Question of the Day

Son #2 came up with this one, and it's gotten such a good response on my Facebook page that I thought I'd try it out here.

QUESTION:

Who do you think would win in a fight - Christopher Plummer, or Max Von Sydow?

If you do answer, be sure to justify your choice, and show all your work.

Pauline Kael and Andrew Sarris

I think it's fair to say that Pauline Kael is widely viewed as being one of the greatest film critics of all time, if not the greatest film critic of all time. Why is it, then, that there is so little of Kael's work available on the Internet? Am I just looking in the wrong places?

I was never a regular reader of hers, primarily because I never subscribed to (or bought) The New Yorker. I was much more familiar with Andrew Sarris, her rival and sometimes arch-enemy, because of my subscription to the Village Voice. Truth be told, I never even knew the two had a rivalry until Sarris wrote a snarky review of one of her anthologies in the Voice, which was followed a month or so later by a scathing article in Rolling Stone by Greil Marcus (who was firmly in the Kael camp) about their rivalry/feud.

Kael has been gone for some time now, and Sarris, in his 80s, is no longer writing on a regular basis (though he does have a Facebook page). I'm not sure if there would be a market for such a thing, but I'd read a book about the two of them, and their divergent views on film.

Random Question

Was the world really clamoring for a 3-D version of "A Christmas Carol?"

You Learn Something New Every Day

In Illinois, there is a non-profit organization called the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.

Random Thought

I am convinced that more than half of the 18-wheel truck drivers on the road today (at least on I-5 between Elk Grove and Sacramento) never learned how to drive an 18-wheel truck. Either that, or they take great pleasure in creating life-threatening situations.

This Post Intentionally Contains Content

How you ever noticed how many high-falutin government think-tank type reports contain blank pages that say "This page intentionally left blank?"

What's up with that? Does the agency that wrote the report think I'm not smart enough to figure that out on my own?

And if you really think about it, once they stick that phrase in, the page is no longer blank.

And why all the blank pages in the first place? Aren't we supposed to "go green?" How about filling up those pages with some juicy content for us to devour?

Just some things that occupy my mind from time to time.

Baseball Hall of Famers I Saw Play In Person

For pitchers, the rule was that I had to actually see them pitch, as opposed to seeing their team play.

Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Wade Boggs, George Brett, Lou Brock, Steve Carlton, Gary Carter, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Clemente, Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, Carlton Fisk, Bob Gibson, Goose Gossage, Tony Gwynn, Rickey Henderson, Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Al Kaline, Harmon Killebrew, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Paul Molitor, Joe Morgan, Eddie Murray, Tony Perez, Gaylord Perry, Kirby Puckett, Cal Ripken Jr., Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Nolan Ryan, Ozzie Smith, Willie Stargell, Don Sutton, Billy Williams, Dave Winfield, Carl Yastrzemski, and Robin Yount.

Random Comment

I really, really hope that Jack Box dies from the injuries he sustained when being hit by a bus. That's one ad campaign that has gone from stale to somewhere well beyond putrid.

25 Things

Cross-posted on my Facebook page. I know the rule is that you're supposed to tag 25 people, but I'm not going to do that. If you read this, consider yourself tagged.

1. In 1974, when I was in the 8th grade, I won the Sacramento County spelling bee.

2. My earliest memory is of the day that President Kennedy was assassinated (I was three years old).

3. I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard that Elvis Presley died.

4. I can recite, from memory, the outcome of every World Series since 1950.

5. I believe that, under duress, I could name the title of every episode of the original "Star Trek" series.

6. I own more than 1000 vinyl albums and more than 1000 CDs, but I still think that the greatest song ever written is still out there somewhere, waiting for me to discover it.

7. I've seen six members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame perform live: Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead, R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen, Talking Heads, and Neil Young.

8. I've seen Bruce Springsteen perform live 10 times, at five different venues: Oakland, San Diego, Mountain View, Sacramento, and New York City.

9. When I was in college, I witnessed a future Deputy Secretary of State smoking dope and snorting cocaine.

10. I have a sneaking suspicion that my wife and two sons are smarter than I am.

11. I make my own tapes to listen to when I'm driving, and have tapes in my car that are almost 25 years old.

12. I worked at McDonalds for 4 years, and to this day utilize the lessons I learned about the workplace while I was there.

13. I can tell my stress level about work is too high when I start dreaming about McDonalds.

14. I've been a member of a Sacramento Kings ticket consortium since 1985.

15. Every December, I read "A Christmas Carol."

16. The first alcoholic drink I had was a Blue Hawaiian. Yes, I was in Hawaii.

17. In my old age, I've become quite the beer snob.

18. I never really got the appeal of "2001: A Space Odyssey."

19. There are entire bookshelves in my section of the library devoted to books about baseball, and golf course architecture.

20. Oregon Blackberry, Jamoca Almond Fudge, and Pralines & Cream - that's my definition of heaven.

21. I am the only one of the 3 Vaca brothers without an earring.

22. I knew from the first time I saw it that "The Empire Strikes Back" was the best of the "Star Wars" movies.

23. In 2007, I was within a few feet of Barack Obama, but didn't have the presence of mind to shake his hand.

24. When I was 15, my dream was to become the record reviews editor of Rolling Stone Magazine.

25. I still remember the details of the first episode of Saturday Night Live, and am quite sure that it was funnier than the one I'm watching right now.

Picture of the Day

I don't think you have to be a fan of "House" to love this picture.

Little Known Facts About My Daily Existence

When the HVAC system kicks on in my office, the resulting decibel level is roughly equivalent to that of a jet airliner taking off at Sacramento International Airport.

Or a hurricane. Take your pick.

Carnac

We had a little fun in some office e-mail banter yesterday about Johnny Carson's Carnac the Magnificent, so I thought it would be a good idea to pay tribute to the great man. Of course, it is never a good sign when one of the people who works for you innocently offers, "oh yeah, I know who that was...my GRANDFATHER really liked him."

Carson would have had a field day with this election cycle, no doubt about it.

Random Comment

When your neighbors allow their 8-year old son to ride his motorized mini-bike up and down the street all afternoon on a Sunday, it's really f*cking annoying.

Previews

Posting has been light lately, but hang in there, because exciting things are on the horizon ("exciting" being a relative term).

- Reviews of Fleet Foxes, Acid Tongue by Jenny Lewis, and Little Honey by Lucinda Williams

- An election night live-blog! Now just try to tell me that doesn't send a shiver down your spine.

- In December, the 2nd annual Musical Advent calendar! I've been listening to way too much Christmas music than a normal, sane person should listen to in the month of October, and let me just say that some major treats are in store.

- A major remodel! That's right, I'm tired with this template, and it will change soon. Again, "soon" being a relative term. It could happen next week, it might not happen until January. All depends on how addicted I become to playing Texas Hold 'Em on Facebook. And along with the remodel will come a revamped set of links - adding new sites, deleting sites that are no longer, and highlighting those which I read most often.

Wow. I'm almost shivering with anticipation...

Post of the Night

From my friend Mona. I think she likes me as well as most animals. But one thing I know for certain - she'll tell me if she doesn't.

Cheap Political Joke of the Day.

McCain pulls out of Michigan.

Ready for the punchline? Drum roll please...

A frustrated Michigan could not be reached for comment.

Get it? Get it? I thought so.

And if you're old enough, you will remember where I stole this idea from. If not...do some research!

Caveat Emptor

This post has nothing to say, except that I thought it would be cool to blog from every airport I set foot in on this trip.

Right now I'm sitting in Denver International Airport, waiting for my flight to New Orleans. So far, 2/2 with the free wi-fi at airports.

Well, OF COURSE Civilization Began With Beer!

And no doubt about it, this is definitely where I want son #1 to go to college.

STOP THE PRESSES!

Olive Garden, Red Lobster to boost prices slightly.

Oh, the humanity!

The Album Cover of All Time?

"Shame Shame Shame," by Shirley and Company (see the video below).

They don't design them like this anymore, that's for sure.

Come to think of it, they never really did.

Just this once.