Singin' a Bit, Clownin' a Bit
If anyone is interested in the idea of living in an igloo, I would be happy to trade houses with you. You can live with my insane, cold-obsessed family full of tough people who walk around in this frigid ice-box saying things like "What do you mean 'cold'?" or "Put some more clothes on, its your own fault you only have three layers on." You can be just like me ... wearing two long-sleeve shirts, a sweatshirt, a hood, and double-layered running pants, and still fearing to come out from under the blanket. You can do as I do ... wait around all day for dinner to be cooked so that you can have the brief pleasure of huddling up next to the oven. Anyways, this is just a proposition. I know there has got to be some eskimo blog readers out there who are looking for a colder place to stay, so I'm just putting the offer out there.
I'd like to thank "Anonymous Bob" and "Thugs2121" for their thoughtful, reflective, and lengthy comments on the last blog. It puts a smile on my face and warms my heart. However, I am baffled that someone would make the argument that Bledsoe's career QB rating is somehow a knock against his career. Consider the following career passer ratings: Jim Kelly 84 / Aikman 81 / John Elway 79. And to do the further injustice of equating this to Flutie somehow. Uggh. Shameful argument. And besides --- Bledsoe has a two-second, wordless cameo in "Jerry Maguire"!!! He's a fucking, artist, man!! Seriously, though, Bledsoe now stands in the top ten QB's of all-time for "Passing Yardage," and a quick check of NFL.com's record keeping section will show you any number of other records held by the Bills current QB. And I repeat, since people keep wanting to put words in my mouth - DREW IS NOT PLAYING TOP NOTCH FOOTBALL BY ANY STRETCH!! The team is winning as a whole, not because of Drew. I have never insinuated otherwise. I merely resist the rush to start Losman because my point is simply this - the team can win with Drew. It cannot with Losman. At least not yet. We have this horrible misconception in Buffalo that we should always be building for the future. And everytime we have a handful of young guys get old enough to start playing a little better and we still aren't winning championships, we always say "the hell with it, throw them to the curb, lets start over and build for the future." We do this in football. We do this in hockey. I think we have a good team here. I think, if our offense gets its act together and if our defense figures out how to come up big when it matters, and if we lynch Ryan Lyndell and replace him, then we have a competitive team in Buffalo that can challenge. But not if we burn Drew and start a kid with no experience, and not even a full year of practicing under his belt (keep in mind how much time he missed cause of his injury). That's all I'm saying, chums. Halfway through next year, if we're losing and Drew is struggling ... can him! By all means. Start Losman. But the truth is, if you start Losman right off the bat, you will be losing and struggling halfway through the season no matter what. And no one questions this. Not even my arch-nemisis, the evil sports-writer Jerry Sullivan. Even he has admitted as much!
In case anyone is interested, the Buffalo News is currently accepting submissions for a Short-Story Writing Contest. The deadline is Jan. 20, and the top two stories will be printed in the Life and Arts sections on Feb. 1. The story should be 1500 words (which is short) and can be on any topic, and be written in any genre. They give you the first few sentences, and you write your story from there. Let me know if you're interested, I'll give you the rest of the details.
Want to know why jazz music is still thriving, and has still mantained its integrity, years and years later? Because it has never gone pop. It has remained safely ex-mainstream bullshit. As such, it is the only genre of music that can truly be trusted. How, you ask? It remains relatively (not entirely) free from pomp and buffoonery. It is largely without adherence to the "bullshitism" that comprises so much of every other genre (i.e. rock, country, rap, R&B, etc.). Jazz is perhaps the only remaining contemporary genre where expression comes before image, art before packaged product. Not that it doesn't have its own darkside (e.g. Kenny G), but the comparison to mainstream music's wickedry is not even close enough to gesture at (i.e. Kenny G may suck huge balls, and his music is a travesty, but the man himself at least has talent as a musician). These are just random thoughts, friends.
I recently purchased "The Essential Bob Dylan." Why I did so is unclear to me, aside from the fact that Bob Dylan is a legendary rock artist and a hugely influential one at that. But I must say ... Bob Dylan, at least to me, is not "listenable" music in the sense of "Hey, I'm gonna take a ride in my car, and I think I'll listen to Bob Dylan." I think, at this stage of the game, Dylan can be best utilized as background music. For instance, I listened to disc 1 last night as I was trying to fall asleep, and I found the music rather soothing. Its this, however, that keeps Dylan from (at least in my mind) being on the same level as say Zeppelin or The Stones or Hendrix, and other 60's icons.
A brief tribute to the Rat Pack...
I recently began listening to an album that was made for me some two years ago. It lay forgotten for this long epoch, but it finally resurfaced several weeks ago, and I joyfully gave it a play through. Since then, I have given it several more play throughs, and I must say --- its fucking great. The album - since you're wondering - is The Rat Pack Live!! It begins with a few live numbers by Dean Martin (introduced "Here he is, the star of our show, direct from the bar, Dean Martin!) Dean begins with "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" which he drunkenly (or perhaps not) refers to as "Fran Sancisco" before telling a screaming admirer "Oh, shut your goddamn mouth." He does several more (e.g. Volare, An Evening In Roma, etc.) before giving way to Frank, who does a few diddies. Then, on comes Sammy Davis, Jr who tries - not entirely successfully - to sing a few tunes while being tormented relentlessly by Frank ("You wanna laugh, Sam? Go out in the audience") and Dean ("Hey, Frank, where's the toilet?") Then follows the better part of the album - The Rat Pack, all on stage, singing a bit, clowning a bit, swearing a bit. Let me tell you something - these guys are fucking hilarious. Surprisingly. And talented. There really ain't entertainment like this around anymore. And sadly, there never will be again.
But these guys could do it. And be cool doing it. This is worth checking out. How often is comedy cool? Almost never. But to be funny, and be cool, and be able to sing, and be able to drink, and be able to do movies ... and to do it well enough that its still being listened to decades later ... well, you can't underestimate these guys.
Some of the better moments:
Dean and Frank talking loudly offstage while Sammy sings on stage. (Dean: Where's the toilet? Frank: Down the hall. You gotta knock though, there's no sign on the door. Dean: Oh, scuse me lady. Frank: What d'ya mean, lady? I'm a waiter here, pal.)
Frank: (Beginning a song) Ah ffff - oggy day. --- don't get nervous!
Dean trying to sing a song ... Frank angrily correcting all the wrong words.
Dean and Sammy sing "Sam's Song". Dean keeps calling it Dean's song, Sammy gets upset, so Dean sings - "Tell ya what I'll do ... since you're a Jew ... we'll call it Clyde's Song!"
Dean tries to jump in on "Lady is a Tramp" with Frank. Frank yells "You got a beat like a cop!"
And of course, the classic line by Dean - "Hey, how'd all these people get in my room!?"
I've always said it though, and I'll stick by it. Dean tops the list when it comes to cool. Frank has got the edge on "badass," I won't deny this. But Dean is a cool fucking bastard, and this CD proves it. Surprisingly, his voice sounds even better live - quiet, scratchy, laid back. Sings the wrongs words, adds his own little touches (i.e. "You's and you's alone"), does plenty of drinking, and lives up to his Italian nickname (which I forget) that translates to "One Who Does Not Give a Fuck."
Okay, so what's the point of this overblown, flattering, and drawn out review? The point is that The Rat Pack are fucking cool, and they are fucking worth listening to. Pick up your own copy -- or if you're cheap, I'll make you a copy. For free! It needs to be heard!
Okay, enough for this blog. I'll close with two simple thoughts:
1. There is little that separates the French language from the English spoken by queers everywhere.
2. Zorro is the greatest crime-fighter ever. Seriously. He did it all with a sword and a horse. Not superpowers and invincibility (Superman) or all manner of fancy machines and weapons (Batman) or freakish mutant manifestations (Spiderman, The Hulk, etc.). So there you have it. Take that, Marvel Comics.
A Presto
Mike
I'd like to thank "Anonymous Bob" and "Thugs2121" for their thoughtful, reflective, and lengthy comments on the last blog. It puts a smile on my face and warms my heart. However, I am baffled that someone would make the argument that Bledsoe's career QB rating is somehow a knock against his career. Consider the following career passer ratings: Jim Kelly 84 / Aikman 81 / John Elway 79. And to do the further injustice of equating this to Flutie somehow. Uggh. Shameful argument. And besides --- Bledsoe has a two-second, wordless cameo in "Jerry Maguire"!!! He's a fucking, artist, man!! Seriously, though, Bledsoe now stands in the top ten QB's of all-time for "Passing Yardage," and a quick check of NFL.com's record keeping section will show you any number of other records held by the Bills current QB. And I repeat, since people keep wanting to put words in my mouth - DREW IS NOT PLAYING TOP NOTCH FOOTBALL BY ANY STRETCH!! The team is winning as a whole, not because of Drew. I have never insinuated otherwise. I merely resist the rush to start Losman because my point is simply this - the team can win with Drew. It cannot with Losman. At least not yet. We have this horrible misconception in Buffalo that we should always be building for the future. And everytime we have a handful of young guys get old enough to start playing a little better and we still aren't winning championships, we always say "the hell with it, throw them to the curb, lets start over and build for the future." We do this in football. We do this in hockey. I think we have a good team here. I think, if our offense gets its act together and if our defense figures out how to come up big when it matters, and if we lynch Ryan Lyndell and replace him, then we have a competitive team in Buffalo that can challenge. But not if we burn Drew and start a kid with no experience, and not even a full year of practicing under his belt (keep in mind how much time he missed cause of his injury). That's all I'm saying, chums. Halfway through next year, if we're losing and Drew is struggling ... can him! By all means. Start Losman. But the truth is, if you start Losman right off the bat, you will be losing and struggling halfway through the season no matter what. And no one questions this. Not even my arch-nemisis, the evil sports-writer Jerry Sullivan. Even he has admitted as much!
In case anyone is interested, the Buffalo News is currently accepting submissions for a Short-Story Writing Contest. The deadline is Jan. 20, and the top two stories will be printed in the Life and Arts sections on Feb. 1. The story should be 1500 words (which is short) and can be on any topic, and be written in any genre. They give you the first few sentences, and you write your story from there. Let me know if you're interested, I'll give you the rest of the details.
Want to know why jazz music is still thriving, and has still mantained its integrity, years and years later? Because it has never gone pop. It has remained safely ex-mainstream bullshit. As such, it is the only genre of music that can truly be trusted. How, you ask? It remains relatively (not entirely) free from pomp and buffoonery. It is largely without adherence to the "bullshitism" that comprises so much of every other genre (i.e. rock, country, rap, R&B, etc.). Jazz is perhaps the only remaining contemporary genre where expression comes before image, art before packaged product. Not that it doesn't have its own darkside (e.g. Kenny G), but the comparison to mainstream music's wickedry is not even close enough to gesture at (i.e. Kenny G may suck huge balls, and his music is a travesty, but the man himself at least has talent as a musician). These are just random thoughts, friends.
I recently purchased "The Essential Bob Dylan." Why I did so is unclear to me, aside from the fact that Bob Dylan is a legendary rock artist and a hugely influential one at that. But I must say ... Bob Dylan, at least to me, is not "listenable" music in the sense of "Hey, I'm gonna take a ride in my car, and I think I'll listen to Bob Dylan." I think, at this stage of the game, Dylan can be best utilized as background music. For instance, I listened to disc 1 last night as I was trying to fall asleep, and I found the music rather soothing. Its this, however, that keeps Dylan from (at least in my mind) being on the same level as say Zeppelin or The Stones or Hendrix, and other 60's icons.
A brief tribute to the Rat Pack...
I recently began listening to an album that was made for me some two years ago. It lay forgotten for this long epoch, but it finally resurfaced several weeks ago, and I joyfully gave it a play through. Since then, I have given it several more play throughs, and I must say --- its fucking great. The album - since you're wondering - is The Rat Pack Live!! It begins with a few live numbers by Dean Martin (introduced "Here he is, the star of our show, direct from the bar, Dean Martin!) Dean begins with "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" which he drunkenly (or perhaps not) refers to as "Fran Sancisco" before telling a screaming admirer "Oh, shut your goddamn mouth." He does several more (e.g. Volare, An Evening In Roma, etc.) before giving way to Frank, who does a few diddies. Then, on comes Sammy Davis, Jr who tries - not entirely successfully - to sing a few tunes while being tormented relentlessly by Frank ("You wanna laugh, Sam? Go out in the audience") and Dean ("Hey, Frank, where's the toilet?") Then follows the better part of the album - The Rat Pack, all on stage, singing a bit, clowning a bit, swearing a bit. Let me tell you something - these guys are fucking hilarious. Surprisingly. And talented. There really ain't entertainment like this around anymore. And sadly, there never will be again.
But these guys could do it. And be cool doing it. This is worth checking out. How often is comedy cool? Almost never. But to be funny, and be cool, and be able to sing, and be able to drink, and be able to do movies ... and to do it well enough that its still being listened to decades later ... well, you can't underestimate these guys.
Some of the better moments:
Dean and Frank talking loudly offstage while Sammy sings on stage. (Dean: Where's the toilet? Frank: Down the hall. You gotta knock though, there's no sign on the door. Dean: Oh, scuse me lady. Frank: What d'ya mean, lady? I'm a waiter here, pal.)
Frank: (Beginning a song) Ah ffff - oggy day. --- don't get nervous!
Dean trying to sing a song ... Frank angrily correcting all the wrong words.
Dean and Sammy sing "Sam's Song". Dean keeps calling it Dean's song, Sammy gets upset, so Dean sings - "Tell ya what I'll do ... since you're a Jew ... we'll call it Clyde's Song!"
Dean tries to jump in on "Lady is a Tramp" with Frank. Frank yells "You got a beat like a cop!"
And of course, the classic line by Dean - "Hey, how'd all these people get in my room!?"
I've always said it though, and I'll stick by it. Dean tops the list when it comes to cool. Frank has got the edge on "badass," I won't deny this. But Dean is a cool fucking bastard, and this CD proves it. Surprisingly, his voice sounds even better live - quiet, scratchy, laid back. Sings the wrongs words, adds his own little touches (i.e. "You's and you's alone"), does plenty of drinking, and lives up to his Italian nickname (which I forget) that translates to "One Who Does Not Give a Fuck."
Okay, so what's the point of this overblown, flattering, and drawn out review? The point is that The Rat Pack are fucking cool, and they are fucking worth listening to. Pick up your own copy -- or if you're cheap, I'll make you a copy. For free! It needs to be heard!
Okay, enough for this blog. I'll close with two simple thoughts:
1. There is little that separates the French language from the English spoken by queers everywhere.
2. Zorro is the greatest crime-fighter ever. Seriously. He did it all with a sword and a horse. Not superpowers and invincibility (Superman) or all manner of fancy machines and weapons (Batman) or freakish mutant manifestations (Spiderman, The Hulk, etc.). So there you have it. Take that, Marvel Comics.
A Presto
Mike
posted by Il Pazzo @ 3:44 PM
1 Comments:
At 8:18 PM,
Anonymous said…
any amount u wanna bet, andy never makes it out of the divisional playoffs,whoever he is playing for the rest of his career. i do not use passer ratings to determine a good quarterback, i simply responded to your saying he had one of the best ratings of all-time. i also said that our record probably would be better w andy than j.p. i said that it is absurd to think this team can make a run at the bowl w #11 back there. and if im not mistaken a rookie quarterback started thirteen games this year throwing on average about only 20 passes a game, he had an excellent running game, o-line, and top defense...he didnt lose a game. just saying, j.p. the fruit just may be the way to go. he might not have the wits of drew, but at least he won't look like that statue france gave us a while back. by the way, now i hate windmills even more.
Post a Comment
<< Home