Baldodad’s blog

This disturbs me.

But, at the same time, I think it is pretty cool that there's a Kurt Cobain "action" figure out there. I'm torn if I want to own one OR if I should abhor it totally.

An afternoon/evening/ night spent trolling around the net will get you that--that and a facebook account.
Whee!

Goodnight.
J

I found somebody else's and so I'd just like to co-opt it; It's the 19 most memorable scene stealing performances in recent film history. Most, include a you tube segment so you can sneak a peak at the context of the film.

Too bad they didn't have a link for the Charlie Sheen one. I think that's my #2.

to bed "early".....

Good night,
J

We're fuked. Or at least so says this dude. Hey, really conservative colleague, there isn't use in denying the FACTS.

And, the facts say, "We're fucked.".

Goodnight Y'all.
J

EDIT: Oh great, now the boy is up too. Whee!

Oh yeah, I posted this b/c I was awake at 2 in the morning having had the realization that I am destined to fail at being a music player b/c I can't find/ keep the rhythm. But, damnit all, that's what metronomes are for!

George Carlin has passed. All Hail, George.

Here is a link to his most famous routine....The Seven Words You Can't Say on Television. Up until this morning, I had never seen it. I figured it was high time I ought to given the circumstances. WARNING: while a bit outdated, it still is offensive to those easily offended; so watch at yer own risk.

"Listen to this dude, he knows what he's talking about."

Aloha,
J

For Del and Phyllis:

I watched it happen last night. Or actually not really happen but the set-up....Be sure to click on the youtube link. It's fuking awesome.

I was so happy for these people that I "almost" missed Lebowski-fest Austin and had to bust my ass down the interstate to get to 6th Street on time. (Side-note: the Alamo at the Ritz (fuk! the link doesn't show you any of the Ritz stuff b/c they [being Carrie and Tim League] own the building and aren't going to have to move again. So, it's back to the original homepage. Oh well. You'll see it when you visit) is a good idea b/c since it is in an area zoned for liquor consumption, they can serve....wait for it..... Water-downed White Russians!. Uggh. Really disappointing. But the movie rocked, of course. I kept thinking that Mike should be here. And O.C. Dave (a new character in the pantheon of Baldodad's universe).

At any rate, the first thing I hear this morning as I'm struggling to get up from an evening out is not "Hurray! Gays and Lesbians Can Marry in California Legally!" But, rather, "An upcoming proposed-ballot initiative banning same-sex unions and marriages is poised to overshadow a historic day...." Thanks for taking the shine off the moment, NPR.

But, reading the article, I get the sense that I was right. I mean, I don't live there anymore and it's not my home, but the last time I was there, I got this feeling that many things were evolving. Some for the good. Some for the bad (which reminds me that I'm supposed to be at the pool working on this script idea...so I'm off).

So. Yeah. No on Prop whatever # it is in November.......!!!!!!
Aloha,
JIm

Wouldn't be nice that if in 5 or 10 or 20 or however many years from today, this article about a couple of 55 years getting married doesn't make the national headlines?

Now, I don't want a whole bunch of hate mail from family and friends about my support of "same-sex unions", but I can only think of a future-world where people are not so close-minded as to prohibit and protest a couple getting married just because they happen to be of the same gender. Seriously, I have family members who have said some horrifically derogatory things about gays and lesbians AND, being heterosexual myself, I feel it is important for those of us with an open mind to stand up and celebrate this particular day as a moment of historical change; an equation-changing day. I say,"Why the hell not?" Free love and free speech and all of that aside, I know that the country's collective perspective on this topic is changing. I see it in the headlines. I see it in public. I see it in the eyes of colleagues and friends who have had to live in the shadows for decades b/c of their sexuality AND their locales.

HEY, United States, wake up! 1 in 10 people around you are either gay, lesbian, or bisexual (and, no, Mae, "Bi" does not mean hermaphrodite). It's time to face the facts that, as Dave Gahan (or maybe it was Martin Gore) once wrote, "people are people". That has, is, and always will be my attitude toward this subject (among others [such as race] of contention at family get-to-gathers).

Without putting a label or an expectation on him at such an early age, if Baldo should be gay and wants to have a "same sex union"--even the term is a bit demeaning, isn't it (why not marriage)?--then I would totally support him and I know that Bmom would as well b/c he's our son and we love him and want only the best for him. Maybe in 5,10,20,25 years, we'll all look back at that couple and they won't be soooo important. But, in a way, as I write this, I guess I'm contributing to their importance. Does anybody know/ remember the name of the first couple married in Massachusetts?

I started off with the intention of making this post, not trivial per se, but just imagining a time when this issue is not front-page material and I've come to realize that it should be. It is an important moment. It is an important day.

Congrats, Phyllis and Del. I know Old Cousin Foster would be right behind you in line had he survived to see today.

Are you out there Foster??? If so, know that I was always proud of you, even if I didn't understand all of the hate that was directed at you OR even the reason for the hate.

I hope everybody can now just live their lives without treating each other "so awfully".

Aloha,
JIm

Went to the "World Premiere" of Baghead out in the middle of nowhere here in Austin.

Good movie. Scary as hell at times, esp. since we were in this nearly desolate locale out in the Hill Country. Filmmakers were in attendance and did a Q&A. Pretty cool to finally go to one of these Rolling Roadshow events. Esp. since this one ticked off the rest of the industry by NOT occurring in NY or LA. HA! Take that.

Austin, TX Baby! The Home of Independent Film. It's a major reason why I moved here in the first place. Nice to be around the scene again. Got me excited about the process again--which was needing a major kick in the ass seeing that I can't figure out what I'm doing with this documentary.

The only hard part for me to suspend my disbelief was that it was supposed to take place in Big Bear, CA. And, having spent many a summer there, I knew it wasn't shot there. But, oh well. Minor annoyances that most people wouldn't even catch.

It's supposed to be a comedy and a horror movie and a relationship movie. Not certain if they hit the mark on all three of those genres but it definitely was memorable. The first "attack" of Baghead was most certainly freaky. Nightmare-inducing freaky. Way to go Duplass Bros. Now, I gotta go see The Puffy Chair......I love the fact that there's a discussion of "(It's a Shame about) Ray" Carney's credentials in the message boards for TPC. I took classes with Ray and was his TA for one semester. I may eventually need his dominus omnus so I won't go any further than mentioning those side bars.

Anyway....go see Baghead. It's good and scary. Very Blair Witch Project-like.

Now, I got to go to bed, but first thing I'm gonna do when I get some moola saved is buy that membership to the Austin Film Society that I've been meaning to get for like 8 years.

Goodnight.
J

In true Nic Hornby style, I present my list of my top 5 favorite Top 10 lists (how meta is that?). I will be posting the actual lists at a later time; so don't worry....

In no particular order:

Top 10 Favorite Bands

Top 10 Favorite Movies

Top 10 Favorite TV moments

Top 10 Favorite Life moments

Top 10 Biggest Regrets/ Favorite Favorites (not sure which would be easier to write. Whichever it is, I'll do the other one).

Aloha,
J

It is summertime at La Casita del Baldodad which means lotsa swimming and movies and general OCDing about every little thing that I put off while I was teaching--such as the filing of important tax documents for posterity and the balancing of the checkbook (check that--checkbooks seeing that we have to close out the joint one and then balance the new individual one).

Anyway, Baldo and I went to see Speed Racer yesterday. He was thrilled; I was bored and kept noticing all of the CGI swish pans throughout it. Oh well, it was a pretty exciting finish and Baldo claimed it to be "The best movie I've ever seen!".

This summer, however, I'm going to try something different. I'm taking a George Costanza approach to life--"everything I do, every thought that I have, I'm going to do the opposite." So there might be piles of paperwork to file or MP3s to backup onto CD-Rs, but instead, I'm gonna watch movies and go swimming and learn to play the electric guitar (finally) and have fun with my kid. Of course, this plan, having been stated, must now be abolished as I have to do the opposite....But I think I'll stick closer to the spirit of the statement rather than the exact practice. Sorry, George.

BTW, it's at that precise moment that the series ended for me. I didn't watch anymore episodes after that--so I missed the original run of the Soup Nazi and the Finale (both of which I've seen in rerun). Maybe even Festivus. No. Uh-oh, OCD.

Out and Aloha,
J