Can't wait for @HellOnWheelsAMC on @AMC_TV! It stars @ansonmount from TBH's fave movie, the great "Tully"! http://t.co/5cAsx5If
21 September 2011
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.
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!"
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!
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
08 October 2009
Where In The World Is Chris?
In Madrid, smoking a pipe.
PS. That's in Spain.
PPS. That's my colleague Chris.
26 July 2009
16 July 2009
The 80s Are Alive!
And they're singin' and dancin' and having a great time!
I have to admit, The Better Half has been on the Phoenix bandwagon from way back when...way back when. Me? I liked them okay.
Then their latest album rolled around, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, and I had to admit that it was pretty da*n good.
And then my old USC pal MattHarry turned TBH on to the greatest thing, ever!
It's a "Brat Pack Mashup" video to Phoenix's insanely catchy "Lisztomania."
Some enterprising dude named avoidantconsumer cut a bunch of those amazing John Hughes movies together and created a faux music video for the song.
It's amazing! Amazing! The video makes you want to just get up and...you know...
Click below to watch it (be careful though, flying elbows and insane twirling may ensue).
Sigh, I miss the 80s...
LINKS
YouTube: phoenix - lisztomania *brat pack mashup*
24 June 2009
A Subtle Hint From Apple
The Better Half won't listen to me...but maybe she will listen to her beloved Apple now that they have emailed her directly!
C'mon dude, just get one already. Even David Pogue thinks it's the greatest thing, ever!
LINKS
This Time I Have No Sympathy For "The Big Russian"
Dude, what an awful way for Marat Safin to end his Wimbledon career.
First of all they put this chap on Court 18. 18? For a two-time Slam winner, multiple Slam finalist, last year's semi-finalist, and a crowd favorite?
Second of all, he was up against the unheralded qualifier Jesse Levin in the first round.
Third of all, when I started watching the match Marat had already given up. Seriously. I noticed he had lost the first set, won the second, then lost the third in a tiebreak. After that, he had no interest in carrying on. He was essentially tanking it. I mean, he should have just walked off the court at that point. The sad thing was that, once in a while, he would begrudgingly uncork a screaming winner almost because he was being forced to; and then he would go back to barely moving his feet or hitting balls into the net or just spinning his serves in.
He left without even acknowledging the crowd or even talking to reporters.
What a sad, sad way to go out.
By contrast, Amerlie Mauresmo (huge fan), well past her prime, grinded out a three-set victory over the little-known Melinda Czink.
And even Maria Sharapova (not a huge fan), with her game all but deserting her, fought to the bitter end, saving four (!) match points along the way, and at least trying to salvage a victory in an eventual loss to Gisela Dulko.
And look at poor Ana Ivanovic (big fan), struggling to a 8-6 third set while finally dispatching someone called Lucie Hradecka. And this after losing a tough first set (Marat would have quit right then).
This time, I really have no excuse for Marat. Shame!
As he himself put it: "So I need to get out of my brain and then start again on a blank page."
Okay fine, I'm just mad he lost so meekly. At least his sister (World No. 1 and fellow-headcase) Dinara Safina was more forgiving:
His sister Dinara Safina, the women's world number one, was asked what made her brother so special.
In a moving tribute, she said "He is honest and he doesn't hide anything. Like he's not a fake. Like he is how he is, on the court, off the court."
She added: "He has this charisma, this humour. You cannot learn this. Either you have it or you don't have it."
A fitting tribute to a heart-on-your-sleeve champion who often found his stunning talent clouded by an explosive temper.
It kills me to see what could have been - it really does!
LINKS
Guardian: Marat Safin goes out in tempestuous style and possibly for good
Guardian: Safin draws a blank at last Wimbledon
23 June 2009
Et Tu TV Land?
Oh man, I thought TV Land was full of wonderful things like The Bob Newhart Show repeats.
And then I come to find like others before it (A&E, the one-time Arts and Entertainment network; TLC, the one-time Learning Channel; History, the one-time, um, History channel), it has turned into a reality show haven.
Oh well, I guess I can always catch The Jeffersons on Hulu...
LINKS
TV Squad: Reality Shows on TV Land?
21 June 2009
Get Ready For Wimbledon
I can't believe it, Sports Illustrated put Roger Federer on the cover!
I mean, I was so mad at ESPN for covering Tiger Woods's Memorial victory before Roger's stirring French Open win.
Granted Tiger rallied from five shots back with a closing-round 65, and Roger had a deceptively routine straight-sets win over a seemingly unheralded opponent (the fantastic Robin Soderling).
But, c'mon, Tiger's win was in a routine tournament (even if it was Jack Nicklaus's tournament). Roger won a Major. Not just any Major, but the one that has always bedeviled him. He completed the Career Grand Slam. He is now tied with Pete Sampras with 14 Slams.
I love ESPN, but they really should defer to journalistic perspective over simplistic ratings-grabbers every once in a while.
Anyways, some other photos to get you in the right frame of mind for Wimbledon (but Rafael Nadal's sad withdrawal doesn't clear the path for Roger just as yet, that dour bum Andy Murray is still there to contend with...):
LINKS
Welcome To The TWGA
The USGA was offering living coverage of this year's rain-soaked US Open at Bethpage Black on its website.
The only problem, they were showing one player.
Tiger Woods.
Multiple Major-winners Angel Cabrera and Padraig "Houdini" Harrington (his score should have been higher, much higher, if not for some jaw-dropping rescue shots!) were also featured, but only because they were in the same group as Tiger. In fact, they often showed replays of his shots over theirs.
Of course, I ended up watching the whole round (man oh man, talk about sticking with it...he never allowed his score to balloon out of control the way it could have...amazing). Maybe it was because The Better Half was away. Maybe it was because of the damp and gray weather.
Okay, fine, I'll come clean. With TBH outta the way, I have her iMac all to myself. Muhahahahahahaha...
But seriously it's the United States Golf Association not the Tiger Woods Golf Association. The USGA should be ashamed of itself.
LINKS
20 June 2009
The Movie Can't Be Far Behind!
Holy crap!
You can't make this s**t up!
David Rhode, a reporter for The New York Times, managed to finally get out of Taliban captivity.
He had been held hostage for seven months.
And, wait for this, he actually escaped!
He climbed over the wall of the remote compound he was being held in up there in that crazy region of North Waziristan in Pakistan, and along with another captive local reporter, managed to make his way nearby army base.
Incredible!
I would always vote for Clive Owen, but maybe David Strathairn for the inevitable movie? Since I'm currently watching Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye, a young Elliot Gould would have been perfect. Maybe Mark Ruffalo? Definitely not Robert Downey Jr. Heck, at this point Hugh Laurie can do anything.
What about the director? Oliver Stone? Kathryn Bigelow? Tony Gilroy? Not Paul Greengrass, I don't think. Ooh, how about the great Peter Weir?
Click below to read the amazing story.
I'm The New BMW Z4, Hear Me Roar!
Woah!
Check out the new BMW Z4, hard-top convertible.
Man, oh man, oh man, oh man.
Wicked cool!
I know, it's always been one of those love-it-hate-it kinda cars (I was always a Z8 man myself), but man, this new redesign is totally awesome!
And the cool thing it was actually designed by a couple of women, Juliane Blasi (only 32), and Nadya Arnaout. In the uber-macho world of car design (especially German car design) this is quite the rare feat.
Wonder if they can help me find the $60,000 or so it will cost me to get into one!
LINKS
NY Times: Behind The Wheel - 2010 BMW Z4
NY Times: It’s Macho, Without the Men
18 June 2009
Remember The Ventures?
Sad news that Bob Bogle, founder of The Ventures, died recently.
I loved that song "Walk, Don't Run" and the group, apparently was instrumental in, umm, influencing generations of rock instrumentalists.
Click below to check out the still-catchy "Walk, Don't Run."
LINKS
YouTube: The Ventures "Walk, Don't Run"
NY Times: Bob Bogle, Co-Founder of The Ventures, Dies at 75
17 June 2009
Symonds Drew The Final Straw
Apparently it really is the end of the line for the mercurial Andrew Symonds.
I've always liked Symonds, always. He was flashy, fluid, brilliant in stretches, fun to watch, prodigiously talented.
And almost maniacal in his self-destructiveness. He got into that whole flap with Harbhajan Singh, he flattened that streaker, he missed a team meeting for a "boat trip," and on and on. In fact, it's amazing that as tightly run a ship as the Australian cricket team would let him get away with as much he has.
And now, with his drop from the Twenty20 team, his international cricket career is all but over.
Of course, as soon as he is dropped from the team (for having one drink...c'mon...one drink?!), Australia crashes out of the Twenty20 World Cup (and this right after he was instrumental in helping the Deccan Chargers win IPL 2).
I wonder why I always gravitate to athletes like him? Those marvelously beautiful creatures who give us all hope of an endless summer for those brief moments, only to inevitably remind us that winter is always around the corner.
LINKS
AFP: Official Line Stretched Over Symonds' Downfall
16 June 2009
Hipsters Of The World Unite!
A funny little video pointed out to me by my colleague Andrea.
A great way to get to know your Indie Hipster neighbors in Williamsburg (Brooklyn) and Silver Lake/Echo Park (Los Angeles).
Click below to watch the video:
LINKS
YouTube: Hipster Olympics
09 June 2009
A Dream Deferred
It was my dream to become one of those old Cuban men sitting on the beach in a jaunty Panama hat, smoking a jaunty cigar, and playing some jaunty chess.
I think this dream is not going to come true.
Why? Well, I was playing around with The Better Half's awesome iMac and came across a Chess application.
Deciding to try it out and take the first small step in fulfilling my lifelong dream I took a deep breath and started a game against the computer.
I lost.
In two moves.
Two moves!
Sigh...
LINKS
RedHotPawn.com: Why do many intelligent people suck at chess?
08 June 2009
A Bias I'm In Favor Of
Dude, check out the groups from the ICC World Twenty20 2009 (i.e. the Twenty20 World Cup):
Australia has West Indies and Sri Lanka in their group (no wonder they crashed out in the round robin stage).
England has Pakistan and actually lost to the Netherlands.
South Africa has tough New Zealand squad to deal with.
And India? India has Ireland and Bangladesh.
Ireland and Bangladesh?!
Trust me, having repeatedly experienced what the other side feels like, I'm kinda glad that this time the favoritism is on our side. ;-)
LINKS
ICC Official Site
Australia has West Indies and Sri Lanka in their group (no wonder they crashed out in the round robin stage).
England has Pakistan and actually lost to the Netherlands.
South Africa has tough New Zealand squad to deal with.
And India? India has Ireland and Bangladesh.
Ireland and Bangladesh?!
Trust me, having repeatedly experienced what the other side feels like, I'm kinda glad that this time the favoritism is on our side. ;-)
LINKS
ICC Official Site
05 June 2009
Don't Freak Me Out Roger!
Now this is the heights of a nerdy sports fan: Following the Roger Federer - Juan Martin del Potro match online watching the score update live and listening to French Open "radio."
Whew!
04 June 2009
Don't Get So Excited Yet
I know Rog, Gael Monfils was a dangerous opponent, and it was a good win...
...But you still have four top-notch players left to contend with and Robin Soderling is playing like he really has nothing to lose.
LINKS
03 June 2009
Talk About A Hollywood Ending For A Hollywood Actress
Remember Madeleine Stowe?
I always liked her. She was good actress with a fair amount of charisma and held her own with some of the bigger stars of her era (Jack Nicholson, Kurt Russell, Ray Liotta, Daniel Day-Lewis, Mel Gibson, John Travolta, Kevin Costner, Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, Aiden Quinn, Mark Harmon, etc. etc. etc.).
But even though she appeared in a slew of box office hits, she always seemed to fly under the radar. Eventually, she hit 30, and as is wont to happen, Hollywood slowly began to close its doors.
Taking matters into her own hands, she wrote a script called Unbound Captives as a star vehicle for herself. Now this is where it gets interesting. She shopped it to the studios, but under the pseudonym O.C. Humphrey. None of the studios realized it was her, and Fox offered $5 million for the script!
And she turned it down!
Because she wasn't going to be in it.
Taking matters into her own hands, she wrote a script called Unbound Captives as a star vehicle for herself. Now this is where it gets interesting. She shopped it to the studios, but under the pseudonym O.C. Humphrey. None of the studios realized it was her, and Fox offered $5 million for the script!
And she turned it down!
Because she wasn't going to be in it.
And so the script floated around, and Stowe's career stalled; but she never sold that script outright ($5 million is a lot of money for anyone!).
And then, suddenly, along comes John Toll (great cinematographer), Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, and Robert Pattinson. And Stowe is still involved.
She's going to direct it!
A good seven or eight years later, her decision to stick by her guns and not sell out (literally) has finally paid off.
Somewhere, Sylvester Stallone is smiling.*
* The next time we go out for a drink remind me to tell you the famous story about Sly and his script for Rocky...
LINKS
Variety: Trio Bound to Stowe's Captives
And then, suddenly, along comes John Toll (great cinematographer), Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, and Robert Pattinson. And Stowe is still involved.
She's going to direct it!
A good seven or eight years later, her decision to stick by her guns and not sell out (literally) has finally paid off.
Somewhere, Sylvester Stallone is smiling.*
* The next time we go out for a drink remind me to tell you the famous story about Sly and his script for Rocky...
LINKS
Variety: Trio Bound to Stowe's Captives
02 June 2009
Xanadu + Ladyhawke =
= Awesome!
I know that The Better Half has been singing the praises of "Magic" by Ladyhawke, but then some enterprising soul took it to the next level and combined it with Xanadu.
Somewhere, Chhoto and Jason Kachel are smiling.
How to explain Xanadu? Jason found this awesome quote from a Rotten Tomatoes review:
"Look at Xanadu with an eye toward storytelling superiority and your head will explode. To appreciate the madness within, one must take in the blinding neon sights with an open heart and at least one nostril-coating line of cocaine."
Click below to watch the awesome video!
LINKS
01 June 2009
Yes, The Pet Shop Boys Are Back
Dude, the only reason I even knew that my old faves the Pet Shop Boys had a new album out (Yes...though I'm pretty sure they've used that title before*) was because of my USC colleague Matt Hsu.
I made a mental note to get the album, totally forgot about, then stumbled upon the lead single "Love Etc." by mistake...
...and it's great!
I gotta get the album!
Click below to watch the awesome video!
PSB is back, baby!
*Actually, they haven't used Yes...they have used Please, Actually, Introspective, Behaviour, Very, Nightlife, Release, and Fundamental...but not Yes, that is until now.
LINKS
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