- So here's my new favorite blog: DEALBREAKER. Run right over and check it out RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND I COMMAND YOU. Funny shit.
- Also, Spaceships and Kool-Aid. Funny as hell and so very NSFW so don't say I didn't warn you.
- Maybe it's this pheromone body spray I've been using, but motherfuckers continue to get all up in my shit on any otherwise uncrowded train and it's bugging the fuck out of me. I'm standing there yesterday in the little well across the front door of the train and a guy gets on and like wedges himself into the little space behind me when there's a whole empty train in front of both of us. I mean, WTFF???!!??
Eventually he extricated himself and sat down, but really, man. Come the fuck on.
- This is so fucking cool:
- Tonight at Chez TK, our film feature will be The Matchmaker (1997) w/ Janeane Garofalo and Denis Leary, courtesy of The Wife's Netflix queue, not mine, so just shut it. Judging from the comments on IMDB, this is some Citizen Kane-level shit, so I'm psyched.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Freddy Sanchez and other controversies of our time
Giants acquire Freddy Sanchez from the Pirates for lauded AA pitcher Tim Alderson. Depending on who you listen to, this is either a canny, smart move or colossal dumbassery. Although I think it's too early to tell, I'm tentatively in the former camp slightly more than the latter. Sure, Alderson is a great prospect, but he could just as easily become Jesse Foppert instead of the next Matt Cain. Sanchez, as long as he stays healthy, is a proven commodity who's an upgrade at 2B over what they had before, which is to say, nothing.
But what irks me, along with most other Giants fans, is that what the team needed more than anything else was a hitter with some power, and Sanchez has, what, like 6 home runs so far this year? Christ on a cracker.
We'll see.
In other news:
- Coke is better than Pepsi. Duh.
- The designated hitter is a scourge upon baseball. If you play, you gotta hit.
- For the first three dates, the guy always pays for everything, even if the girl asked him out. I don't know how this works for the gays, but there's the rule for the straights. No exceptions.
- Put down your fucking phone when you're conducting a transaction with someone selling you something. Saying "Thank you" is common fucking courtesy and unless you're a doctor giving verbal instructions about how to perform an emergency tracheotomy to a guy with a ballpoint pen and a pocketknife, you can put your conversation on hold for 20 fucking seconds to acknowledge the human being in front of you.
But what irks me, along with most other Giants fans, is that what the team needed more than anything else was a hitter with some power, and Sanchez has, what, like 6 home runs so far this year? Christ on a cracker.
We'll see.
In other news:
- Coke is better than Pepsi. Duh.
- The designated hitter is a scourge upon baseball. If you play, you gotta hit.
- For the first three dates, the guy always pays for everything, even if the girl asked him out. I don't know how this works for the gays, but there's the rule for the straights. No exceptions.
- Put down your fucking phone when you're conducting a transaction with someone selling you something. Saying "Thank you" is common fucking courtesy and unless you're a doctor giving verbal instructions about how to perform an emergency tracheotomy to a guy with a ballpoint pen and a pocketknife, you can put your conversation on hold for 20 fucking seconds to acknowledge the human being in front of you.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Bachelorette party? Heavy metal band in animal costumes? All part of a weekend.
We've got a lot of ground to cover, so let's get right to it.
There used to be a dark, dank, unwelcoming bar on Market Street called the Expansion Bar. The kind of place where you might find a 65-year-old alcoholic with a Miller and a shot of Wild Turkey next to a tweaker who's scanning the room for CIA agents. But it was cheap and unpretentious and so it fit the bill on many an occasion.
Then it closed. And a (mostly) gay bar called Metro opened where it was. Then that closed. Now there's a new place that just opened called Blackbird. The Wife and I checked it out Friday night.
Here's the problem. On their website, they say "The Neighborhood Bar is back," and ask if you are "fed up with fancy-schmancy lounges" and go on to talk about how regular and comfortable and blah blah blah whatever else they are. Well, guess what, Blackbird? You're a fancy-schmancy lounge. Maybe it's the indirect lighting and the modern art on the walls and the low, uncomfortable tables and the bar staff that looks like they should be in Fashionable Hipster Bartender magazine, but I would say that "comfortable neighborhood bar" is the LAST phrase I would use. Maybe if your neighborhood is an episode of "Sex and the City." I'll pass.
Moving on. Saturday early evening at Bloodhound (WARNING - music plays automatically and BTW I fucking hate that) was notable for 2 things: (1) Sitting at the bar, we are approached by an attractive young woman who asks us if we're in the Mile High Club. OH HAI LADEE. As it turns out, none of us were but AYW ("Simone," as it turns out, if that's her real name) is there as part of a bachelorette party and RIGHT I guess that explains the chick in the veil over there doing shots. Anyway, I wish I could say that hijinx ensued but nothing really exciting happened and The Wife reads this blog anyway. (2) Shortly thereafter, a well-dressed preppy-looking guy in a seersucker blazer WITH A POCKET SQUARE weaved his way up to the bar and slurred "What's the capital of Poland?" And I said "Warsaw?" And he smiled and then looked like he was going to fall over or puke. Dude was SHITFACED. He got kicked out a little while after that for getting handsy with an Iranian chick.
And then yesterday. One word. ZEMEZYZ.
There used to be a dark, dank, unwelcoming bar on Market Street called the Expansion Bar. The kind of place where you might find a 65-year-old alcoholic with a Miller and a shot of Wild Turkey next to a tweaker who's scanning the room for CIA agents. But it was cheap and unpretentious and so it fit the bill on many an occasion.
Then it closed. And a (mostly) gay bar called Metro opened where it was. Then that closed. Now there's a new place that just opened called Blackbird. The Wife and I checked it out Friday night.
Here's the problem. On their website, they say "The Neighborhood Bar is back," and ask if you are "fed up with fancy-schmancy lounges" and go on to talk about how regular and comfortable and blah blah blah whatever else they are. Well, guess what, Blackbird? You're a fancy-schmancy lounge. Maybe it's the indirect lighting and the modern art on the walls and the low, uncomfortable tables and the bar staff that looks like they should be in Fashionable Hipster Bartender magazine, but I would say that "comfortable neighborhood bar" is the LAST phrase I would use. Maybe if your neighborhood is an episode of "Sex and the City." I'll pass.
Moving on. Saturday early evening at Bloodhound (WARNING - music plays automatically and BTW I fucking hate that) was notable for 2 things: (1) Sitting at the bar, we are approached by an attractive young woman who asks us if we're in the Mile High Club. OH HAI LADEE. As it turns out, none of us were but AYW ("Simone," as it turns out, if that's her real name) is there as part of a bachelorette party and RIGHT I guess that explains the chick in the veil over there doing shots. Anyway, I wish I could say that hijinx ensued but nothing really exciting happened and The Wife reads this blog anyway. (2) Shortly thereafter, a well-dressed preppy-looking guy in a seersucker blazer WITH A POCKET SQUARE weaved his way up to the bar and slurred "What's the capital of Poland?" And I said "Warsaw?" And he smiled and then looked like he was going to fall over or puke. Dude was SHITFACED. He got kicked out a little while after that for getting handsy with an Iranian chick.
And then yesterday. One word. ZEMEZYZ.
What? You've never seen a heavy metal band dressed as mythical animals or maybe Where the Wild Things Are? ZEMEZYZ.
Friday, July 24, 2009
WARNING: Spoilers inside
So I recently happened to learn what the SHOCKING TWIST ENDING of "Orphan" is, and while I'm not going to reveal it here, I will be happy to assure you that it is the most retarded surprise twist in the history of American film. It is so, so stupid that I expect people will be walking out of theaters going "That was fucking retarded" but maybe not because most people who would go see it are retarded too.
ANYWAY this reminds me of a brief anecdote. I was talking to The Wife about "No Way Out," the Kevin Costner/Sean Young-before-she-went-batshit-crazy thriller, which, as you may know, has a shocking twist ending, and I just assumed that she had seen it, so I offhandedly said, "You know, ______ ______ is the _______ _______!" and then chuckled a little expecting her to roll her eyes and say "Yeah, duh, everyone knows that," but instead she got REAL MAD and yelled at me because, as it turns out, heh heh, she had not yet in fact seen No Way Out. And now there's really no point in seeing it once you know that Blank Blank is the Blank Blank.
And the chick in "The Crying Game" is a dude.
ANYWAY this reminds me of a brief anecdote. I was talking to The Wife about "No Way Out," the Kevin Costner/Sean Young-before-she-went-batshit-crazy thriller, which, as you may know, has a shocking twist ending, and I just assumed that she had seen it, so I offhandedly said, "You know, ______ ______ is the _______ _______!" and then chuckled a little expecting her to roll her eyes and say "Yeah, duh, everyone knows that," but instead she got REAL MAD and yelled at me because, as it turns out, heh heh, she had not yet in fact seen No Way Out. And now there's really no point in seeing it once you know that Blank Blank is the Blank Blank.
And the chick in "The Crying Game" is a dude.
Weakerthans @ Great American Music Hall
You ever go to one of those shows where you know every single song? I went to one last night, and it was fucking awesome. Well, actually there was one song I didn't know, but that's not really the point.
The Weakerthans are a band from Winnipeg, Canada, with what I judge to be an intense, cultlike following, in the States, anyway. Last night they packed Great American Music Hall (capacity 600) and put on a phenomenal show.
(Aside: I'm not sure what it is, but I seem to be a fan of a lot of bands that have a small, intense, cultlike following, like The Loud Family and The Wrens. I don't know what that means.)
I think John Samson might be one of the greatest lyricists working today, and definitely one of the best songwriters. The band played a selection of stuff from all the albums, making it kind of like a greatest hits show, which was fine by me. You know you've got a good fanbase when people are singing your lyrics back to you. That must be a fucking rush.
Anyway, if you're not familiar, I urge you to check them out. Start with Reconstruction Site. You won't be disappointed, I promise.
UPDATE: I don't know why "Comments" isn't appearing for this post, but since you guys can't leave comments, I'll leave them for you.
Best post ever! Great job, TK!
Yay, Weakerthans! Yay, TK! A match made in heaven!
If you only read one blog post this year, make it this one! Bravo, TK!
Show her the night of her life! FREE C1al1s and v1aGra!!!
The Weakerthans are a band from Winnipeg, Canada, with what I judge to be an intense, cultlike following, in the States, anyway. Last night they packed Great American Music Hall (capacity 600) and put on a phenomenal show.
(Aside: I'm not sure what it is, but I seem to be a fan of a lot of bands that have a small, intense, cultlike following, like The Loud Family and The Wrens. I don't know what that means.)
I think John Samson might be one of the greatest lyricists working today, and definitely one of the best songwriters. The band played a selection of stuff from all the albums, making it kind of like a greatest hits show, which was fine by me. You know you've got a good fanbase when people are singing your lyrics back to you. That must be a fucking rush.
Anyway, if you're not familiar, I urge you to check them out. Start with Reconstruction Site. You won't be disappointed, I promise.
UPDATE: I don't know why "Comments" isn't appearing for this post, but since you guys can't leave comments, I'll leave them for you.
Best post ever! Great job, TK!
Yay, Weakerthans! Yay, TK! A match made in heaven!
If you only read one blog post this year, make it this one! Bravo, TK!
Show her the night of her life! FREE C1al1s and v1aGra!!!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
The health care debate explained
The amount of money we spend as a nation on health care is going to double in the next 10 years. 14,000 people lose their health insurance every day. Forget quitting your job if you have something wrong with you; you'll never get insured again. HALF of all bankruptcies are due to medical bills.
There is something, perhaps, wrong with the health care system in this country. And it's so big, and so unwieldy, that obviously something needs to be done at the national level.
What SHOULD happen is that Congress passes some kind of comprehensive health care bill that will allow every person in this country to have access to health care at a reasonable rate that he or she can afford. It better include some kind of preventive care incentive and probably needs some price controls. As part of my job, I sometimes have to look at medical records, and I was just looking at one itemized bill that listed hydrocodone tablets (i.e., Vicodin) at 18 dollars each in this particular hospital. When you can get a prescription filled at Wal-Mart for FOUR BUCKS, there's something seriously fucking wrong with this picture.
What WILL happen is that Congress will pass some sort of watered-down, cobbled-together mess that won't work and will cost way, way, way more money that anyone can imagine and that everyone will hate. There are a couple of reasons for this:
(1) Members of Congress are basically owned by, and beholden to, lobbyists and major donors, and do you think those lobbyists and/or donors are people who have just gone bankrupt due to medical bills? BZZZZZZZT MOVE TO THE BACK OF THE CLASS PLEASE. Do you think maybe it's health insurance companies and doctors and people who make $18 vicodins? BING BING BING BING YOU WIN A GIANT STUFFED PANDA.
(2) Plus, you got the right-wing crazies out there like the guy I heard on radio yesterday saying that Obama is like Hitler (no joke) because the health care bill encourages old people to kill themselves. THE HOST OF THE RADIO SHOW AGREED WITH HIM. I've got to scour this bill and find that provision now. These nutbars are fucking loudmouths and people (i.e., Republican politicians) pay attention to them and they influence national policy to some extent as a result.
(3) Then there's the fact that you could easily set up a national health insurance plan and charge people between 1 and 2.5% of their income for it and everyone could be covered but no one wants to talk about what would be considered a new tax and plus the insurance companies are all like "WAHHHH WAHHH IT'LL PUT US OUT OF BUSINESS" and wouldn't that just be the saddest day? Because your health insurer is your BIGGEST BESTEST FRIEND and wants nothing more than to give you all the delicious health care you need.
So we'll get the plan we deserve. It won't work, you won't be covered, and it's going to cost more than 3500 gold-plated F-22 fighters with a DVD player and a bidet.
There is something, perhaps, wrong with the health care system in this country. And it's so big, and so unwieldy, that obviously something needs to be done at the national level.
What SHOULD happen is that Congress passes some kind of comprehensive health care bill that will allow every person in this country to have access to health care at a reasonable rate that he or she can afford. It better include some kind of preventive care incentive and probably needs some price controls. As part of my job, I sometimes have to look at medical records, and I was just looking at one itemized bill that listed hydrocodone tablets (i.e., Vicodin) at 18 dollars each in this particular hospital. When you can get a prescription filled at Wal-Mart for FOUR BUCKS, there's something seriously fucking wrong with this picture.
What WILL happen is that Congress will pass some sort of watered-down, cobbled-together mess that won't work and will cost way, way, way more money that anyone can imagine and that everyone will hate. There are a couple of reasons for this:
(1) Members of Congress are basically owned by, and beholden to, lobbyists and major donors, and do you think those lobbyists and/or donors are people who have just gone bankrupt due to medical bills? BZZZZZZZT MOVE TO THE BACK OF THE CLASS PLEASE. Do you think maybe it's health insurance companies and doctors and people who make $18 vicodins? BING BING BING BING YOU WIN A GIANT STUFFED PANDA.
(2) Plus, you got the right-wing crazies out there like the guy I heard on radio yesterday saying that Obama is like Hitler (no joke) because the health care bill encourages old people to kill themselves. THE HOST OF THE RADIO SHOW AGREED WITH HIM. I've got to scour this bill and find that provision now. These nutbars are fucking loudmouths and people (i.e., Republican politicians) pay attention to them and they influence national policy to some extent as a result.
(3) Then there's the fact that you could easily set up a national health insurance plan and charge people between 1 and 2.5% of their income for it and everyone could be covered but no one wants to talk about what would be considered a new tax and plus the insurance companies are all like "WAHHHH WAHHH IT'LL PUT US OUT OF BUSINESS" and wouldn't that just be the saddest day? Because your health insurer is your BIGGEST BESTEST FRIEND and wants nothing more than to give you all the delicious health care you need.
So we'll get the plan we deserve. It won't work, you won't be covered, and it's going to cost more than 3500 gold-plated F-22 fighters with a DVD player and a bidet.
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