"Here is something for you to really consider......
We all heard of the great loss to mankind with
the passing of Steve Jobs.
I honestly feel like I have lost a friend with his passing.
Here he was, 56 years old, loved by millions.....
Handsome, clever, witty, enriched countless lives....
....and had Billions of $$ in the bank,
one of the wealthiest people on earth....
Yet, you and I are infinitely wealthier than he is...
.... As WE HAVE TODAY, and sadly, he does not.
Spend your infinite wealth today on something
that matters, enrich people's lives like Steve did.
Spend your day today,
like Steve Jobs would spend it if he could.
Make today count!"
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Wednesday Non-politics Rant (for those outside The Gang)
Yo, dudes -- is there anybody ALIVE out there?? (cue the Springsteen)...getting CRICKETS! Hope you all had a good summer, now it's time to hunker down and prepare for Ol' Man Winter (or as they call it in Maine: "next week")...and also, it's Time to Layeth The Smaketh Down!
1) NFL -- starts tomorrow. Who ya got for SB? I'll admit, I'm getting geeked up for a surprise season from my RAMS, and I see that several TV "experts" are jumping on the bandwagon. Yeah, the RAMS are only as good as Bradford will take them, and if he goes down, you'll hear the scream from where you live. My boys play The Dream Team right off the bat, so no dicking around here. Here's hoping the RAMS will do what the Lakers could not do to the other Dream Team -- close them out. Some other good matchups out there, let's start with Cowboys at J-E-T-S. Another great test right out of the chute. I took Big D in the nephew's Pick 'em Poll cuz I think Dallas has more on the line than NY and, even though it's an out-of-conference game for both teams, the 'boys cannot afford to lose this game. Also still not convinced that NYJ can score points when they need them most, and if it's a close game late, the home team may pucker up. Plus we'll have Tony and Jim going against Richie, so I expect the smak to be Epic. Other game of note: Packers over Saints (home team decides this matchup); ATL over CHI-town (are you there? Say a prayer, for the Pretender); Lions over Tampon Bay (another Pretender/Contender game); Ray-ray over Big Ben (another one of those where it matters who plays at home); Broncos over the RAY-DAhs (but who's watching that game besides Tebow groupies?).
2) CFB -- started last week, but is it me or does this season now seem anti-climatic, like a waste of time while waiting for the Year Of The Super Conferences? More on that in a minute. Couple of good matchups this week, starting with Bama at Happy Valley. Anytime the Big Ten loses is a good day for me, so Roll Tide. Also interesting is Golden Homers at MEEE-chigan. Man in the boat overboard here!! Brian Kelly is so working his way out of this job. Love to see the good Catholics turn purple as they watch him throw F-bombs more times than Bibi Jones loses her laundry on twitter (ahem, or so I hear). USC was pushed to the limit last week, but glad to see them hold it together against a crappy Big Ten team (all gets better for Tommy Trojan as their Star RB comes back from double secret probation, just in time against Utah). Sun Devils get a big test against Mizzou this week, after destroying Little Sisters of the Poor last week. ASU wasn't the only team playing lower class teams in openers (Darren Rovell was all over it), and props to those teams that have never stooped to that level (I'll let nephew enlighten you here), but my bigger concern is whether ASU can finally win a friggin' big game. It's been a long time since we shut out Nebraska, it's time to put the money where the mouth is or else DE should be putting his house on the market come Monday. I really hoped Utah State would take down War Eagle, if only to stop the annual ESS EEE CEE head swelling, but didn't matter, Oregon did all Pac 12 fans no favors by falling to LSU on national TV -- whatchu got now, Phil Knight? Meanwhile, in Columbus, they're partying cuz finally another team has risen to be the SEC Bitch.
3) MLB -- it's OVAH. Races are just about done, which provides more support for Bud Lite to slam thru his agenda of adding another wild card team to the playoffs. The good news is that, barring a Mets-like last-minute collapse (sorry, nephews), the D-bags should stop the Battery Chuckers from having a chance to defend their title (and I just threw up in my mouth for saying those last words). Thought I was gonna have to reach into the wallet cuz my Dodgers looked like they were going to finish with a much worse record than the Mets, but hey, it's just about tied now as both dogs limp to the finish line. All I want for Christmas is a new owner!! LA has a Cy Young candidate AND an MVP candidate, plus the fastest player in the league, so the future looks bright -- as long as they dump that POS McCourt. C'mon, Bud, you owe us one for allowing that garbage to buy the team in the first place! It looks like the Yankees are peaking just in time, while the Sawks are limping themselves. Brew Crew are killing everybody, but the Phighting Phillies look like the team to beat for the whole enchilada, over the Tigers. Yeah, I said it. Who you got for the WS?
4) Music -- what's your Top Ten Most Listened To songs on your iPod? I'm diggin' on new Chili Peppers and Foo Fighters. Also playing lots of Classic Rewind stuff from Third Eye Blind and Gin Blossoms, et.al. Speaking of which, SiriusXM needs to add a channel that plays alt 90's/'00's stuff -- where's the FOB/Death Cab/Toad/Jane's Addiction/Fuel/Incubus/Liz Phair stuff? OK, Tony, give us the 4-1-1 on what was the best concert of the summer? VMA's did a nice job of trying to one-up the Grammys by awarding a no-name winner. Gaga's performance was boring after the first 2 minutes, but I did admire her for having the nads to do it. Props to Jessie James for showing some pipes in a very karaoke-like role -- she's another one I'm adding to the iPod. My teenager tells me that Chris Brown and Rhianna are back together again, but flying under the radar cuz of fear of public outrage. Dude can dance, no question.
5) MISC -- add it, we'll rant on it. Topics next time could include New Fall TV lineup, current EPL standings (how's Liverpool doing?)...OUT.
1) NFL -- starts tomorrow. Who ya got for SB? I'll admit, I'm getting geeked up for a surprise season from my RAMS, and I see that several TV "experts" are jumping on the bandwagon. Yeah, the RAMS are only as good as Bradford will take them, and if he goes down, you'll hear the scream from where you live. My boys play The Dream Team right off the bat, so no dicking around here. Here's hoping the RAMS will do what the Lakers could not do to the other Dream Team -- close them out. Some other good matchups out there, let's start with Cowboys at J-E-T-S. Another great test right out of the chute. I took Big D in the nephew's Pick 'em Poll cuz I think Dallas has more on the line than NY and, even though it's an out-of-conference game for both teams, the 'boys cannot afford to lose this game. Also still not convinced that NYJ can score points when they need them most, and if it's a close game late, the home team may pucker up. Plus we'll have Tony and Jim going against Richie, so I expect the smak to be Epic. Other game of note: Packers over Saints (home team decides this matchup); ATL over CHI-town (are you there? Say a prayer, for the Pretender); Lions over Tampon Bay (another Pretender/Contender game); Ray-ray over Big Ben (another one of those where it matters who plays at home); Broncos over the RAY-DAhs (but who's watching that game besides Tebow groupies?).
2) CFB -- started last week, but is it me or does this season now seem anti-climatic, like a waste of time while waiting for the Year Of The Super Conferences? More on that in a minute. Couple of good matchups this week, starting with Bama at Happy Valley. Anytime the Big Ten loses is a good day for me, so Roll Tide. Also interesting is Golden Homers at MEEE-chigan. Man in the boat overboard here!! Brian Kelly is so working his way out of this job. Love to see the good Catholics turn purple as they watch him throw F-bombs more times than Bibi Jones loses her laundry on twitter (ahem, or so I hear). USC was pushed to the limit last week, but glad to see them hold it together against a crappy Big Ten team (all gets better for Tommy Trojan as their Star RB comes back from double secret probation, just in time against Utah). Sun Devils get a big test against Mizzou this week, after destroying Little Sisters of the Poor last week. ASU wasn't the only team playing lower class teams in openers (Darren Rovell was all over it), and props to those teams that have never stooped to that level (I'll let nephew enlighten you here), but my bigger concern is whether ASU can finally win a friggin' big game. It's been a long time since we shut out Nebraska, it's time to put the money where the mouth is or else DE should be putting his house on the market come Monday. I really hoped Utah State would take down War Eagle, if only to stop the annual ESS EEE CEE head swelling, but didn't matter, Oregon did all Pac 12 fans no favors by falling to LSU on national TV -- whatchu got now, Phil Knight? Meanwhile, in Columbus, they're partying cuz finally another team has risen to be the SEC Bitch.
3) MLB -- it's OVAH. Races are just about done, which provides more support for Bud Lite to slam thru his agenda of adding another wild card team to the playoffs. The good news is that, barring a Mets-like last-minute collapse (sorry, nephews), the D-bags should stop the Battery Chuckers from having a chance to defend their title (and I just threw up in my mouth for saying those last words). Thought I was gonna have to reach into the wallet cuz my Dodgers looked like they were going to finish with a much worse record than the Mets, but hey, it's just about tied now as both dogs limp to the finish line. All I want for Christmas is a new owner!! LA has a Cy Young candidate AND an MVP candidate, plus the fastest player in the league, so the future looks bright -- as long as they dump that POS McCourt. C'mon, Bud, you owe us one for allowing that garbage to buy the team in the first place! It looks like the Yankees are peaking just in time, while the Sawks are limping themselves. Brew Crew are killing everybody, but the Phighting Phillies look like the team to beat for the whole enchilada, over the Tigers. Yeah, I said it. Who you got for the WS?
4) Music -- what's your Top Ten Most Listened To songs on your iPod? I'm diggin' on new Chili Peppers and Foo Fighters. Also playing lots of Classic Rewind stuff from Third Eye Blind and Gin Blossoms, et.al. Speaking of which, SiriusXM needs to add a channel that plays alt 90's/'00's stuff -- where's the FOB/Death Cab/Toad/Jane's Addiction/Fuel/Incubus/Liz Phair stuff? OK, Tony, give us the 4-1-1 on what was the best concert of the summer? VMA's did a nice job of trying to one-up the Grammys by awarding a no-name winner. Gaga's performance was boring after the first 2 minutes, but I did admire her for having the nads to do it. Props to Jessie James for showing some pipes in a very karaoke-like role -- she's another one I'm adding to the iPod. My teenager tells me that Chris Brown and Rhianna are back together again, but flying under the radar cuz of fear of public outrage. Dude can dance, no question.
5) MISC -- add it, we'll rant on it. Topics next time could include New Fall TV lineup, current EPL standings (how's Liverpool doing?)...OUT.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Tailgunner Trump
A lot has been said lately about the "birther" controversy, to the point (or some would say New Low) where the POTUS unveiled his birth certificate long form to the public yesterday. As expected, and to no one's surprise, The Donald quickly jumped on the opportunity to proclaim victory of his accomplishment, complete with no shortage of pride or chest-pumping. Many see this as a major step towards his credibility as a viable candidate for POTUS in 2012, whereas most political pundits realize this is nothing more than "more of the same" from a celebrity who loves to rattle the cage yet, because he has not officially declared himself a candidate (something the current POTUS had no hesitation in doing), he remains exempt from counter-accusations, which seems all too convenient. One can easily return the challenge to The Donald by way of demanding the release of his personal financial statements (as all candidates are required to do), or insist that full disclosure be made in regards to his roles in the three bankruptcy petitions he filed on behalf of his companies, but since he's not officially a candidate, he has no incentive to do any of this. And of course there's the recent gaffe he made about being "a friend to the blacks"...did you notice how no one really took that seriously? It wasn't because it was irrelevant -- it was because it was wonderful fodder that was stashed away to be used in another time if and when The Donald becomes an official candidate. I, for one, have a huge problem with this condescending comment, but I will give him credit for not being a fake about it. I find The Donald amusing at best, and given his shallow position on real issues, I don't expect him to be an official candidate any time soon -- even he knows he cannot afford the scrutiny that will follow that action, as I'm sure he painfully remembers the last time he had to go under the microscope when he filed his last BK. I don't know if anyone caught Boone Pickens on CNBC yesterday, but when asked what Boone thought about The Donald's point about challenging OPEC, Boone quickly scoffed it off as being ridiculous because of the real facts -- something that The Donald seems to shy away from, and maybe that's because he's never been one to let facts get in the way of a good story. More on the Pickens conversation later...
Monday, February 21, 2011
President's Day
The day started like any other weekday: via the mellow annoyance ring tone of the cell phone's alarm clock. Alex came out of his slumber and reached gently over to the nightstand on his left, finding his phone exactly where he laid it the night before, and tapped the "dismiss" button on the touch screen. It was 5:30am, and he knew another alarm was programmed to come on in 30 minutes, per his set-up preference. Usually he took advantage of this "customized snooze function", but not today, too much was on the plan for the day. He rolled to his right and noticed that she was gone, which was no surprise per her schedule, and his mental complaint was quickly followed by a mental thankfulness for the solitude. Not that he didn't appreciate Layla's company -- she was becoming more of a comforting fixture around the house -- but she was also a very important and equally busy woman with a focused agenda when it came to her job, and he was all too willing to stay out of her way when it came to the workday week. Tonight was the start of a 3-day bank holiday, but until 6pm rolls around, he knew (as it always was from Sunday night to Friday evening) that Layla's free time was few and far between.
As he lay there, he took a quick mental survey of his physical situation -- all seemed ok, maybe some slight soreness in his hamstrings, but otherwise all was well enough to earn a small smile of content. Another fringe benefit of Layla's work style was that she suppressed a lot of tension and she was all too eager to let it out when they were under the sheets, which was almost always followed by mutual appreciation in various forms. But that was just about enough lingering for Alex; he had his own agenda today and was eager to get it started. As his feet hit the ground, he heard the whirr of the coffee grider/brewstation begin, also, per programmed schedule. "Ah, nothing like a great cup of coffee brewed from freshly grounded beans to start the day", he thought to himself. Coffee was one of his guilty pleasures and he always tried to find new ways to enjoy his favorite daytime beverage. However, before he could partake of that first sip, he would be faced with a 10-minute brew cycle, so he used the time to take an assessment of the interior of the house. He grabbed his phone as he took off down the hall and down the stairs, and he noticed that he had a new text message. It was from Layla, with an attachment. "Hey, you! Thx for the great evening. Smooch." Attached was a picture of her blowing a kiss to him, and by the looks of it, she took it before she left -- he recognized the interior decoration of his master bathroom in the background. She didn't have her blouse on yet, but her arms were strategically placed so that nothing scandalous would appear. Layla was nothing if not through, and it was one of the many attributes he enjoyed about her. Alex quickly closed it and moved it to a private folder within his phone, where it would join the others. As he took a quick survey of the inside of the house doors and windows, the coffee aroma was equally quick to envelope the kitchen area.
Having turned on the kitchen TV and changing the channel to CNBC, Alex's thoughts moved to the agenda of the day: his pipeline. Alex was a portfolio manager for a very exclusive commodities fund that held several millions of dollars under his control. His clients were not your everyday investors -- these were people in mid-to-high levels of executive leadership, referred to him by a small circle of private asset managers he had helped over the years. The A-Fund, as it was known, was their idea because they saw how Alex had a unique vision of the market that always resulted in a return well above the Dow average. His fund was seen as the perfect hedge to the market volatility, but it was only open to a select few. Alex had many offers on the table to take on more clients with larger investment dollars to be used at his sole discretion, but he was not interested in getting over his head too quickly. He had seen too many of his peers get greedy too fast and subsequently lose their focus because of the pressure they either did not expect or could not tolerate psychologically, and he wasn't about to make that same mistake. A-Fund made him a very comfortable living while still allowing him enough freedom to not be fully constrained to a time clock. And today was predicted to be somewhat volatile in several international financial markets, which could present some welcome opportunities if played right. So far, per the CNBC ticker and side-bar numbers, all was going according to plan.
After pouring himself a cup before heading to the shower, Alex heard some noise that sounded as it was coming from his backyard. He moved to the bay windows of the breakfast nook and peered through his plantation shutters. He saw his neighbor, David, running after his dog Lolly, a cute but independent labra-doodle. Lolly was a recent addition to the house next door, and Alex had seen David and his partner Tim taking the puppy for her daily walk as Alex would drive home in the afternoons. Lolly had apparently taken off after a squirrel or something, against his owner's wishes. Alex had to suppress a laugh as he watched David plead to Lolly to come back, and Lolly seemed to be enjoying his owner running in all directions after her. It was barely daylight, yet Alex noticed that David was impeccably dressed in pyjama-and-slippers set straight out of a Brooks Brothers catalog. "He certainly looks better than my grungy look of shorts and t-shirt", Alex thought, and was just about to move upstairs when he noticed David getting more frustrated as Lolly ran between the thick hedges. Alex opened the door to the sun porch and walked out to his patio. David seemed equally grateful and embarrassed. "Need some help?", asked Alex as he quickly scanned the hedges for any sign of the dog. He noticed David doing a quick once-over at him as he smiled back. "I'm so very sorry, I hope Lolly hasn't woken you up", David replied. "No worries, I was up anyway", said Alex as he moved to the hedges. He then made a few vocal clicks and Lolly immediately came out just long enough for Alex to gently but firmly grab her collar. "You bad dog!", David exclaimed to the dog as Alex walked him to his owner. "Again, I am so sorry for this! She's usually a very good dog, but something this morning set her off". Alex noticed a slight British accent, very subtle, like Madonna or other American natives who think they sound classy but not obnoxious with it. "Don't worry about it, I don't mind", said Alex, "she probably caught on a scent and wanted to check it out". David's eyes seemed to light up at Alex's calm demeanor, as if to be thankful for not running into a cranky morning-mood neighbor. "She came right to you!" said David, "you must have a knack for pets or something." Alex was quick to smile back. "I don't think so, but good to know I might have something to help for next time". David returned the smile, said several Thank You's, and started to walk back but then abruptly stopped half-way. "Oh -- now that you are here, we wanted to let you know that we plan to have a small get-together tonight. Mostly just friends and co-workers from the bank. It's a holiday weekend plus I hear the weather will be great, so we wanted to enjoy it with friends". Alex was gracious in his reply. "Sounds like fun! I heard it was going to be a nice weekend, too. If you need extra parking space, you are welcome to use part of my driveway." "Oh, thank you! We appreciate that! Say...Tim and I would love to have you over! You are more than welcome -- and please bring your girl friend!" Ugh. Alex knew they must have noticed his "girl friend" coming and going from his house. He wondered if they also noticed it wasn't always the same person. "Um..sure! What time?" said Alex. David seemed even more pleased. "We told everyone to come around 7:30ish, but you are welcome to come over any time! It's a nice mix of people -- I promise you won't feel uncomfortable! Hope you see you tonight!" And with that, David turned back to his house. To David, it was a coup. Tim would be so shocked and happy to hear that they finally caught up with the neighbor-slash-enigma! Alex noticed that David was still smiling as he walked back to his house, Lolly in tow close behind. Alex turned back to the sunroom, walked back into the house and mentally assessed his wine inventory for a suitable gift to bring to the party. "Oh, well", he thought, "they finally got me. It's only been over a year since we all last spoke, so I guess it was due." Alex wasn't upset with the exchange -- he knew that David and Tim were the perfect neighbors that anyone would love to have: well-manicured lawns, front and back, plus great landscaping and a warm, inviting porch. Their home's curb appeal was a positive addition to the cul-de-sac and Alex was very grateful for it. Who knows? It could be a fun evening and a welcome start to the weekend. As Alex walked back into his house, he noticed the kitchen door to the garage was slightly open. Even worse: his phone was missing.
As he lay there, he took a quick mental survey of his physical situation -- all seemed ok, maybe some slight soreness in his hamstrings, but otherwise all was well enough to earn a small smile of content. Another fringe benefit of Layla's work style was that she suppressed a lot of tension and she was all too eager to let it out when they were under the sheets, which was almost always followed by mutual appreciation in various forms. But that was just about enough lingering for Alex; he had his own agenda today and was eager to get it started. As his feet hit the ground, he heard the whirr of the coffee grider/brewstation begin, also, per programmed schedule. "Ah, nothing like a great cup of coffee brewed from freshly grounded beans to start the day", he thought to himself. Coffee was one of his guilty pleasures and he always tried to find new ways to enjoy his favorite daytime beverage. However, before he could partake of that first sip, he would be faced with a 10-minute brew cycle, so he used the time to take an assessment of the interior of the house. He grabbed his phone as he took off down the hall and down the stairs, and he noticed that he had a new text message. It was from Layla, with an attachment. "Hey, you! Thx for the great evening. Smooch." Attached was a picture of her blowing a kiss to him, and by the looks of it, she took it before she left -- he recognized the interior decoration of his master bathroom in the background. She didn't have her blouse on yet, but her arms were strategically placed so that nothing scandalous would appear. Layla was nothing if not through, and it was one of the many attributes he enjoyed about her. Alex quickly closed it and moved it to a private folder within his phone, where it would join the others. As he took a quick survey of the inside of the house doors and windows, the coffee aroma was equally quick to envelope the kitchen area.
Having turned on the kitchen TV and changing the channel to CNBC, Alex's thoughts moved to the agenda of the day: his pipeline. Alex was a portfolio manager for a very exclusive commodities fund that held several millions of dollars under his control. His clients were not your everyday investors -- these were people in mid-to-high levels of executive leadership, referred to him by a small circle of private asset managers he had helped over the years. The A-Fund, as it was known, was their idea because they saw how Alex had a unique vision of the market that always resulted in a return well above the Dow average. His fund was seen as the perfect hedge to the market volatility, but it was only open to a select few. Alex had many offers on the table to take on more clients with larger investment dollars to be used at his sole discretion, but he was not interested in getting over his head too quickly. He had seen too many of his peers get greedy too fast and subsequently lose their focus because of the pressure they either did not expect or could not tolerate psychologically, and he wasn't about to make that same mistake. A-Fund made him a very comfortable living while still allowing him enough freedom to not be fully constrained to a time clock. And today was predicted to be somewhat volatile in several international financial markets, which could present some welcome opportunities if played right. So far, per the CNBC ticker and side-bar numbers, all was going according to plan.
After pouring himself a cup before heading to the shower, Alex heard some noise that sounded as it was coming from his backyard. He moved to the bay windows of the breakfast nook and peered through his plantation shutters. He saw his neighbor, David, running after his dog Lolly, a cute but independent labra-doodle. Lolly was a recent addition to the house next door, and Alex had seen David and his partner Tim taking the puppy for her daily walk as Alex would drive home in the afternoons. Lolly had apparently taken off after a squirrel or something, against his owner's wishes. Alex had to suppress a laugh as he watched David plead to Lolly to come back, and Lolly seemed to be enjoying his owner running in all directions after her. It was barely daylight, yet Alex noticed that David was impeccably dressed in pyjama-and-slippers set straight out of a Brooks Brothers catalog. "He certainly looks better than my grungy look of shorts and t-shirt", Alex thought, and was just about to move upstairs when he noticed David getting more frustrated as Lolly ran between the thick hedges. Alex opened the door to the sun porch and walked out to his patio. David seemed equally grateful and embarrassed. "Need some help?", asked Alex as he quickly scanned the hedges for any sign of the dog. He noticed David doing a quick once-over at him as he smiled back. "I'm so very sorry, I hope Lolly hasn't woken you up", David replied. "No worries, I was up anyway", said Alex as he moved to the hedges. He then made a few vocal clicks and Lolly immediately came out just long enough for Alex to gently but firmly grab her collar. "You bad dog!", David exclaimed to the dog as Alex walked him to his owner. "Again, I am so sorry for this! She's usually a very good dog, but something this morning set her off". Alex noticed a slight British accent, very subtle, like Madonna or other American natives who think they sound classy but not obnoxious with it. "Don't worry about it, I don't mind", said Alex, "she probably caught on a scent and wanted to check it out". David's eyes seemed to light up at Alex's calm demeanor, as if to be thankful for not running into a cranky morning-mood neighbor. "She came right to you!" said David, "you must have a knack for pets or something." Alex was quick to smile back. "I don't think so, but good to know I might have something to help for next time". David returned the smile, said several Thank You's, and started to walk back but then abruptly stopped half-way. "Oh -- now that you are here, we wanted to let you know that we plan to have a small get-together tonight. Mostly just friends and co-workers from the bank. It's a holiday weekend plus I hear the weather will be great, so we wanted to enjoy it with friends". Alex was gracious in his reply. "Sounds like fun! I heard it was going to be a nice weekend, too. If you need extra parking space, you are welcome to use part of my driveway." "Oh, thank you! We appreciate that! Say...Tim and I would love to have you over! You are more than welcome -- and please bring your girl friend!" Ugh. Alex knew they must have noticed his "girl friend" coming and going from his house. He wondered if they also noticed it wasn't always the same person. "Um..sure! What time?" said Alex. David seemed even more pleased. "We told everyone to come around 7:30ish, but you are welcome to come over any time! It's a nice mix of people -- I promise you won't feel uncomfortable! Hope you see you tonight!" And with that, David turned back to his house. To David, it was a coup. Tim would be so shocked and happy to hear that they finally caught up with the neighbor-slash-enigma! Alex noticed that David was still smiling as he walked back to his house, Lolly in tow close behind. Alex turned back to the sunroom, walked back into the house and mentally assessed his wine inventory for a suitable gift to bring to the party. "Oh, well", he thought, "they finally got me. It's only been over a year since we all last spoke, so I guess it was due." Alex wasn't upset with the exchange -- he knew that David and Tim were the perfect neighbors that anyone would love to have: well-manicured lawns, front and back, plus great landscaping and a warm, inviting porch. Their home's curb appeal was a positive addition to the cul-de-sac and Alex was very grateful for it. Who knows? It could be a fun evening and a welcome start to the weekend. As Alex walked back into his house, he noticed the kitchen door to the garage was slightly open. Even worse: his phone was missing.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Has "Californication" jumped the shark?
I'm a big fan of the show since it started, mostly because of the writer angle. Having lived in SoCal and having been a semi-pro lothario myself (complete with self-loathing), I also enjoy the banter and challenges that Moody faces almost every episode (and there's a few Moody Moments that I can relate to from my own past -- my fav was last year when he had all three girls in the same room, at the same time, and none knew the wiser. Yes, that happens, and Yes, his reaction was spot on). I do agree that Epi 1 of Season 4 left much to be desired, but I blame it on the writing and I suspect that Showtime is going more for the sizzle and less of the steak. I was disappointed and I believe they can do better -- if they want to. It almost makes me wonder if the writers on the show can actually relate to the situation, or are they just guessing because they've never walked in those shoes? Sure seems that way to me. Viewers are subject to lots of questionable dialog that would almost never be said, in any state of inebriation or sexual excess. I do enjoy the sporadic Moody opinions about contemporary literature and what sells today (loved his take on The Twilight Saga -- and very bold of Showtime, the "exclusive" Twilight channel, to let it fly), but we don't get enough and I'd love to know Moody's take on Larsson, Patterson, et.al. Was there too much T&A last night? Yes. Did I mind it? No. Just as I did when I sifted thru the girly babble and banter within SATC to find (and savor) the gems of modern human dating behavior found beneath, I am content (for now) to accept the gratuitous T&A as the price to pay to enjoy watching (and vicariously reliving) Moody's exploits and quick wit -- I just hope the writers get the message and we will see equal amounts of steak AND sizzle as the season progresses.
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