Would You Like To Borrow My Pen?

Gear Diary has a great post with this awesome picture.

I thought it was great. Head to Gear Diary for the whole thing.

On a side note, I’ve always wanted to have pens printed up that said Master Bait And Tackle Shop or Kick it over, Mary Lou.

But, of course, there is a story to that which makes me laugh every, single time which is Smiley’s to tell.

I know, I’m 12 damned years old.

Cousin Oliver

Badger and I were talking about Cousin Oliver on the Brady Bunch the other day and about the Cousin Oliver syndrome as a whole. We both agreed that when a television show adds a cute and snarky kid, the show is doomed.

No one knew what happened with Cousin Oliver, not that we cared but then again, me being me, had to go and look up Robbie Rist. I know. I have some sort of blogging ADHD. I guess I did care after all.

I’m a child of the 70s. We may have had LSD in the water back in the day. One never knows.

I found this interview with the Washington Post from a couple of years ago with Rist. This kind of made me laugh.

RR: On occasion. Susan Olson and I talk maybe a couple times a year. We talk about her kid and whatever I’m working on. I think the last time I saw Mike Lookinland was at a shooting for the CBS Morning Show. They had all the Brady guys on, so it was Barry [Williams], Chris Knight and myself in New York with Mike on a remote TV screen and oddly, with that episode, I was on the morning Bryant Gumbel quit. Coincidence? I don’t know.

Liz: Cousin Oliver strikes again.

RR: I’ll take credit for it. What the hell?

I think Cousin Oliver might indeed be the best pop culture term ever and that he might just be the greatest “harbinger of death” ever.

After “bloated whitey” which is a pop culture term I invented but hasn’t taken off yet. Anyway, here is Robbie Rist’s MySpace page. He apparently has been a busy boy.

In the spirit of disclosure, I think saying “bloated whitey” just flows off the tongue. Followed closely by “fishsticked.™” invented by Sara Clark and I which is a great word. It never took off either.

Dang.

The Dude Abides: The Gospel According To The Coen Brothers

As those of you who read me know, I’m a huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. During it’s run, someone gave me a book about the spiritual and philosophical parallels with religious doctrine.

It made some good points that got me thinking about how religious imagery from the Bible in our popular culture.

Well, say no more, say no more there’s something new coming to your local bookstore.

The Coen Brothers’ movies are now being dissected in a new book called “The Dude Abides: The Gospel According the Coen Brothers.”

Here’s what I’ve read it is about:

From their 1984 debut, “Blood Simple,” through their most recent work, “No
Country for Old Men,” which recently was honored with 4 Oscars, each of the
Coen Brothers’ films probes ethical and spiritual quandaries.
— “Blood Simple” is the story of a man with serious doubts, and what
happens when he attempts to discover what the “truth” is.
— In “Barton Fink,” the title character, a successful New York playwright
turned Hollywood screenwriter, mortgages his soul as he struggles with
terminal writers block among the residents of, what may be, hell-fire,
demons and all.
— “The Big Lebowski” chronicles the misadventures of the Dude — stoner,
pacifist, philosopher — as he attempts to right some wrongs and
vanquish the powers of nihilism and moral turpitude.
— “O Brother Where Art Thou” follows the odyssey (spiritual and
otherwise) of three convicts, a skeptic searching for his way home and
two seeking redemption from their sins.
— “No Country for Old Men” is an epic, prophetic journey that tackles one
of theology’s most daunting conundrums, theodicy — if God is good then
why doesn’t God intervene to stop unrelenting violence — and surmises
that we don’t really know what God is thinking.

I don’t know. I’m sure it will be a good read. However, I always find it interesting how our world seeks spiritual validation through pop culture. I’m no expert on this but it’s interesting to see that award-winning author Cathleen Falsani has done this but I like her blog especially her observations of Johnny Cash.

Falsani is a columnist for The Chicago Sun Times if you were wondering.

I’ll buy it. And I wonder what Falsani thinks about Battlestar Galactica ’cause whoa.

Dennis Quaid Represents

All I have to say is da-yum. I realize I’m a boomer and all, so it’s nice to see Dennis Quaid representing nicely in the latest issue of the Italian version of Vanity Fair.

I honestly need exercise and to get out of the house more often.

I also am a slave to pop culture.

I own it.

Rocky Raccoon

Absolutely just brilliant if you are into pop culture and the Beatles’ Rocky Raccoon

Tom Jones Insures Chest Hair?

I have no words …

The 67-year-old, who’s hairy chestwig has been a hit with the ladies over the years, has employed top insurance firm Lloyd’s of London to protect his lustrous locks.

One insider told the Mirror: ‘Even at the grand old age of 67, the ladies love Tom’s hip-thrusting moves and catching a sneaky peak of his famously rugged chest hair.’

$7 million.

I think singing “It’s not unusual …” wouldn’t apply here.

And We Talk Zappa and Yo-Yo Ma

Dr. William over at Loose TN Canon has a post today and a Zappa clip about why popular music “sucks” today. Wage is also talking about music over at this place.

It’s really compelling and he offers a very detailed opinion on why music is different today than it was 30 years ago.

Now, I thought I’d opine because he has me thinking. I grew up with a musician/vocalist/pianist who made us listen to all kinds of music. Our house was filled different kinds of music. She would make us listen to classical music (and there was a quiz, campers) as well as popular music at the time. Most popular music amused her although she was more concerned with the production values of music. Believe it or not, the Beastie Boys made her crazy in a good way because she wanted to know how they got away with the impressive sampling of their work and she would listen not to the music per se but to the production. (Just an example.)

I worked for one brief year at a recording studio that was called back in the day, Stargem Records.” I heard countless songwriters say things like “Does it have a hook”, “Will it get play” or “Do you think we can get it on Billboard.”

You know, that sort of stuff.

It was about creating a sellable product instead of creating a piece of music.

Now, I can hum along to the radio in the care, but I’m not a musician. My mom would play Beethoven and Mozart on the piano that still sits in my home, but then she would put in the Stones. I’m happy as a clam listening to both. I also like to shake my rump to good dance music, I don’t mind throwing on a bit of Pontiac by Lyle Lovett when I want to sing in a melancholy fog and I even have shaked my rump to “Toxic” by Britney Spears (which is the only song she’s ever sung I can tolerate.

And just give me some John Coltrane and I will slowly and fastidiously kiss you on the mouth.

With that said, sometimes there is a lack of imagination in new popular music. I imagine that there are hipster songwriters sitting around going “Make it sound like Rhianna. We need another S.O.S!”

And you know it happens that way.

But, then on the other hand, I have been delighted by little gems, flukes if you will that shouldn’t have a chance in hell to make it to radio and then do. An example is Amy Winehouse, who makes me long for the torch music of yesteryear. Sexy and amazing. What she does in her personal life has overshadowed that husky, smoky alto. I could care less, she’s just damned good.

Music is an amazing outlet, there is no doubt. But, as in many businesses, the guys with the cigars or the younger yuppies in their black Armani, are putting out what they know will make them money and sometimes that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Maybe, in the world of I-Tunes, people will be able to pick and choose what they like. The music industry is changing rapidly and has been for several years.

Just an open ramble, but let it be said, I will cheerfully marry a cello player anyday.

Yeah, I love me some cello. Going to find my Yo-Yo Ma CD right now. Here is a clip highlighting his career that starts when he plays for John F. Kennedy in 1962 to the present.

It cheers me to no end.