Tom Jones!

Posted on May 4, 2023 by Steve

I haven’t written about the concerts I’ve attended in years because I got behind then decided, the hell with it. However, I couldn’t let Tom Jones appearing in Austin slide! At 82 going on 83, he’s still got it. Women still throw the underwear on the stage. They’re now granny panties and most need to walk up there to do it, we all have lost our throwing arms to aging too.

The show was the much delayed Surround by Time tour with a string of tunes Tom had been putting off if he lived this long, namely Bobby Cole’s “I’m Growing Old,” which he opened with. You can see the whole show via this link. I was really impressed he chose a Todd Snider number while he made three overrated talents sound better: Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens and Leonard Cohen. As you’ll see, he only sang four of his big hits. Initially I was bummed yet I left very happy. Now I’ve seen Tom Jones in Vegas, doing a showcase of what audiences know him for and last night, Tom Jones on the road, promoting his latest album. Both are different shows and awesome. Should Tom live long enough to produce yet another album followed by a kick-ass tour, will I go? I’ll do my best and I hope to land a closer seat. Seems StubHub (Ticketmaster’s scalping holding company) teamed up with AARP to lock off the first dozen rows.

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RIP Gordon Lightfoot

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Steve

Gordon’s voice was a constant when I was growing up in the Seventies. In my opinion, he was the leading artist towards the formation of Adult Contemporary as a radio format. Sure you’d hear him on Pop stations (WLS, WGN, WCVS), yet he didn’t “rock” enough to be played on AOR alongside James Taylor.

It was quite a surprise in how “If You Could Read My Mind,” could be remixed into a Disco song in the movie 54. Sure, Joe DeRosa mocks it as a demonstration on how gay men also have bad taste contrary to reality shows fixing heterosexual dudes’ wardrobes. If you need to ask, it’s Viola Wills who did the best version.

Not sure why they chose Gordon to be Kevin French’s favorite artist in Mission Hill. I will have to ask Bill Oakley on this. My immediate hypothesis is to show there was a fan in the Nineties who liked Gordon sans irony while many of my Gen X peers did.

Farewell Gordon! You will be missed throughout the world, not just Canada.

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The Return of the Jedi as the header

Posted on May 2, 2023 by Steve

It’s the movie that gets the least respect in the first trilogy. In many ways, Lucas deserved the grief he received over it but then again Empire was a tough film and story to follow. He could’ve lessened the disappointment if he wasn’t so greedy with all the merchandising that made him a millionaire (then billionaire) overnight. However, I still argue Jedi has its redeeming qualities to compensate the annoying Ewoks and Boba Fett going out a lame-ass punk. The Battle of Endor with all the fighters zipping around the numerous cruisers! The ground fight was ruined by the Ewoks and James Cameron did a better job showing how we lost Vietnam to an enemy using only sticks and stones. Darth Vader throwing the Emperor down into the reactor was plausible; blood is thicker than water!

As you can see, I kept the original Force Ghosts. Lucas changing Vader/Anakin back to his appearance in Revenge, before Obi-Wan lopped off his other limbs, was stupid. Having him age to what he’d roughly be makes more sense. Yes, I know, it’s just a movie. I am also a fan of the argument on how the white-bearded Rebel commando with Han and Leia’s team is the well-loved and respected clone Rex! I bet Dave Filoni and his team gave Rex the beard intentionally when they decided to bring him back in Rebels. Why not have him in the story? He was loyal to the Republic to the end! He was loyal to Ahsoka and Anakin. He would never be a willing participant of the Empire despite having Jango’s DNA.

Now the hard part. Making the time to watch this, preferably in a movie theater. Forty years ago, I was bummed not having the chance to see Jedi almost immediately like I got to with Empire. My life in Houston was getting crazy with my family’s move to another section, the city is so big, it was equal to moving from Champaign to Springfield. The grief I was experiencing pushed Star Wars out of its usual high priority. I think it’s why I over-compensated with Menace and the underwhelming third trilogy. I will always be glad in how Rogue One did not disappoint.

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Welcome May 2023! I stand with the WGA

Posted on May 1, 2023 by Steve

While the rest of the world celebrates Labour Day (added the ‘u’ since it’s Un-Amerikan), we just go, meh. I think it’s very fitting though. Today the Writers Guild of America goes on strike and I’m behind them all the way. The greedy dickheads at the top are being their usual selfish selves as they’ve been nickel and diming the writers for the last 15 years via bundling, small rooms, paying minimum wage and finding ways to screw everyone out of their residuals. Last time, the battles were over what they were owed for DVDs. Sadly, those are now out of fashion and streaming is the new problem: writers are chained to one show at a time and the seasons are a third as long, so less money. The dicks at the top are also bringing up the threat of using AI to write shows. HA! It would be on par with the genius of  Zaslav as he slowly kills HBO via cheap-ass Discovery reality shit. Meanwhile, his bloated salary alone would cover how much the WGA is asking for. If you look at his background, this asshole has never written anything but a check for his offspring’s tuition. Zaslav began as a lawyer and by 1989, he became an executive at NBC. From then on, he’s continued to fail upward like all privileged White assholes have for decades.

One writer made it clear why the 10,000 WGA members matter, but I’m paraphrasing:

  • The Shield put FX on the map. It was created by a writer, Shawn Ryan.
  • Breaking Bad put AMC on the map. It was created by a writer, Vince Gilligan.
  • Abbott Elementary is a hit on ABC. It was created by a writer, Quinton Brunson.
  • Quibi was a short-lived, $1.7 billion fiasco. It was created by a career executive who never wrote shit…Jeffrey Katzenberg.
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RIP Harry Belafonte

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Steve

Sorry to delay such a pretty cool guy. People still know his “Banana Boat Song” to this day. I often hear it at the local hockey games and it was a key scene in Beetlejuice. Harry had a great episode of The Muppet Show too. Unique Muppets to go with his music and singing.

He was more than just an entertainer too. He pushed for Civil Rights for the numerous Black Americans being mistreated and then some to help others getting the shaft.

Thanks for everything sir! I may be a generation or so behind on knowing your music yet I know you via movies and am grateful for all you did.

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The cat will figure it out when she’s hungry

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Steve

This is the signature move for about half the cats in my house!

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Farewell Kuroneko

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Steve

Last night I got to have my final goodbye to one of the sweetest cats I’ve ever known. Somara was gracious enough to let see Kuroneko, give her cuddles and whisper in her ears why I loved her so much. Although she moved out with Somara four years back, Kuro was part of the joint household for 11 years. What I loved most about her was what a free spirit she was. Kuro didn’t respect the hierarchy under Molly, she just went about her business doing as she pleased without punching the other cats. I think she would’ve had fun with Aggie, manipulating my big dummy cat.

I hope to write a longer, more fitting tribute to Kuroneko since you see the other free have their own pages; I need to thumb through the gallery of her finest moments too. The little butterball of muscle deserves as much because I still miss her loud little purr motor she gladly demonstrated one last time for me.

I miss you very much you little stinker! You were the best thing we ever bought from PetSmart and I’m confident Nemo is waiting for you on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge, ready to play Zoomies.

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Doing a nice thing for a dragonfly

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Steve

Yesterday, I was walking on the work campus, enjoying the post-rain situation when I spotted this poor dragonfly on the sidewalk. It seemed to be pretty helpless because its wings were soaked. That was my hypothesis as I recalled how new butterflies have to dry their wings right after they come out of their cocoons. I extended my hand and fingers to the creature, see if it would trust me to climb aboard…success. I carried it to a nearby tree which could shelter it from any further rain. It began to instinctively flap its wings, I think its means to dry off. I believe it worked as the dragonfly was gone hours later with the sun shining. These insects are pretty cool. How they can fly is impressive and we humans should be nicer to them. They don’t bother anyone nor have I heard about them being a pest like many other members in their insect kingdom. We should also practice more acts of kindness to weaker species given how much we’ve botched this planet.

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1983: Weird Al’s first album!

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Steve

The world is a better place thanks to his 40-plus-year run! Although Weird is a hybrid of several previous singles Al released intertwined with newer material (for 1983), it remains a great album. The five parodies present have held up like their originals which is better than many others he would do from then on. Well, the parodies remain good. The original artists…sadly, a good number only get brought up on Where Are They Now? shows if VH-1 still makes original programming. The seven compositions Al made remain awesome and timeless.

My high school friend Jon first brought it to my attention in 1986 when he scored it on tape along with Al’s other two albums. How we played all three to death and sang the lyrics aloud. It helped make life in North Dakota survivable as the boredom was overwhelming. I later bought it on vinyl when I returned to “civilization” and would play a song from it once in a while when I was a DJ at WMUR.

It’s also the only non-soundtrack album he did without his infamous medleys of popular hits, a tradition he instituted on In 3-D.

If you’ve never listened to Al from start to finish. I highly recommend trying. It won’t take long. Due to the limitations of vinyl and the nature of humorous music, you’ll be done in 30 minutes tops. It’s just amusing and fascinating to hear Weird Al when he was getting started. You can hear his potential while the material has a rawer sound courtesy of Rock producer and guitarist Rick Derringer.

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2024 looks like a shitty repeat of 2020

Posted on April 25, 2023 by Steve

I keep having to remind myself that politics is more fluid than most people think as the Corporate Media presents. Three quick examples:

  • 1991: Everybody thought Bush the Elder would coast through 1992 thanks to his Gulf Distraction I but a lecherous hillbilly Fulbright scholar clobbered him with, “It’s the Economy Stupid!”
  • 2007: Everybody thought the same lecherous hillbilly’s wife, a tone-deaf ghoul had the Democratic nomination locked up yet she was beaten by Black Nixon capitalizing on Boomer fatigue.
  • 2015: Everybody thought JEB Bush was a lock. He hilariously flopped and pissed away millions as Girth Vader tapped into the very soul of the GOP, white hate.

However, the Democrats are circling the wagons (again) around Grampa’ Brunch while they’re hyping his too-little, too-late accomplishments. He’s too old. He’s too clueless. He’s too shitty as he’s yet another horrible NeoLiberal to the core. How easily the apologists forget he voted to put a rapist on SCOTUS and was co-author of the awful 1996 crime bill. Plus he’s the Big Banks’ bitch by representing a state that’s more of a corporation fiction than a real place. He only won the nomination in 2020 by making a deal with the equally ancient and corrupt Jim Clyburn which is also why the primaries for the Dems has put SC, a worthless state when it comes to getting elected if you’re a candidate with an IQ over 80.

I do hope someone more or even further to the Left challenges him because I wouldn’t vote Democratic if my life depended on it.

The apologists better hope like Hell the forecasts are right about Girth Vader defeating Meatball Ron and the election is rematch of Grumpy, Incompetent and Incontinent Old Men. A younger, more competent Fascist will mop the floor with Grampa.

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Renfield: Must See but not for weak stomachs

Posted on April 24, 2023 by Steve

Another, way much better movie Universal made after their Horror Universe to compete with MCU, collapsed spectacularly under Tom Cruise’s mummy flick. Their first was that scary invisible man thriller with Elizabeth Moss. Now they go for comedy with Dracula by examining the co-dependent relationship he trapped Renfield into. As you have seen in the trailers and commercial, Nicholas Hoult is the put-upon titular character who has spent decades looking after the Prince of Darkness’ needs for victims and other tasks. Now he’s decided to break this toxic situation to become his own person. Too bad Renfield chose a bad place to do it, modern-day New Orleans while a ruthless crime family is attempting to assert its power over the city and one of the few good cops.

This isn’t a spoiler alert but if you can’t handle the hyper violence and gore, shown in slow-motion with Matrix flourishes, maybe there will be a version for mainstream cable in a couple years. The humorous parts are what sold me, especially all the therapy buzz words and advice Renfield receives being in group sessions. Nic Cage obviously does the Nic Cage thing, channeling his inner Bela Lugosi to hilarious effect. It’s a clever modern-day tweak to a character who I think will be timeless. Lastly, I think the kinetic action was impressive thanks to director Chris McKay. He spent years directing episodes of Robot Chicken and I credit him for making The LEGO Movie a huge success.

Alamo Extras: Scenes from a Bollywood movie with a vampire; Nic Cage on a UK talk show circa 1990 to plug Wild at Heart; Trailers for Dracula, Dead and Loving It (sucked!) and Dracula Blows His Cool; Cage’s weird cameo in Never on a Tuesday; Nic’s face replacing Miley Cyrus for the “Wrecking Ball” video; Cage reciting The Telltale Heart at Alamo Drafthouse in 2017 for a fest in his honor; ads for monster soaky toys (soap) and free teeth or eyes if you attend a Hammer movie; montage of Cage’s overacting in The Wicker Man, Moonstruck, Zandalee, Face/Off, Dead Falls, Best of Times, Bad Lt: New Orleans, Ghost Rider, Raising Arizona, Vampire Kiss and Matchstick Men; some weird French TV  with a Soul Dracula dancing display.

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Sensible Gun Control is overdue, once again

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Steve

One of these “misfires” happened nearby too, the cheerleaders who accidentally got into the wrong car tragedy. What makes it even worse, the ammosexual got out of his vehicle to shoot the young lady. That’s not defensive, that’s murder as there was intent. So much for the well-regulated militia bullshit these NRA assclowns are promoting.

Way to go Amerika! We’re number one in easily preventable deaths and near the bottom when it comes to healthcare. A libertarian’s wet dream.

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Mama squirrel just having one of those days

Posted on April 22, 2023 by Steve

I know these aren’t cats but they are one of their nemeses! Especially the one outside my home office’s window who enjoys taunting Aggie, “You can’t catch me!” This trio I spotted on a bicycle cage. It seems mother took the two teens out for a patrol and much to her irritation, they got stuck because they’re not as skilled climbing on the fence element. They held perfectly still while I took the photo and mama got into a defensive stance. I did fear she’d launch herself at my face. When you’re not receiving a verbal warning from squirrels, that’s when you should worry. It ended well. They were all happily gone, probably in nearby trees within an hour.

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200,000 calories!

Posted on April 21, 2023 by Steve

Woo hoo! As I keep getting into the groove of exercising in the morning, I crossed this threshold on the bike at work that tracks all I’ve done on it. No luck on getting it to add what I did during my one year membership with Planet Fatness. Tomorrow I will find out what the new target is. Based upon 150K being the last one, I think the bike is merciful in just making it another 50K. Eventually I will get to 260K which would be me burning up what I need to maintain my awful weight for 100 days or is it times?

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The D&D Movie: Actually worth seeing

Posted on April 20, 2023 by Steve

Twenty-three years later, Hollywood has tried again and this time Paramount and Hasbro succeeded in making a film based upon the D&D property with successful; something the overrated Gary Gygax could never do. Now admittedly, I wasn’t seriously onboard because the trailer made it appear this would be Ocean’s 11 (the boring, tired Soderbergh version) with Fantasy crap slapped on in the same way JJ Abrams makes his crappy Star Trek. I am very glad I was wrong. It’s still a predictable heist flick but works for general audiences by balancing action with touches of humor. More importantly, it doesn’t go overboard with all the “technical” stuff from the game or the setting chosen, the Forgotten Realms. There were a couple of super cringeworthy moments the writers couldn’t avoid or resist when they referenced terms we gamers know. I guess it’s OK now since the Bro Culture plays and certain celebrities believe it gives them credibility with Colbert or Vin Diesel.

Did I like and/or enjoy it? Not as much as Star Wars as I already believe a great Fantasy movie was made over 20 years ago, The Lord of the Rings series. Thankfully, D&D loans itself to having a story much better than all the other boardgames properties Hasbro owns; what were they thinking with Battleship? Again, the general public will enjoy D&D and I hope the masses make it hint worthy of another attempt. I would like to see Paramount and Hasbro do something daring via True Detective or Fargo, cast a new set of heroes in the setting with an entirely different adventure.

Lastly, if you remember the Saturday-morning cartoon from 40 years ago. Watch closely in the final act. That’s all I will say.

Alamo Extras: Animation accompanying one of the many, boring D&D podcasts; a list of all the shows D&D has infiltrated its way into, making it part of Pop Culture: Stranger Things, ET, The Simpsons, The IT Crowd, Big Bang Theory, Community and Key & Peele; a Squad Team Force cartoon; a plug for the overrated Critical Role and some tolerable D&D musical bit.

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