Meek's Cutoff

A very haunting and handsome movie.  Not for everyone.  In my estimation, well worth the price of admittance as I feel I've taken a trip back in time and returned unscathed from the Oregon Trail circa 1845 to attest to the eternal bravery, physical courage, goodness, cruelty, and chaos unleashed by man upon man.

Post mortem deconstruction of the movie by the Lassie, Lad, and Babs... a wisp of a butterfly discussion flitting on the iceberg of archetypes, foreshadowing, symbolism, cinematic technique, and respective conclusions gleaned from what is likely to become a masterpiece of film making.

Several items for discussion...
1.  Did you notice that only the despised and bombastic Meek had a Southern accent?  Year 1845.
2.  Verisimilitude.  Paucity of songs and music.  From my readings of history, I find it hard to believe a beloved and humble harmonica, fiddle, or guitar would not have accompanied these transcontinental pioneers.  Andecdotally, I have found that amongst a random conflagration of 8 individuals, at least one possesses a good voice and/or musical talent, which would literally serve to deliver the people out of the desert, if not boost flagging morale?  Unless they were so beaten down to be beyond the redemptive/restorative power of music?
3.  Why the duplication of effort and caloric expenditure by separate morning and nighttime campfires? 

Talk amongst yourselves and get back to me.

R.I.P. Uncle John T. Mitchell, J.D.

Dear Uncle John:

Thanks for:

• being the only adult who spoke to me when I was between the ages of 15-20.
• being my Dad's best friend through thick and thin, and the go-to Godfather.   
• teaching me that nothing, including a literal wooden leg, should keep you from doing & going where you want.
• introducting me to the Sunday N. Y. Times. 
• all those great books you gave me over the years. 

To the "beauty operators" at the Swirl N Curl, Dad, Hegle, Uncle John, Dorothy may you enjoy your eternal Shearer Building in the sky. 

http://www.justsnooping.com/tours/2345986/?b=true

Channelling Lisbeth Salander tonight...

As I head into the battle..."I don't want no hand out no sympathy"....and bitches, don't ever underestimate me again...you know who you are...

Brunettes rule...

Thanks Mame.  Adore this video. Kelly's bros got her back. 

R.I.P. Amy Winehouse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1evzhSast8&feature=related

I feel like a good friend has died.  Amy Winehouse's music will live on for all time as a testament to her genius.   She had the pipes, the emotion, the look, and the artistry.  How I wish I had seen her in concert.  Friends, go see your favorite musicians live while you have the chance.  Genius and madness are closely intertwined

"Women: A Hate Song" by Dorothy Parker

At least my sister is a better mom than Casey Anthony

 Isn't Crump cute?

Today I'm opening the Bogart family photo album vault.  We Bogarts are soo private (i.e. we have super-secret behaviors we don't want anyone to know about, but that's another blog).

Meet my lil' 'sis Gin (l. so named after my mom's favorite pre-natal vitamin), who btw, ain't so little anymore, but girl, you get props for fighting that baby weight the best way possible...speed, cigarettes, and light beer.  Gin you may consider adding Red Bull and/or crack to your fitness regimen.  Three words "bye bye arms."... and her new baby, my sweet niece....
Crumpett Clampett (pronounched Clam-pay) . 

http://www.reallybadparentingadvice.com/

Being that Gin and her "partner," Tonic, are vegan they are raising Crump naturally...i.e. Cherry Coke and Cherry Benadryl...lots of vitamin C and anti-oxidants!!  Here's some home video of cheery Baby Crump enjoying her Cherry Coke.  Gin, not one to criticize, but shouldn't that Coke be in a baby bottle rather than your martini jigger?  Just sayin'... you might wanna check with Mr. Spock...oops Dr. Spock.



July 25...

For those of you wracking your brains...more birthday suggestions.

Listening Booth: 1970

Kids Mom wants this CD....hint, birthday coming up...

Casey Anthony Tour Bus Starts Next Week

http://www.cayleedaily.com/2011/06/casey-anthony-tour-opening-next-week/

Looking for that unique vacation for the whole family?  Grandma included?  See the USA in your Chevrolet, and road trip it on down here to the Sunshine state.  Disney, the Space Center, and top it off with the icing on the cake... The Casey Anthony Bus Tour...need I say more?

Some of your cube mates may Eurail it across Eastern Europe, or climb Machu Pichu this summer, but you my friend, will have ultimate bragging rights around that water cooler, for the quirkiest summer vacation, hands down.

And it's a lot cooler (temperature-wise) down here in Florida (and bargains to be had off-season) than most of the sizzling, roasting USA.

Enjoy a sunset in July with a zesty dash of macabre... 


Forget that "Pure Michigan" shit.  "Pure dysfunction" puts the funk in your vacation.

I take the Fourth Commandment seriously...

"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy."

"Six days shall thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work..." (Exodus 20:10).

I honor the Sabbath almost every day of the week.  I apologize for merely cutting and pasting into the blog, but I am seriously being holy today, and wholly serious:

Curb your Enthusiasm...Season 8

http://nyti.ms/nu2uSu

To everyone out there who's broken...

Just knowing people have your back makes everything so much better.  Special thanks to Em, Kay, Claire, Mame, Jane, and Baby Bea... 

Best Band of the 21st c.... Coldplay...

Trust me, I've lived in several centuries, including (but not limited to) the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th...and  hands down this is the best band of the 21st c.  Sountrack of my 21st. c.

When I met you:


When I lost at the "everything" sweepstakes:


But maybe won: 

The Oxford Comma. Say it ain't so...

Oxford Writing and Style Guide no longer recommending the Oxford comma?  WTF?  Can someone get to the bottom of this?  http://kottke.org/11/06/ditching-the-oxford-comma

They've tried to make me stop reading my books, listening to my vinyl records, playing cards, conversing in real life, and now this affront.  "They" have drawn a line in the sand, nary I shall cross.   I am your staunch supporter and life long friend, little Oxford comma, you who separate the men from the boys, the wheat from the chaff, the riff from the raff. 

What say you people of the blogosphere? Are you with me or agin me? 

Dazed & Confused, Spirit of '76?

Where are we now?  Some are dead.  Some are bald, gray, and surely we're not as skinny, and hard as we used to be.  Most of us opted out of the "Boss/Capitalist" game that earlier and later generations have come to embrace with both greedy arms.   You won't find many of us among the "tea party," but we're still at our own kinda trippy "tea party, " and listening to our music really really loud (sorry kids).

#1 song of 1976.  We may not be the "Greatest Generation" like our moms and dads, but this song speaks volumes as to what a cool and chill generation we were/ still are.  Happy 4th to you '76 ers out there reading this today... esp. Parker, Mame, Emma, and Claire.

IMPORTANT JULY EVENTS

• July 4, 1776 Happy Birthday America!!!

1976 Michigan bicentennial license plates!!

• July 24, 1897 Amelia Earhart, American aviator and first woman to fly the Atlantic, born.
• July 25, 1956 Andrea Doria sinks 

• July 25, 195? BABS WAS BORN!!!

Let the Birthday Month Festivities commence!!!

Summer Reading Program

Click on the image below to receive your invitation:

A group of malcontent, radical, militant librarians & educators trying to break addictions to the Interwebs in a summer reading program using the Association of College & Research Libraries Reading List. http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3348016-acrl?order=a&sort=title.  You may not like this list-- it surely aint' no Danielle Steel nor Clive Cussler.  Shut up and start reading, it's good for you, professionally and personally.

This is a public group.  Anyone can join and invite others to join. rules

1. Complete as many books from this biblio-centric list of recreational & professional books
... before 9/21/11.
2. Write a short review. Please make it good!
3. If you've already read a book on the list, write a review (if you can remember it). 
4.  A Leaderboard will be updated weekly.
5. "Special prizes" for "Special" readers will be awarded at a pagan ritual held on the Autumnal Equinox in the following 3 categories:

• # of reviews written.
• # of books read between 6/23 - 9/23/11. 
• A special Magoo award to the person who reads the greatest #of books on an e-reading device (Kindle or Nook) 

Canada is Cool

To my dear readers in Florida, et orbi:

As I post this blog, we finally breathe a sigh of relief.  No, that infernal Casey Anthony trial isn't over, but the sun has, in real time, set on this-- the longest, but not the hottest frickin' day of the year--The Summer Solstice.  Goddamn it, global warming is costing me major coin.  To wit:  My car battery died due to the heat, likewise my key fob remote battery-- not to mention, my hearing aid, pace maker, and vibrator (Mr. Happy) batteries, respectively.

Today's blog inspiration came to me while indulging in the only daily discipline I practice--reading the stellar St. Pete Times* in print not online (won't you please add me to your blog roll, fellas?).  Being a creature of habit (some say retarded, I prefer "special," or Aspberger's Syndrome) I read my paper the same way daily.  Some people start with the lottery numbers... I...

• Start with the obituaries.  Maybe one day I'll see the names Fang Epstein or Priscilla Krass Epstein, there in tiny print.  I am delusional-- those two are way too cheap to buy an obituary in the newspaper.  Yet, hope springs eternal.   
• Then onto the "hard news...."  the Leo horoscope...roar girls  (Cougars and baby Minx alike).
• Followed by the Florida weather (easy reading even when hungover--sunny and warm).    

Ergo today's blog inspiration: 



Canada is cool!!  Like these shoes-- sexy but kinda sensible.

1.  Summertime Weather.  Back page, the forecast for Florida predicted  temperatures soaring close to 100 F today.  In Canada forecasts looked something like this: (international readers, you will have to use your government-subsidized slide rules to convert to the socialist, oops Celsius, system you insist on using:

• Vancouver 70 F.  Nice.
• Toronto 78 F.      Nicer.
• Montreal 79 F.     Nicest!!

2.  Page 3A: The "Hard-Rockin,' Tight-pant wearin' Canadian Mullets of the 80's Tour,"sponsored by Viagra and Cialis will be performing (maybe in rugs, be prepared for the worse gals and you won't be disappointed, ) at the Florida State Fairgrounds this weekend.  Quarter page ad!



3. Page 4A  "A request for help in growing reefer"  or "Canadians are kind folk"
"Nova Scotia's Community Services Department is wondering what's next. It was ordered by an appeals board to help a needy couple in the Canadian province improve their marijuana garden. The couple, whose names have not been made public, have permission to grow up to 25 plants for medical purposes, according to a Canadian Broadcast Corp. report. But the couple, who get income assistance from the government, can only afford to grow six plants — and sometimes run low on supplies. So the board ruled recently that the department should pay $2,500 to set up the full marijuana growing operation and $400 a year for supplies. A department spokeswoman said Monday that it is pondering the order."  --St. Pete Times, pg. 4A, June 21, 2011

In conclusion, reading the newspaper is good, and Canada does have it's faults-- #1: it's not the U.S. #2: Winter. #3: Metric System (Hello? Canada?  This is a collect call from 1974. Will you accept the charges?).  Okay, just sayin'.  God forbid I had to live anywhere else, (like if I got kicked out of the U.S.) it would probably be Canada as...

• They have a great dole.
•  I "get" hockey and curling (unlike baseball and football).
• They have a "Queen," but not really.
• Dad gum it, I got the accent down "real good," so much so that I could pass for an actual Canadian.
• They don't use that stupid pound Sterling system.
• They drive on the right side of the road, for the love of God. 
• After the hockey riots of last week, Canadians have made Americans feel a little less retarded about themselves on the world stage.

--xoxo,
Babs
*The only newspaper in the U.S. to increase it's circulation

Truly, the "Greatest Generation" ever*!!! Weiner's need not apply.

Happy Father's Day, Dad.  Yea, my cool old man (gone but certainly not forgotten) served in the Army Air Force during WWII.  I just can't see him up there amongst the heavenly hosts today...I see him as he really was--recovering at the Biltmore in Coral Cables, FL...

...drinking rum and Coca Cola, holding court poolside at the Biltmore w/his pals, and some nice gals from the USO.



Happy Father's Day to the best, bravest, funniest, and handsomest Dad, ever... 

*May I suggest for your viewing pleasure today "Saving Private Ryan," "Band of Brothers," "The Pacific."