Mirrormask

Let me start by saying I only saw about twenty minutes of this movie - Nate came to see it and when I was done working I joined him - so I can't give it a completely accurate review. What I did see was completely wacky. Mirrormask is, I think, the story of a girl who draws a bunch of fantasy worlds and gets sucked into one of those worlds, through the windows she draws, by a princess who is trying to escape her evil queen mother. It was very Labyrinth-esque. The princess in the "real world" destroys the drawn worlds by crumpling the drawings - no more windows, no more ways for the real girl to back to the real world. I probably would have thought it was kind of confusing even if I'd seen the whole thing. One nice thing I discovered while watching this movie is that Gina McKee, who plays the queen (and of course, the real girl's mother - very Wizard of Oz) and was also in Notting Hill as Bella, isn't paralyzed at all. That whole wheelchair thing in Notting Hill? A clever story device.

Mirrormask - B-
Gina McKee being able to walk - A+

Stupid VCR

Remember that episode of Desperate Housewives, season 1, when Lynette flips out and cries at the kitchen table? That's sort of how I feel. I tried to program my VCR and it didn't work. No new epsiode of Desperate Housewives. No new episode of Grey's Anatomy. No nothin'. Thanks for the VCR, old roommates, but three years later I still can't program it.

bad VCR - F

The Squid and the Whale

This movie was really, really great. I'm always a big fan of ensemble pieces, especially if they're family-oriented. Not family-friendly, mind you - In the Bedroom and Junebug are definitely not for the kids. The Squid and the Whale is the story of an incredibly intelligent family going through a divorce in New York in the mid-'80s. One of the things I really liked about this movie was that it was obvious that it was set in the '80s, but not in a ridiculous way, like parts of Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion. It's exciting to me that the '80s can be used as a historical time period now. Anyway, the acting was superb - Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney were fabulous, and the kids were just wonderful, heartbreaking and hilarious all at the same time. In fact, I'd say that pretty much sums up the whole movie - heartbreaking and hilarious. It has a Wes Anderson flair (he was one of the producers and the writer/director of this movie co-wrote The Life Aquatic), the music is superb, and the dialogue is completely believable. Watch for the scene where Jeff Daniels' voice breaks a little - that's going to be his Oscar clip.

I think TSATW is the pinnacle of Billy Baldwin's career, that's for sure.

The Squid and the Whale - A

PetSmart Commercial

Have you seen this commercial? It makes me want a dachshund real bad. Okay, that's not true, doxies are evil little dogs who will turn on you if given the opportunity... but this commercial makes me forget that. Little dog, big toy. So cute. So, so cute. And when she runs the toy through the checkout and the little doggie is holding the new toy in his mouth and so HE gets run through the checkout, too? I love that. Way to go, PetSmart advertisers.

PetSmart commercial - B+

What A Very Good Year

Lots of really important things happened in 1965. Canada adopted the red and white maple leaf flag. Disney launched Epcot Center. Dr. Dre. Bjork and Shania Twain were all born in 1965, and A Charlie Brown Christmas premiered that very same year.

But perhaps the best thing of all happened on November 11, 1965. No, not the independence of Rhodesia, although that happened that day, too. 11/11/65 was the day that Nell McNutt and Monte Strong tied the knot. Those crazy kids!

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad - as Dr. Dre would say, Still doing that shit, right?

Mom and Dad's 40th wedding anniversary - A+!

some guy named robb - the pale sessions v. 1 - everything matters

some guy named robb's latest release is his best yet. Robb McCormick, sgnr's front (and often only) man, pushes the envelope with his third album - it's definitely darker than his previous stuff, but more subtle and more raw, too. The album's first track, "Between These Strings," is for me the focal point of the album, a love song with some heartache behind it. Also, Robb includes some spoken word tracks, "Three Cheers" and "The Common Distance," which show he's not just a good musician, but a real poet as well. The final track is a reworking of one of his most-loved tunes, "Express Lane Love." Not just everybody can poke fun at themselves. Way to be, Robb.

You gotta love the success of old friends (especially when that success allows them to send you free CDs). For those of you in the greater Arkansas/Oklahoma area, Robb will be playing a live show near you someday - the man's a touring machine - and you really should see him. some guy named robb's a hell of a live show. Those of you reading in other parts of the country should buy his albums at www.someguynamedrobb.com so he'll make a lot of money, get famous, and then tour the whole country and not just a little corner of the South. It'll be worth it, and if you tell him I sent you, maybe someday he'll finally record the song he wrote for me back in the late '90s.

the pale sessions v. 1 - everything matters - A

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

It's Edmund Fitzgerald Day - on November 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald, loaded with over 26,000 tons of iron ore and 29 crew members, sank in Lake Superior, only seventeen miles from Whitefish Point, Michigan.

You know you love the song. You know you do! Gordon Lightfoot is a genius.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - shipwreck - D-; song - A

Teen Vogue and the Willis Girls

I like to keep up with the goings-on of the Willis girls, and this month, Teen Vogue gave me a little gift - an article and photo shoot on Rumer, Scout, and Talullah! It was just so refreshing to read about how much these girls love their mom and trust her totally when it comes to fashion. Little Lullah even loves to play dress up in her mom's old designer castoffs! Ha ha! Rumer slums it in one picture, wearing a sweater from J. Crew. Hello? That's like the celebrity version of the Salvation Army! Also, I was so happy to hear that Bruce stopped by and Ashton waved hello during the shoot. These girls are just so loved!

Seriously, it was sort of gross. I don't think an eleven-year-old should ever be included in a fashion magazine, especially not one as creepy-looking as Talullah. Look at those eyes... just don't look too close. Scout is beautiful, but both of the older girls came across as really, really pretentious. Oh, little Ru - the woods of northern Michigan could have been so good to you, but you gave it all up for Marc Jacobs and Galliano.

Teen Vogue and the Willis girls - C+ (well, it was good for a laugh!)

Nose to the Grindstone

homework - C-

finishing homework (someday) - A+

Arbor Brewing Company

I got a little gift certificate to Arbor Brewing Company at my last work meeting, so we scoped the place out for lunch on Sunday. The atmosphere is fine - it's right on Washington, one of those downtown Ann Arbor streets - but the food was not so good. For some reason, I decided to order buffalo wings. Don't judge. They were fine at the time, but I sort of felt gross for most of the evening, and I think the wings are to blame. Plus, the sauce aggravated a hangnail. I think that's a bad sign. Nate had a Georgia Reuben, with turkey instead of corned beef, and he said it was cold and sort of nasty and the fries probably came from the bottom of the fryer batch. No good, ABC. If I get another gift certificate from work, I'll eat there, but it wouldn't be my top choice.

Arbor Brewing Company - C

A Note from Dad

Hi, I'm David Strong. I love my yard, Harry Potter, Steven Seagal movies, and naps. Today's my birthday. Yep yep yep yep yep.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Dad's birthday - A

Capote

Everything you've heard about this movie is true. It's really, really good. Philip Seymour Hoffman will get nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Truman Capote. It was intense, and dark, and had just the right amount of shock and gruesomeness, and it absolutely drew me in. Sure, it's a little slow at times, like most dramas, but the dialogue is great and the costumes are wonderful and the music is creepy and perfect. It's one of the best movies I've seen this year.

Still, there's something about it that I can't put my finger on, and I can't give it a solid A. There a few scenes that seemed pretty contrived, with dialogue that people would never say in real life. Also, PSH was just tremendous, but no one's talking about Catherine Keener and Clifton Collins, Jr., whose performances give this movie its meat. I hate that. I loved both of them. Also, this may be farfetched, but I'm afraid that this movie is going to have a DaVinci Code affect. You know, all those people going on tours of the Louvre and monasteries in France and England to see where it "really took place." I don't like the idea of hordes of people travelling to Kansas.

Capote - A-

Zingerman's Roadhouse

Zingerman's Deli is an Ann Arbor institution - they sell the most awesome cheese, olive oil, chocolate, bread, wonderful spices and brownies and sausage and it's just an all-around amazing place. Zingerman's Roadhouse joined the ZCoB (that's Zingerman's Community of Businesses) in 2003. It's located right off the freeway in a little shopping center, in a building that used to be a Bill Knapp's.

I've eaten at the Roadhouse a few times, and it's good, but I just don't think it's all that it's cracked up to be. For one thing, it's incredibly expensive, even by Ann Arbor standards. You have to work hard to get out of there for less than $50 for two people. Second, the food crosses that line from down-home to high-brow. It's great that the food is made by local artisans, and doesn't have preservatives and is incredibly fresh, but I don't need the cheese on my burger imported from a tiny dairy in England to make me feel good about said burger. Finally, it's utter insanity in the restaurant if you go at a normal eating time. I've been there twice around 4 PM, and it's fine, but much later than that and it's loud and crowded and dark. Not my idea of a joyous dining experience. Yes, the food is really good, but in this case, it's just not good enough.

Zingerman's Roadhouse - B-

Euchre

Tomorrow night I am going to a Euchre party... and there's money on it, so I have to play well. I haven't played a good hand of Euchre in a few years, but I am confident that I will remember all the rules and make some good decisions and come out a winner! I'd better - Mama needs a new pair of shoes.

Euchre party - B

Stamps

I love stamps. There are so many sweet stamps available for purchase, I hardly know which ones to buy. I like my stamps to look good on my envelopes - I'm currently using these babies with the lovely flower. There's enough white in the stamp to look good on a colored envelope, yet enough color to look good on a white envelope. Yes, I consider these things. You got a problem with that?

I wish stamps weren't so expensive. I remember back in the '80s when stamps were just 20 cents apiece. I would send so many more letters and cards if stamps were less expensive. Plus, why do they have to be such a crazy amount? 37 cents? Please! That number's not divisible by anything! It's a prime number! No stamp should come in a denomination you absolutely have to use pennies to buy.

Stamps - A-

Your Song

My brother called me last night, all crunked up on Spanish wine, wanting to know if there was a special song his wedding DJ could play for me and Nate. Isn't that sweet? I don't know if Golddigger by Kanye West is appropriate for a wedding, but it was very thoughtful of Pat and Natalie to think of us. Ha!

What's your song?

Wedding Songs - B+ (they're all wonderful, but some are cheesy, and you know it!)

The Face of an Unwashed Teenager

I have the most enormous zit, and it's right on the bridge of my nose where God and everyone can see it. It's terrible. I mean, I don't have a photo shoot coming up or anything, but it's probably the worst, most obvious zit I've had in a long time.
This is what I get for eating buttery popcorn at work. This is what I get for using corn starch as face powder on Halloween. I thought I was too old for these monsters, but I guess I was wrong wrong wrong.

Enormous nose zit - F

UPDATE: It's better, but now it's red. Damn.

My Tirade on Local Radio

Today is November 2. Thanksgiving is three weeks away. It's not even Veterans' Day. And yet, 100.3 in Detroit has started to play all Christmas music. Over fifty days until the big holiday, and I'm already hearing Amy Grant's wacky version of O Come All Ye Faithful and the Drifters singing I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas. It's too early, folks. Now, I am not a Scrooge - I love Christmas, and I've done a little pre-shopping (where you think about what you want to get people), and yesterday I contemplated buying Christmas cards, but it is too early to hear nothing but Christmas music on the radio. Please, wait until after Thanksgiving.

On the plus side, I have a new favorite radio station - one I discovered when I was scanning for something to replace 100.3. Good times.

Christmas music before Thanksgiving - D-

Cheetos

I ate some Cheetos yesterday, and they were so good. If you haven't had Cheetos in a while, I highly recommend you get some. Mine were straight out of a vending machine, but still retained their freshness. Cheetos are great because they can be a nice addition as a side when you're having a sandwich, but they can also stand alone as a snack.

The best part of Cheetos is the spore left over on your fingers when you're done eating. Dried cheese product - yum! Of course, it's bad if you get said spore all over someone's homework that you're looking at. Sorry, Claire.

Cheetos - B+

Being A Grown-Up

I've seen the man in a tie before, but shoot, does he look like a real adult or what?

Charlie's professional attire - A+!