2.15.2010
President's Day at home with Trevor
Practicing my live blogging skills during a holiday at home with Trevor.
9 a.m.: Watching Thomas and Friends and eating breakfast: oatmeal, apples and fruit snacks.
10 a.m.: A little train time in the playroom.
11:20 a.m.: Just got out of the bath. Funny how it's like pulling teeth to get him in, but once he's in he never wants to get out.
12:30 p.m.: We got to the driveway a little too late; the ice on the bottom layers is impossible to get up. Oh well, it was a good workout.
4:06 p.m.: Just got back from running some errands. Stopped at McDonald's for lunch. Note to self: Don't ever go to kids funland McDonalds in Parma again. 900 obese kids + penguin toys that shoot discs = bad news.
... also stopped at the library ...
This just in: Gonna have to stop live blogging for the day. Trevor just shoved a penguin disc in the memory card slot in the front of the computer. Not kidding. Now I gotta take the computer apart while he sits in timeout.
9 a.m.: Watching Thomas and Friends and eating breakfast: oatmeal, apples and fruit snacks.
10 a.m.: A little train time in the playroom.
11:20 a.m.: Just got out of the bath. Funny how it's like pulling teeth to get him in, but once he's in he never wants to get out.
12:30 p.m.: We got to the driveway a little too late; the ice on the bottom layers is impossible to get up. Oh well, it was a good workout.
4:06 p.m.: Just got back from running some errands. Stopped at McDonald's for lunch. Note to self: Don't ever go to kids funland McDonalds in Parma again. 900 obese kids + penguin toys that shoot discs = bad news.
... also stopped at the library ...This just in: Gonna have to stop live blogging for the day. Trevor just shoved a penguin disc in the memory card slot in the front of the computer. Not kidding. Now I gotta take the computer apart while he sits in timeout.
2.14.2010
10 reasons this weekend in sports sucked
Worst. Sports. Weekend. Ever.
Here are 10 reasons why I wish I could have the past two days of my life back.
10. I hate NASCAR. But even for the dumbest, most hilljack sport ever, the Daytona 500 is kind of cool. It's like the Super Bowl of racing. And yet, this weekend, the most famous track in the history of racing GOT A POTHOLE, forcing officials to stop the race on two different occasions. Really? You're in Florida. Not Cleveland. There are no salt trucks cruising around the Daytona International Speedway spewing chemicals onto the asphalt. If ever there should be a road that's most taken care of, it should be a 2.5-mile oval for one day in Southern Florida where they run the Great American Race.
9. Every viewer who sat through the entire Slam Dunk Contest should be paid $10. What a waste of time and energy. Final results were: Nate Robinson, 4 fan votes. Some Bulls player I've never heard of, 3 fan votes.
8. Did you see the stupid side-gimmick-carnival games they had set up at Cowboys Stadium to cut to whenever the actual All-Star Weekend coverage got unbearably boring (99 percent of the time)? At one point I saw Rajon Rondo attempting to lasso a 3-foot mechanical bull from about 2 feet away. Holy shit. If there was ever a face gesture for "get me the hell out of here before I kill myself," he was wearing it.
7. At some point during the mechanical bull segment, the white "cowboy" showing black athletes how to lasso a bull realized how retardedly awkward the whole thing was. Watching him for the rest of the event was equally uncomfortable.
6. Stuart Scott was ripping on Pau Gasol because he couldn't lasso a mechanical bull. Really, Stuart Scott? You used to be sweet. Now you're the ESPN commentator assigned to moderate the mechanical bull event midway through the 1988 B-List Celebrity All-Star Classic.
5. I almost tried to get myself psyched for the Winter Olympics. Then someone DIED. Olympics = epic fail.
4. I almost thought about watching the Winter Olympics. Then they couldn't get the torch lit and Wayne Gretzky was visibly sweating and nervous and wanted to be anywhere but Canada.
3. I almost wanted to root for the USA team during the Winter Olympics. Then the "winter version of Michael Phelps" was crying and contemplating backing out of the biggest moment in her life because her shin hurt.
2. I thought about changing the channel from "Celebrity Rehab" to the Winter Olympics. Then I heard how cheaply Apolo Ohno, supposedly the best speed skater in the world and the face of the U.S. Olympic Team, won his silver medal. When he was in fourth place and the two Koreans in front of him ran into each other at the finish line like two bad guys in The Spy Next Door.
1. And finally, why are women's sports ever shown on TV? If I glance down at ESPN's Bottomline one more time and see a women's college basketball score and jump off the couch because I confuse it for a men's upset, I'm going to throw my remote through the TV. Does ESPN think one person in the world actually cares about the Washington State-DePaul women's basketball score? ESPN, let me share three pieces of valuable information with you: men don't care about women's sports; women don't care about watching sports; and no one is ever going to beat UConn. Any sport where a team wins 62 straight games is not a real sport.
Here are 10 reasons why I wish I could have the past two days of my life back.
10. I hate NASCAR. But even for the dumbest, most hilljack sport ever, the Daytona 500 is kind of cool. It's like the Super Bowl of racing. And yet, this weekend, the most famous track in the history of racing GOT A POTHOLE, forcing officials to stop the race on two different occasions. Really? You're in Florida. Not Cleveland. There are no salt trucks cruising around the Daytona International Speedway spewing chemicals onto the asphalt. If ever there should be a road that's most taken care of, it should be a 2.5-mile oval for one day in Southern Florida where they run the Great American Race.
9. Every viewer who sat through the entire Slam Dunk Contest should be paid $10. What a waste of time and energy. Final results were: Nate Robinson, 4 fan votes. Some Bulls player I've never heard of, 3 fan votes.
8. Did you see the stupid side-gimmick-carnival games they had set up at Cowboys Stadium to cut to whenever the actual All-Star Weekend coverage got unbearably boring (99 percent of the time)? At one point I saw Rajon Rondo attempting to lasso a 3-foot mechanical bull from about 2 feet away. Holy shit. If there was ever a face gesture for "get me the hell out of here before I kill myself," he was wearing it.
7. At some point during the mechanical bull segment, the white "cowboy" showing black athletes how to lasso a bull realized how retardedly awkward the whole thing was. Watching him for the rest of the event was equally uncomfortable.
6. Stuart Scott was ripping on Pau Gasol because he couldn't lasso a mechanical bull. Really, Stuart Scott? You used to be sweet. Now you're the ESPN commentator assigned to moderate the mechanical bull event midway through the 1988 B-List Celebrity All-Star Classic.
5. I almost tried to get myself psyched for the Winter Olympics. Then someone DIED. Olympics = epic fail.
4. I almost thought about watching the Winter Olympics. Then they couldn't get the torch lit and Wayne Gretzky was visibly sweating and nervous and wanted to be anywhere but Canada.
3. I almost wanted to root for the USA team during the Winter Olympics. Then the "winter version of Michael Phelps" was crying and contemplating backing out of the biggest moment in her life because her shin hurt.
2. I thought about changing the channel from "Celebrity Rehab" to the Winter Olympics. Then I heard how cheaply Apolo Ohno, supposedly the best speed skater in the world and the face of the U.S. Olympic Team, won his silver medal. When he was in fourth place and the two Koreans in front of him ran into each other at the finish line like two bad guys in The Spy Next Door.
1. And finally, why are women's sports ever shown on TV? If I glance down at ESPN's Bottomline one more time and see a women's college basketball score and jump off the couch because I confuse it for a men's upset, I'm going to throw my remote through the TV. Does ESPN think one person in the world actually cares about the Washington State-DePaul women's basketball score? ESPN, let me share three pieces of valuable information with you: men don't care about women's sports; women don't care about watching sports; and no one is ever going to beat UConn. Any sport where a team wins 62 straight games is not a real sport.
2.13.2010
Springsteen tributes were must-hear music
I didn't catch the 2009 Kennedy Center Honors when they aired in December ... and I regret it. I hope they replay the entire show sometime, or I can catch it on video or DVD somewhere.
The honorees were Mel Brooks, Dave Brubeck, Grace Bumbry, Robert de Niro and Bruce Springsteen. Springsteen was celebrated last and the tributes paid to him were simply moving. I've always enjoyed Springsteen's tunes, and seeing the way newer artist clearly admired him, and were inspired by him, gave me a new respect for The Boss.
The annual event recognizes recipients for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts. President and Mrs. Barack Obama were seated with the honorees in the Presidential Box of the Kennedy Center Opera House.
Eddie Vedder played "My City of Ruins," written by Springsteen in November 2000, for an Asbury Park, N.J., Christmas show benefit to help promote the revitalization of the city. A popular resort destination in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Asbury Park had succumbed to significant amounts of blight for a variety of reasons, including the ill-effects of the Great Depression, the opening of the Garden State Parkway and race riots.
Ben Harper played "My Father's House," originally released in 1982 on Springteen's sixth studio album, "Nebraska." Sparsely recorded on a cassette-tape, "Nebraska" is classic Springsteen in the sense that the songs deal with ordinary, blue collar characters who face a challenge or a turning point in their lives.
The honorees were Mel Brooks, Dave Brubeck, Grace Bumbry, Robert de Niro and Bruce Springsteen. Springsteen was celebrated last and the tributes paid to him were simply moving. I've always enjoyed Springsteen's tunes, and seeing the way newer artist clearly admired him, and were inspired by him, gave me a new respect for The Boss.
The annual event recognizes recipients for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts. President and Mrs. Barack Obama were seated with the honorees in the Presidential Box of the Kennedy Center Opera House.
♦♦♦
Eddie Vedder played "My City of Ruins," written by Springsteen in November 2000, for an Asbury Park, N.J., Christmas show benefit to help promote the revitalization of the city. A popular resort destination in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Asbury Park had succumbed to significant amounts of blight for a variety of reasons, including the ill-effects of the Great Depression, the opening of the Garden State Parkway and race riots.
♦♦♦
Ben Harper played "My Father's House," originally released in 1982 on Springteen's sixth studio album, "Nebraska." Sparsely recorded on a cassette-tape, "Nebraska" is classic Springsteen in the sense that the songs deal with ordinary, blue collar characters who face a challenge or a turning point in their lives.
2.06.2010
judge books by their cover
I was browsing an airport bookstore recently, looking for something to occupy my time on a cross-country flight.
The back of the book read, "Anyone who has ever felt broken and wished for a better life will find inspiration in his story."
It was a book about drug and alcohol addiction, a topic that hits particularly close to home because I have seen these struggles in friends and family. The back of "A Million Little Pieces" intrigued me: A "memoir" about an alcoholic crack addict's six weeks in rehab. What the heck, let's give it a read.
As the plane lifted off I opened to the first page--a note to the reader, from the author, explaining many of the experiences in the book have been altered or embellished. Page Two is a similar admission from the publisher, Doubleday (a division of Random House).
Immediately I felt ripped off. If I hadn't bought the book in the San Diego airport, I would've returned it. Years ago I was aware of the controversy surrounding James Frey's memoir, but stupidly I had forgotten the title and didn't associate the author. Now I'm stuck on a three-hour flight with an inspirational book that turned out untrue.
I read it anyway. It's a decent book, although highly unbelievable. Too many fairytale occurrences and far-fetched characters. But I like fiction--I tend to read mostly novels--so the validity shouldn't have irked me as much as it did. I found myself questioning the level of truth behind each situation in the book and it turns out years later none of Frey's stories have ever been validated.
But my bigger concern is not what lies within the pages. What left me most disgruntled was the presentation--the fact the book is labeled a memoir, sat in the nonfiction section and makes no admission of inaccuracy on the cover. A liner on the front reads, "With notes from the author and from the publisher," but does that even hint at the book's veracity?
It's not real ad
mirable, in my opinion, for the publisher to make the reader aware of the book's faults once he or she has already spent $17 on it.
In this particular instance, I'm fully suggesting this book be judged by it's cover.
After finishing the book and researching the controversy further, it turns out the publisher has agreed to refund readers who send a sworn statement indicating they purchased the book under the assumption it was a memoir. My book says "memoir" on it. I'm going to give it a try, and I'll keep you updated.
In case you're as apparently forgetful as I am, here is some history behind the controversy of James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces."
-- In January 2006, Frey appeared again on Oprah and this time admitted the same "demons" that made him turn to alcohol and drugs had also driven him to fabricate crucial portions of his "memoir." He admitted the book was first shopped as being a fiction novel but declined by many, including Random House itself. Winfrey brought out Frey's publisher to defend her decision to classify the book as a memoir, and forced Talese to admit that she had done nothing to check the book's veracity.
The back of the book read, "Anyone who has ever felt broken and wished for a better life will find inspiration in his story."
It was a book about drug and alcohol addiction, a topic that hits particularly close to home because I have seen these struggles in friends and family. The back of "A Million Little Pieces" intrigued me: A "memoir" about an alcoholic crack addict's six weeks in rehab. What the heck, let's give it a read.
As the plane lifted off I opened to the first page--a note to the reader, from the author, explaining many of the experiences in the book have been altered or embellished. Page Two is a similar admission from the publisher, Doubleday (a division of Random House).
Immediately I felt ripped off. If I hadn't bought the book in the San Diego airport, I would've returned it. Years ago I was aware of the controversy surrounding James Frey's memoir, but stupidly I had forgotten the title and didn't associate the author. Now I'm stuck on a three-hour flight with an inspirational book that turned out untrue.
I read it anyway. It's a decent book, although highly unbelievable. Too many fairytale occurrences and far-fetched characters. But I like fiction--I tend to read mostly novels--so the validity shouldn't have irked me as much as it did. I found myself questioning the level of truth behind each situation in the book and it turns out years later none of Frey's stories have ever been validated.
But my bigger concern is not what lies within the pages. What left me most disgruntled was the presentation--the fact the book is labeled a memoir, sat in the nonfiction section and makes no admission of inaccuracy on the cover. A liner on the front reads, "With notes from the author and from the publisher," but does that even hint at the book's veracity?
It's not real ad
mirable, in my opinion, for the publisher to make the reader aware of the book's faults once he or she has already spent $17 on it.In this particular instance, I'm fully suggesting this book be judged by it's cover.
After finishing the book and researching the controversy further, it turns out the publisher has agreed to refund readers who send a sworn statement indicating they purchased the book under the assumption it was a memoir. My book says "memoir" on it. I'm going to give it a try, and I'll keep you updated.
In case you're as apparently forgetful as I am, here is some history behind the controversy of James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces."
-- The book was released on April 15, 2003, and received mixed feedback. Some critics praised the book while others said the book rings false.
-- In 2005, the book was picked as an Oprah's Book Club selection, and shortly thereafter became the number one paperback non-fiction book on Amazon.com and topped the NYT Best Seller list for 15 straight weeks.
-- The book garnered international attention in January 2006, after it was reported by two journalists at The Smoking Gun that it contained fabrications and was not, as originally represented by the author and publisher, a completely factual memoir.
-- The Smoking Gun's editor, William Bastone, said a probe into the book was prompted after Frey appeared on Oprah. "We initially set off to just find a mug shot of him," he said. "It basically set off a chain of events that started with us having a difficult time finding a booking photo of this guy."-- In January 2006, Frey appeared again on Oprah and this time admitted the same "demons" that made him turn to alcohol and drugs had also driven him to fabricate crucial portions of his "memoir." He admitted the book was first shopped as being a fiction novel but declined by many, including Random House itself. Winfrey brought out Frey's publisher to defend her decision to classify the book as a memoir, and forced Talese to admit that she had done nothing to check the book's veracity.
2.03.2010
b2b Dilbert
Unfortunately, with shrinking ad revenues, this isn't too far off what the b2b magazine journalism world has become ...
2.01.2010
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