For no particular reason.

Hawaii 5-0
Mission Impossible
The Rockford Files
The Partridge Family
Sanford And Son
Dallas
Bonanza
Gilligan's Island
Laverne And Shirley
The Munsters

Honorable mention goes to:

Good Times
The Streets Of San Francisco
Ironsides
What's Happening?
The Mod Squad
Route 66

Most Over-rated theme songs:

The Monkees
The Brady Bunch
The Addams Family
The Jeffersons

Posted by: annika at 07:50 AM | Comments (18) | Add Comment
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Swamp fishing for a giant golden spermatozoon?

i gave this show its one chance, and it failed miserably.

Posted by: annika at 10:29 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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Is it me, or does Zenthrura sound like the stupidest fucking idea for a movie you've ever heard?

And it got made?! My rabbits in space idea is like ten times better.

Posted by: annika at 09:44 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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Ameriprise Financial.

Oooh look at the old hippie-turned-yuppie. He still surfs and drives a VW bus. Groovy.

Buncha freakin clueless narcissistic hypocrites. i guess they don't want my business.

Update: Am i alone? i don't think so. Here's another.

Posted by: annika at 08:21 PM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
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First episode: strong.

Second episode: inspired.

Posted by: annika at 11:52 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
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The rumor now is that Daniel Craig may be the next James Bond. i thought Pierce Brosnan had a few more movies left in him, but what do i know. Daniel Craig is not someone whose name i recognize and in this article he appears blonde. IMDb says he played Ted Hughes in Sylvia, that depressing Sylvia Plath biography with Gwynneth Paltrow. i thought he was good in that role, and Hughes being such a controversial figure he must have had to walk a fine line. Craig was also in the first Tomb Raider, but i can't remember his character.

i say again, what was wrong with Pierce Brosnan?

Posted by: annika at 10:21 AM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
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1 The Bonds always change... The ones they pick are never 'choice' but they always turn out good

Posted by: tesco at October 12, 2005 11:05 AM (c0E+O)

2 Apparently Cubby Broccoli's wife didn't like Brosnan, so she had him axed. He was willing to do at least two more movies. Thanks for the poetry today, btw. Even if it's been raining like hell for the past week in New England, at least Frost can make me think it's a lovely fall.

Posted by: Trevor at October 12, 2005 11:19 AM (RwZxT)

3 It will be interesting to see who is picked, though, IMHO, Sean Connery is the standard by whom everyone is judged, he still is the very definition of the the James Bond for movies.

Posted by: BobG at October 12, 2005 11:22 AM (2gZji)

4 From the pictures, I'm not a fan. It's the eyes. They look too... innocent? Youthful? James Bond needs slightly squinty, wisened, piercing eyes. I was holding out hope for Clive Owen, personally.

Posted by: The Law Fairy at October 12, 2005 11:35 AM (XUsiG)

5 What about the SNL guy who imitates Sean Connery? Could he portray Bond as a slutty buffoon?

Posted by: Ontario Emperor at October 12, 2005 12:14 PM (UTd3/)

6 I'm a Brosnan fan. Next to Connery, he is the best of the rest. But I saw Craig in Layer Cake and thought he was excellent. So, if it's true, at least they are picking a good actor.

Posted by: Blu at October 12, 2005 01:34 PM (aP4zl)

7 I'm a big Brosnan fan too. Hopefully the new guy won't let anyone down.

Posted by: Amy Bo Bamy at October 12, 2005 01:56 PM (kxatG)

8 He was a little nancy boy.

Posted by: Sean Connery at October 12, 2005 03:48 PM (qBTBH)

9 I thought Pierce had hung up his PPK. Speaking of PPKs, have you considered the Bersa .380 Thunder? Just bought one for my wife, perfect for her, and I expect to find it handy as well. Not a cannon, but more than adequate. http://www.gunblast.com/Bersa_Thunder380.htm

Posted by: will at October 12, 2005 06:11 PM (h7Ciu)

10 i'm looking for a place that will rent the Walther P99. Or maybe a P38. i'll have to look into that Bersa idea.

Posted by: annika at October 12, 2005 07:54 PM (b2vYZ)

11 Hey Lazenby wasn't that bad.

Posted by: the Pirate at October 13, 2005 04:49 PM (Rg0+S)

12 i'd rank Lazenby right after Connery, actually. i loved On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Posted by: annika at October 14, 2005 06:46 AM (7tH/9)

13 That one also has a great theme song. But Lazenby's biggest problem was he came after Connery (ignoring Never Say Never Again, which technically ISN'T a Bond Film). Moore was probably my fourth favorite, Dalton as the fifth, but I found his films horrid.

Posted by: the Pirate at October 14, 2005 08:55 PM (Rg0+S)

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Apprentice blogging will get me through this slump.

Repeat.

Apprentice blogging will get me through this slump.

So i saw the premier of Martha Stewart's Apprentice last night and it was...

Oh wait. Dawn did that already. Aw hell, just go read hers.

Best line of course was at the end when Martha tells the firee that he didn't fail, he just "didn't fully succeed." i'll have to remember that one.

Dear Father,

i regret to tell you that i'll be moving home again on account of they kicked me out of law school. Something about spending less time on the internet and more time reading cases or something like that. Anyways, the good news is i didn't fail, i just didn't fully succeed.

cordially,
a

Posted by: annika at 02:57 PM | Comments (26) | Add Comment
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1 Hmm... You really are in a slump. Its way too obvious that you are trying to pick on somebody you dont like. I think martha's comment was ok. And im still pissed that you called britney skankwoman!

Posted by: jeff at September 22, 2005 07:24 PM (n+RKP)

2 Jeff, you're young. You'll get over it. As for me, my years are few, and wasting time reading even half of that liveblog makes me feel resentful of the time I've lost. I think that I'd like to smother fuck Martha. You know, where you hold the pillow over her face and she kicks and bucks like an animal? Trouble is, you can only do it once.

Posted by: Casca at September 22, 2005 08:02 PM (qBTBH)

3 Hey casca......since when did they allow internet access to patients in mental institutions? Here I thought annika was some sweet innocent simple cali girl......what the heck kind of friends does she have?

Posted by: jeff at September 22, 2005 08:49 PM (n+RKP)

4 Casca, where did we find this guy Jeff? I thought I told him that Annika was a gay black guy in drag. I guess he doesn't believe me. Now as to Martha. I think it better to do a Rodeo with her. That's where you get behind her in a doggy position, reach down and tell her that her breasts feel almost as good as her sister's, then hit the stopwatch to see how long you can hold on. When you are done, just shoot her with one of Annie's guns. You pick it, but I like the Glock 9MM at about 7 feet, using the standard Marine method of emptying the clip.

Posted by: shelly at September 23, 2005 02:17 AM (M7kiy)

5 By the way, Annie, if you do not "totally succeed" in law school, I will personally hunt you down and shoot you. You are way too smart to let those jerks intimidate or depress you. Don't you know the adage, "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."? Law School Professors (with a few notable exceptions) could not make their way in the real world. Do not let them get you down. Remember, in about five years, you'll be able to buy and sell them and they'll be relying on your donations and those of others to get by. Hang in there, we are really with you.

Posted by: shelly at September 23, 2005 02:26 AM (M7kiy)

6 Shelly, do you work in D.C. by any chance? I work at a law firm (in IT) in Washington, and you kinda remind me of someone here.

Posted by: Victor at September 23, 2005 05:29 AM (L3qPK)

7 and annika? If you leave law school, it'll be OK with me, if it's for the right reasons. Flunking out or getting booted are wrong reasons and I will lose a tremendous amount of respect for you. BUT, if you feel the law isn't for you--by all means, beat feet. You have to try something before you know if it's for you; the law is no different. I have a friend who went to law school, practiced for a couple of years, then decided she hated working in a firm. Private practice appealed to her even less. However, law school didn't go to waste--she started working in the legal dept for a local utility, and now she's one of their (rather succesful) executives. (Personally, I don't see you working as an exec. I see you opening up several very chic, very expensive shoe stores. Heckuva way to feed your habit )

Posted by: Victor at September 23, 2005 05:36 AM (L3qPK)

8 C'mon, Annie, you're a 2L -- it gets easier from here on out! Let's not have any of this rubbish about getting kicked out; you're far, far too smart for that. Hell, if I made it you certainly can! Sounds like you need to decompress a little. If you're really exhausted by the blog, and/or it's taking up too much time, just give it a rest. We'd hate to see that happen, but we'd get over it; real life should be a much higher priority than the selfish wants of a bunch of strangers on the 'Net. And I think, in the end, most of us would rather see you do well for yourself than see you blog yourself into oblivion. I would suggest that you throw a knees-up, get half-pissed and have a good knobbing -- but that'd be wrong. That'd be wrong. Right? Right! Right.

Posted by: Matt at September 23, 2005 07:22 AM (10G2T)

9 Annie, remember what I told you long ago? First year they scare you to death. Second year they work you to death. Third year they bore you to death. Any way you look at it, you are dead for three years. Even if you don't want to ever practice law, the education is worth the candle. You may not drop out for any reason, or you face the wrath of all of us who have been through the grinder and survived. Victor, no, I have not worked in The District since 1962-3, when I began my career working for the Attorney General in D.C. Two winters and one summer was all I could bear, being an Angeleno, I was not able to acclimate to the severe weather, although working for Bobby was always a challenge. The thought of facing a second summer of sweltering, oppressive heat from the swamp called the Potomac Basin was too much for a guy who lives in Santa Monica. Besides, the women, while plentiful, just didn't have the style of the Southern California beauties to whom I had become accustomed. But, living in Georgetown was fun during the winter, I have to give it that...

Posted by: shelly at September 23, 2005 08:08 AM (M7kiy)

10 Gentlemen, gentlemen, if you think that anni would quit anything, excluding extreme circumstance, then you just don't know our girl. She's a rock. She's Santana Moss in the 4th Qtr on MNF. She's the Buckeye defense. As for emptying the magazine "Marine style", we carried that ammo all the way out here. You didn't expect us to carry it back?

Posted by: Casca at September 23, 2005 08:27 AM (qBTBH)

11 Well, he DID ask questions: "Hey casca......since when did they allow internet access to patients in mental institutions?" Like I said, you're young. It's a sick world, and I've always tried to be best. "Here I thought annika was some sweet innocent simple cali girl." You really need a firmer grip on reality as you sail through life, or you'll never get your bow into the wind. "what the heck kind of friends does she have?" The absolute very best kind... erudite, masculine, literate, loyal, realistic, well-rounded guys for the most part, except for Victor. He's just a perv.

Posted by: Casca at September 23, 2005 08:37 AM (qBTBH)

12 Youth must be served; no one wants to be the waiter.

Posted by: shelly at September 24, 2005 08:48 AM (ywZa8)

13 Did I miss something? I really did miss something, didn't I. What's all this nonsense about failing out? Annie riffed off Martha's quote, but I didn't catch the subtext that Annie was really writing about her own academic failure. How could she be failing already? The semester is still young. A blogging slump, however, is something I can understand. Since Annie hates the American Skankwoman with such passon, here's a post I hope will amuse. In it, Britney Spears and Arnold Schwarzenegger discuss theories of mind while touching each other inappropriately. Kevin

Posted by: Kevin Kim at September 24, 2005 09:16 AM (1PcL3)

14 Hey! no Ragging on Arnold! He is my hero, (really!) I made it through Hurricane Rita without a scrape. Just a little differnce between Texas and Louisiana, We had a local Wal-mart looted, and sixteen looters were apprehended before they could make it out of the store!

Posted by: Kyle N at September 24, 2005 10:39 AM (7qtiD)

15 Please tell me that they were hung in the parking lot as a warning to others? I'm in the process of watching the Buckeyes DESTROY the Hawkeyes. If it wasn't for the refs it would have been 31 - zip at the half. Life happens ten yards at a time.

Posted by: Casca at September 24, 2005 11:31 AM (qBTBH)

16 Oregon 13, USC O. Then the boys from Troy settled down. Final, USC 45, Oregon 13. Trojans rule; Ducks drool.

Posted by: shelly at September 25, 2005 12:01 AM (6krEN)

17 Casca, you shoot looters on sight, not hang them on sight. Takes too long. For choice of weapon, see Annie's endless posts comparing Swiss, Italian, German and other exotic weaponary. As I remember it, it was the Colt revolver that tamed the Wild West. A Colt .45 still is the gold standard for pure stopping power. In close up and personal combat, I think one of those would end the debate quicker than stopping to hang some idiots who are solving their hunger and thirst by grabbing a big screen TV.

Posted by: shelly at September 25, 2005 05:23 AM (6krEN)

18 Easy on there old fruit, I think that I know how to put down insurrection. Nothing sends a message like bodys hanging from lamposts, whether they died that way or not is immaterial. As for ducks and the dickcovers, I watched the game. The officials kept SC in it, and then gave it to them. Most of the country doesn't know this, because the game wasn't nationally televised. TWO OREGON TOUCHDOWNS WERE CALLED BACK!!! The officials were in the USC tank. USC is going to take an asswhiping. You heard it here first. Could be next week, or could be in early January in the Rose Bowl.

Posted by: Casca at September 26, 2005 12:04 AM (qBTBH)

19 ASU? ASU? In OUR house? I'd say pretty doubtful Maybe on January 4, if Texas gets an offense and defense that can go four quarters, it may be close, but not next week. And certainly not UCLA, either who also plays in our house this year. SC is three deep at every position, especially the interior lines. No other college team can keep up with them. What you saw happen is that Oregon played the first string right through until they just plain tuckered out. Typical USC M.O. See if you can say "Three-peat". P.S. John David Booty will be better than Palmer or Leinart, and everyone knows it. Look for at least two more years of this fun, but even I can't say "Five-peat". But Pete Carroll can.

Posted by: shelly at September 26, 2005 01:22 AM (M7kiy)

20 Dude, you got no D. I don't think Texas makes the run to the Roses. Oklahoma, Texas Tech, or the Aggies will trip them. What I saw in Oregon was PAC 10 officiating propping up USC. It's hard to win when your TD's are called back, and no flags are thrown on the USC offense's obvious holding. This is the same kind of shit that used to go on with Miami all the way through the championship in '02. Eventually a team comes along that doesn't buy the bullshit in the sportspages.

Posted by: Casca at September 26, 2005 10:30 AM (qBTBH)

21 Some team like the toothless wonders of Stawberry Canyon? You guys never cease to amaze me; they must put something in the water in Berkeley that creates permanent wishful thinking when you mix it with Cool-Aid. You are looking at a dynasty; yup, the D is young and takes a little adjusting, but ater 13 quick ones, it was 45 to 0. Shows me some D even if it was a 14 man formation. Hell, w've always had that... Oklahoma is weak; Texas will whip them, but no one is going to beat USC this year, except maybe themselves. So far, the coaching has shown it is up to the task. Remember, Pete is a D coach. Sorry, Bub, this is written down already; the only question is will they beat the spread? Saturday is is only 17, giving a slight nod to ASU's ability, I guess. There is no money line. Surprise.

Posted by: shelly at September 26, 2005 05:45 PM (M7kiy)

22 I'll type this real slow so you can understand what I'm saying. USC has no defense. When they play a team with a real defense, Leinart will fold like a cheap suit, and a real offense will have their way with the USC defense. There are at least two teams in the country better than USC; Ohio State & VA Tech.

Posted by: Casca at September 26, 2005 10:39 PM (qBTBH)

23 Granted, the Defense is young and somewhat inexperienced, but they are talented and deep, three deep at most positions. This gives them the ability to play moderately well throughout the game, as opposed to most others that have no depth. When Booty gets a little better (he's gonna get a LOT better), they can platoon with him and Matt, and Reggie and Lendale, plus the rest of the line. Watch closely; they will consistantly dominate the last half of the third and the fourth quarters. No one is going to beat USC this year; they do not play the Hoakies, and the Buckeyes are unlikely to find their way to Pasadena. At least VaTech has a coach. It's gonna be the Horns and the Trojans. You can go back to typing fast. One article from a disgruntled Austin writer doesn't do it for me. Fight On!!!

Posted by: shelly at September 28, 2005 12:37 AM (6mUkl)

24 When it comes to football, you sir are a provencial hick.

Posted by: Casca at September 28, 2005 03:36 PM (qBTBH)

25 I am not happy tonight. I wanted to watch the second edition of the Martha Stewart Apprentice show, and the local cable company lost both channel 4 and channel 7 at about 8:20 and didn't get them back until after 9. I ended up watching Rocky Laporte on Comedy Central, which was enjoyable, but Not Quite The Same.

Posted by: Ontario Emperor at September 28, 2005 10:50 PM (V6D5w)

26 Disappointing. The playground way of signaling one is losing an argument is to resort to argumentum ad hominem. I very may well be "provincial", in fact, I often wish I were, of course, referring to the coastal Southern area of France called the Cote d'Azur and also known as Provence. The proof is in the pudding. If Ohio State (what ever happened to Woody Hayes' theory about not passing?) manages to grunt itself into Pasadena on January 4 and actually beats USC, I'll concede. If not, USC still gets just about all the votes for first place, so the entire sports journalism fraternity must also be provincial, so I'll just hunker down and keep watching them win (and cover) every single week, Defense or no. FIGHT ON!! (It has meaning, once again, but I doubt anyone not from USC can understand it)

Posted by: shelly at September 29, 2005 05:35 AM (6mUkl)

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i've been working on an idea for the next Great American Graphic Novel, to be written, drawn, inked and lettered by me. i suck at drawing, so that might be a problem, but i can ink, i think. My lettering skills are inconsistent, but hey, that's what they invented Comic Sans for, right?

This Great American Graphic Novel, or G.A.G.N. let's call it, will be aimed at the adult market. i plan to include lots of four letter words, sex, gratuitous violence, and women with bullet shaped titties. i'm still undecided on a title. So far, i have a couple of possibilities.

Death Marcher
Death Takes a Powder
Deadly Sin
The Deadliest Sin
Deadzine
Death-o-rama
Death in WiFi
A Dumass Way to Die
Death is for Dumasses
Kill Me Deadlily
Bicycle of Death
Mr. Killee, Killer of Genius
Hit Parade of Death
Death on a Shingle
The Dead Have No Eyeballs
Sugar Deadly
Color Me Die
Wacky Train to Deathville
The Murderer Who Liked to Kill People
Demarcation of Death
Demarcation of Death II, The Awakening
The Stoogemaster
Traffic Circle of Death
A Fine Way to Die, Wally
Dying is an Ugly Business
The Death Tram
The Death Pram
Only 45 Minutes to Deadway
More Death's A-Killin'
Take A Memo, Death
Why Do the Dead Always Die?
A Fun Time for Dying
Do We Die Now?
Did We Die Yet?
Fuck, I'm Dead!
Murder at the Circle K
Even Killers Get the Blues
Only Killers Get the Blues
Why Do Killers Get the Blues?
18" Rims of Death
For Death's Sake
The Drama Club Murders
A Dharma Death
Murder by Fiddlesticks
Deathslope
Deathslide
Deathramp
Doing a Death Right
Killer of the Dead
Killer of the Dead II, The Awakening
North Dallas Deadly, A Sports Thriller
The Killer Who Left the Toilet Seat Up
Deadly Games the Dead Play
Core of Death
The Semantics of Murder
Cubicle of the Dead
Cuticle of the Dead
The Chronic Killer
'Tis a Far Better Death
It Slices, It Dices, It Dies
Death Knoll
Death Knell

i particularly like Death Knell, but i want to save it for a mass market paperback idea i have. i'll change the name to Death Nell, and the story will involve a kick-ass girl crime scene investigator/hooker named Nell, who is also a vampire hunter. Or maybe she'll be a vampire herself, who knows. i still need to do the market research on that.

But getting back to my graphic novel idea. The working title for my G.A.G.N. is currently Statute of Limitations, which has a nice ring to it. i haven't plotted the whole story out yet, but i have the basic outline in mind. It's about a family of rabbits in space. They go around having adventures and helping people.

i also have a cover design. Wanna see it? Here it is.

Don't steal my idea.

Posted by: annika at 06:26 PM | Comments (17) | Add Comment
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Are Wednesdays on ABC the best hope for a return of "Must-See TV?"

Posted by: annika at 07:27 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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i'm no wine expert, but i'll give it a try. i emailed Pursuit, who is the unofficial sommelier of annika's journal, and asked him if it was time to drink that $12 bottle of '95 St. Supery Cabernet i'd been holding onto. He responded thusly:

I'd suggest that you drink it pretty soon.

I hope you've kept it on its side

and in a reasonably cool place.

While some reds can be great beyond ten years, my guess is the St Supery is probably in its sweet spot now.

(If you're ever in Napa, i recommend the St. Supery winery tour. Very informative.)

As for the '95, i liked it. Almost rust in color, plum and berry predominates, and there was no trace of tannin. A hint of oak [i have no idea what i'm talking about, btw] and big but not overly complex. All in all, a good $12 investment.

Tasted good tooo.

Update: Although i have no idea what a tannin is, this pro seemed to agree with me that the '95 didn't have any.

Posted by: annika at 07:09 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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So is Robyn, of North American Patriot. Here's a great tribute.

Posted by: annika at 07:21 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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i don't know if any of you take my advice on music, but here's one anyway. Dizzy Gillespie's 1959 recording, Have Trumpet, Will Excite.

i love Dizzy. i'm going to name my son after him. "Not "Dizzy," but "John Birks." How does "John Birks Rodriguez" sound?

The personnel on this record are not well known to me, but they sound great together. i'm especially impressed by the piano player Junior Mance. Check out the first tune for some great piano work.

The second tune, "My Man," is fun with its long moody intro, which leads to a bouncy piece that references two other unlikely classics "O Solo Mio" and "Moten Swing." Dizzy's great sense of humor is on display in this one.

"Moonglow" is a standard, and here it features a long swinging flute solo by Les Spann. On "St. Louis Blues," Spann switches to jazz guitar for another uptempo solo.

"Woody 'n' You" is a Gillespie written tune that always swings no matter who does it, even more so when the author is blowing. High note fans, like myself, should be happy with the man's solo.

"Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams" is another standard, with Dizzy blowing a muted trumpet up and down the scales. It's also the longest song at 7:13.

The next song is "There Is No Greater Love." The title sounds like something Coltrane might have written during his religious years, so i checked the liner notes. But no, it was written by Isham Jones, an old bandleader from the 20's and 30's, who should win the award for "white musician with the most black sounding name." Dizzy's version is a romantic tempo song that's probably the best thing on this CD.

The rest of the CD is three more alternate takes of "No Greater Love" and two alternate takes of "I Found A Million Dollar Baby In A Five And Ten Cent Store." i don't know why Verve does this. It's not like you're getting more music, since the alternate takes don't sound any different to my ear.

But if you're into jazz at all, take my advice, this is a pretty decent CD.

Posted by: annika at 05:11 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Fans of Thai cuisine know what i'm talking about. If you get the urge for some spicy Thai shrimp soup, but don't want to leave the house, here's what you do. And it only costs pennies.

You need the following items:

Top Ramen Picante Shrimp flavor
can 'o' shrimp
1 teaspoon fresh milled black pepper
half a can of generic brand veg-all
half a can 'o' mushrooms
Soy Vay Island Teriyaki sauce, maybe 3 tablespoons or more
dash of chilli powder, Durkee seasoning or Mrs. Dash
lime juice if you got it, but who has lime juice?

Alright, don't be tellin' me this is not real Tom Yam Gong. i know that. The real shit has lemon grass and big shrimp and those really really hot peppers and is served over a little flame to keep it simmering. i love it when it's so hot it makes you cough. My recipe is fake Tom Yam Gong with noodles, but it can hold you over when you're real poor or real lazy.

Don't skimp on the Ramen flavor, that's essential. It must be Nissin's Picante Shrimp. Also, i wouldn't substitute any other brand of Teriyaki sauce, but that's me. i love Soy Vay's stuff and use it all the time in lots of recipes.

i favor Durkee seasoning and Mrs. Dash instead of Lawry's or other season salts because there's less sodium. Mrs. Dash is especially good on any Asian style soup, i think.

So anyways, the construction of this quick and dirty recipe is simple. Boil 2 cups water, add the noodles, and cook uncovered for three minutes. When that's done, turn off the heat and add everything else. Let it sit covered for a few minutes to heat everything through. Or, you can simmer a little bit longer, but that tends to overcook the noodles.

Enjoy with a beer.

Posted by: annika at 07:44 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Today is Louis Armstrong's birthday.

Don't forget to listen to a Louis Armstrong song today.

Posted by: annika at 08:12 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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1 Satchmo!! My favorite, and I'm probably not the only one here, is "What a Wonderful World."

Posted by: Amy Bo Bamy at August 04, 2005 12:26 PM (kxatG)

2 Thanks for the reminder Annika. And Amy, you should check out his stuff from the 20s and 30s. "What A Wonderful World" is okay, but he's not really showing off his true skill--wailing on that trumpet--in that particular song. Tight Like This, Basin Street Blues, Saint Louis Blues, West End Blues. God, now I sound like one of those assinine jazz guys who claims that you can only listen to jazz on vinyl and that Ken Burns is a tool. Well, just for the record, all my jazz is on CD and I think the Ken Burns doc was cool. I'm also a sucker for Armstrong's duets with Ella Fitzgerald--and real jazz snobs wouldn't own up to that (too 'commercial'... translation: too accessible)

Posted by: ken at August 04, 2005 03:56 PM (xD5ND)

3 I dunno what it is about that song, but it just seems to make my eyes well up. I'll dig further.

Posted by: Amy Bo Bamy at August 04, 2005 04:38 PM (kR4Xi)

4 Well, Hello Dolly! Actually, there is nothing better than his 1930's version of La Vie En Rose.

Posted by: Casca at August 04, 2005 05:48 PM (qBTBH)

5 I support listening to a Louis Armstrong song every day.

Posted by: irishlass at August 08, 2005 06:36 PM (s/na6)

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Today is the 141st anniversary of the Battle of the Crater. If you don't know what that is, i suggest renting Cold Mountain tonight. i love that movie.

Anyways, the Battle of the Crater was one of the craziest episodes of the Civil War. It was an idea that should have worked in theory, but in execution was fucked up from start to finish. If you think of all the Federal blunders committed during the Civil War, it's a wonder we're not two countries today. But we stuck it out, thanks to a man named Abraham Lincoln, whose resolve did not waver despite innumerable setbacks and intense opposition to the war.

Speaking of Civil War films, one movie that i saw recently, which doesn't get enough credit as a fabulous CW movie, is The Horse Soldiers from 1959. It was directed by John Ford, and starred John Wayne and Bill Holden. i think that's all you'd need to know in order to go rent it ASAP.

Posted by: annika at 08:36 AM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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If you, like me, were impressed by tonight's premier of FX's Over There, there's one thing we should both remember. Forty Americans died and 426 were wounded, most of them seriously, in the real life "over there" this month. Actors get paid big bucks and go on talk shows when their work day is through. While those who have volunteered to protect you and me in Iraq and Afghanistan don't get that kind of fame or money, but their sacrifices are real.

i hope the show stays centered on the American experience. i was happy to see that they did not try, at least in tonight's episode, to put a human face on the enemy or tell "their side." Let Ted Koppel and his buddies at Al Jazeera do that; there's enough relativism in the media as it is. i also did not detect any overt political messages, either right or left.

i imagine some observers might be upset that not every character was Tom Hanks. i don't mind that kind of realism in war movies. As a war movie fan, i like the Adam Baldwins and Nick Noltes the best. These are the complex characters who may seem like assholes with less than honorable motivations, but they get shit done. i bet there are lots of them in real life and thank God for it.

i'm also not bothered by Over There's portrayal of soldiers complaining about the Army. i'm not a veteran -- and i know that many of my visitors are, so correct me if i'm wrong -- but soldiers always gripe about the military. And there's always some incompetence and poor decision-making in any organization. Hell, does everything run smoothly at your job? It doesn't at my job, that's for sure. People who point to mistakes made in wartime as a reason to surrender are simply people who don't know what the fuck they're talking about.

So overall, i thought tonight's episode was pretty good, and i would say that if the rest of the series follows the same tone it should help our war effort. Which is more than i can say about anything else i see on tv that's war related.

[cross-posted at A Western Heart]
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* If you're interested, you can read about the latest disgusting media attempt to demonize an American soldier here. Also, you might be interested to know that a soldier who used a dog to frighten some detainees might spend more time in jail than the convicted LAX Millenium bomber.

Posted by: annika at 11:52 PM | Comments (17) | Add Comment
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1 Judge Coughenour needs to be impeached for arrogance. Lyunddie England faces 11 to 16 for showing her tits and this asshole tries to blow up LAX and gets a slap on the wrist and a lecture on Civics. Better keep this from Leahy and Kennedy; they'll be recommending him to the President for the Supreme Court next.

Posted by: shelly at July 28, 2005 12:29 AM (pO1tP)

2 Bochco is not the usual hollywood leftie, so they will probably keep it honest. BUT! will they be able to resist turning it into a psychological, existentialist, weepy anti-war piece of crap ala "The thin red Line"? I don't think they can resist.

Posted by: Kyle at July 28, 2005 03:50 AM (7Re84)

3 When I heard the M-bomber's sentence, I couldn't believe it. Plus, WTF, it takes five years to bring him to "justice"? All these fuckers need to be tried in military tribunals. The courts are incompetent to handle this. "War Stories", how does one communicate that which the uninitiated can't understand? The thing they never get is the boredom, and discomfort. Nobody wants to watch that, and nobody wants to experience it.

Posted by: Casca at July 28, 2005 07:15 AM (Qlvb9)

4 annika, I'm not a veteran either, but I suspect bitching about your job is pretty much universal

Posted by: Victor at July 28, 2005 07:30 AM (L3qPK)

5 You see, Thin Red Line is my favorite war movie. i don't think of it as an anti-war movie at all. i don't understand that criticism. i know Hugh Hewitt hates that movie too. But i think its only anti-war in the sense that all war is horror, not that we are wrong to fight, like in an Oliver Stone movie.

Posted by: annika at July 28, 2005 07:58 AM (re5Ya)

6 Annie, if "The Thin Red Line" is your favorite war movie, you need to go rent some really good ones, like any John Wayne movie, "In Harm's Way", or "Sands of Iwo Jima" or any of another dozen or two. No worrying about political correctness or depicting the enemy without hurting his feelings. Just good old fashioned heroism and glorification of the American fighting man (no fighting women were there, except as nurses and WAC's, etc., but so what). "Over*There" brings some reality current, as it shows the grit of the women, and that works better for us these days, but things have changed in "This Man's Army". I predict this show will have long legs. Then tell me about The Thin Red Line. Ugh.

Posted by: shelly at July 28, 2005 08:30 AM (pO1tP)

7 Sorry, kid, but I'm going to have to disagree a bit with your characterization of the Salon story. It might not be easy to read, it might raise some issues, but it's not a "disgusting media attempt to demonize an American soldier." It's a reporter a) doing his job and b) looking for his friend's killer. Should this sort of thing be printed DURING wartime? Should the soldier have talked to the reporter? Should the reporter have offered full disclosure that the victim was a friend of his? Tough questions. I'm sure the young man regrets his actions and will now probably regret talking to the reporter. Yes, the reporter had an agenda, but he did seem to try to paint a sympathetic portrait of the soldier and clearly stated that the "rules of engagement" had been followed. Of course, from a legal point of view, it would be interesting to see if this reporter would go to jail to protect his source in the case of an investigation.

Posted by: ken at July 28, 2005 08:36 AM (xD5ND)

8 I'm not sure The Thin Red Line is my favorite war movie, but I did like it a lot for the same reasons as Annika. It's not like it portrayed the Japanese as heroes, it just pointed out that war is hell and is fought imperfectly even when the reasons are right. Ken, re: the E&P story (I'm not signing up for salon to read the original.) I thought it was relatively fair until the last paragraph, and that changed my entire perspective of it. When the writer tries to stick that last sentence in there about the soldier's feelings of guilt it seemed more like an attempt to project the author's feelings onto the soldier, not a legitimate attempt at reporting. Seeing how the entire paragraph is a quote from the Salon article there would have to be a good amount of information supporting the soldier to make me think it was doing anything but trying to demonize him.

Posted by: Trevor at July 28, 2005 09:43 AM (RwZxT)

9 I experienced some of Casca's boredom and discomfort just trying to sit through "The Thin Red Line." Normally, I might make a mental note to rewatch a movie to see what the hell Annika's talking about. But that movie is so boring, I would rather stick needles ...etc. Re: "Over There" This is Bochco and Hollywood legitimately trying to be fair about the war experience. IMO, of course, they fail miserably - but at least they're trying, and that's something. I agree that, overall, this show might be a net positive in the "Struggle Against Extremism". Might. We'll see. My biggest complaint: Bochco portrays what soldiers' attitudes might be like if the soldiers had been DRAFTED and sent to Iraq. We have an all VOLUNTEER military. Granted, there's always a significant amount of bitching, pissed off, and confused people in any such situation. But, to a far greater degree than was portrayed by Bochco, our VOLUNTEER military know why they are there, and believe in what they are fighting for. Also, to a far greater degree than was portrayed by Bochco, our military can SEE why they are there, through interaction with and observation of the Iraqi people and the Iraqi nation. The military tactics portrayed were beyond parody. One thing especially pissed me off, because this mistake should not have been made be the rankest amateur: Americans do not spray barely discriminate gunfire from M-16s. Americans shoot two-shot groupings at a target. That's how you can tell Americans are in a fight: you hear the two-shot groupings being fired off. Being from Texas, I had to laugh at this unconscious parody of Hollywood typecasting - which also comprised a writer or producers' obscene gesture at all things Texan: The one soldier who knew damn well why he was there, and believed in the cause, and loved being in the Army, was from Texas. Bochco literally blasted that guy's buttocks off, and then showed his blasted off and hanging by a flap of skin buttocks on the screen. This is Bochco's F you to GW Bush, and his F you to every conservative Texan. I take it a bit personally, like a black guy watching another big-hat pimp show up on a cop show. So, F you Bochco. Right back atcha, you dumb-ass poseur. At least you opened with the Texas guy displaying tremendous virility. You got that part right.

Posted by: gcotharn at July 28, 2005 10:45 AM (OxYc+)

10 interesting points, gcotharn. Since i don't have any experience in these things, i'm always hesitant to spout off about squad level tactics, with so many experts in the blogosphere. But i did find that one scene where the sgt says, lay down some cover fire until morning, or something like that, kind of weird. and i thought the new M-16s were limited to only 2 or 3 shot bursts and weren't fully automatic anymore. Also, regarding the morale portrayal, i'm not sure i agree that the characters were acting like draftees, not volunteers. But i would have found it more realistic if when the terrorist's body got blown up and his legs kept walking before falling down, some of the soldiers had let out a whoop or some sort of bravado yell. Thats what kids in an intense situation would do. Standing and staring in awed silence is what Hollywood writers would do.

Posted by: annie at July 28, 2005 01:38 PM (zAOEU)

11 For a great many reasons I thought Thin Red Line was simply one of the worse movies I have ever seen, and ALL of my friends agreed with me. But, If you liked it, then you might like this show because the first episode had a lot of the same feeling to it. Plenty of angst and shithouse philosophy.

Posted by: Kyle at July 28, 2005 02:51 PM (7Re84)

12 Annika, If you want to see the comments of a bunch of veterans, go see Blackfive's post on it (at blackfive.net)

Posted by: JJR at July 28, 2005 03:31 PM (HxEi3)

13 "weepy anti-war piece of crap" Kyle, I don't know about you or what you have done, but the veterans I have spoken to come back from war distinctly anti-war. It is the men in power that have never been or seen who try to glorify the event. You do realise that you are not unique, kindred-spirits exist/ed in iraq, China, Japan, Germany, North Korea, who think that war is the way to get what they want. They don't think or don't know about the fucking raw horror of it all, perhaps Thin Red Line and its like are a very small step in this educational process?

Posted by: Ivan at July 28, 2005 05:30 PM (GpcqB)

14 You know Anni, your site is like a really good cocktail party. Lots of smart interesting people, and always one fucktard to be a spectacle. I'll bet that Ivan gets his ass beat before he makes it to the door.

Posted by: Casca at July 28, 2005 08:35 PM (qBTBH)

15 Ivan, I have a very realistic view of warfare, but being "Anti-war" is the surest way to get your ass into a war. Why dont you pick up a history book? Antiwar movements have historicaly led to weakening democratic governments and strengthing agressors.

Posted by: Kyle at July 29, 2005 03:04 AM (7Re84)

16 Hey Kyle: Ever hear of Neville Chamberlin? He had nothing on Howard Dean. The surest way to get your ass beat is to cower away from war. As our leader has said, "We didn't start this war, but we will finish it at a time and a place decided by us". You bet your sweet ass we will. For once, we are led by a man who means what he says. If you think Bush is wrong, maybe you need to find a friendlier place to blog around. Not much sympathy around here for that kind of a pacifist... We all believe in peace, just our way to get there is different than the "Blame America First" bunch. Enjoy your day; thank a G.I. today.

Posted by: shelly at July 29, 2005 05:50 AM (pO1tP)

17 "I don't know about you or what you have done, but the veterans I have spoken to come back from war distinctly anti-war." True, but most veterans aren't on the Left's bandwagon of military self-defeatism either.

Posted by: reagan80 at July 29, 2005 08:54 PM (ShYwz)

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Tony Pierce on Jack Kerouac:

first of all if i get called a hipster again im going to move out of los feliz. i dont drink coffee i dont wear man purses, yes im intentionally bald but only because the girls love it. i dont wear white belts. ive worn the same pair of shoes every day for three years. i dont listen to my bloody valentine radiohead coldplay or sleater kinney outside of bars talking about new order. fuck mac fuck jamba juice fuck coffee bean and fuck the nu art. fuck cinespace fuck silverlake fuck vice fuck piercings fuck the return of cocaine and fuck vinyl.

so definately fuck jack fucking kerouac

the pretty facade of the beats. who didnt have the genius of ginsberg, the creativity of ferlinghetti, or the muscle of burroughs.

simply put keourac is the simple plan of pop, hes the costas of broadcasting, hes the jay leno of late night. popular but empty. soft and spineless.

every time that someone compares on the road to huck finn mark twain gets to travel to hell and poke jack kerouac in the fucking eye.

his stories arent sexy theyre not funny theyre not enlightening theyre not innovative and history has not been kind to him.

howl alone dwarfs the entire kerouac catalogue, justly, and hollywood has yet to fully exploit burroughs, so wheres that leave your boy? in history books solely. one hit wonder. lucky to be there. neal cassadys buddy. period.

charles bukowski singlehandedly could take on a army of jack kerouacs, and he provided likeable characters. when you put all your eggs in one basket, that of making yourself the main character, you better hope that people will like you and will be rooting for you. sal paradise? give me henry chinaski and an ugly girl.

i read On The Road years ago and for a few weeks it almost changed my life. Almost. i love Bukowski, but he never had that effect on me. Still, Kerouac never made me laugh like Buk can. i didn't know which side to take in this controversy until i read this:

on the road makes me so happy that i was not on the road with jack kerouac. i first read it when i was riding couchettes through europe as i was turning 21. it was a gift because thats what people give twenty year olds as they head across the pond for the first time. alone.

the second time i read it aloud to prisoners at gitmo who then flushed themselves down the toilet.

people read jack keroac because theyve never read william carlos williams's white mule or hems garden of eden.

its the same reason they listened to pearl jam.

Posted by: annika at 07:54 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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i'm trying to clean out some stuff this afternoon and i found these in my closet. An old beau left them with me years ago. i hate throwing shit like this away. i could sell them on eBay, but that seems like a lot of trouble. So if anyone wants these six sucky CDs, i'll give them to you for free.

They are Chris Isaak's Heart Shaped World; The Lightning Seeds' Cloudcuckooland; k.d. lang's Ingénue; Sweet's The Best of Sweet; Roy Orbison's Mystery Girl; and Springsteen's Lucky Town. An eclectic mix.

Let me know if you want them by clicking here. Too late. We have a winner!

Posted by: annika at 11:56 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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1 You went out with a guy who liked Sweet so much that he purchased their greatest hits? Wow, I'm speechless. What an extraordinary lapse!

Posted by: Pursuit at June 05, 2005 03:10 PM (VqIuy)

2 Fuck, how can you give away Roy Orbison and Chris Isaak?

Posted by: Casca at June 05, 2005 03:19 PM (qBTBH)

3 Casca, How can you give away "Sweet"? Their album cover is blown up 10x and posted above my bed. Annika, Not that it's my business, but did you break up with this ex-beau over music taste? If you did, I clap my hands in your direction.

Posted by: Mark at June 05, 2005 03:43 PM (Vg0tt)

4 Hey, I really dig that Lightning Seeds album. "Pure" is a terrific pop tune. Maybe it's just my eighth grade nostalgia, but they are truly an underrated "group" (it's just one dude, actually - Ian Broudie). I even bought a couple of the band's other discs off ebay ("Perfect" is another great tune). Also, giving away Chris Isaak? For shame. This is a good idea. I've got TONS of crap CDs stockpiled from my college radio days.

Posted by: Micah at June 05, 2005 07:17 PM (v/oTo)

5 Their album cover is blown up 10x and posted above my bed. i'd rather be on somebody's bed and blown 10x. sorry, toooooo many shiner bocks.

Posted by: louielouie at June 05, 2005 07:34 PM (i7mWl)

6 oh yes, pure is the only good song on that cd, tho. and i have some bad memories connected to the chris isaak album so i never listen to it anymore.

Posted by: annika at June 05, 2005 07:43 PM (rC1od)

7 "i'd rather be on somebody's bed and blown 10x." You are absolutely correct LouieLouie, exept you're not ShrimpLouie. As for the rest of you cretins, you're cretins. Poor Roy, anyone want a bootleg of "Black & White Nights"?

Posted by: Casca at June 05, 2005 08:33 PM (qBTBH)

8 Very poetic of you louie.

Posted by: Mark at June 06, 2005 07:52 AM (Hk4wN)

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George and that nurse. What a bizarre couple.
He has no hair on his body. She has no lips.

Posted by: annika at 10:52 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Brittany & Kevin or Law & Order.
Brittany & Kevin or Law & Order.
Brittany & Kevin or Law & Order.
Brittany & Kevin or Law & Order.
Brittany & Kevin or Law & Order.
Brittany & Kevin or Law & Order.
Brittany & Kevin or Law & Order.
Brittany & Kevin or Law & Order.

sorry Brittany.

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