Archive for December, 2005
What the Heck Does ‘Aud Lang Syne’ Mean, Anyhow?
December 31st, 2005I have a dim memory of a childhood kindergarten class just before winter break, in which a classmate planned to ring in the new year by saying “[sad face] Goodbye, 1975. [cheery face] Hello, 1976!”
Personally, I wound down the old year by doing the only halfway competent thing I can: making a commemorative mix CD. […]
All A-Bored
December 29th, 2005Via Drawn!, an autobiographical Peter Bagge comic of a disastrous Amtrak train trip. I always wanted to ride the rails across the U.S. Correction: I’d like to go back to 1957 and ride ride the rails across the U.S. While we’re at it, look at what Time magazine chose as the best comix of 2005.
Four or Five Days Ago
December 28th, 2005How was the holiday for you? Ours was nice, but kind of chaotic and eventful. I’m used to having a restful and worry-free Xmas. What happened?
Dead parakeet. Our beloved pet parakeet, Toby, died on Christmas Eve. The following morning, we buried her in the backyard underneath a favored feeder for the neighborhood birds. She was […]
Merry and Bright
December 23rd, 2005Scrubbles is taking a short break over the holiday weekend. Happy Christmas and Merry New Year to all and to all a good night.
Silver Hells II: The Wrath of Dion
December 22nd, 2005From the CBC: a curmudgeon’s guide to the worst Christmas singles. Make sure to download the Mae West song, which is not so much bad as bizarre (Mae warbling arthritic come-ons over a Byrdsish dirge).
B-Movie Bonanza
December 21st, 2005You know I love it when Turner Classic Movies devotes its daytime programming to some obscure actor or director. This Friday, December 23, they’ll be playing ten films from Warner Brothers journeyman director Ray Enright (with one non-Enright film, Side Show, snuck in). Since he never directed anything that was even close to being “classic”, […]
Savant Knows All
December 21st, 2005Glenn Erickson of DVD Savant is back with his 2005 Favored Disc Roundup. Not only does he spotlight his favorite reissues of the year, he gives a lot of insight into the often shoddy ways that film studios market their older films on DVD. A similar plea is made in Al Lutz’s open letter to […]
Gruesome Twosome: Nick and Val, Sittin’ in a Tree Edition
December 20th, 2005Diana Ross: “I Can’t Give Back The Love I Feel For You”
LP: Surrender, 1971
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas: “Won’t It Be So Wonderful”
LP: Natural Resources, 1970 | BUY
On the menu today, a couple of later Motown efforts written and produced by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. Nick and Val made for Diana Ross’ most sympathetic […]
Silver Hells
December 19th, 2005Something occurred to me at the mall today, sometime between “Winter Wonderland” and “Frosty the Snowman” — enduring crappy Christmas music is one of the few communal experiences we have left. Now I’m fully aware that some people actually like that stuff (the same types who lovingly collect Precious Moments figurines, no doubt), and I […]
Nepotism Alert
December 19th, 2005Just a note to say that my s.o. Christopher has launched his own weblog, Just Ask Christopher. Christopher is my own personal “Mr. Know It All”, so it’s no surprise that he decided to focus his weblog on sharing knowledge and giving advice. Make sure to go there and ask him lots of questions — […]
Mushrooms and Bugs
December 16th, 2005Wonderful Christopher sent along two artsy-links today that I’d like to share. The first is this L.A. Times story on a unique photography project which was a collaboration between film location scouts and disadvantaged high school students. The resulting shots of the abandoned Ambassador Hotel are eerie, especially a lovely pic of mushrooms growing out […]
Swankola Superhome
December 16th, 2005Recently we rewatched The Incredibles and marveled at the retro-style details used in the settings — especially the Incredible family homestead. The exterior design is inspired by Bob Alexander’s tract homes in Palm Springs. Interiors seemed to come straight off the pages of House and Garden magazine, circa 1960, with textures so lovingly rendered that […]
When Hollywood Went Black and Tan
December 13th, 2005Next month, vintage musicals Hallelujah, Green Pastures and Cabin In The Sky will debut on DVD as a Black History Month tie-in. Truthfully, all three suffer in varying degrees from their very dated portrayals of African-American spirituality, so it should be interesting to hear the commentaries on each film. I’ve never seen the early talkie […]
Mister Manners
December 12th, 2005You might remember Bill Barol from his witty weblog Blather, or for speaking with The New York Times on the daily strain of weblog keeping (only to drop said weblog soon thereafter), or for his fine articles for the likes of Slate and Fast Company. Now he’s resurfaced as the “typist” of a new book, […]
We’re #14! (Out of 15)
December 11th, 2005Not to toot my own horn, but scrubbles.net is currently ranked #14 in votes for the Weblog Award of Best Blog Design. That’s 14th place out of 15 nominees. C’mon people, throw me a little bone here and vote. Polls close on the 15th and you can vote once every 24 hours.
