tangential thoughts about this: Williams wasn't the nicest player out there, but let his bat do the talking to make him a legend. Will Barry Bonds get the same type of attention when he retires. Not just in death, but the icon status that Williams got pretty much after his retirement. Also, will his son John Henry now get the boot from the rookie league team since he said the reason he wanted to play was so his father could see him in a Red Sox uniform?
Mmm, hot dogs
We got the live feed of the hot dog eating contest and it was both sickening and amazing at the same time to see Kobayashi put away 50 1/2 hot dogs in 12 minutes, but was he part of a barber shop quartet in Skokie, Illinois. I won't get into the "controversy" about his near roman-method incident other than given how he lapped the field, would it have mattered or would it be like a runner setting a fast pace and then dropping out?
The right fit?
Lauren would've been astounded to see a really long Daria marathon on The N -- the tween spinoff of Noggin, the Nickelodeon-Sesame Workshop collaboration. While the show was pretty smart, the folks at TV Barn were wondering if their audience would gravitate towards airhead younger sister Quinn as opposed to Daria. That remains to be seen, although it's a nice quirky addition to the lineup that includes a bunch of Nickelodeon tween classics (from just after my time) and a new generation of Degrassi (a personal favorite of mine and Kevin Smith). Of course, I'm still looking around for the old repeats of The Electric Company (Sean caught it when he came by for a visit a couple of years ago and was transfixed) and especially Square One Television, which Craig says is full of Michigan in-jokes (hence why I never picked up on it).
R.I.P. Ted Williams
With all of the losses this baseball season, it pretty much seemed fitting that Ted Williams would pass away after a long illness. But like Jack Buck, it's a time for celebration in remembering one of the game's all-time greats (although we've been in that holding pattern since the '99 All-Star Game).
A couple of tangential thoughts about this: Williams wasn't the nicest player out there, but let his bat do the talking to make him a legend. Will Barry Bonds get the same type of attention when he retires. Not just in death, but the icon status that Williams got pretty much after his retirement. Also, will his son John Henry now get the boot from the rookie league team since he said the reason he wanted to play was so his father could see him in a Red Sox uniform?
Mmm, hot dogs
We got the live feed of the hot dog eating contest and it was both sickening and amazing at the same time to see Kobayashi put away 50 1/2 hot dogs in 12 minutes, but was he part of a barber shop quartet in Skokie, Illinois. I won't get into the "controversy" about his near roman-method incident other than given how he lapped the field, would it have mattered or would it be like a runner setting a fast pace and then dropping out?
The right fit?
Lauren would've been astounded to see a really long Daria marathon on The N -- the tween spinoff of Noggin, the Nickelodeon-Sesame Workshop collaboration. While the show was pretty smart, the folks at TV Barn were wondering if their audience would gravitate towards airhead younger sister Quinn as opposed to Daria. That remains to be seen, although it's a nice quirky addition to the lineup that includes a bunch of Nickelodeon tween classics (from just after my time) and a new generation of Degrassi (a personal favorite of mine and Kevin Smith). Of course, I'm still looking around for the old repeats of The Electric Company (Sean caught it when he came by for a visit a couple of years ago and was transfixed) and especially Square One Television, which Craig says is full of Michigan in-jokes (hence why I never picked up on it).
Tuesday, July 02, 2002
While many people I know can easily quote Office Space, even though I was one of just a few people to see it in the theater. However, I never realized how much an impact it made on Swingline staplers.
Monday, July 01, 2002
Comin' back from Cali
This weekend's family reunion turned out very well. It was held at a religious-based campground/convention center near San Bernadino. Beautiful looking area in the mountains, lots of nature around. A bear that roamed around late Saturday night, prompting a bunch of Yogi Bear jokes. However, after doing an interesting hike up one of the hills in the campground, we were hit in the face that this is southern California as you could see a thick layer of smog on top of the surrounding hills. We were thrown off by the camp rules regarding food since we're used to all-day feasts as opposed to a dinner bell. However, the big thing about this weekend was to get family together. (There were about 90 attendees at different points during the weekend. Most were from the U.S., although we did have a few come from the Philippines.)
I had already spent some time with a number of these relatives in the past, so it's not like I was walking into this cold. However, one thing that really struck us early on was that there was a big part of the family that most of us never knew about. Most of the adult relatives I knew from past gatherings emigrated to the U.S. about 25-30 years ago and then had kids born here (like myself). However, this weekend, many of the adults were born here and of mixed heritage. Take that another generation, and we have plenty of "white-looking" relatives, but it's all family. Talk about having fun with the "So, where are you from?" game that I often run into. Among my closer relatives, we're going in that direction with the cousins (roughly my age) that have recently married.
I had tons of fun with the extended family. It's now getting to the point where a 6-10 year age difference isn't as pronounced as it used to be (especially if we're all old enough to drink). Thus, there were about 20 or so of us in the demographic-friendly 18-34 range that spent a good amount of time together. We even added a couple of more cousins previously unknown to us into the circle. Should make for some fun times down the road.
Capped off the trip with a bit of sightseeing in Hollywood over by Mann's Chinese Theatre and the Kodak Theatre (home of this year's Oscars). It's a spiffy looking area, even when we were there about 10-11 p.m., and tones down the touristy vibe (besides the handprints and stars along Hollywood Boulevard). Seeing the stars on the Walk of Fame was a bit amusing, considering that the stars run up and down the street for a long while. So while it looks pretty cool to have your name by the Chinese Theater or even by the schlocky museums nearby, it seems odd that the stars would run past some lesser areas just a few blocks down, approaching Vine.
This weekend's family reunion turned out very well. It was held at a religious-based campground/convention center near San Bernadino. Beautiful looking area in the mountains, lots of nature around. A bear that roamed around late Saturday night, prompting a bunch of Yogi Bear jokes. However, after doing an interesting hike up one of the hills in the campground, we were hit in the face that this is southern California as you could see a thick layer of smog on top of the surrounding hills. We were thrown off by the camp rules regarding food since we're used to all-day feasts as opposed to a dinner bell. However, the big thing about this weekend was to get family together. (There were about 90 attendees at different points during the weekend. Most were from the U.S., although we did have a few come from the Philippines.)
I had already spent some time with a number of these relatives in the past, so it's not like I was walking into this cold. However, one thing that really struck us early on was that there was a big part of the family that most of us never knew about. Most of the adult relatives I knew from past gatherings emigrated to the U.S. about 25-30 years ago and then had kids born here (like myself). However, this weekend, many of the adults were born here and of mixed heritage. Take that another generation, and we have plenty of "white-looking" relatives, but it's all family. Talk about having fun with the "So, where are you from?" game that I often run into. Among my closer relatives, we're going in that direction with the cousins (roughly my age) that have recently married.
I had tons of fun with the extended family. It's now getting to the point where a 6-10 year age difference isn't as pronounced as it used to be (especially if we're all old enough to drink). Thus, there were about 20 or so of us in the demographic-friendly 18-34 range that spent a good amount of time together. We even added a couple of more cousins previously unknown to us into the circle. Should make for some fun times down the road.
Capped off the trip with a bit of sightseeing in Hollywood over by Mann's Chinese Theatre and the Kodak Theatre (home of this year's Oscars). It's a spiffy looking area, even when we were there about 10-11 p.m., and tones down the touristy vibe (besides the handprints and stars along Hollywood Boulevard). Seeing the stars on the Walk of Fame was a bit amusing, considering that the stars run up and down the street for a long while. So while it looks pretty cool to have your name by the Chinese Theater or even by the schlocky museums nearby, it seems odd that the stars would run past some lesser areas just a few blocks down, approaching Vine.
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