31 December 2011

100 Bullets - Wilt

100 Bullets - Wilt: Done! A fiery end to the epic series. @brianazzarello gets all the credit but artist Eduardo Risso deserves most of it.

War Horse

War Horse: Nobody does it better. Seriously, nobody in the entire history of humankind does this sort of thing better than Steven Spielberg!

30 December 2011

100 Bullets - Dirty

100 Bullets - Dirty: My other favourite character gets killed. Oh well, at least I'm this close to finishing the series. @vertigo_comics

Fela!

Fela!: The most fun musical, ever! When people talk about a tour-de-force performance they need to see Sahr Ngaujah in action! Wow!

29 December 2011

100 Bullets - Once Upon a Crime

100 Bullets - Once Upon a Crime: Sad, my favourite Minuteman bites the bullet, literally. @vertigo_comics

The Help

The Help: Stellar work by Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Allison Janney & Jessica Chastain. Too bad it was wasted in this paternalistic tripe

28 December 2011

Australia Thrashes India In Test 1

Somebody forgot to tell #Ponting & #Australia that they're supposed to be over. How else to explain that huge victory over #India?! #AusvInd

Main Street

Main Street: Modest, gentle film with a huge cast. The kind of movie that John Sayles would have directed the h*ll out of in his prime.

Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me

Two of TBH's favourite things: Nina Simone and cats! Awesome video for "My Baby Just Cares For Me"! http://t.co/NucY2BEP

Young Adult

Young Adult: Entertaining, but the bloom has come off the Cody/Reitman rose. Theron was good, but Patton Oswalt totally steals the show!

27 December 2011

The Closer

The Closer: With apologies to every other show, this has the best ensemble on TV. Wish they could find a spot for good ol' Fred Willard! ;-)

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo: Fincher at his near-best! Mara is very good, not quite as great as Rapace. Surprisingly Craig is fantastic!

25 December 2011

24 December 2011

Richard Karn Celebrity Sighting

4th-Greatest Celebrity Sighting, Ever!: Richard Karn from Home Improvement. I resisted the urge to ask him to fix my heater! ;-)

Steelers Thump The Rams

Great win for the #Steelers against the hapless #Rams. If @tpolamalu keeps this up, a very deep playoff run is very possible! :-) #NFL #AFC

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Film)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Gary Oldman, like the film, is very good. Just not quite as great as Alec Guinness and the 1979 miniseries.

23 December 2011

Larry Merchant Celebrity Sighting

2nd-Greatest Celebrity Sighting, Ever!: Larry Merchant at the Landmark! I resisted the urge to ask him about Floyd Mayweather! ;-)

American Horror Story

American Horror Story: Gave up on it. Why? It was keeping me up at night! Why? Because it was scary & gross. My heart couldn't take it!

Catching Hell

Catching Hell: Bloody h*ll! The best #30For30 & one of the best movies of the year! Another great film by @BaLueBolivar (Alex Gibney). @ESPN

22 December 2011

Matt Barkley Staying at USC

Yay! @MattBarkley is staying at #USC. Im back on the #Trojans bandwagon! Hopefully MB will show the insufferable Mark Sanchez how it's done!

The Dark Knight Rises IMAX Prologue

The Dark Knight Rises IMAX Prologue: Dude! No, seriously. DUDE! Truly larger than life! Can't bloody wait for 20 July 2012! #TDK #TDKR

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol: Worth it for the incredible Dubai sequence in IMAX! @simonpegg & @PaulaPattonXO steal the show. Awesome!

21 December 2011

Heather Booted Off Top Chef

Yes! Heather ("Queen of Mean") got booted off #TopChef. Karma is quite the female dog ain't it?! @BravoTopChef @heatherterhune

Great Jay Williams Interview

Wow! Introspective & heartfelt interview with @RealJayWilliams on @DLHQ today. Not often you get this with athletes. http://t.co/XOT4nTss

The Hunter

The Hunter: A lean mean literary machine. Great work by Stark/Westlake. It's sad that I read the Darwyn Cooke comic before the actual book!

Bored To Death

Bored To Death: Quirky, offbeat, a little twee perhaps, but I loved it. They added Hodgman & Hammer's (Mike & Sledge) but alas to no avail.

20 December 2011

Hung

Hung: Low-key fun while it lasted. The Jane's (Adams & Thomas) were great. I guess even fictional Detroit can't catch a break these days.

You Know You're Too Old When Peja Stojakovic Retires

You Know You're Too Old When: #Peja #Stojakovic retires from the #NBA! #TooOld #2Old

Bane and Baron Underbheit

Is it just me, or does #Bane sound exactly like Baron #Underbheit?! #TDK #TDKR #VentureBros @VentureBrosBlog http://t.co/6sdTS3jz

19 December 2011

Steelers Lose To Niners

Gotta be honest, that was a brutal bloody loss for the #Steelers. #BigBen has engineered way too many wins to pin the loss on him. #NFL #AFC

The Dark Knight Rises Trailer

Aw-bloody-some! The Dark Knight Rises trailer starring @mvp86hinesward! Cant wait for 20 Jul 2012! @steelers #TDK #TDKR http://t.co/KlRw5fa1

The Muppets

The Muppets: Thoroughly enjoyable. But a meta Muppet movie (MMM?) is not quite the same as a "real" Muppet movie. Still loved it though!

18 December 2011

Homeland

Homeland: Ridiculous but entertaining (so I guess that makes it ridiculously entertaining)! They should just give Claire Danes the Emmy now!

George Vecsey Final NY Times Column

Sad when grand old newspapermen say goodbye. George #Vecsey will be missed immensely. @nytimes @nytimessports http://t.co/DeitXQsw

RIP Cesaria Evora

RIP Cesaria Evora. Her hauntingly beautiful voice will be missed. Perfect for a winter's evening in front of the fire. http://t.co/lQv6gHQY

17 December 2011

Fracture

Fracture: Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling - a match made in once-great/now-sold-out acting heaven! Mildly entertaining stuff.

Heather on Top Chef

Dude, Heather on #TopChef is quite possibly the meanest reality tv contestant, ever! @BravoTopChef @heatherterhune

16 December 2011

The Expendables 2 Teaser Trailer

HMOG! They added #VanDamme and @chucknorris! The Expendables 2! 17 Aug 2012 Can't wait! http://t.co/fzNBxxQg

100 Bullets - Decayed

100 Bullets - Decayed: Finally, the main story is gathering steam. This is one long, sorry epic, comic book, sorry graphic novel, series!

RIP Christopher Hitchens

RIP Christopher Hitchens. Whether you agreed with him or not, you had to appreciate his ferocious intelligence and wit.

15 December 2011

Rahul Dravid Bradman Oration

Rahul #Dravid is a great sportsman & an even better ambassador for #Cricket. Read his classy #Bradman Oration. #TheWall http://t.co/jwcjNSFN

Stephen Merchant NY Times Profile

The great #StephenMerchant (the power behind @rickygervais) finally gets some long-overdue media love! @smhelloladies http://t.co/KIcr1Ext

The Notebook

The Notebook: Yes, I was the only person on Earth who hadn't seen it. Yes, Gosling & McAdams ruled. Yes, Garner & Rowlands stole the film!

14 December 2011

Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids: Pretty funny, but nowhere close to the critical acclaim it received. Melissa McCarthy, though, deserved her acclaim! Wow!

13 December 2011

Andy Bull on Roy Fredericks

Another brilliant piece of writing by @AndyBullatGNM "Roy Fredericks aka Kid Cement" #WestIndies #Cricket http://t.co/hqXgNFZ0

Trent Reznor & Karen O - The Immigrant Song

Weird, creepy, awesome video by the great David #Fincher for @trent_reznor & #KarenO's cover of "The Immigrant Song" http://t.co/GK4LX8YB

Talking to James Harrison

@jaydimes Umm...have you seen James #Harrison?! I ain't telling him nothing! Maybe #Troy can talk to him for me. :-)

James Harrison Suspended

Totally unfair about @jharrison9292 suspension. Tough game against @49ers becomes harder! TBH still believes in her beloved @steelers though

12 December 2011

Luck

Luck: Terrifically exciting! Expertly crafted by the genius that is Michael Mann. Can't wait for the actual show! Loved the Plaschke cameo!

Boardwalk Empire

Boardwalk Empire: Messy but entertaining S2 capped by those gut-wrenching final 2 episodes. Not sure I can bring myself to watch S3.

11 December 2011

TBH Right Again About Giants-Cowboys

Noooooo! TBH told me not to switch from the #Giants-#Cowboys game for #BoardwalkEmpire! I didn't listen. Talk about a double-whammy! Oh man!

100 Bullets - Decayed

100 Bullets - Decayed: Now we're cooking! The story is really gathering steam. This is the most reading I've done in a while!

Awaara

Awaara: A true gem from the Golden Era of Bollywood. Thanks to @LACMA, we got to see Raj Kapoor & Nargis light up the big screen once more.

10 December 2011

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Mini-Series)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Tad bit dated but still some of the best TV, ever! Great performances highlighted by the legendary Alec Guinness!

09 December 2011

Missed Bradley Cooper on Inside the Actor's Studio

@jaydimes Missed him. Was he funny? TBH and I are both fans.

Limitless

Limitless: Ha! Very entertaining and totally far-fetched. Good directing by Neil Burger. Nice star turn by Bradley Cooper. Good stuff.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (The Book)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Granted I should have read it long ago, but man was it great. John le Carre's old-fashioned spy world is awesome!

08 December 2011

Roethlisberger Toughs Out Win Against Browns

Say what you will about #BigBen #Roethlisberger (& I've said plenty), you can't deny that he's one tough so-and-so! Here we go #Steelers!

Virender Sehwag ODI Record

OMBG! @virendersehwag obliterated the ODI record with a 149-ball 219! #Viru even made the @ESPN homepage! #IndvWI

07 December 2011

RIP Harry Morgan

RIP Harry Morgan. One of my all-time favourite character actors. He will be missed.

My Week with Marilyn

My Week with Marilyn: Entertaining little cutesy trifle. Michelle Williams & Eddie Redmayne are great but Kenneth Branagh steals the show!

06 December 2011

Unguarded

Unguarded: Powerful, frightening look at just how destructive addiction can be. Another solid @ESPN #30For30 documentary.

Page Eight

Page Eight: Aw-bloody-some! The great Michael Gambon, Ralph Fiennes, Judy Davis & greatest of all, Bill Nighy, in top form!

05 December 2011

Matt Barkley Not Heisman Finalist

Matt #Barkley was robbed of being a #Heisman finalist. Oh well, let's hope Andrew #Luck wins one for the #Pac12. #USC

Let Calcutta Surprise You

#Calcutta is the best city in #India! Don't believe me? Then check out "Let Calcutta Surprise You" via @chattypriya http://t.co/3oi1bS1G

Hugo

Hugo: Marty bloody Scorsese! They ask him to make a simple kid's movie and he goes and makes what may be the best film of the year! Amazing!

04 December 2011

RIP Dev Anand

RIP Dev Anand. One of the last remaining icons from the golden age of Bollywood. There will never be another quite like him.

Steelers Thrash Bengals

Dominating win for the #Steelers! Let's keep the momentum rolling! #NFL

03 December 2011

The Artist

The Artist: Cute, perhaps even a little twee. But you know what, it totally worked! Jean Dujardin was amazing! And that dog, so cute! Aww...

02 December 2011

Address Is Approximate

Aw man, what a beautiful little film! Stop-motion animation for our digital age. Address Is Approximate by @thetheoryUK http://t.co/n85O6ZwG

01 December 2011

Hot in Cleveland

Hot in Cleveland: Betty White & Don Rickles are a match made in comedy heaven. What took so long? Also, too bad the show's not about them.

30 November 2011

Unbroken

Unbroken: The writing itself is a bit prosaic, but the incredible true story completely makes up for it. Louis Zamperini truly is a hero.

Indo-Pak Express Disbands

Sad. Looks like the Peace Train comes to a stop. The #IndoPakExpress breaks up. Best of luck to @rohanbopanna & Aisam-ul-Haq. #ATP

Yoga Girl

Great video from the guys behind #WholeFoodsParkingLot! We met them & they were super-nice. #YogaGirl by @FogandSmog http://t.co/WsRvuktC

28 November 2011

RIP Ken Russell

RIP Ken Russell. A truly flamboyant iconoclast, we're not going to see another director like him anytime soon. His films still freak me out!

27 November 2011

Steelers Squeak By The Chiefs

Any #Steelers win at this stage of the season is a good win, right? Right?! Suddenly, I'm nervous about the #Bengals. Uh-oh... #AFC #NFL

The Immortals

The Immortals: Better than expected. Incredible eye-popping visuals thanks to director Tarsem. Plus, Superman kicked some major 3-D a**!

Federer Wins Record 6th ATP World Tour Finals

Incredible! Roger #Federer (#GOAT) holds off the always fun #Tsonga for a record 6th #ATP World Tour Finals! Hope for 2012 is still alive!

26 November 2011

USC Thrashes UCLA

#USC: 50. #UCLA: 0. Guess who's going to the #PAC12 championship game?! In any case, I'm back on the #Barkley/#Trojan bandwagon! ;-)

India West Indies Test Match Draw

Wow! #India and #WestIndies fight to a level-score Test match draw (2nd time in history). Test Cricket has been on a real upswing! #IndvWI

24 November 2011

Thankful For The "Four Fs Of Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for the "Four Fs Of Thanksgiving": Food, Football, Film, and Family! #4F

Thankful For Roger Federer

I'm thankful for #Federer (#GOAT) being 3-0 (so far) at the #ATP World Tour Finals. Let's get one more title before the year's over #Roger!

Toad On Twitter

@ikaranmehta Ha! Welcome Toad, I'm sure Twitter will never be the same! Happy Toadsgiving!

Thankful For Rahul Dravid

I'm thankful for Rahul #Dravid getting to 13000 Test runs. #TheWall continues to showcase all that is best about #India & Cricket! #IndvWI

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving World!

The Descendants

The Descendants: Flawed, but ultimately touching, sweetly melancholic little film. Alexander Payne really is a superb director.

23 November 2011

Finished State Quarters Collection

Done! Finished collecting all the State Quarters! Um, so now what do I do with the rest of my life?

Matt Kemp Loses MVP

I like Ryan #Braun (what's not to like), but @TheRealMattKemp deserved the #NL #MVP :-( Next year! #Dodgers

22 November 2011

How To Make It In America

How To Make It In America: Pleasantly engaging with a nice little "twist" ending to the season. I'll be back for S3. @HBO @bryangreenberg

21 November 2011

South Africa Lose to Australia (Again)

Sadly, #SouthAfrica again failed to put away the worryingly still-good #Australia. Still, this is Test Cricket at its very finest! #SAvAus

20 November 2011

Charismatic

Charismatic: Mediocre filmmaking is upstaged by a gripping, sad story. This is exactly why docs are so d*mn affecting! #30For30 @espn

LA Galaxy Win the MLS Cup

Ha! Guess I won't be the only one in LA with a #Beckham jersey anymore! ;-) Congrats to @LAGalaxy on winning the #MLSCup! #MLS #Becks

Charismatic (ESPN 30 For 30)

Charismatic: Mediocre filmmaking is upstaged by a gripping, sad story. This is exactly why docs are so d*mn affecting! #30For30 @espn

19 November 2011

USC Upsets Oregon

Wow! What an incredible win for #USC! What a game! Feel somewhat bad for #Oregon though, esp since this helps out #NickSatan. #PAC12 > #SEC

Batman: The Brave and the Bold Canceled

Batman - The Brave and the Bold: Sad to see it cancelled, especially after the great last espisode "Mitefall!" Sigh :-( @cartoonnetwork

18 November 2011

Con Air

The Mechanic: Awesome Statham awesomeness! Plus Ben Foster is always good. And Simon West, the same SW from Con Air! Glad he's still around!

Girl in a Coma - Smart

Latina Punk Rock from San Antonio. Can't stop listening to the fantastic song "Smart" by Girl in a Coma! @Girlinacoma http://t.co/qoAcCpJ0

17 November 2011

Clayton Kershaw Wins NL CY Young

See @Dodgers fans, it truly is darkest before the dawn! Congrats #Kershaw on winning the #NL #CyYoung! @TheRealMattKemp is hopefully next!

Saul Bass Title Design

Beautiful little video of Saul Bass title sequences by @ArtoftheTitle http://t.co/yLZhCzWt

16 November 2011

Ricky Gervais Hosting the Golden Globes

HMOG! It's fasten-your-seatbelt time again! Rick Bloody Gervais is going to host the Golden Globes, again! @rickygervais @goldenglobes

REM - We All Go Back To Where We Belong

Aw man, why did #REM have to break up?! Check out the lovely new "We All Go Back To Where We Belong" @remhq http://t.co/yYuxVfEa

15 November 2011

100 Bullets - Decayed

100 Bullets - Decayed: Now we're cooking! The over-arching story is (finally) gathering some awesome steam! @DCComics @brianazzarello

Spike Jonze - Mourir Aupres de Toi

Aw man, Spike Jonze does it again! Check out his awesome new short "Mourir Aupres de Toi" http://t.co/1Xrx8iUn

14 November 2011

Rahul Dravid Century Against the West Indies

When they said his career was over, "they" apparently forgot to tell the great Rahul #Dravid! #TheWall scores another century! #IndvWI

Martin Solveig & Dragonette -Hello

Absurdly Catchy Song + @DjokerNole Cameo + @Gael_Monfils Cameo = Best Music Video, Ever! "Hello" by @msolveig http://t.co/VQWvK2l8

13 November 2011

100 Bullets - Strychnine Lives

100 Bullets - Strychnine Lives: Ever-so slightly misogynistic, and a bit of a let-down compared to the series so far. @brianazzarello

Steelers Beat Bengals

Phew! The #Steelers escape with a win against the surprising game #Bengals. The dream stays alive! ;-) #NFL #AFC

Roger Federer Wins Paris Masters

Congrats #Federer (#GOAT) on winning @bnpmasters & completing the #Masters sweep! Those tears mean he knows the end is nigh. Sigh... #ATP

RIP Peter Roebuck

RIP Peter Roebuck. A sad end for an all-time great cricket writer. The worlds of sports and journalism will find it hard to fill the void.

12 November 2011

Isner Loses to Tsonga

Hard luck @JohnIsner who dropped a heartbreaker in an entertaining match to @tsonga7 (aren't they all?). Let's go #Roger! #ATP

11 November 2011

J. Edgar

J. Edgar: Solid, old-fashioned Eastwood filmmaking. Leonardo DiCaprio totally deserves an #Oscar. Armie Hammer & Judi Dench were awesome!

100 Bullets - The Hard Way

100 Bullets - The Hard Way: Manohmanohmanohman! Like a cold, hard punch to the proverbial gut! Wow! #100Bullets @brianazzarello

I Believe I Can Fly

It's true, the Frenchies do everything better, even extreme sports documentaries! "I Believe I Can Fly" by @sebmontaz http://t.co/qy0kPgQ0

11/11/11!

It's #11/11/11! Happy Nigel Tufnel Day everyone! #NigelTufnel #Eleven

10 November 2011

Craziest Test Day, Ever!

Craziest Test Match Day, Ever! #SouthAfrica all out for 96, then #Australia all out for 47! Who said #TestCricket was boring?! #SAvAus

The Kitten Covers

OMBG! This literally is the cutest thing, ever! Album covers with kittens! Kittens!! #KittenCovers http://t.co/2VO3Mf63

09 November 2011

100 Bullets - Samurai

100 Bullets - Samurai: Man, this is a pretty long and exhausting comic book, sorry graphic novel, series! I'm not even halfway through!

India Beats West Indies in First Test

Nice win for #India against an admittedly weak #WestIndies. Let's enjoy #Sehwag, #Tendulkar, #Dravid, #VVS while we still can! #IndvWI

08 November 2011

100 Bullets - Six Feet Under the Gun

100 Bullets - Six Feet Under the Gun: It's getting serious now! Anything that gets me to read, even a comic book, is a good thing! @DCComics

07 November 2011

Joe Frazier

RIP Smokin' Joe Frazier. One of the greatest athletes of our time. Hopefully in death he'll get the due he never got while alive. Sad.

100 Bullets - The Counterfifth Detective

100 Bullets - The Counterfifth Detective: Another solid entry in this awesome comic book, sorry, graphic novel, series. @DCComics

06 November 2011

Crushing Loss For the Steelers

Crushing loss for the #Steelers against the #Ravens & the officials ;-) Oh well, let's hope they beat the #Bengals into submission. #NFL

Thrilling Zimbabwe New Zealand Test

Not that anyone noticed, but #Zimbabwe & #NewZealand fought to the bitter end in a thrilling Test match. #MinnowsRule! #ZimvNZ

The Weight of Water

The Weight of Water: An odd entry in the Kathryn Bigelow oeuvre. Stylish & unsettling. Sarah Polley (as always) was excellent.

Federer Wins Basel

Congrats #Federer (#GOAT) on winning Basel. Those tears at the end made me sad...could this really be the beginning of the end? Sniff...#ATP

05 November 2011

LSU Beats Alabama

It wasn't pretty, but it's always nice to see the #MadHatter beat #NickSatan! Geaux #Tigers! #LSU #Alabama #SEC

The Ides Of March

The Ides Of March: Dude, Clooney really is a h*lluva director! Fantastic performances by Gosling, Hoffman, Wood & the great Giamatti.

Kemp For MVP

Matt #Kemp 2011: .324 BA (3rd), 39 HR (1st), 126 RBI (1st), .986 OPS (2nd), 40 SB (2nd). C'mon #MLB, give him the #NL #MVP already! #Dodgers

RIP Andy Rooney

RIP Andy Rooney. Sundays will never be the same.

04 November 2011

New Girl

New Girl: Sure @ZooeyDeschanel is perfectly adorkable but that kid @iamgreenfield totally steals the show! #SchmidtHappens! @FOXBroadcasting

03 November 2011

Kershaw for Cy Young

#Clayton #Kershaw 2011 Stats: 21 Wins (1st), 2.28 ERA (1st), 248 Ks (1st). C'mon #MLB, give him the #NL #CyYoung already! #Dodgers

Rostam - Don't Let It Get To You

Another discovery by TBH. The awesome "Don't Let It Get To You" by the awesome Rostam http://t.co/EGTAMyJ2 @matsoR @vampireweekend

02 November 2011

Great Day for Dodger Fans

What a great day for fans of the #Dodgers! #Kershaw, #Kemp & #Ethier win #GoldGloves! #McCourt agrees to sell (fina-bloody-lly)! Yay!

01 November 2011

Anya Wins Project Runway

For once TBH and I agree: We're both glad @AnyadeRogue won @ProjectRunway! Congrats young lady! #PR9Anya

30 October 2011

Steelers Beat Patriots

Steelers 25 - Patriots 17: Best Bloody Game, Ever! Heinz Field is the absolute best place to watch a #football game! Here we go #Steelers!

Steelers Game Day

What day is it? Why it's #Pittsburgh #Steelers Game Day of course!

28 October 2011

Cardinals Win World Series

Grudging congratulations to the #Cardinals for their incredible come-from-behind #WorldSeries win. Who says #baseball is boring?! #MLB

25 October 2011

President Obama Helicopter Sighting

2nd-Greatest "Celebrity" Sighting, Ever!: President Barack Obama's helicopter flying over the Jefferson Memorial! Wicked cool!

Paul Ryan Sighting

10th-Greatest Celeb Sighting, Ever!: Representative Paul Ryan heading to the Capitol Hill Club for an expensive tax-payer funded power lunch

Dick Durbin Sighting

2nd-Greatest Celebrity Sighting, Ever!: Senator Dick Durbin outside the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, DC (duh).

22 October 2011

USC Beats Notre Dame

Good win for #USC against hapless #NotreDame. Time to jump back on the bandwagon? ;-) #PAC12

20 October 2011

India Wins ODI Series Against England

Incredible come-from-behind victory for #India to take the ODI series from #England! #Dhoni is the man...on home soil ;-) #IndvEng

Kenny Mayne Plays Cricket

My two favourite things: The Great @Kenny_Mayne and #Cricket! Awe-bloody-some! @espn http://t.co/ucFsjTmk

19 October 2011

World Series Begin

Gag! The stultifying #Cardinals vs the #NolanRyan-come-lately #Rangers. Just who am I supposed to root for in the #WorldSeries? #MLB #Boring

18 October 2011

Contempt

Contempt: Gorgeous cinematography by the great Raoul Coutard. We know Jean-Luc Godard is a G*d but Brigitte Bardot a good actress, who knew?

17 October 2011

India Thrashes England Again

Talk about home cooking! Another ODI, another crushing win for #India! Nice work by the bowlers for a change! #IndvEng

Andy Murray Now No. 3

Sad, a major changing of the guard. @andy_murray is the new world No 3, moving #Roger #Federer (aka #GOAT) down to No 4. Sigh...

Oscar Prediction (Documentary Short)

#Oscars 2012: Prediction for Best Documentary Short - the one about Tahrir Square! @TheAcademy

16 October 2011

RIP Dan Wheldon

RIP Dan Wheldon. What an awful, sad day. Thoughts and prayers to his family.

15 October 2011

Liverpool Ties Manchester United

Oh man! @LFC came this close to upsetting @ManU_FC...sad! Still, it's fantastic to see the great @_StevenGerrard still going strong!

14 October 2011

India Destroys England

Nice! #India destroys #England in the first ODI. So what if it's at home and on the heels of that embarrassing tour? ;-) #IndvEng

13 October 2011

USC Beats Cal

#USC beats #Cal! So wait, does that mean I'm back on the bandwagon again?! #Pac12

Paul

Paul: You can never go wrong with Nick Frost & @simonpegg. Also, I'm slowly beginning to come around on skinny Seth Rogen.

12 October 2011

Real Steel

Real Steel: A good old-fashioned crowd-pleaser. If by old-fashioned you mean Robots, Wolverine, Kate, the Blob & JT Sanborn! Awesome!

Jaws Peanuts Mash-Up

Greatest Exercise In 80s Childhood Nostalgia, Ever! "Jaws" in the style of "Peanuts" by @CharlesForsman http://t.co/BxVZiWPY

Theo Epstein Joins the Cubs

Goodbye #RedSox, hello #WorldSeries! Greatest #Cubs Move, Ever! @RealMikeWilbon #Theo #MLB

11 October 2011

100 Bullets - A Foregone Tomorrow

100 Bullets - A Foregone Tomorrow: Not as good as Hang up on the Hang Low but now we're really getting into it. Cool. @brianazzarello

Two and a Half Men

Two and a Half Men: Still wonderfully mediocre but that never stopped me before! Plus, any show that brings back #JudyGreer is awesome! @CBS

Sparkadia - "China"

Thanks to @FILTERmagazine's #CultureCollide I discovered the best song, ever! "China" by @sparkadia Brilliant! http://t.co/hfi4SWLy

10 October 2011

Hawaii Five-0

Hawaii Five-0: #Locke, #Jin, #ScottLavin, #Hiro, #MarkDacascos, #JohnAllen, #WilliamVanDerWoodsen! With so many stars, I'm back in! #H50

Wee-Man Celebrity Sighting

3rd-Greatest Celebrity Sighting, Ever!: Wee-Man at the grocery store. I resisted the urge to dare him to lock himself into the freezer. ;-)

RCB Lose to MI (CLT20)

The #RCB magic wore off and the "team of destiny" lost to #MI in the @clt20 finals. Still, the tournament ended up with some great matches.

09 October 2011

Gang Gang Dance (Culture Collide)

Gang Gang Dance: Woah! Trippy, ever-so slightly hallucinatory, Middle Eastern-influenced prog-ish rock. #CultureCollide

CSS (Culture Collide)

CSS: If MGMT were a girl, and Brazilian and wore a bejeweled Batman mask, and kicked a** then they would be CSS! Aw yeah! #CultureCollide

Datarock (Culture Collide)

Datarock: Once computers in Norway revolt and learn how to dance they'll owe a massive debt of gratitude to these guys! #CultureCollide

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (Culture Collide)

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: If Hipsters went clubbing and danced they'd totally listen to #CYHSY. #CultureCollide

Indigo Tree (Culture Collide)

basu! (@pratikbasu) has shared a Tweet with you:

"PratikBasu: Indigo Tree (Taix): Naturally, Sturm-und-Drang-shoegaze would originate from a Polish band! ;-) #CultureCollide

Rainbow Arabia (Culture Collide)

Rainbow Arabia: A latter-day electronica/shoegaze hybrid version of Siouxsie and the Banshees via...wait for it...Echo Park. #CultureCollide

Holger (Culture Collide)

Holger (Taix): Best Show, Ever! Vampire Weekend-esque global-Afro-soul with insane Brazilian flavour! Awesome! #CultureCollide

The Analog Girl (Culture Collide)

The Analog Girl (Taix): Very cool electronica-as-performance-art all the way from Singapore(!). #CultureCollide

Steelers Beat Titans

Great morale-boosting win for the #Steelers! Imagine how many TDs #BigBen could've gotten if he wasn't hurt! ;-) #NFL #AFC

Andy Murray Wins Singles and Doubles

Talk about a double-double! @andy_murray comes from a set down to maul @RafaelNadal. Then teams with his bro to win doubles! #NoSlams #ATP

Sparkadia (Culture Collide)

Sparkadia (Taix): Best Band, Ever! The catchiest, most hook-laden music this side of Australia! Plus, they were super nice! #CultureCollide

08 October 2011

Cameras (Culture Collide)

@FILTERmiller "Capacity" is that code for "No non-VIPs"? ;-) No worries...Cameras rocked the capacity house! :-)

Uh-Oh Culture Collide D-Bag Attitude

@FILTERmiller So, the wife & I are total #CultureCollide supporters from Day 1. So what's with the attitude from the staff outside Taix?

You Say France & I Whistle (Culture Collide) Part Deux

You Say France & I Whistle (826LA): So d*mn good we had to see them twice! #CultureCollide

The Yellow Dogs (Culture Collide)

The Yellow Dogs (Echoplex): Dude! These kids came all the way from Iran! Wow! #CultureCollide

Matthew and the Arrogant Sea (Culture Collide)

Matthew and the Arrogant Sea (Methodist Church): Okkervil River-type literary rock meets Explosions in the Sky-type guitars. #CultureCollide

Please the Trees (Culture Collide)

Please the Trees (Taix): Epic, moody, introspective guitar-rock all the way from Czech Republic. I think my mind was blown! #CultureCollide

The Lanskies (Culture Collide)

The Lanskies (Taix): Aww, England & France hooked up & had a Bloc Party-like post-punk angular-guitar indie-dance-rock baby! #CultureCollide

You Say France & I Whistle (Culture Collide)

You Say France & I Whistle (Taix): Trust the Swedes to churn out another insanely catchy band! I dare you to not be happy! #CultureCollide

Incan Abraham (Culture Collide)

Incan Abraham (The Echo): Right up my alley! Soaring Melodies + Lotsa Reverb + Hint Of Synth + Catchy Vocals = Awesome! #CultureCollide

Ginga (Culture Collide)

Ginga (Origami Vinyl): Catchy Broken Social Scene-like indie-pop-rock-collective via Austria(!). Nice. #CultureCollide

My bubba & Mi (Culture Collide)

My bubba & Mi (The Echo): Seriously soothing Lenka-ish Danish singer-songwriter alt-pop-country. #CultureCollide

Al Davis

RIP Al Davis. The very definition of a rebel and an iconoclast. He will be missed. Trust me, there's not going to be anyone like him again.

07 October 2011

Cardinals Beat Phillies

Man! I told you we needed to be scared of the #Cardinals! The #Phillies lose! Bad year for any #Philadelphia #DreamTeam. #MLB #Playoffs

Nyjer Morgan Wins Game For Brewers

What was I saying about being a #Nyjer Morgan fan?! @TheRealTPlush delivers the game-winning hit for the #Brewers! Aaaaaaaaah #MLB #Playoffs

Dinara Safina Retires

Sad. #Dinara #Safina retires at the #Borg-esque age of 25. Just as tempestuous & entertaining as her older brother #Marat. #WTA #Tennis

Nyjer Morgan on DLHQ

I am rapidly becoming a #Nyjer Morgan & by extension a #Brewers fan! #MLB #AntonioPicante @DLHQ http://t.co/C3GpagVb http://t.co/afivixdu

RIP Charles Napier

PratikBasu: RIP Charles Napier. Great character actor. Man, I'll miss him. Loved him in Rambo & Silence of the Lambs & Philadelphia & etc...

06 October 2011

KKR v RCB (CLT20 2011)

@Afridi102 Sigh, a #KKR victory maybe too much to hope for. Maybe #RCB will oblige with a letdown after that last-ball six! ;-) #CLT20

Yankees Lose in ALDS

Oh man! The #Yankees lose! And, sadly, #ARod strikes out to end it all. Sigh... #TheresAlwaysNextYear #ALDS #MLB Playoffs

Steve Jobs Commencement Speech

"You've got to find what you love. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle." #SteveJobs #Commencement #Speech http://t.co/m7DgdKSJ

05 October 2011

Nirvana - Live At The Paramount (Culture Collide)

Nirvana - Live At The Paramount: A great concert film that captures them in all their glory. Great start to #CultureCollide! @FILTERmiller

RIP Steve Jobs

RIP Steve Jobs. Gone too soon at 56. So very, very sad.

The Simpsons

The Simpsons: Back & almost better than ever. Also, the great John Kricfalusi does the couch gag. @FOXBroadcasting http://t.co/RRBIVBgr

RCB Last Ball Six (CLT20 2011)

HMOG! Last-ball six propels #RCB into the @clt20 semis! Not quite #Miandad-86 but that kid #Karthik will be a hero in #Bangalore forever!

04 October 2011

Moneyball

Moneyball: It's a little too, wait for it, "inside baseball" but I appreciate Bennett Miller's effort to make an unconventional sports film.

The Shame of College Sports

The Shame of College Sports. Fantastic, eye-opening article on #NCAA & college sports by @taylorbranch via @TheAtlantic http://t.co/oawHOKqM

2 Broke Girls

2 Broke Girls: @OfficialKat is funny and smart. The show, unfortunately, is not much of either. @CBS

03 October 2011

Don DeLillo on Grantland

Another fantastic entry in @Grantland33's #DirectorsCut series: the great Don DeLillo! http://t.co/Cpi2TtI4

Lilyhammer on Netflix

#Lilyhammer is coming to @netflix. Awesome! See? I told you not to give up on good ol' $NFLX! @StevieVanZandt

Andy Rooney - "My Lucky Life"

Aw man, I'm gonna miss #AndyRooney. I guess retirement comes for us all. Sniff... @60Minutes http://t.co/xv9ovT0r

02 October 2011

Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go: Very stylishly directed by the great Mark Romanek. He really needs to make more feature films!

Steelers Lose to Texans

Sad loss for the #Steelers. They tried to fight back but suffered a dispiriting loss. Sigh... :-( #NFL

30 September 2011

Archer

Archer: I'm onto your little plan to do an #ArrestedDevelopment reunion without telling anyone! Well played sir, well played! @archerprod

29 September 2011

Anthony Ryan Booted From Project Runway

I have to agree with TBH. Booting #PR9anthonyryan from #ProjectRunway blows. They only kept the insufferable Joshua because of his drama.

MLB Playoffs

Trust me, the #Yankees are ecstatic the #RedSox didn't make the #MLB #Playoffs. The #Brewers are terrified that the #Cardinals did!

28 September 2011

Brian Kenny Left ESPN?!

Brian Kenny left @ESPN?! Why wasn't I informed when my favourite @SportsCenter anchor left the mothership? Why?!

Bloc Party without Kele

Aw man! @thisisblocparty just isn't #BlocParty without @keleokereke #DontBreakUp! :-(

23 September 2011

Killer Elite

Killer Elite: The greatest movie ever made in the history of mankind! #Owen, #Statham, #DeNiro, #Purcell all kicked some major a**! Awesome!

Indo-Pak Express

Nice little article about @indopakexpress who lost in heartbreaking fashion at #USO11 #ATP #USOpen @rohanbopanna http://t.co/cg5Pg0Yg

Killer Elite Day!

What day is it? Why, it's #KillerElite Day of course! #Owen-#Statham 2012! @Killer_Elite

22 September 2011

Lilyhammer

Via @NikkiFinke: "@StevieVanZandt plays a Mafioso who's relocated to Norway as part of the Witness Protection Program"! I'm in! #Lilyhammer

RIP Tiger Pataudi

RIP Tiger #Pataudi. Great Indian Cricketer, Captain and Honorary Bengali (after marrying Sharmila Tagore). Truly larger than life.

21 September 2011

KKR Qualifies for CLT20

Incredible! @KKRiders qualify for @clt20 (even though they lost) thanks to the heroics of @rtendo27! It's all looking up for #Bengal!

REM Reunion Tour

@jaydimes Hopefully they'll play clubs instead of stadiums the way #ThePolice did for their reunion tour!

REM Breaks Up

Sigh...RIP #REM. TBH will be devastated her favourite band broke up. Time to start saving up for the reunion tour. ;-) http://t.co/vYo9ou7b

Hell On Wheels (AMC)

Can't wait for @HellOnWheelsAMC on @AMC_TV! It stars @ansonmount from TBH's fave movie, the great "Tully"! http://t.co/5cAsx5If

20 September 2011

Tony Kornheiser Writes!

Tony #Kornheiser used to be a writer, who knew?! #NolanRyan profile Via @Grantland33's great #DirectorsCut series @PTI http://t.co/JKO8P0hE

Muppets Dragon Tattoo Parody

Another awesome #Muppets parody: "The Pig With The Froggy Tattoo" @MuppetCentral http://t.co/0N40saw7

19 September 2011

Mates of State - "Sway"

Aw dude, TBH found another song that is the most insanely catchy, ever! @matesofstate "Sway" via @rcrdlbl http://t.co/xfoQBUhf

18 September 2011

Drive

Drive: Holy crap! The movie kicks so much a**! Un-bloody-believable! Great work by Refn, Gosling, Brooks, Cranston, Perlman & Joan Holloway!

17 September 2011

Surfer Blood at the Getty

Surfer Blood, Getty: Ever-so slightly derivative but terrifically catchy indie-rock/pop. "Swim" really got the museum crowd jumping.

India Loses Rahul Dravid's Final ODI

Sigh, again #India outscored #England & didn't win. Rahul #Dravid came this close to saving it in his last ODI. Long live #TheWall! #EngvInd

16 September 2011

Curtly Ambrose

Wonderful piece by Rob Bagchi about one of my all-time faves Curtly Ambrose in the #Cricket #HOF @guardian_sport http://t.co/f7Pijz9y

Florence + The Machine -"Shake It Out"

So I'm not a die-hard fan or anything but "Shake It Out" by Florence + The Machine is pretty d*mn epic!#FATM @flo_tweet http://t.co/1BpexyU8

Jason Smith Last Show

@howaboutafresca Thanks a lot dude! Now how am I gonna fall asleep for the next 6 years? Maybe I should start listening to @JTTheBrick?

15 September 2011

Oberhofer - "Gotta Go"

TBH just discovered the most insanely catchy song, ever! Awesome! @OBERHOFERMUSIC "Gotta Go" http://t.co/eKy47Ma2"

13 September 2011

Alonzo Bodden at the Comedy & Magic Club

Alonzo Bodden, Comedy & Magic Club: Bloody h*ll! He was absolutely hilarious! One of the best stand-up shows I've seen in a long time!

Paul Reiser at the Comedy & Magic Club

Paul Reiser, Comedy & Magic Club: Pretty funny stuff, a lot better than that last sitcom that bombed. ;-)

Dan Le Batard Is Highly Questionable

Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable: You know I'm not exactly sure why but I love the show & can't stop watching! @DLHQ #VivaPapi #LeBatard

12 September 2011

Entourage Series Finale

Entourage: Aw what a nice, sweet end to the show! Heck even TBH sniffled a bit. C'mon @HBO give us that Ari-Lloyd spinoff already you tease!

Novak Djokovic Wins US Open

Bloody h*ll! #Djokovic is an unstoppable force! Congrats on winning #USOpen! I've never seen #Rafa so thoroughly beaten down! #USO11 #ATP

11 September 2011

The National at the Hollywood Bowl

The National, Hollywood Bowl: Epic bloody performance! Nice little cameo by St. Vincent as well. One of the best shows I've ever seen!

Neko Case & T Bone Burnett at the Hollywood Bowl

Neko Case & T Bone Burnett, Hollywood Bowl: Nice mellow alt-ish country-ish Indie-ish rock-ish. Great music to picnic to.

Sharon van Etten at the Hollywood Bowl

Sharon van Etten, Hollywood Bowl: It's always nice to listen to pleasantly earnest Indie pop. Plus, she used a harmonium!

Sam Stosur Wins the US Open

Shocking upset! Sam #Stosur beats @serenawilliams to win the #USOpen! Terrible sportsmanship from #Serena, just awful behavior. #USO11 #WTA

Steelers Lose to Ravens

Wow! #Steelers got destroyed! Great, now they're going 0-16 & the #Ravens are winning #SBXLVII! So bloody sad! #NFL #SportsHeartbreak

India Tie England

I was wrong, #India figured out another way to lose: Score more runs, match is called a tie, #England win series. #SportsHeartbreak #EngvInd

9/11 Remembrance Piece

RIP to all those who died on 9/11. Here's a little remembrance I wrote about that day: http://t.co/mwp6RSr #IWill @911day

Postcards From Gander

If it’s one thing I have come to realize in my advancing years, it’s that time moves fast, very fast. And sadly, as it moves inexorably to the, well, I don’t want to get too morose here, but as it moves towards whatever it is that it moves to, it also starts to fade. Experiences that were so vivid and immediate tend to fade, and this fading accelerates the more that time advances.

It is, therefore, perhaps not that difficult to believe then that it has already been 10 years since that day when the world that we knew changed forever. It is also not that difficult to believe that the images, the, sounds, the everything from that day, once so overwhelming and inescapable, have also begun to fade, splintering into fragments scattered around your mind, coming into sharp focus when you least expect it, retreating when you try to grab at them.

What has not faded, however, are the emotions, all of them, from that day.

I fell asleep, like I normally did during my grad student days at USC, on the couch in Los Angeles. My clock radio came on, like it normally did, in the early morning. I was planning to doze in and out while listening to my radio, like I normally did, but something was different. From my half-awake state I could make out the sounds of sirens and chaos and a breathless reporter talking about something. For a split second I thought that this was a cruel update of that legendary Orson Welles “The War of the Worlds” radio broadcast, that’s how bewildering it all seemed at the time. Grudgingly, I managed to get off the couch and switch the TV on.

I was awake now.

It was impossible to comprehend what was being shown to me. It just did not seem possible that what was happening was happening. I just sat there, letting it all wash over me, too overwhelmed to react in any way.

Then it dawned on me that my father was supposed to fly into New York and head straight into work at the UN building that morning.

At this point it was still difficult to know exactly what was going on. We knew that the Towers had been attacked and there were other hijacked planes in the air. We had no idea if it the entire country was under attack. Nothing was certain, nothing made sense.

I tried calling my sister in Bayside, Queens. I couldn't get through. I tried calling my father's cellphone. I couldn't get through. I tried calling my mother's cellphone. I couldn't get through. I called my grandmother in Calcutta. I couldn’t get through. I called my other grandmother in Calcutta. I couldn’t get through. I called my aunt in Liverpool. This time I got through.

My aunt knew that my mother was on a plane flying from Delhi to Calcutta. She did not know much beyond that. She said she would call my grandmother in Calcutta.

I called my ex-girlfriend (who would soon after go back to being my girlfriend, my fiancee, and then my wife) at her place in downtown Los Angeles. I told her what was happening. I was happy she was safe, but those buildings downtown could be a target. Perhaps she would consider joining me?

At this point in time the only thing I knew was that my sister was somewhere in New York, my mother was somewhere between Delhi and Calcutta, and my father was...somewhere.

The doorbell rang. My heart leapt. It was my future wife. I didn't want to be alone. I felt better now that she was there.

Another phone call. This time it was my aunt. She had spoken to my grandmother. My mother was indeed on her way to Calcutta, but since she was on a plane, no one could get a hold of her. Apparently, she had seen my father off earlier. He was, apparently, en route to New York. Except we had no idea if he had landed, if he was in the UN building, or if he was in Europe still waiting for his connecting flight.

My friend Shubho called from Orange County. His father had been visiting the UN when it happened. Everyone within the UN had been safely evacuated, so if my father had indeed been there he would be safe.

I tried my sister again. Miraculously, even though we had been told that the phone lines were jammed, I got through! She was in Bayside. She wanted to go check on her friends in Manhattan. No! Before I could help it I was yelling at her, telling her that everything was falling to pieces, nothing was working, that the safest place for her to be was at home. There was a silence on the other end and I felt terrible. She was out there all by herself, no family, no friends, and no idea if she would have them again. For once, I tried not be an overbearing older brother and instruct her on what to do. This time, I tried to comfort her and reason with her. She should stay where she was and once we knew that everything was safe, she could then go out and try to see how her friends were doing. I would let her know as soon as we heard from our parents. It's funny, she said, the last time we were all together we went to have drinks at Windows on the World.

My friend Toad called me from Greenwich Village, Manhattan. He had walked back to his dorm room after classes had been cancelled at NYU. He was there with our friend Sud, who had been evacuated from 7 World Trade Center. I was stunned, Sud had been there, right in the middle of it all, and he had found his way back to a friend. The phone lines were unreliable and Toad had more calls to make, but he assured me that while they were both not terribly sound, they were, nonetheless, safe.

My future wife's sister called her from Northern Virginia. She had been at the Pentagon when it happened, but had managed to get to safety. She was shaken up but all right. She had been one of the lucky ones.

Slowly, through the mist of all this uncertainty and fear, connections were starting to be re-established. Some of our loved ones were safe, the uncertainty and fear were beginning, ever so slightly, to recede.

I called my aunt to tell her my sister was safe. The message was relayed to my grandmother.

A short while later my aunt called me to tell me that my mother had called her from my grandmother's in Calcutta. She had reached safely. She was happy to hear that my sister was safe. She had checked and my father had indeed made his connection in Europe. I told her that if he had landed and made his way to UN he would have been safe.

So we sat there, my future wife and I. Trying, if not to make sense of what was happening, but at the very least be of some small comfort to each other.

My mother kept calling my aunt who, in turn, kept calling me, but there weren't any more updates. I couldn't get through to the airlines, I couldn't get through to the UN, I couldn't even get through to my sister any more.

The uncertainty and fear were beginning to come back.

And then, just like that, the phone rang.

It was my father.

He was speaking softly. He was all right. He had borrowed a fellow passenger's cellphone and didn't have much time because everyone was trying to contact their families. He was still on the plane. They had landed in a place called Gander, which was in a place called Newfoundland, which was, as it turned out, in Canada. He didn't have much information beyond that. Most importantly, he was safe.

Those were the happiest phone calls I have ever had to make. My aunt was thrilled to hear the news. She called me back to tell me that my mother, my grandmother, my other grandmother were all just as thrilled. It took me multiple tries, but I managed to get through to my sister, who was also thrilled. As it turns out, my sister is also a strong, independent-minded woman, and once she had gotten her bearings she would make it out to Union Square via Flushing, Astoria, the bus, the 7-train, the subway, the streets, and find a temporary solace in the company of her friends and the larger grieving Lower Manhattan community that would gather there to take that first tentative step towards healing.

Everyone was still in shock, but for our family, selfishly, we were beginning to deal with what happened. The uncertainty and the fear did give way to melancholy and an awful sadness. But for us there was also gratitude. We were the lucky ones.

The phone became central to our lives for next few days. My father called us from Appleton, which was a few miles away from Gander. The passengers from about 45 diverted flights were being housed at a school gymnasium after having been kept on the landed planes at an abandoned military airfield for the first 24 hours. They were also being fed, clothed, bathed, serenaded, and taken care of by complete strangers. These strangers, the people of Appleton/Gander, did everything they could to buoy the spirits of these passengers, so they did not feel as alone. If the passengers needed anything, anything at all, they would give them the shirts off their back, literally (in my father's case it was socks, shorts, a couple of polo shirts, a moose-sighting trip, even a commemorative souvenir from the local golf course).

The airlines were, on the other hand, no help at all. But, as it often happens when you put groups of people together in difficult circumstances, they banded together to find solutions. Some of them managed to fly across to Detroit, hop into a rented car, and then drive through straight to New York. My mother (nervously, she would later admit), would fly back from visiting my grandmother once they started allowing international flights. I would fly back during Thanksgiving (sitting next to some nuns who were going to minister to the First Responders; I still have the rosaries they gave me, right there on my desk, I see them everyday). I would see my father and my mother and my sister and my future wife and her sister (and even Toad and Sud). We were together again.

Later that year, when we were all slowly getting back on our feet, with slowly being the operative word, I found a postcard that had been buried under a mountain of to-do items. It was from my father. He had sent it during his time at Appleton/Gander. It said he was having a wonderful time there (even during the worst of times he always managed to sound unfailingly reassuring), he was trying to figure out what to do next, but it was incredible how warm and welcoming the locals were, and how it continued to amaze him that it was in the worst of times that the best of humanity revealed itself. He was deeply touched by this kindness of people he had never met before and would probably never see again, and he would not forget it for as long as he lived.

I was stunned. My father was, like most fathers, a fairly stolid, unsentimental, solid oak tree of a man. For him to be so open about his feelings, to his son, was unexpected (he has softened considerably since then; time affects us all). A lot had happened on that day, and we were all still trying to work through what it meant, what it would mean, I guess we were still trying to work through everything. I realized that perhaps more than anything, I was grateful. I was grateful for being able to connect with my little family across 5 cities, 4 countries, 3 continents when it seemed like all connections were being torn apart. I was grateful that I was able to re-connect with the woman who would go on to become my wife and become part of my family and I of hers. I was grateful for being able to connect with my friends. But most of all, I was grateful for that community half a world away, that community that came together to take care of perfect strangers and become a family that provided shelter for my father.

We were the lucky ones.

10 September 2011

Pak v Zim & Eng v Ind

@Afridi102 #Pakistan will beat a battling #Zimbabwe and I pray #India will beat #England. I can't take any more sports heartbreaks! ;-)

Contagion

Contagion: AKA #Soderbergh's "Outbreak";-) Great movie! It's always amazing to see a master craftsman ply his trade! Great performances!"

USC Beats Utah

Tough win for #USC today against #Utah. Time to jump off the bandwagon? #NCAAF

Roger One More Please!

@MishitPatel Well, I thought it was over after AO09, but #Federer proved me wrong. I'm praying he has a #Sampras #USOpen 02 left in him!

No!

Noooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

David Foster Wallace on Federer

@chattypriya Get ready with #DavidFosterWallace's stunning "#Federer as Religious Experience" via @Grantland33 #USO11 http://t.co/NuV5ljm

09 September 2011

Roddick & Isner Lose

Tough luck for #Isner & #Roddick against Andy "Sturm Drang" #Murray & #Rafa "I Run The #ATP" #Nadal. #USO11 @RafaelNadal"

India England 2nd ODI

#India truly is figuring out new ways to lose to #England, this time by scoring more runs?! Manohman! #EngvInd #ThingsCantGetWorse

08 September 2011

Saints Lose to the Packers

What a bloody great game! Heart-breaking loss by the #Saints! Hopefully they'll get a rematch against the #Packers in the playoffs! #NFL

Roger Beats Tsonga!

Good, tough bloody win by #Federer against an always fun #Tsonga! Next is the epic semi-final against @DjokerNole! Let's go #Roger! #USO11

More Great Wins at the US Open

Great wins by #Djokovic, #Wozniacki & #Kerber. Hard luck for the always entertaining #Tipsarevic & #Petkovic! Let's go #Roger! #USO11

Run Ricky Run (ESPN 30 For 30)

Run Ricky Run: Get ready for some #Football with this interesting inside look at the misunderstood @RickyWilliams. Still a fan! ;-) @30for30

Great Wins at US Open

Great wins by #Roddick, #Isner, #Stosur & #Serena! Tough luck for the battling #Ferrer & #Simon! But wait, there's more #tennis! #USO11"

Brian Phillips American Tennis Article on Grantland

@chattypriya Thanks for the tip! This kid Brian Phillips is fast becoming my favourite sportswriter! @runofplay @Grantland33

07 September 2011

The Chris Fowler John McEnroe Talkshow

@cbfowler I, for one, enjoyed your "talkshow" with #JohnMcEnroe! Though, not sure if retirees are the demographic you're looking for! #uso11

Straight Outta LA (ESPN 30 For 30)

Straight Outta LA: Get ready for #NFL season with this awesome #ESPN @30for30 doc by @icecube! #IceCube is a documentary filmmaker, who knew

Great Day at US Open

What a day for #Tennis at the #USOpen, everyone is playing! Everyone, that is, but #Rafa's punctuality & sportsmanship! Um, zing? ;-) #ATP

India Loses to England

India has figured out a whole new format to lose to England: the 23/23! But at least this time it was really close! ;-) #EngvInd

06 September 2011

Venture Bros. Shallow Gravy Special

From the Ladle to the Grave The Shallow Gravy Story: Better than a #VentureBros marathon is a #ShallowGravy special! http://t.co/7CXWeAj

Freddie Mercury Google Doodle

Best Google Doodle, Ever! Long Live #FreddieMercury! @QueenWillRock http://t.co/1zZ4177

05 September 2011

Roger Federer Stunning Win!

I'm going to enjoy this #Federer performance while I can! Not to be hyperbolic but it was a stunning display of absolute perfection! #USOpen

03 September 2011

USC Beats Minnesota

Whew! #USC squeaks by #Minnesota 19-17. Bandwagon jumping-off averted for another week. #NCAA

Roger Beats Colic US Open 2011

Whew! A tough, hard-fought win for Roger #Federer (#GOAT) against the talented (but mercurial) Marin #Cilic! Keep it going Rog! #USOpen #ATP

02 September 2011

Sad Losses at US Open

Sad losses today for #Blake, #Ljubicic, #Gulbis, #Pospisil & especially the poor chap #Haase (I'm now a fan for life!). #USOpen #ATP

John Boyega HBO Show

Awesome news! @JohnBoyega is the lead in the new @SpikeLee @MikeTyson @HBO show. Told you the kid was gonna be a star! @ATBMovie #blockhead

Amazon Customer Service is Awesome!

Thank you for the refund @amazon! You guys are the best, ever! I'm switching to #AmazonPrime as soon as the @Netflix #Starz deal expires!

Michael Strahan Celebrity Sighting

2nd-Greatest Celebrity Sighting, Ever! @michaelstrahan being very polite when I asked him if he was, in fact, Michael #Strahan! #Giants #NFL

01 September 2011

Old Guys Win US Open 2011

Giving us old guys hope: #Federer, #Haas, #Davydenko, #Ferrero (what a match against the fun #Monfils!) all won today! #USOpen #ATP #AARP ;)

31 August 2011

India Loses to England T20

So, #India loses yet again to #England, this time in a #T20 match. At least #Dravid hit 3 consecutive sixes! Is there anything he can't do?!

Greatest Cat Video, Ever!

Greatest Cat Video, Ever! "Bully Cat Stuffs Cat In Box" via my old pal Jason @Breakcom http://t.co/gMFZmoo

30 August 2011

Future Islands "Tin Man"

Awesome song by @futureislands "Tin Man" a sort of @ tomwaits meets @rarariot delectable indie-pop concoction! http://t.co/3MnUgMi

Red Dog Trailer

OMBG! I have to watch Red Dog! Dogs + Aussies = Movie Bliss! #RedDog http://t.co/dPt4swR

29 August 2011

Scratchy Federer Win

Scratchy win by #Federer (#GOAT), I'm already panicking! Great highlight-filled match between #Monfils & #Dimitrov (#BabyFed)! #USOpen #ATP

Fierce Intimacy of Tennis Rivalries

Get ready for the #USOpen by reading this incredible article on #Tennis rivalries by Gerald #Marzorati #ATP @NYTmag http://t.co/tZ42R7c

My Friend Harry's Favourite Movie

I think I can guess what my old pal @harrygillnyc's favourite movie will be, he may even shed a tear or two! ;-) #Senna http://t.co/W7rwzBh

28 August 2011

Senna

Senna: One of the few documentaries you have to see on the big screen. Terrifically exciting, but ultimately terribly sad film. Sniff...

Whole Foods Parking Lot at Malibu Temple

2nd-Greatest Celebrity Sighting, Ever!: Those "Whole Foods Parking Lot" guys filming their followup at the Malibu Hindu Temple! @ FogandSmog

27 August 2011

Charles Bradley at the Getty

Charles Bradley and the Menahan Street Band, Getty: Bloody h*ll! What a show! You must see #CharlesBradley live, it's good for the soul!

The Death of Action Films

"Chaos Cinema" A well-reasoned essay about action films by Matthias Stork via my pal @mathiasdill http://t.co/XkdfqQs http://t.co/8KgkXuG

26 August 2011

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Great summer movie fun. Of course, the monkeys were more interesting than the humans. Andy Serkis rules!

The Artist Trailer

Brilliant trailer for #TheArtist! Can't wait to see this film! Out 23 Nov 2011. http://t.co/O1EiZZG

25 August 2011

Malcolm Gladwell on the NBA Lockout

Woah! @Grantland33 has @Malcgladwell writing for them?! Billy Simmons truly made it big! Nice piece about #NBA #Lockout http://t.co/9EBOwJm

No Daily Show, PTI or ATH!

No @PTI, @AroundTheHorn or @TheDailyShow?! Man, semi-retirement sure is boring! Maybe I should check out @espnptiuk? ;-) http://t.co/I32O0hs

24 August 2011

Steve Jobs Resigns

Sad news. The great #SteveJobs resigned as #Apple CEO. I can only imagine the bath AAPL stock will take. Sigh...

Rahul Dravid a Gentleman to the Bitter End

Rob Smyth on how the great #Rahul #Dravid behaved like a true gentleman in spite of #India's abject surrender @guardian http://t.co/xIw41Xu

Smiths Documentary

Awesome documentary about #TheSmiths (#Morrissey #JohnnyMarr) recently unearthed by @RhinoRecordsUK http://t.co/UCQaZX8

23 August 2011

OK Go Muppet Video

@okgo + The #Muppets = Match Made in Hipster Nerd Heaven! Check out the awesome video for "The Muppet Show Theme" http://t.co/MULkkRp

India Thrashed by England

What's worst: #Tendulkar missing out on his 100th 100, #Mishra almost saving the match with his batting, or #India going down 0-4? #EngvInd

21 August 2011

Bobby Fischer Against the World

Bobby Fischer Against the World: Very sad but highly involving look at the once-great #chess genius. Another great documentary from @HBODocs

Ridley Scott Sequels

First the #Alien prequel (#Prometheus). Now the great #RidleyScott is doing a #BladeRunner sequel. Get ready #TomCruise #Legend 2 is next!

India Batting Lineup

An all-time great batting line-up: #Sehwag, #Dravid, #Laxman, #Tendulkar aka The #BigFour! So how is England 591/6d & India 103/5?! #EngvInd

20 August 2011

New Tennis World Over

Uh-oh! New world order in tennis? Both #Federer & #Nadal out (relatively) early at #WSOpen. Maybe it truly is @DjokerNole world we live in!

The Guru of Chai

The Guru of Chai: Funny & poignant one-man show by @IndianInkNZ. Apparently, great Indian theatre is from New Zealand now! @GrndPerfrmances

19 August 2011

Arvydas Sabonis

A fantastic article about the talk-about-bad-timing Arvydas Sabonis by @Jpdabrams over at Billy Simmons's @Grantland33 http://t.co/K33b1Lu

18 August 2011

Attack the Block

Attack the Block: Best Summer Movie, Ever! That kid John Boyega is gonna be a major star! I #believe this makes me a #blockhead! @ATBMovie

Finally caught up to "Everybody Loves Larry" (S5E1) #LarrySanders. Legendary #Duchovny & #JonStewart ep. @netflix was worth it after all!