We keep on meeting like this DR Elmore.
Good night/Good morning..
So, I was awakened from a sound sleep at 11:30 p.m. by a certain Dear Reader who wished to be at the bookstore at midnight to buy a certain book.
I hope said Dear Reader remembers this when it's time to choose my Home.
...Sutorius and Sussman.Sutorius and Sussman sounds like a law firm, and a not necessarily reputable one at that!
And now - Dino at the piano.It isn't his playing, it's that yapping that drives us away. That and his purple color, which doesn't go well with the furniture.
Dino is not so happy to play for just one person.
Today is National Corn Fritters Day.
It helps to have a good spatula around, to turn the fritters over while they're cooking.
This is my conundrum. Are these spatulas?These all appear to be spatulas to me.
(http://www.kitchen-island-superstore.com/Images/250x400/Le_Creuset_7_Spatula_Set.jpg)
Or are these spatulas?The one on the right is a spatula. The one on the left is a slotted spoon. It's good for catching the potato.
(http://www.psrc.usm.edu/afrikaan/images/dollar/spatula.jpg)
[...I actually worked for a lawfirm called Sussman, Shank. Horrible, horrible place concentrating on commercial collections. The senior partner once called me a "trained monkey" after I had programmed all their frigging computers to do the grunt work on threatening people who were behind on credit card payments. I left shortly thereafter, banana in hand (so to speak). ;)You could have, instead, sat on top of the box and told them that you don't like bananas!
BK, inquiring minds want to know: did you ever "guest star" in any of Bob Crane's "home movies"? ;)
It's good for catching the potato.
"Mr. Crane, your stuntcock is ready."
Oh, elmore left before reading his compliment.
Matt, I'm surprised by your reaction to the Potter books, specifically your decision to see the films first and then do the reading. These books have a goodly chunk of a generation of kids reading, which takes work and requires their using their imaginations, rather than inactively watching what happens. Putting the films first just seems...well, wrong.
For me, the fun of the films is seeing how someone else imagined the work.
I bought a couple of tose
When did you move to Brooklyn (or the Bronx), Matt? ;D
I'll get back to you on that. i bought it for the dard to find "Robot Man" by Jamie Horton. It was a hit here and not the now better known version by Connie Francis.
DR TOMovOZ - what are the songs on that Restless Doll cd? Interesting artwork to say the least.
Hello DR Ron.
Gosh Guys, it sounds like fun. Wish I could have joined in. And the cake sounds yummy.
S. Woody, as a former film critic, it was important for me to enter films with no preconceived notions which meant I often would not read best sellers if I knew they were going to be made into films. Sometimes, if it was a book I had already read, there was nothing I could do about it, but as much as was possible, I avoided books that I knew were going to be films.Sorry, Matt, but this doesn't sail. You're a former teacher, as well. If a film was based on a classic book, or play, your statement suggests that your knowledge of the book or play would prejudice your opinion of the film. But your other occupation demands a knowledge of the printed works.
Sorry if you think that's wrong. For me, it was and IS right. I'm just a creature of habit.
Sorry, Matt, but this doesn't sail. You're a former teacher, as well. If a film was based on a classic book, or play, your statement suggests that your knowledge of the book or play would prejudice your opinion of the film. But your other occupation demands a knowledge of the printed works.
Every good critic I know of keeps abreast of what is happening in the world around him/her. This includes reading books, seeing films, keeping up with news articles. I'd be very wary of a film critic who was unaware of the previous incarnations of War of the Worlds, although there appear to be a number of critics on the Internet who have reviewed it thus. Part of any intelligent film review is an understanding of what the director/performers/screenwriter has/have brought to the project.
And I too have been a critic, years ago at Sondheim.com. I wrote a column reviewing CDs called Track by Track, and made a point of researching the discs as thoroughly as I could. Context is a major part of reviewing any work.
DR S. Woody: I don't think your argument with Matt H. has much weight given that the Harry Potter books are "children's works" and not high school subject matter.And where, in my argument, did I say these works should be part of a school curriculum? My argument is that a critic should be aware of the context of the work being reviewed. This includes film reviews, book reviews, theater reviews, restaurant reviews, the works. The critic owes it to the reader to not only give an opinion, but give the reason for that opinion, in order to inform the reader about the work in question. Any critic who does not do this, in my opinion, does the reader a disservice, and a critic who repeatedly does the reader this disservice will rapidly become a critic I ignore.
It's great they're getting children to read, BUT they are fantasy stories that -- IMO -- have no place in a classroom.
I enjoy great fantasy stories as much as anyone, but I don't want Lord of the Rings OR Harry Potter to be classroom reading material.
That's for kids to read on their own time.
And where, in my argument, did I say these works should be part of a school curriculum? My argument is that a critic should be aware of the context of the work being reviewed. This includes film reviews, book reviews, theater reviews, restaurant reviews, the works. The critic owes it to the reader to not only give an opinion, but give the reason for that opinion, in order to inform the reader about the work in question. Any critic who does not do this, in my opinion, does the reader a disservice, and a critic who repeatedly does the reader this disservice will rapidly become a critic I ignore.
It is the director's cut of Darling Lili, but the deleted scenes will be included as extras. Why can't they release both versions on a double-sided DVD?
Fair enough. I thought you were tasking Matt for his position on not reading the Harry Potter books, perferring instead to see the film. Your rebuke about his being a teacher and a former critic seemed connected to this, but now that I know that it wasn't, I will simply say that most adults I know don't read Harry Potter books, but do see the movies.I'm a Rowling fan (but not a fanatic). I think she's done a great service to the world's youth, whatever their ages, by writing her books. That she has remained connected to her roots, remembering her past and giving charitably through her additional writings and donations, endears me to her.
Watching The High and the Mighty. I saw this film twenty-four times when it came out in 1954 - I made my parents, relatives, brother or anyone else I could find take me over and over.
Tomorrow I head up to Spirit Lake to have my birthday with my family. (I just love birthdays that last for a week!) There is a place there, The Gingham Inn, that makes pan fried chicken in cast iron skillets. It's the best chicken I've ever tasted and I'm going to eat it tomorrow!! I can't wait....Oh, Cillaliz, that chicken sounds delicious! See if you can wrangle a few secrets about how it's made; my cast iron skillet is eager and waiting!
Now off for ice cream
Good Evening!
Greetings from my new place in NYC!
:)
Ah, the joys of wireless internet connections!
:)
And I just realized that they have FULL cable and a DVR!!! HOO and RAY!
:)
I think I'm going to like it here.
Sounds like you've died and gone to techie heaven!
You absolutely will LOVE having a DVR.
S. WOody, I found your response presumptuous and ill-informed. You don't know me and have NO knowledge of what number of classic works I have an intimate knowledge of.Matt, from your comments I believe I would not appreciate your work as a critic. Using your own example of Jaws, to not be familiar with the book, or it's genesis as a pre-sold screenplay basis, shows a lack of appreciation of a work's growth. This is not to denegrate Spielberg's work as a director; if anything, he overcame the deficits of the novel to create a cinematic treasure. But I would consider what Spielberg did in taking the schematic of the original novel as the basis of the film to be a part of informing the readership to the film's impact, to be an essential part of a review, if simply because a part of that readership will be familiar with the novel.
My comments had to do with modern works published that had generated a significant amount of press dealing with upcoming film versions. For example, I did not read JAWS before the film came out. That had NOTHING to do with what I taught in my classroom and everything to do with keeping the filmgoing experience as fresh and as surprising for me as it was possible to be.
I said nothing about knowledge of classic works which as an honors English teacher it was my great joy and pleasure to know and know well. And when films were made from classic works, Branagh's Shakespeare series, for example, I had no trouble at all bringing my knowledge of the printed page into what he as a filmmaker brought to the project.
But bk said what I feel, too. My method worked for me for twenty-five years of writing film reviews and thirty years of teaching English.
That you felt the need to criticize to the point of insult my own techniques was thoroughly unnecessary.
My friend Hal is a BIG Potter fan, and he's promised to loan me all the books when I'm ready to read them. After THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, he was dying to tell me some of the things that happened, but I managed to keep him for revealing anything.
SWW: If you like Mark, check out his short-lived group from about 20 years ago, Group 87. Really, really great stuff.Thanks for the recommendation. I'm familiar with some of his solo work on Windham Hill; I'll try to find this other work.
Oh, Cillaliz, that chicken sounds delicious! See if you can wrangle a few secrets about how it's made; my cast iron skillet is eager and waiting!
:D
Well, I don't know exactly what spices they put in the flour at the Gingham, but it's just good old fashioned pan fried chicken. Just wash the chicken but don't dry, dip the chicken in the flour -about a cup for a 3# chicken is usually enough (shaking in a plastic bag is less messy) and cook it in about 1/2 inch of oil over medium heat covered for 10-15 minutes then turn it and cook about 15 minutes until it's nicely browned and done.
I've done it a few times, it's a greasy mess to clean up, but very tasty