There is a leak in my basement. I think the water is either coming up through the floor or down through a crack around the window. Either way, a two year old house should not leak. Somebody somewhere during the build screwed up. Of course, I am past the warranty on everything. So there's a guy coming out tomorrow to give a free estimate. That will be the last free thing I get.
If we're lucky all that will need to be done is fix a crack. If we're unlucky we'll have to replace the drywall (almost a given), carpet pad, carpet, sump pump and entire back yard. If we're terribly unlucky, there will be some mold removal too. Just a few days ago, Valerie and I were talking about how nice our house wound up being, discussing a few projects we could do and being all satisfied and happy. So that's how that works.
Tomorrow night is the Drive-By Truckers concert, which seems like it'll be my last blast for a while considering how much this basement thing is likely to cost me. Dude, did I just use the expression "last blast?" What am I, a dee-jay from 1985?
Anyway, things could definitely be a lot worse, so I can't complain too much, it's just frustrating is all. I'm going to eat some Girl Scout cookies now. Tagalongs rule.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Walkin' Girl
Tessa is beginning to walk. My daughter will soon be unstoppable. And I will soon drink more. So it's a win-win. Seriously though, it's pretty cool after the past few weeks of stop-start stuff.
I'd mentioned here before how she'd walk a few feet from Mommy to Daddy, but that was all she;d do for a while, and she generally chose not to. Most of the time she'd try to walk, fall on her butt, and decide that the whole enterprise is over rated. After all, she's faster crawling, it doesn't hurt because she doesn't fall, and besides the dog moves around on four legs and he's super-fast. so I understand her thinking, but it seemed as though she just stopped trying after a while.
Then, we partied.
Last Thursday, Parents As Teachers (an organization run by our school district to help kids get a leg up at home) threw a birthday party for all the babies/toddlers Tessa's age. Basically, there were about fifteen, maybe twenty kids about 11 months or so playing alongside each other and their parents at different stations. Anyway, Tessa was enjoying the toys and the attention of pretty much everyone (she's a ham once she gets going). Then she noticed a boy walking across the room and getting some oohs and ahhs for his achievement. She got a telling look on her face, looked at me and said, "Dubada deda, naanoo, noona, duuba dennoo. Dubba." Which, of course translates into "Screw that kid, he ain't the only one who can walk up in here. Check this."
And, without holding my hand or anything, began walking around the room station to station, toy to toy. Since then, she's been walking a lot every day. She still holds hands when she needs to and uses the couch or wall for support from time to time. But she's getting better day by day, and like I said, she'll be unstoppable soon. So, thanks random advanced kid.
The downside to all of this is that she can get into more trouble from here on out. Also, as my wife would say, she can reach everything. That's a slight exaggeration, but not inaccurate. Yesterday she even climbed up on the step stool. She hasn't figured out exactly what it's for yet, but that's only a matter of time. Still, it's a small price to pay for Tessa's mobility, and my little girl growing up.
Thanks for indulging me on all this proud parent stuff. Next time I'll return to my normal bullshit.
I'd mentioned here before how she'd walk a few feet from Mommy to Daddy, but that was all she;d do for a while, and she generally chose not to. Most of the time she'd try to walk, fall on her butt, and decide that the whole enterprise is over rated. After all, she's faster crawling, it doesn't hurt because she doesn't fall, and besides the dog moves around on four legs and he's super-fast. so I understand her thinking, but it seemed as though she just stopped trying after a while.
Then, we partied.
Last Thursday, Parents As Teachers (an organization run by our school district to help kids get a leg up at home) threw a birthday party for all the babies/toddlers Tessa's age. Basically, there were about fifteen, maybe twenty kids about 11 months or so playing alongside each other and their parents at different stations. Anyway, Tessa was enjoying the toys and the attention of pretty much everyone (she's a ham once she gets going). Then she noticed a boy walking across the room and getting some oohs and ahhs for his achievement. She got a telling look on her face, looked at me and said, "Dubada deda, naanoo, noona, duuba dennoo. Dubba." Which, of course translates into "Screw that kid, he ain't the only one who can walk up in here. Check this."
And, without holding my hand or anything, began walking around the room station to station, toy to toy. Since then, she's been walking a lot every day. She still holds hands when she needs to and uses the couch or wall for support from time to time. But she's getting better day by day, and like I said, she'll be unstoppable soon. So, thanks random advanced kid.
The downside to all of this is that she can get into more trouble from here on out. Also, as my wife would say, she can reach everything. That's a slight exaggeration, but not inaccurate. Yesterday she even climbed up on the step stool. She hasn't figured out exactly what it's for yet, but that's only a matter of time. Still, it's a small price to pay for Tessa's mobility, and my little girl growing up.
Thanks for indulging me on all this proud parent stuff. Next time I'll return to my normal bullshit.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Making The Case For Howard
Anyone who has read my brother's blog, or just knows me, is aware that I recently purchased the DVD special edition release of "Howard The Duck". I make no apologies for this. I, along with a surprisingly large number of people, absolutely love this movie. We know you all think it's crap, but we also believe that it's misunderstood and gets an unfairly bad rap. Now, no body's claiming this to be an Oscar worthy picture (although worse films have made it!) but it's not without its charms. So, for those of you who just can't fathom why in the world anyone would feel this way I present my case for "Howard The Duck".
1. Mel Brooks likes it. Ed Gale, the guy who played Howard, was awarded a role in "Spaceballs" because of his work on this film. That ought to be enough for anybody, but for those still unconvinced, we'll move on.
2. It's weird. I mean, seriously, this is one odd little movie. It starts off as a fish (duck) out of water story, with Howard finding himself in our world, and having to make his way "trapped in a world he never made." Then, it turns into a proper science fiction film about midway through, ending in a climactic battle to save the Earth. So, basically it takes place in our world, but an alternate version of it, with a main character who came from an alternate reality in the first place. Like I said, odd. So odd, in fact that the film makers couldn't decide if they were making a movie for adults or children, so they made both. Yeah, it's a complete cheesy mess, but that's the fun.
3. The special effects are top notch for the time. Remember, this was 1986, which means the effects were done in 84/85. Yeah, okay, Howard's a little person in a suit, but they kinda had to do it that way. Apparently they tried a robot/puppet at first but it proved to complicated and unreliable to actually work. There is also rumor that George Lucas wanted to try an early experimental version of CGI animation for Howard, but it wasn't ready yet. So, unless you're going to spend three years animating the whole movie, a dude in a suit is all you can do.
Many people on the interwebs insist that a CGI Howard would have been more realistic and helped the movie tenfold (even though it didn't exist yet). Really? Name an endearing character that CGI has given us. Gollum doesn't count, he's animated over Andy Sirkus's movements...so, basically a cartoon of a dude in a suit. Who, then, does this leave us with? Jar Jar Binks. That's it. That's also the end of the CGI argument.
As for the other effects, it's all up to par for 1986. The outer space animation, all the explosions and stunt work, and the stop motion animation of The Dark Overlord look really good for the time. These effects were all made by Industrial Light and Magic, the best in the business. So while they may look all cheesed out now, in 1986 they were pretty cool.
4. It has moved up the ladder as far as George Lucas films are concerned. Don't even try to tell me that "Phantom Menace", "Indiana Jones & The Crystal Skull", and "Radioland Murders" are any better than "Howard The Duck". Need more proof? Hows about "More American Graffiti"? Hell, even "Willow" has aged worse than HTD, especially since "Lord Of The Rings" exposed it for the rip-off that it is.
5. The Cast. You've got Lea Thompson(always charming on screen), Jeffery Jones, Tim Robbins, and Holly Robinson(of Hangin' With Mr. Cooper) making appearances in this film. Thompson is almost perfect as Beverly, being both strong and clueless as the script calls for. She truly gets the absurdity of the movie and her character and plays it to a T. This may actually be Jones's best role, Sure, everyone knows him as Principal Rooney from "Ferris Beuller", but he's so much funnier here. And Tim Robbins, love him or hate him, is a super talented guy. This was one of his first roles, and he is more than capable as the hapless lab assistant trying to profit off of Howard's predicament. Holly Robinson doesn't really do much, I just always liked her. She is, however a main ingredient in ...
6. CHERRYBOMB. The all girl 80's rock band in the movie. Apart from being a Runaways reference, the music for the group was provided by Thomas Dolby. Most people recognize him for "She Blinded Me With Science", but he's had a long career and has always been a step ahead. Hey, if you're going to have cheesy synth-rock, you might as well go for quality cheese. Also, the girls in the band really sang, and played some of the instruments. I seem to remember there being talk of making the band its own entity and going on the road with a full record, but when the movie tanked that all went away too. Pity, they were cool.
7. The movie has a goofy sense of humor. It starts with lots of puns, but there's also some satire, and smart-alec remarks from the duck. Much of the humor is adult oriented, but it should go over most kid's heads.
Okay, I can't talk about this topic without discussing the bedroom scene. In it, Howard does a little flirting with Beverly, she calls his bluff and flirts back hard. It was meant to be funny, but it just comes off as creepy. I'll give you that, but most people seem to overlook the fact that when Beverly "seduces" Howard that she's kidding him. When he pulls the covers over his head, she snickers to herself. Clearly a joke. Later, She claims him to be her boyfriend, but she's trying to save his life from an angry mob. There is an argument to be made that the final scene hints at a relationship, but I've never really bought that.
Besides, the entire scene inside Joe Roma's Cajun Sushi diner is funny enough to make up for all that stuff anyway.
8. It's become a time capsule. In many ways, when viewed today, this seems like a quintessential 80's movie. It's definitely a product of its time, while providing a skewered view of its time, which just gets better with time. If that made any sense to you, you probably like the movie.
I could go on, but why? The bottom line is either you get it or you don't. The idea of a duck from outer space is either funny to you or it's not. However, given a glimpse into what us fans see in the movie, perhaps others will be able to see it in a different, less critical light. It's not that deep folks, nor is it meant to be. It's fun, enjoy it...or I'll call down the other Dark Lords of the Universe. You have been warned. To paraphrase Howard.."Death From The Sky To All Duck Haters!"
1. Mel Brooks likes it. Ed Gale, the guy who played Howard, was awarded a role in "Spaceballs" because of his work on this film. That ought to be enough for anybody, but for those still unconvinced, we'll move on.
2. It's weird. I mean, seriously, this is one odd little movie. It starts off as a fish (duck) out of water story, with Howard finding himself in our world, and having to make his way "trapped in a world he never made." Then, it turns into a proper science fiction film about midway through, ending in a climactic battle to save the Earth. So, basically it takes place in our world, but an alternate version of it, with a main character who came from an alternate reality in the first place. Like I said, odd. So odd, in fact that the film makers couldn't decide if they were making a movie for adults or children, so they made both. Yeah, it's a complete cheesy mess, but that's the fun.
3. The special effects are top notch for the time. Remember, this was 1986, which means the effects were done in 84/85. Yeah, okay, Howard's a little person in a suit, but they kinda had to do it that way. Apparently they tried a robot/puppet at first but it proved to complicated and unreliable to actually work. There is also rumor that George Lucas wanted to try an early experimental version of CGI animation for Howard, but it wasn't ready yet. So, unless you're going to spend three years animating the whole movie, a dude in a suit is all you can do.
Many people on the interwebs insist that a CGI Howard would have been more realistic and helped the movie tenfold (even though it didn't exist yet). Really? Name an endearing character that CGI has given us. Gollum doesn't count, he's animated over Andy Sirkus's movements...so, basically a cartoon of a dude in a suit. Who, then, does this leave us with? Jar Jar Binks. That's it. That's also the end of the CGI argument.
As for the other effects, it's all up to par for 1986. The outer space animation, all the explosions and stunt work, and the stop motion animation of The Dark Overlord look really good for the time. These effects were all made by Industrial Light and Magic, the best in the business. So while they may look all cheesed out now, in 1986 they were pretty cool.
4. It has moved up the ladder as far as George Lucas films are concerned. Don't even try to tell me that "Phantom Menace", "Indiana Jones & The Crystal Skull", and "Radioland Murders" are any better than "Howard The Duck". Need more proof? Hows about "More American Graffiti"? Hell, even "Willow" has aged worse than HTD, especially since "Lord Of The Rings" exposed it for the rip-off that it is.
5. The Cast. You've got Lea Thompson(always charming on screen), Jeffery Jones, Tim Robbins, and Holly Robinson(of Hangin' With Mr. Cooper) making appearances in this film. Thompson is almost perfect as Beverly, being both strong and clueless as the script calls for. She truly gets the absurdity of the movie and her character and plays it to a T. This may actually be Jones's best role, Sure, everyone knows him as Principal Rooney from "Ferris Beuller", but he's so much funnier here. And Tim Robbins, love him or hate him, is a super talented guy. This was one of his first roles, and he is more than capable as the hapless lab assistant trying to profit off of Howard's predicament. Holly Robinson doesn't really do much, I just always liked her. She is, however a main ingredient in ...
6. CHERRYBOMB. The all girl 80's rock band in the movie. Apart from being a Runaways reference, the music for the group was provided by Thomas Dolby. Most people recognize him for "She Blinded Me With Science", but he's had a long career and has always been a step ahead. Hey, if you're going to have cheesy synth-rock, you might as well go for quality cheese. Also, the girls in the band really sang, and played some of the instruments. I seem to remember there being talk of making the band its own entity and going on the road with a full record, but when the movie tanked that all went away too. Pity, they were cool.
7. The movie has a goofy sense of humor. It starts with lots of puns, but there's also some satire, and smart-alec remarks from the duck. Much of the humor is adult oriented, but it should go over most kid's heads.
Okay, I can't talk about this topic without discussing the bedroom scene. In it, Howard does a little flirting with Beverly, she calls his bluff and flirts back hard. It was meant to be funny, but it just comes off as creepy. I'll give you that, but most people seem to overlook the fact that when Beverly "seduces" Howard that she's kidding him. When he pulls the covers over his head, she snickers to herself. Clearly a joke. Later, She claims him to be her boyfriend, but she's trying to save his life from an angry mob. There is an argument to be made that the final scene hints at a relationship, but I've never really bought that.
Besides, the entire scene inside Joe Roma's Cajun Sushi diner is funny enough to make up for all that stuff anyway.
8. It's become a time capsule. In many ways, when viewed today, this seems like a quintessential 80's movie. It's definitely a product of its time, while providing a skewered view of its time, which just gets better with time. If that made any sense to you, you probably like the movie.
I could go on, but why? The bottom line is either you get it or you don't. The idea of a duck from outer space is either funny to you or it's not. However, given a glimpse into what us fans see in the movie, perhaps others will be able to see it in a different, less critical light. It's not that deep folks, nor is it meant to be. It's fun, enjoy it...or I'll call down the other Dark Lords of the Universe. You have been warned. To paraphrase Howard.."Death From The Sky To All Duck Haters!"
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