Ugh...still have remnants of a cold I picked up on the trip last week. I think I'll be done with it by Thursday. Which will be good since I'm going to the (first place) Angels' game that night.
The HB's back in his theater group. They do two, four-week camps during the summer. The good thing about the camps is that they go from 9-5. The bad this is that they are cattle calls (40+ kids instead of the usual mid-20s). This means LOTS of kids in the chorus and more competition for the good parts. The HB said that for the part he was going for (and there are four versions of it) there were 15 kids. He's not nearly as emotionally wrapped up in the audition as he was last go around. He enjoys the drama thing, but he's just not that competitive to drive himself to do things better. So, he'll probably get a minor part with a few lines and be happy with it.
Speaking of drama, I've been sorta following the whole Mark Sanford thing. This guy is such a poor liar that it's amazing that he's gotten re-elected. First he met with his lover a few times, now it's seven. Now he says that he's been with other women, but hasn't crossed the sex line (his term). I'm thinking the next revelation is going to involve boys in Thailand. Someone's gotta tell him to hire a good divorce lawyer and shut the fuck up.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Celebrity Death Week
I love watching and observing people with talent. At the same time, I HATE celebrity. When I worked at the radio station I had the chance to meet many famous, destined to be famous, and destined never to be famous musicians. The one thing I took away from this was that they weren't all that different from talented people in other areas, but, the had an inordinate amount of attention lavished on them due to their potential to be celebrities.
The Michael Jackson story is somewhat interesting because it's so convoluted. The important thing to bear in mind is that he hasn't put out a relevant record in more than 20 years. Yet, his celebrity lived on. But, he had the borderline abusive dad, the Svengali-like producer and the performer's childhood. He seemed to have never gotten a grip on the deal that all performers make: You give up some of the "normal" life to lead the extraordinary life. Talented young musicians and athletes have to deal with this. Most kinda-sorta do, but, clearly, Jackson did not.
I've never been a big fan of his music. I enjoyed the Jackson 5 before discovering rock, and I think that some of those songs were his best. I never liked disco, so "Off the Wall" had no appeal. Likewise, outside of the out of place Eddie Van Halen solo on Beat It, I wasn't that interested in "Thriller". But, the impact of those records in pop music is undeniable and made it very possible for singers like Beyonce and Usher to "crossover".
Considering that his best creative years were well behind him, I was caught a bit off-guard by the huge outpouring by people who weren't even born yet when Thriller came out. I guess I was wondering why people felt this need to defend him. Wasn't his music enough? Why were they so defensive regarding his bizarre personal life? What type of glory were they reflecting in?
In some ways, Farrah Fawcett was a more tragic figure than Jackson. She was always written off as no more than a sex-symbol. Did she have more potential as an actress? We'll never know. At the same time, like Jackson, she was clearly uncomfortable with her celebrity.
Ed McMahon loved being a celebrity. Divorces, bad investments, and a celebrity lifestyle clearly led him to hawking himself far longer than he wanted to. Johnny Carson showed him a lot of loyalty from their touring days until Carson scored the Tonight Show gig. I feel bad for him whoring himself on those commercials about selling your gold during the Super Bowl.
In the end, I'm sad for the families. But, we shouldn't let what happens to celebrities take our eyes off of the ball of what's important. Iraq. Afghanistan. The Recession.
The Michael Jackson story is somewhat interesting because it's so convoluted. The important thing to bear in mind is that he hasn't put out a relevant record in more than 20 years. Yet, his celebrity lived on. But, he had the borderline abusive dad, the Svengali-like producer and the performer's childhood. He seemed to have never gotten a grip on the deal that all performers make: You give up some of the "normal" life to lead the extraordinary life. Talented young musicians and athletes have to deal with this. Most kinda-sorta do, but, clearly, Jackson did not.
I've never been a big fan of his music. I enjoyed the Jackson 5 before discovering rock, and I think that some of those songs were his best. I never liked disco, so "Off the Wall" had no appeal. Likewise, outside of the out of place Eddie Van Halen solo on Beat It, I wasn't that interested in "Thriller". But, the impact of those records in pop music is undeniable and made it very possible for singers like Beyonce and Usher to "crossover".
Considering that his best creative years were well behind him, I was caught a bit off-guard by the huge outpouring by people who weren't even born yet when Thriller came out. I guess I was wondering why people felt this need to defend him. Wasn't his music enough? Why were they so defensive regarding his bizarre personal life? What type of glory were they reflecting in?
In some ways, Farrah Fawcett was a more tragic figure than Jackson. She was always written off as no more than a sex-symbol. Did she have more potential as an actress? We'll never know. At the same time, like Jackson, she was clearly uncomfortable with her celebrity.
Ed McMahon loved being a celebrity. Divorces, bad investments, and a celebrity lifestyle clearly led him to hawking himself far longer than he wanted to. Johnny Carson showed him a lot of loyalty from their touring days until Carson scored the Tonight Show gig. I feel bad for him whoring himself on those commercials about selling your gold during the Super Bowl.
In the end, I'm sad for the families. But, we shouldn't let what happens to celebrities take our eyes off of the ball of what's important. Iraq. Afghanistan. The Recession.
Back Home
Just got back a few hours ago from the trip. I picked up a bit of a cold, but otherwise it was pretty fun. Thursday we went through the Badlands, which was amazing. The only place I can think of that's like it here is Joshua Tree. Interesting places to walk, great rocks and DESOLATE landscape. Almost like being on the moon. OK, a really HOT moon. We did see plenty of buffalo and prairie dogs in the north part of the park.
Driving through the prairie on the way back, the wife and I kept thinking that when those recent immigrants bought this land then actually moved out west, the must have thought, "What in the fuck?!" in German, Czech, Swiss, Finnish, etc. So much of everything, except water. Screaming hot in the summer, freezing fucking cold in the winter. Sign me up!
We came back to our hotel through Custer State Park. I would highly recommend it. Saw as much wildlife there as in the Badlands, but much closer. Plus there's fishing, hiking, nice restaurants, etc. The only problem is that it's $15 to get in, even if you just want to eat. Plan on staying a while.
Friday was the big driving day. The big stop was Devil's Tower in Wyoming (the rock in Close Encounters). It was cloudy and cool, but a great thing to see and walk around. From there we drove to see our vacation friends south of Denver (same place where we saw the tornado last year). The HB stayed with their twin boys (13) while we grabbed dinner and closed a bar with some serious local flavor. It was great seeing them and we started talking about our next trip (maybe the Missouri baseball loop). I wish I were feeling better so I could have been more involved in the conversations.
We caught the plane home this morning, picked up the dog, etc. It's nice to be home. I'm looking forward to getting some serious sleep. But, not until I do laundry, go to the supermarket, etc.
Driving through the prairie on the way back, the wife and I kept thinking that when those recent immigrants bought this land then actually moved out west, the must have thought, "What in the fuck?!" in German, Czech, Swiss, Finnish, etc. So much of everything, except water. Screaming hot in the summer, freezing fucking cold in the winter. Sign me up!
We came back to our hotel through Custer State Park. I would highly recommend it. Saw as much wildlife there as in the Badlands, but much closer. Plus there's fishing, hiking, nice restaurants, etc. The only problem is that it's $15 to get in, even if you just want to eat. Plan on staying a while.
Friday was the big driving day. The big stop was Devil's Tower in Wyoming (the rock in Close Encounters). It was cloudy and cool, but a great thing to see and walk around. From there we drove to see our vacation friends south of Denver (same place where we saw the tornado last year). The HB stayed with their twin boys (13) while we grabbed dinner and closed a bar with some serious local flavor. It was great seeing them and we started talking about our next trip (maybe the Missouri baseball loop). I wish I were feeling better so I could have been more involved in the conversations.
We caught the plane home this morning, picked up the dog, etc. It's nice to be home. I'm looking forward to getting some serious sleep. But, not until I do laundry, go to the supermarket, etc.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Cruisin' Through SD
We had a fun day today. We started with a tour of Jewel Cave which is a little west of here. Not as spectacular as Carlsbad or Crystal, but still very cool. There's no dark like cave dark. Plus, they had one formation that looked like eggs and another that looked like bacon (which the HB loved). What's not to like?
The wife wanted to stop at the National Museum of Woodcarving. Do yourself a favor and skip this tourist trap.
We then drove through the Black Hills forest up to Deadwood. A pretty trippy place that, as you would imagine, plays up its past (gunslingers, gambling and whores) and current (GAMBLING!). Not so much on the HBO show. The drive was pretty and the tour was mildly amusing. And the wife won a few bucks pulling slots.
One thing I've noticed driving in these parts is that there aren't many 15-30 year olds who don't have visible tats and/or meth teeth. Lots of billboards about elder abuse, spousal abuse, drug abuse, etc. I'm beginning to feel safe in LA.
The wife wanted to stop at the National Museum of Woodcarving. Do yourself a favor and skip this tourist trap.
We then drove through the Black Hills forest up to Deadwood. A pretty trippy place that, as you would imagine, plays up its past (gunslingers, gambling and whores) and current (GAMBLING!). Not so much on the HBO show. The drive was pretty and the tour was mildly amusing. And the wife won a few bucks pulling slots.
One thing I've noticed driving in these parts is that there aren't many 15-30 year olds who don't have visible tats and/or meth teeth. Lots of billboards about elder abuse, spousal abuse, drug abuse, etc. I'm beginning to feel safe in LA.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Out on the Open Road
So far, so good on the big trip. We left LA at about 7:30 this morning. Our flight to Denver was a bit early, not that it matters as it takes 45 fucking minutes to get out of that airport. We then blazed across the high plains. Serious, were were doing between 80 and 90 the whole way, so we got to Custer, SD in about 5 hours (including two stops).
Getting here early gave us a chance to enjoy the hotel pool (and free wifi) and make it to Mt. Rushmore. We had planned anyway to go at night to see them light up the memorial, so this gives us the chance to see Crazy Horse tomorrow night. The weather is perfect (warm, clear and dry) and we could see a million stars.
Only two problems: 1) The park ranger who led the evening program said that Lincoln became president during the Civil War. WTF? 2) There were lots of things that basically said serving in the military=patriotism. The even brought up a bunch of future Iraqi/Afghan targets up on stage. I wonder if they ever do that for people who encourage others to vote? I kinda doubt it.
Off to Jewel Cave tomorrow morning. Who knows after that?
Getting here early gave us a chance to enjoy the hotel pool (and free wifi) and make it to Mt. Rushmore. We had planned anyway to go at night to see them light up the memorial, so this gives us the chance to see Crazy Horse tomorrow night. The weather is perfect (warm, clear and dry) and we could see a million stars.
Only two problems: 1) The park ranger who led the evening program said that Lincoln became president during the Civil War. WTF? 2) There were lots of things that basically said serving in the military=patriotism. The even brought up a bunch of future Iraqi/Afghan targets up on stage. I wonder if they ever do that for people who encourage others to vote? I kinda doubt it.
Off to Jewel Cave tomorrow morning. Who knows after that?
Monday, June 22, 2009
Democracy? Umb, Not Quite
It's important to remember that having an election does not make a country democratic. It's a necessary part, of course, but it's not the be-all-end-all. Let's take Iran, for instance.
You can't run for office there without getting prior approval from the unelected mullahs. Hey, someone's gotta keep the revolution pure by not allowing another revolution. This is a key strategy in that it gives the illusion of the power of the vote.
From a policy perspective, there's hardly a nickel's worth of difference between Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Rather, throwing out the incumbent would have been a symbolic victory for reformers standing up to power. Take away people's hope and street protests are what you get.
I love how those responsible for the election have said, "Yeah, there were some irregularities, but not enough to change the outcome." Really? Coming from a body that declared a winner BEFORE looking into potential vote fraud this is hardly reassuring. But, in the end, it doesn't matter. Outside of the show vote, Iran has very little democracy or respect for individual rights (especially women's rights). Unless the Mullah's are overthrown, this isn't going to change, regardless of what kinds of votes they hold.
Whether Obama should inject us into this is another question. I'm a firm believer that we should stand up for democracy first before other foreign policy considerations. In the short term it may make things awkward or difficult. However, in the long run we will never go to war with a country whose democratic drive we supported. It doesn't really matter which of the two Iranian candidates wins in terms of our interests in the region. They have the same objectives (though express them differently) and it's the Mullah's who are really in charge. We should strongly support anyone who fights that tyrannical power.
You can't run for office there without getting prior approval from the unelected mullahs. Hey, someone's gotta keep the revolution pure by not allowing another revolution. This is a key strategy in that it gives the illusion of the power of the vote.
From a policy perspective, there's hardly a nickel's worth of difference between Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Rather, throwing out the incumbent would have been a symbolic victory for reformers standing up to power. Take away people's hope and street protests are what you get.
I love how those responsible for the election have said, "Yeah, there were some irregularities, but not enough to change the outcome." Really? Coming from a body that declared a winner BEFORE looking into potential vote fraud this is hardly reassuring. But, in the end, it doesn't matter. Outside of the show vote, Iran has very little democracy or respect for individual rights (especially women's rights). Unless the Mullah's are overthrown, this isn't going to change, regardless of what kinds of votes they hold.
Whether Obama should inject us into this is another question. I'm a firm believer that we should stand up for democracy first before other foreign policy considerations. In the short term it may make things awkward or difficult. However, in the long run we will never go to war with a country whose democratic drive we supported. It doesn't really matter which of the two Iranian candidates wins in terms of our interests in the region. They have the same objectives (though express them differently) and it's the Mullah's who are really in charge. We should strongly support anyone who fights that tyrannical power.
It's Trip Time!
Tonight we pack up for a trip to the Black Hills/Badlands in South Dakota. We're going to fly to Denver and make the drive, while hopefully finding some interesting shit along the way. Hopefully, we'll be able to find some time to meet up with some of our friends in Denver, without a big tornado like the one we ran into last year.
I like alternating the city with national park trips. Even though we're going to spend a ton of time driving, seeing new and different things is always worth the adventure. My task tonight is to find some of those things along the way.
I'm looking forward to seeing the BIG STUFF, but also maybe hiking or fishing with the HB. And seeing a HUGE thunderstorm.
Last night the wife, of course, decided that she really wanted to stay an extra day as she finds it impossible not to change her mind. The airlines had a different idea, so we're sticking with the original plan. For now. Really.
I like alternating the city with national park trips. Even though we're going to spend a ton of time driving, seeing new and different things is always worth the adventure. My task tonight is to find some of those things along the way.
I'm looking forward to seeing the BIG STUFF, but also maybe hiking or fishing with the HB. And seeing a HUGE thunderstorm.
Last night the wife, of course, decided that she really wanted to stay an extra day as she finds it impossible not to change her mind. The airlines had a different idea, so we're sticking with the original plan. For now. Really.
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