Celebrity obits usually leave me thinking, "Oh, that's too bad..." but hearing about Suzanne Pleshette, Georgia Frontiere and John Stewart all in one weekend got me thinking about all sorts of things.
We loved Suzanne Pleshette as Bob Newhart's wife Emily, especially when she came back for the finale of "Newhart." But we really liked her in the 1969 movie "If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium." While she always wore pants or long skirts and boots as Emily, she actually showed her legs (which she didn't need to hide) in one of the last scenes of the movie.
We didn't realize she'd been married to Tom Poston, but can imagine what fun they must have had together over the last few years.
The oft-married Georgia Frontiere is another story, and the official obits leave lots of room to read between the lines. She came from a show-biz family, and spent many of her early years as a singer and dancer. In 1957 old Joe Kennedy introduced the five-times-married Georgia to Carroll Rosenbloom, the wealthy and dashing owner of the Baltimore Colts. How did old Joe come to know Georgia, inquiring minds want to know, and what was behind that magnanimous introduction? Mr. Rosenbloom eventually divorced his wife, married Georgia, swapped the Colts to Robert Irsay for the Rams (at Georgia's urging, some folks have said), and then mysteriously drowned in the surf. Georgia was able to have Carroll's son Steve, who grew up in the Colts organization, cut out of the will, leaving her as sole owner of a football team. We'll never know, but I like to think that if Mr. Rosenbloom had never run afoul of Georgia, the Colts would still be in Baltimore and Steve would have assumed his rightful place as owner.
Then there's John Stewart, who as part of the Kingston Trio was responsible for a large part of what's popularly known as the soundtrack of my life. Yes, I liked early rock and roll as much as the next kid, but my friends and I liked to sing, and the Kingston Trio gave us lots of great material.
In the summer of 1962 I was part of a group of American girls that went to Norway for the summer, by ship, which is how it was done then. There were several New England girls in our group, so we spent much of our time at sea singing about Charlie on the MTA. Coming home, as the ship took us farther from the friends we had made in Norway, we found ourselves singing "500 Miles" over and over.
The next summer I went with my grandparents to Pine Knob Inn in Canadensis, PA, for a week in July. There was a big flat rock in the middle of Brodheads Creek where we kids liked to hang out after lunch -- and sing. One of our favorite songs that summer was "One More Town..."
"If there's one more town, I'll be going,
Fight for the women, I'll be there.
If there's one more song, I'll be singing.
I know I'm going but I don't know where."
I hope John Stewart is in a good place where he can keep on singing.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Baltimore City HAKS - The OTHER Transportation Network
Pretty much every day on my way home from work, I see folks on Fayette street with one arm raised at about a 60 degree angle, wrist drooped downwards, and one or more fingers bouncing rapidly up and down. They're "hacking" -- looking for a cheap ride from where they are to where they're going. A driver with time on his hands who's looking to pick up some extra cash is likely to stop and offer a ride. Both sides of the transaction are illegal, but that doesn't stop people from doing it.
Bernard Threatt, one of our colleagues in Women in Film and Video of Maryland, has made an engaging documentary about this phenomenon, which apparently is one of those only-in-Baltimore phenomena. To make "Baltimore City HAKS" he hopped into cars with total strangers and hung out in some pretty rough areas to talk to people trying to get from Point A to Point B.
I'm not sure how you can get a copy of the DVD, but you can view the trailer by clicking on the links to the HAKS website. It's bound to be an education.
Bernard Threatt, one of our colleagues in Women in Film and Video of Maryland, has made an engaging documentary about this phenomenon, which apparently is one of those only-in-Baltimore phenomena. To make "Baltimore City HAKS" he hopped into cars with total strangers and hung out in some pretty rough areas to talk to people trying to get from Point A to Point B.
I'm not sure how you can get a copy of the DVD, but you can view the trailer by clicking on the links to the HAKS website. It's bound to be an education.
"Underdog" Gets Two Paws Up and A Big Enthusiastic Shnort from Marshall
Craig rented "Underdog" the other night, thinking it looked like fun and the dogs would probably enjoy it, too (!). Baby had other things on her agenda for most of the evening, but the two of us and Marshall had great fun watching it together.
Disney did a great job of combining real dogs with enough animation to make an entertaining view of a dog's life as a superhero. And it was fun seeing/hearing Brad Garrett cast as a bad-ass Rottweiler.
Marshall jumped right in (literally) and responded with barks of his own. Baby did deign to join us a couple of times, and she got into it, too.
If you rent/buy the DVD, be sure to check out the extras and see how well-trained the dog actors really were.
All in all, it was a fun movie for grown-ups and dogs alike, and kids would like it, too.
Disney did a great job of combining real dogs with enough animation to make an entertaining view of a dog's life as a superhero. And it was fun seeing/hearing Brad Garrett cast as a bad-ass Rottweiler.
Marshall jumped right in (literally) and responded with barks of his own. Baby did deign to join us a couple of times, and she got into it, too.
If you rent/buy the DVD, be sure to check out the extras and see how well-trained the dog actors really were.
All in all, it was a fun movie for grown-ups and dogs alike, and kids would like it, too.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
As seen at Wal-Mart
As I mentioned below, today's high temp was 20-something. It was definitely a bundle up kind of day.
Believe it or not, I spotted not one but several women at Wal-Mart doing their shopping without the benefit of hosiery.
There was a lovely lady in salwar/kameeze wearing backless mules. Okay...
Then there was the woman with her bare feet jammed into backless fleece-lined clogs. Okay...
But there were two women walking around in winter jackets wearing rubber flip-flops on obviously bare feet. My toes hurt just looking at them.
Then there was this kid of maybe 15 or 16, who seemed to be a nice enough suburban white kid, trying to project the hip-hop vibe. He started with a white ball cap worn backwards and a nice royal blue polo-type shirt under a vastly oversized sleeveless t-shirt with an appropriately in-your-face kind of graphic on front. He had on clunky white athletic shoes with blue trim that matched the shirt. Not bad. Then there were the pants -- white warm-up pants with a blue stripe down the side of each leg, and they actually coordinated nicely with the rest of the outfit. But they were so oversized that the crotch was somewhere around his knees, and the elastic in back drooped below the point of no return, if you get my drift. He was walking around trying to discreetly hold them up at the sides, which got kind of tenuous after he bought a soda and only had one hand for the pants.
Well, all of us probably fell prey to some sort of fashion faux pas when we were that age. I'll probably never run into him again, but I hope he figures things out. Except for the fit of the pants, he didn't look half bad.
Believe it or not, I spotted not one but several women at Wal-Mart doing their shopping without the benefit of hosiery.
There was a lovely lady in salwar/kameeze wearing backless mules. Okay...
Then there was the woman with her bare feet jammed into backless fleece-lined clogs. Okay...
But there were two women walking around in winter jackets wearing rubber flip-flops on obviously bare feet. My toes hurt just looking at them.
Then there was this kid of maybe 15 or 16, who seemed to be a nice enough suburban white kid, trying to project the hip-hop vibe. He started with a white ball cap worn backwards and a nice royal blue polo-type shirt under a vastly oversized sleeveless t-shirt with an appropriately in-your-face kind of graphic on front. He had on clunky white athletic shoes with blue trim that matched the shirt. Not bad. Then there were the pants -- white warm-up pants with a blue stripe down the side of each leg, and they actually coordinated nicely with the rest of the outfit. But they were so oversized that the crotch was somewhere around his knees, and the elastic in back drooped below the point of no return, if you get my drift. He was walking around trying to discreetly hold them up at the sides, which got kind of tenuous after he bought a soda and only had one hand for the pants.
Well, all of us probably fell prey to some sort of fashion faux pas when we were that age. I'll probably never run into him again, but I hope he figures things out. Except for the fit of the pants, he didn't look half bad.
What are the retailers thinking?
When we weren't watching football today, we were taking our junior niece shopping. She had $20 from Grandma that was burning a hole in her pocket, and she wanted to go to Target to look for some new Polly Pockets.
Okay, I thought. The high temp today is about 20 and on Friday I hopelessly jammed the zipper on my several-years-old and seen-better-days berber fleece parka. This seemed like a good opportunity to replace it. I did find some gloves, hats and scarves on sale, and picked up a a nice pair of leather gloves with thinsulate lining, but there was nary a winter jacket to be found. There were lots of spring-y things on the racks, though.
Niece Jaycie didn't have any luck finding new Polly Pockets, either, so we decided to hit Wal-Mart on the way home. Wal-Mart turned out to be a total bust. No new Polly Pockets. One meager rack of clearance jackets, but the largest was something like a size 10, which, alas, isn't me. But they, too, had lots of spring stuff.
Given historic weather patterns around here, when we typically have our coldest weather in January-March, you'd think that somebody would be smart enough not to clear out the winter wear until after at least Valentine's Day. But what do I know?
Okay, I thought. The high temp today is about 20 and on Friday I hopelessly jammed the zipper on my several-years-old and seen-better-days berber fleece parka. This seemed like a good opportunity to replace it. I did find some gloves, hats and scarves on sale, and picked up a a nice pair of leather gloves with thinsulate lining, but there was nary a winter jacket to be found. There were lots of spring-y things on the racks, though.
Niece Jaycie didn't have any luck finding new Polly Pockets, either, so we decided to hit Wal-Mart on the way home. Wal-Mart turned out to be a total bust. No new Polly Pockets. One meager rack of clearance jackets, but the largest was something like a size 10, which, alas, isn't me. But they, too, had lots of spring stuff.
Given historic weather patterns around here, when we typically have our coldest weather in January-March, you'd think that somebody would be smart enough not to clear out the winter wear until after at least Valentine's Day. But what do I know?
Game 2: Giants 23 - Packers 20
What a game! And what an ending! It always makes me feel good to see the kicker come in and redeem himself at the end after one or two heart-breaking misses. And Lawrence Tynes, the kicker, used to play for Ottawa in the CFL, which makes him extra special in our book. (We were ardent Baltimore Stallions fans back in 1994-95, and I went to the 1995 Grey Cup, which I think was as cold as today's game in Green Bay.)
Anyhow, it will be fun to see the Manning brothers make back to back Super Bowl appearances, something I don't think has ever been done.
Anyhow, it will be fun to see the Manning brothers make back to back Super Bowl appearances, something I don't think has ever been done.
Game 1: Patriots 21 -- Chargers 12
Hooray! We're celebrating with all our New England friends and relatives, and I'm looking forward to seeing Bill wear an 18-0 shirt to work this week.
It was great to see former Navy running back Kyle Eckel on the field with Brady and Co., too. Pretty neat to see him go from USNA to the Super Bowl.
It was great to see former Navy running back Kyle Eckel on the field with Brady and Co., too. Pretty neat to see him go from USNA to the Super Bowl.
A Cold Day for Football
The current weather in Foxboro is 24 degrees and overcast, with a wind chill of 12. That sounds about right for late January up there. Bill from my office drove up yesterday and will be sitting out in it.
Green Bay is going to be positively frigid by game time. I guess one game had to be the late game, and the one in the westernmost time zone made sense, and the NFL wanted to get some prime time ad rates into the mix, but this is going to be ridiculous.
I think we'll put a log in the fireplace and enjoy the action on our own big screen.
BTW - football was made for viewing in HD. If you haven't taken the plunge, football will make it worth your while. (Sunrise Earth in HD is pretty neat, too.)
Green Bay is going to be positively frigid by game time. I guess one game had to be the late game, and the one in the westernmost time zone made sense, and the NFL wanted to get some prime time ad rates into the mix, but this is going to be ridiculous.
I think we'll put a log in the fireplace and enjoy the action on our own big screen.
BTW - football was made for viewing in HD. If you haven't taken the plunge, football will make it worth your while. (Sunrise Earth in HD is pretty neat, too.)
Navy's New Coaching Staff Gets To Work
While the Baltimore Sun spent last week agonizing about the Ravens' search for a new head coach, the Annapolis Capitol reported that the new coaching staff at Navy was already in full recruiting mode.
The 2007 Navy football team is being honored at next Sunday's Army-Navy basketball game in Annapolis. We were thinking about going, but he who hesitates is lost. While we were thinking, the game sold out. It's nice to see that kind of support for Navy sports.
Spring football practice starts in late March. Bring it on!
The 2007 Navy football team is being honored at next Sunday's Army-Navy basketball game in Annapolis. We were thinking about going, but he who hesitates is lost. While we were thinking, the game sold out. It's nice to see that kind of support for Navy sports.
Spring football practice starts in late March. Bring it on!
Baby and Marshall - One Week Update
Dogs are such a trip. After a very anxious, squirmy ride home last Sunday night, Marshall pretty much made himself at home. And Baby, while vocally correcting him from time to time, is settling into the new arrangement, too.
We had read that pugs sleep a lot, and Marshall does. During the day his preferred spot is at Craig's feet while he's working.
Marshall is about an inch shorter at the shoulder than Baby, but he's a stocky little guy (built like a fullback!) and outweighs her by about 10 pounds. Still, he can and does hop on and off laps at will. And he's not deterred by the puppy gates we sometimes put up at the bottom of the stairs, or in a doorway, and barges right on through. This is new to Baby, so she follows along into the off-limits territory.
And for the last couple of evenings, while Marshall has been flitting from lap to lap, Baby has settled right into HIS crate (which has a nice cushion, blankets, toys, etc. -- a regular puppy condo) and had a snooze. Marshall sees her and doesn't seem to mind. Go figure!
We're enjoying the various antics, and are getting used to all the funny little noises that a smooshy-faced pug makes.
And we thank niece Heather for choosing us to give Marshall a home.
We had read that pugs sleep a lot, and Marshall does. During the day his preferred spot is at Craig's feet while he's working.
Marshall is about an inch shorter at the shoulder than Baby, but he's a stocky little guy (built like a fullback!) and outweighs her by about 10 pounds. Still, he can and does hop on and off laps at will. And he's not deterred by the puppy gates we sometimes put up at the bottom of the stairs, or in a doorway, and barges right on through. This is new to Baby, so she follows along into the off-limits territory.
And for the last couple of evenings, while Marshall has been flitting from lap to lap, Baby has settled right into HIS crate (which has a nice cushion, blankets, toys, etc. -- a regular puppy condo) and had a snooze. Marshall sees her and doesn't seem to mind. Go figure!
We're enjoying the various antics, and are getting used to all the funny little noises that a smooshy-faced pug makes.
And we thank niece Heather for choosing us to give Marshall a home.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Three-Day Weekend
The kid in me is yelling yippee! Snow days and three-day weekends are two of life's little pleasures for this working adult. I'm not sure which is better.
Snow days come with the element of the unexpected, and give us an excuse to slow down and enjoy the wonders of nature -- as long as there's not TOO much snow to shovel! There's a certain magic, though, in bundling up and sitting with a nice hot cup of tea or hot chocolate and watching the snow accumulate on the trees outside.
Three-day weekends are on the calendar years in advance, so you have the opportunity to plan something special. Some of my work friends are doing just that. Russ and Lil are off to the West Virginia mountains, and Bill is headed for Foxboro for tomorrow's Patriots game.
We don't have any special plans, although I'm thinking about picking up an oven-stuffer-roaster to put in the crock pot today. After a couple of days of good weekend eating, we'll end up with soup for next week. (I throw in some homemade noodles made with poultry seasoning. As Rachel Ray would say, "Yummo!")
We'll be watching football tomorrow and working on "House of Usher" costumes off and on, and all in all, it should be a relaxing, fun weekend.
Snow days come with the element of the unexpected, and give us an excuse to slow down and enjoy the wonders of nature -- as long as there's not TOO much snow to shovel! There's a certain magic, though, in bundling up and sitting with a nice hot cup of tea or hot chocolate and watching the snow accumulate on the trees outside.
Three-day weekends are on the calendar years in advance, so you have the opportunity to plan something special. Some of my work friends are doing just that. Russ and Lil are off to the West Virginia mountains, and Bill is headed for Foxboro for tomorrow's Patriots game.
We don't have any special plans, although I'm thinking about picking up an oven-stuffer-roaster to put in the crock pot today. After a couple of days of good weekend eating, we'll end up with soup for next week. (I throw in some homemade noodles made with poultry seasoning. As Rachel Ray would say, "Yummo!")
We'll be watching football tomorrow and working on "House of Usher" costumes off and on, and all in all, it should be a relaxing, fun weekend.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
It's baaaack! American Idol, that is!
And with a lot of shows going on hiatus because of the writers' strike, this will probably be one of the better alternatives on network TV over the next few months.
We saw about the first hour of the Tuesday and Wednesday night shows, which was about enough. We don't really get into it until they get to Hollywood and start weeding people out.
Overall comments so far:
Simon seems much mellower this year than in the past. I wonder if he's gotten so bored with it all that he just can't work up his usual dose of rude.
There are quite a few folks who can sing.
We seem to be seeing a lot of pretty blondes being put through. Look out, Carrie Underwood!
We saw about the first hour of the Tuesday and Wednesday night shows, which was about enough. We don't really get into it until they get to Hollywood and start weeding people out.
Overall comments so far:
Simon seems much mellower this year than in the past. I wonder if he's gotten so bored with it all that he just can't work up his usual dose of rude.
There are quite a few folks who can sing.
We seem to be seeing a lot of pretty blondes being put through. Look out, Carrie Underwood!
Mixed Mess in B'more
We're having our first taste of winter weather of 2008 today -- a storm system moving up the coast from down south. These are the most unpredictable and often the most dangerous storms, but so far this one hasn't been too bad.
Craig got caught out in the worst of it at midday, before the salt trucks were out. It was slushy and slippery and lots of folks were sliding around.
I was at work in the opposite corner of the city, and hung in later than a lot of other folks. By the time I left it had turned to rain and the roads were mostly just wet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it stays above freezing overnight.
Meanwhile, this will be a good night to snug in and watch a movie or something.
Craig got caught out in the worst of it at midday, before the salt trucks were out. It was slushy and slippery and lots of folks were sliding around.
I was at work in the opposite corner of the city, and hung in later than a lot of other folks. By the time I left it had turned to rain and the roads were mostly just wet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it stays above freezing overnight.
Meanwhile, this will be a good night to snug in and watch a movie or something.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Easter
Somebody asked today about Ash Wednesday, and there were remarks about how early Easter is this year.
Easter (for most Christian denominations) is calculated as the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox, and this year it's a close thing.
The vernal equinox occurs at 00:48 (that's 48 minutes past midnight) EST on Thursday, March 20th. There will be equal amounts of day and night (even in Alaska), and it's the official first day of spring in the northern hemisphere.
There's a full moon on Friday, March 21st.
And so Easter is Sunday, March 23rd.
Backing up -- Ash Wednesday will fall on February 6, so Fat Tuesday will be February 5. Get ready to make those donuts!
Passover, which often falls pretty close to Easter, comes about a month later this year.
Easter (for most Christian denominations) is calculated as the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox, and this year it's a close thing.
The vernal equinox occurs at 00:48 (that's 48 minutes past midnight) EST on Thursday, March 20th. There will be equal amounts of day and night (even in Alaska), and it's the official first day of spring in the northern hemisphere.
There's a full moon on Friday, March 21st.
And so Easter is Sunday, March 23rd.
Backing up -- Ash Wednesday will fall on February 6, so Fat Tuesday will be February 5. Get ready to make those donuts!
Passover, which often falls pretty close to Easter, comes about a month later this year.
Game 4 -- Giants 21 - Cowboys 17
Well, one of the Manning brothers came through, and he looked pretty darn impressive. I've never been a Cowboys fan, but still respect for Giants -- who lost to the Colts in the 1958 and 1959 NFL Championship games.
So next week it will be San Diego in Foxboro and the Giants in Green Bay. Should be fun.
So next week it will be San Diego in Foxboro and the Giants in Green Bay. Should be fun.
Game 3 -- Chargers 28 - Colts 24
What a heart-breaker! I give it my best "Gimme a C," but when all was said and done, all was said and done.
Bummer! I was fantasizing about the Manning brothers facing each other in the Super Bowl. Not this year...
Here's a good bit of trivia. What do the Chargers and Colts have in common?
Johnny Unitas played for both teams. Yep, in one of the darker moves of the Irsay regime, Colts General Manager Joe Thomas traded John to San Diego, where he retired.
Bummer! I was fantasizing about the Manning brothers facing each other in the Super Bowl. Not this year...
Here's a good bit of trivia. What do the Chargers and Colts have in common?
Johnny Unitas played for both teams. Yep, in one of the darker moves of the Irsay regime, Colts General Manager Joe Thomas traded John to San Diego, where he retired.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
New family member on the way
This evening we'll be bringing home a new family member.
Last Sunday, our grown-up niece tearfully asked if we could adopt her beloved pug Marshall, who is being left home alone for too many hours a day as she works a new retail management job. Marshall is 3, and he's a little sweetie.
Uncle Craig and I had a little bit of thinking to do. For instance, how will Marshall get along with Baby, our nearly-12-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, who has pretty much ruled the roost since we lost Macbeth, an elderly Dalmatian, in December of 2006.
Well, we decided to go for it. Baby enjoyed having Macbeth for company, and she and Marshall will no doubt work out their own protocols.
Our little niece called to tell us that Marshall is very sweet and easy to take care of. She advised Uncle Craig that we won't even have to pet Marshall, just look at him once in a while and talk to him and he'll be happy. Uncle Craig assured her that since we have two laps between us, we expect to have a dog on each one!
Stay tuned...
Last Sunday, our grown-up niece tearfully asked if we could adopt her beloved pug Marshall, who is being left home alone for too many hours a day as she works a new retail management job. Marshall is 3, and he's a little sweetie.
Uncle Craig and I had a little bit of thinking to do. For instance, how will Marshall get along with Baby, our nearly-12-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, who has pretty much ruled the roost since we lost Macbeth, an elderly Dalmatian, in December of 2006.
Well, we decided to go for it. Baby enjoyed having Macbeth for company, and she and Marshall will no doubt work out their own protocols.
Our little niece called to tell us that Marshall is very sweet and easy to take care of. She advised Uncle Craig that we won't even have to pet Marshall, just look at him once in a while and talk to him and he'll be happy. Uncle Craig assured her that since we have two laps between us, we expect to have a dog on each one!
Stay tuned...
Game 2: Patriots 31 - Jaguars 20
I'll be up front. Even though we live in Baltimore, our favorite teams are the Patriots and the Colts. I started following the Patriots after the Colts left Baltimore and ex-Colt Raymond Berry was coaching in New England. AND, we used to live in Plainville, right down Route 1 from Foxboro, and I still have cousins in Massachusetts. Plus, one of my co-workers has gone to EVERY Patriots game since right after the Colts left.
There was no snow in Foxboro last night, but we saw a really good game. Jacksonville is GOOD. We were impressed with their big, shifty QB. Jacksonville is going places.
But the Patriots were just that much better. It was a fun game to watch, and it would have been even more fun to be there.
And yes, youth is often overrated. In the end, the Patriots years of practice and experience and playing together made a difference.
We'll be cheering for the Colts today, and my only regret is that if/when the Colts win, they'll be playing the Patriots next weekend in the "semi-finals." That's the Super Bowl match-up I'd really like to see, but alas, the league isn't set up that way.
But the Patriots or Colts against the Packers? That might be interesting.
There was no snow in Foxboro last night, but we saw a really good game. Jacksonville is GOOD. We were impressed with their big, shifty QB. Jacksonville is going places.
But the Patriots were just that much better. It was a fun game to watch, and it would have been even more fun to be there.
And yes, youth is often overrated. In the end, the Patriots years of practice and experience and playing together made a difference.
We'll be cheering for the Colts today, and my only regret is that if/when the Colts win, they'll be playing the Patriots next weekend in the "semi-finals." That's the Super Bowl match-up I'd really like to see, but alas, the league isn't set up that way.
But the Patriots or Colts against the Packers? That might be interesting.
Game 1: Packers 42 - Seahawks 20
I had my fingers crossed for my Seattle friends in this game, and got kind of excited when the Seahawks jumped out 14-0.
Then it started snowing -- and snowing -- and snowing -- and the Packers showed why they're the Packers. Once they got going, there was no stopping Favre and Co.
We really enjoyed seeing a playoff game played in a good snowstorm for a change (and not in a climate-controlled dome or a sub-tropical stadium with everyone in shorts). And it was really disconcerting to look outside and NOT see snow!
Then it started snowing -- and snowing -- and snowing -- and the Packers showed why they're the Packers. Once they got going, there was no stopping Favre and Co.
We really enjoyed seeing a playoff game played in a good snowstorm for a change (and not in a climate-controlled dome or a sub-tropical stadium with everyone in shorts). And it was really disconcerting to look outside and NOT see snow!
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Last Night's Movie: "Eastern Promises"
Craig picked "Eastern Promises" based on good buzz. It's a pretty amazing movie about the Russian mafia in London, a kind of "Godfather" movie. There's some graphic violence (I looked away a couple of times), but the characters are so compelling and the story is so tightly woven that the violence shouldn't deter you from renting this one.
Viggo Mortensen brings a lot to this movie, from extra research to make sure it's as real as it can be, to an amazing performance, including a fight scene the likes of which I'd never seen before. Naomi Watts plays a London midwife from a nice Russian emigre family who gets caught up in a tangled web.
We'll give this one 1-3/4 thumbs up, with me deducting just a wee bit for the graphic violence.
Viggo Mortensen brings a lot to this movie, from extra research to make sure it's as real as it can be, to an amazing performance, including a fight scene the likes of which I'd never seen before. Naomi Watts plays a London midwife from a nice Russian emigre family who gets caught up in a tangled web.
We'll give this one 1-3/4 thumbs up, with me deducting just a wee bit for the graphic violence.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
LSU -- National Champs
There's a picture in this morning's paper of a couple of guys holding that crystal football trophy that was awarded after the game last night. As we watched it being passed around, kissed, held aloft, etc., Craig was just waiting for somebody to get caught up in the excitement and say, "Okay, now go long..."
LSU 38 - Ohio State 24
And no more college football until late summer -- except for the Navy spring scrimmage game.
Kudos to Fox for showing both schools' bands in each of the BCS games it broadcast. Those kids work as hard as the football team and contribute a lot to the game experience. AND they can march in straight lines (sometimes backwards and/or sideways) while playing instruments. The Brigade of Midshipmen has trouble finding and just walking along the yard lines during the march-on. Oh, well...
Kudos to Fox for showing both schools' bands in each of the BCS games it broadcast. Those kids work as hard as the football team and contribute a lot to the game experience. AND they can march in straight lines (sometimes backwards and/or sideways) while playing instruments. The Brigade of Midshipmen has trouble finding and just walking along the yard lines during the march-on. Oh, well...
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Seahawks 35 - Redskins 14
I raise my glass to all my friends in Seattle!
Be sure to pack your long johns if you're going to Green Bay next weekend!!!
Be sure to pack your long johns if you're going to Green Bay next weekend!!!
The days ARE getting longer
Our friend Kas, a Baltimore girl who ended up in Alaska by way of Hawaii (go figure), reports that they're gaining about 30 seconds of daylight a day now.
"Yesterday we had 5 hours 46 minutes and 32 seconds of daylight much of it
filtered through clouds that provided a light dusting of snow all day," she wrote this morning.
Think about it. By the third week in March, they'll be up to 12 hours of daylight, and the days will get longer from there. If you live in the middle latitudes and have never been in the upper latitudes in summer or winter, you can't imagine how dramatic the changes in light can be. In early December in Britain, dawn comes around 8 a.m. and it's pitch dark by 4 p.m. And in summer in Norway, we went from a couple of hours of "twilight" around 4 a.m. in July to pitch dark by 10 in mid-August.
"Yesterday we had 5 hours 46 minutes and 32 seconds of daylight much of it
filtered through clouds that provided a light dusting of snow all day," she wrote this morning.
Think about it. By the third week in March, they'll be up to 12 hours of daylight, and the days will get longer from there. If you live in the middle latitudes and have never been in the upper latitudes in summer or winter, you can't imagine how dramatic the changes in light can be. In early December in Britain, dawn comes around 8 a.m. and it's pitch dark by 4 p.m. And in summer in Norway, we went from a couple of hours of "twilight" around 4 a.m. in July to pitch dark by 10 in mid-August.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Tribute to Valerie Bertinelli
Our multi-talented friend Russ Margo, who was one of the Margo Brothers duo a few (!) years back, just sent us a song about the love of his life (Really, Russ?), which you can see and hear for yourself on YouTube.
You can also see him take a spin around the ice at Northwest.
You can also see him take a spin around the ice at Northwest.
Kansas is oK
Because I have family connections with VT, the Hokies were our sentimental favorite in last night's Orange Bowl game. The Hokies fought hard, but in the end you had to like Kansas, especially Todd Reesing.
The West Virginia game was still the most satisfying one to date, but this one came in a close second.
Next up -- the National Championship, and I've been an Ohio State fan since the days of Tom Matte!
The West Virginia game was still the most satisfying one to date, but this one came in a close second.
Next up -- the National Championship, and I've been an Ohio State fan since the days of Tom Matte!
On the 10th Day of Christmas...
Lil and I came across this display in the basement window of a rowhouse on the way to our favorite German restaurant for comfort food on a cold January day.
Only in Baltimore, Hon!
1951 San Francisco Dons
Before I forget (again) -- one of the highlights of Wednesday night's Fiesta Bowl was the tribute to the 1951 San Francisco Dons. The first time I heard the promo, something clicked in the back of my head. The second time I heard it, Gino Marchetti popped in, although I wasn't sure if he was there in 1951. He joined the Colts in 1953.
Sure enough, Gino was part of the 1951 Dons team. They were undefeated and had a chance to play in a post-season bowl game -- if they didn't take along their two African-American players. The team chose not to go.
The Fiesta Bowl folks rounded up as many of that group as they could find, and honored them on the field. Gino was there and he looks great. He just turned 81, too.
Gino was the Giant on the field for the Colts. It was nice to see him honored for being a giant off the field as well.
Sure enough, Gino was part of the 1951 Dons team. They were undefeated and had a chance to play in a post-season bowl game -- if they didn't take along their two African-American players. The team chose not to go.
The Fiesta Bowl folks rounded up as many of that group as they could find, and honored them on the field. Gino was there and he looks great. He just turned 81, too.
Gino was the Giant on the field for the Colts. It was nice to see him honored for being a giant off the field as well.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Almost Heaven...
How about West Virginia last night? That was one of the most exciting, hardest-fought bowl games we've seen this year -- giving lots of credit to Oklahoma.
One of the nice things about this game (despite a bunch of personal foul penalties -- mostly for late hits, helmet contact, etc.) was that both teams just played. There didn't seem to be the kind of taunting that we saw in a couple of games earlier this week, and the "celebrations" were truly joyous, and not boastful.
Owen Schmitt and Pat White were both awesome. That comment about Owen Schmitt taking off like a runaway beer truck was priceless. And you had to love (Interim) Coach Bill Stewart, who clearly put his all into this game. After that win, West Virginia HAD to keep him on as the permanent coach.
Congratulations to the Mountaineers!
Tonight, let's see if Virginia Tech can keep the pride going at their end of the mountains.
One of the nice things about this game (despite a bunch of personal foul penalties -- mostly for late hits, helmet contact, etc.) was that both teams just played. There didn't seem to be the kind of taunting that we saw in a couple of games earlier this week, and the "celebrations" were truly joyous, and not boastful.
Owen Schmitt and Pat White were both awesome. That comment about Owen Schmitt taking off like a runaway beer truck was priceless. And you had to love (Interim) Coach Bill Stewart, who clearly put his all into this game. After that win, West Virginia HAD to keep him on as the permanent coach.
Congratulations to the Mountaineers!
Tonight, let's see if Virginia Tech can keep the pride going at their end of the mountains.
Mike Brass to Stay at Navy
Thanks (again) to Bill Wagner at the Annapolis Capital. In today's blog he confirms that strength and conditioning coordinator Mike Brass will stay in Annapolis. He's been with Paul Johnson for 11 years, and there was speculation that he'd be making the move to Georgia Tech.
One of the things that we've remarked about for the past few years is how well-conditioned the Mids are compared with many other teams. In the Maryland game a couple of years ago, there was a Maryland player down with heat cramps after almost every play, while the Mids kept on going like a bunch of Energizer bunnies.
One of the things that we've remarked about for the past few years is how well-conditioned the Mids are compared with many other teams. In the Maryland game a couple of years ago, there was a Maryland player down with heat cramps after almost every play, while the Mids kept on going like a bunch of Energizer bunnies.
Next Project: The Fall of the House of Usher
"Freedom Dance" is still out there and very much alive, but Craig can't sit still, so he's started work on his next project, a 15-minute short based on Edgar Allen Poe's story "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Right now we're building Regency period costumes. This project will be shot against green screen at Blue Rock Productions studio in Baltimore. Stay tuned for more as it happens.
Right now we're building Regency period costumes. This project will be shot against green screen at Blue Rock Productions studio in Baltimore. Stay tuned for more as it happens.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
The Latest on Navy Football
Bill Wagner reported in today's Annapolis Capital that the commissioner of the Mid-Atlantic Conference, whose officials worked the Poinsettia Bowl game, made a formal apology to Navy for making that incorrect call. Utah fumbled the ball forward and it hit the pylon and went out of bounds. The refs gave the ball to Utah on the 1-yard line, where Navy mounted a goal-line stand and got the ball inside the 1 and ended up punting. The correct call would have given Navy the ball on the 20 (as a touchback), which would likely have altered the play-calling. But who knows? Anyhow, the MAC says it won't happen again and we have to take their word for it.
Wagner also reported in his blog on staff changes.
As previously reported, Brian Bohannan, Todd Spencer and Jeff Monken have gone to Georgia Tech.
Here's what's going to happen:
Holdover Danny O'Rourke will replace Bohannan as wide receivers coach.
Jon DuPaix of Cal-Poly is coming in to replace Jeff Monken as slots back coach.
Ashley Ingram is coming from Bucknell to replace Spencer as offensive line coach.
Steve Johns of Grossmont College will coach inside linebackers.
Tony Grantham, who was a part-time assistant under Paul Johnson, will take over Danny O'Rourke's old job as one of two outside linebackers coaches.
More as it happens...
Wagner also reported in his blog on staff changes.
As previously reported, Brian Bohannan, Todd Spencer and Jeff Monken have gone to Georgia Tech.
Here's what's going to happen:
Holdover Danny O'Rourke will replace Bohannan as wide receivers coach.
Jon DuPaix of Cal-Poly is coming in to replace Jeff Monken as slots back coach.
Ashley Ingram is coming from Bucknell to replace Spencer as offensive line coach.
Steve Johns of Grossmont College will coach inside linebackers.
Tony Grantham, who was a part-time assistant under Paul Johnson, will take over Danny O'Rourke's old job as one of two outside linebackers coaches.
More as it happens...
The Days Are Getting Longer
It was back to work today after a nice Christmas break. And best of all, it was still light at 5 p.m. Dusk was falling by 5:05. Spring is coming!
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