Just to be festive, and just because one item had stubbornly eluded all my shop-local efforts, and just because it was on the way to the movie theater where we were seeing “True Grit” Friday afternoon, we stopped at Best Buy on Christmas Eve. The computer said they had nine copies of Crystal Bowersox’s “Farmer’s Daughter,” but the best efforts of the three of us and the nice salesgirl couldn’t turn up one.
“I could check in the back,” she offered, not very enthusiastically. Yes, The Back, the famous Back, always your last-ditch hope in stalking the elusive whatever-it-is. I took a look at the line, which stretched from the registers through a side aisle, almost to the back of this very big big box. It was a line worthy of a new Apple product, a Springsteen concert where tickets were only available at the door, or the Soviet Union. My resolve cracked. Screw it, Amazon’s handling this one. We’ll have it shipped directly to my sister-in-law’s house. Let’s go to the movies.
And with that, the holiday really began. It was a nice one. Kate got a guitar and a USB mic. She was upstairs within a couple of hours, laying down tracks in Garage Band. I got new kitchen stuff and a Madhur Jaffrey cookbook. Alan got a framed photo he’d admired in a small show last summer. It’s a street scene in contemporary Havana, because we are of course communists. I still recall 1993, when Alan and I were planning our wedding, and the evil empire was collapsing and surely Fidel would fall in a matter of weeks. “Let’s go to Cuba for our honeymoon,” I said. “I want to see it before Hilton and Marriott and all the rest of them get their mitts on it.” Ha ha ha. (We ended up honeymooning in San Francisco — same politics, colder climate. Ha ha.)
I’d still like to go. Although the photographers had some cautions: “Bring food,” they said. “We went to bed hungry a few nights. You can have all the money in the world, but there’s still nothing to buy.” Vacation paradise.
I also got a Keurig, and if you don’t know what one is yet, you will soon — it’s the single-cup coffeemaker that’s sweepin’ the nation. Now that I have reached the age of galloping decrepitude and near-constant exhaustion, I find myself wanting a single cup of coffee from time to time. But I’m too bourgeois to make a pot, because I know I would throw most of it out, etc. Enter the Keurig, which follows the disposable razor/inkjet printer model of economic extortion — cheap machine, dear supplies. I don’t care if the little K-cups are pricey. I don’t spend much money on alcohol anymore, so I’ll just shift the funds over to caffeine. And it makes a sublime cup of coffee, in about 60 seconds. I’m an American, and trash production is my birthright.
How was “True Grit,” you ask? Pretty good. Not perfect, but very entertaining. Where do the Coen brothers find these fantastic character actors to play the little parts? The voice of the lawyer who cross-examines Rooster Cogburn in the opening scenes will ring in my ears for days; it belongs to Joe Stevens. And Roger Deakins’ camera work was glorious, as usual. I don’t think Kate liked it very much, however; she said she couldn’t understand Jeff Bridges. And there was a big continuity error, after Maddie swims the river with her horse and faces Rooster and LaBoeuf on the other side, completely dry. I guess they had a reason for it, but it bugged me, too.
How was your holiday? Are you off this week? I wish I was, but alas, I am not. And so I’m outta here.
A little bloggage:
When the roll is called up yonder, Jimmy Carter will be there. A true Christian (despised by many other alleged Christians).
Jon Stewart, an heir to Edward R. Murrow? Maybe.
Roy does the dirty work of reading the right-wing blogs so you don’t have to, and has compiled his year-end top 10. You have to read some of these to believe them.
And now I’m off. Good Monday, all.
Susan said on December 27, 2010 at 11:12 am
Nancy,
Welcome back to work, now there are two of us.
My husband and I also enjoyed True Grit this week-end. The dry coat after the river crossing jumped out at me immediately and I was shushed by husband when I pointed it out. (Quietly in his ear, not to the theatre.) How about the voice over done by J.K Simmons? That man is everywhere!
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John said on December 27, 2010 at 11:15 am
K-Cup at work is a great bene! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
P.S. Please tell the blizzard you miss it and want it back in the snow belt where it belongs.
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brian stouder said on December 27, 2010 at 11:17 am
The Coen brothers always seem to have trouble with rivers; there was an issue or two with a river (and Josh Brolin) in No Country, as I recall.
I tripped into their “Blood Simple” (on IFC) in recent days – which was mildly interesting, until IFC’s new commercials broke the spell, and I tuned away.
Y’know what the young folks and I did this past weekend? We sledded/tubed down a really steep hill toward the Eel River in Logansport; Big Fun on the way down (and more than a little work going up again), and I out-lasted them! (plus, some great photos resulted)
Then, it was off to read my Jane Addams book
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CTJohn said on December 27, 2010 at 11:28 am
We’ve had a Keurig for years now (it eliminated that caf/decaf question when making a new pot). While we still slip in a disposable cup every once and awhile, we mostly grind our own again and use the reusable filter system. It works like a champ, you get to have “your” coffee, if it not the major brand that partnered with Keurig, and you are not filling up the local landfill.
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LAMary said on December 27, 2010 at 11:30 am
I understand you can get a reusable plastic cup which you fill with the coffee of your choice for the Keurig. I got Keurig last year and I returned it because I could not in good conscience get past all the little plastic garbage it creates, but my dentist told me he has a refillable deal. Just sayin. It’s plastic you’re tossing. Petrochemicals and all that.
I thought this way long before I moved to California, so don’t blame it on my zip code.
I got some perfume from younger son. He went into Aveda and chose the oils he wanted to add to the perfume base. His combo comes up as a somewhat herbal Chanel #5. He also gave me the Patti Smith book. Older son gave me an encylopedic cookbook from Italy. It has an entire section devoted to Lights and Pluck. This is a section I will probably never use. He also gave me another measuring cup, knowing how fond I am of clever measuring cups. And some colored pencils. I consider myself truly blessed. They got money, new shoes, good sketching paper and a range of drawing pencils from 4H to 9B.
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coozledad said on December 27, 2010 at 11:41 am
Roy thinks Robin of Berkeley will make his list next year, but I have some doubts. People are plotting to take her down. Friends, colleagues, family members. At least that’s what she says:
http://world-o-crap.com/blog/?p=5144
It’s hard out there for a long-distance therapist, especially for one who has to contend with those incessant whispering campaigns about her competence.
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nancy said on December 27, 2010 at 11:50 am
I’ve seen the fill-your-own k-cup filters, and will likely guilt myself into buying one any day now. Thanks for the nudge.
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Julie Robinson said on December 27, 2010 at 11:52 am
Jimmy Carter failed as President, IMHO, because living his Christianity too oft conflicted with the need for strength in the Oval Office. I admire him tremendously for the way he has lived his Christianity since leaving office. His book about his childhood in Georgia is phenomenal. We listened to it on a three-generation car trip and everyone was rapt.
We had a lovely and low key Christmas this year; church on Christmas Eve, a movie on Christmas day, and a family gathering yesterday (at someone else’s house–yay!). We saw the newest in The Chronicles of Narnia. I was only allowed to go if I promised to shut up about all the plot changes from the book. I should have just stayed home and read the book again.
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Deborah said on December 27, 2010 at 2:34 pm
My husband and I had our own gift giving the night after Christmas. I had been hinting that I wanted an iPad for a while but I got something I wanted even more, something I’ve wanted since Jackie Kennedy was first lady – a string of pearls from Tiffany’s. I gave my husband a bunch of Jean Luc-Godard movie videos that he has been wanting and a book of the collected poems of Michaelangelo which he had also been desiring. Little Bird got a mandolin (the kitchen kind not the musical kind) and some other kitchen items. She also got a trip to St. Louis to visit her good friends there, she leaves this afternoon and returns next Tuesday.
We all have colds here now, so we’re taking it easy. I’m taking the week off with only losing 3 vacation days because Thurs and Fri are official holidays. Last Thurs and Fri were also official holidays so it makes for a nice string of days off. Nothing planned just relaxing, watching videos and reading.
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Little Bird said on December 27, 2010 at 2:52 pm
I am hoping to have avoided the brunt of that cold. I do not want to travel whilst ill.
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baldheadeddork said on December 27, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Saw Black Swan this weekend. Easily one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. Portman is totally unconvincing as the delusional child-woman, the supporting cast is nails-on-chalkboard off key, the story couldn’t find the ring of truth with a map, and the whole thing is suffocated in Arfonsky’s pretentious, heavy-handed directing.
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Catherine said on December 27, 2010 at 3:08 pm
I spent part of Xmas Eve and Xmas day in an ICU with a friend whose husband had some sort of “event” (cardio? neuro? noone knows yet) and is on a ventilator & sedated. These are friends from college who live on the other side of our ridiculous city, with the result that we only see each other about twice a year. This whole thing has really made me see how pathetic the rarity of our meet-ups is. I have a new appreciation for the loveliness of the gift of a trip to see friends — enjoy, LB.
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brian stouder said on December 27, 2010 at 3:51 pm
and let us not forget Teena Marie, whose sudden passing actually took me aback. She’s a Definite big-D Detroit/Motown icon, and even a revolutionary, with regard to the ending of the onerous “heads I win, tails you lose” contracts that lots of other Motown artists were stuck with. Plus, she was only a few years older than me. One very small thing in the reports that got me was the archival footage of her (now old-looking) ‘80’s hair style; I still love that style! And – not to cross up the Motown sound, but it reminded me of Breakfast Club/’80’s/youth. On the one hand, she wasn’t old; and on the other, we’re talking about songs from thirty years ago.
hmm
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MarkH said on December 27, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Kim Darby had dry clothes as well right after her horseback jaunt across the river in TG-1.
Keurigs are great. We got one from our daughter in 2008. We go through spurts of using it, though. Been using it a lot lately, both the disposable cups and the single filter device. We love it.
We had a wonderful Christmas as well. Very cold, lots of snow, immediate family, relatively quiet. A blessing.
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Dexter said on December 27, 2010 at 4:37 pm
I spent the last three days drinking Keurig coffee and tea. My daughter’s machine…she only drinks tea and I was offered to kill all the Newman’s Own , the Tully’s and all the other coffees. It makes a very strong cuppa. It is an amazing machine.
I got a teevee. A Sharp Aquos 40 inch full hi-def lcd tv, and also a Blu-ray player. I almost died…I had no idea my kids were getting us that big a gift.
Now we have to buy a stand…and the cable guy is coming Thursday with a hi-def box and he will program the remote. I also got a giant box full of gifts…too many to bore ya with, from Levis to shirts . Well…my wife’s curio cabinet has just arrived…time to help bring it in the door. My daughters went Christmas-Crazee.
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Julie Robinson said on December 27, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Catherine, you were a blessing in your friends’ lives by being with them through such a difficult time. We all need such friends.
Wow, scathing review of Black Swan, but I’m still gonna see it because I took ballet for six years. Probably not til the DVD though.
And I almost forgot to share this! We wanted to watch Elf, but it wasn’t available on Netflix instant-watch, so we decided to buy a copy from Amazon, especially since there were a couple of other movies DH wanted to own. After the purchase (going through Nance’s Kickback Lounge, natch) Amazon made it available to watch instantly via streaming. So we just hooked up the laptop to the TV and got to watch it right away. A have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too moment.
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paddyo' said on December 27, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Like fine wine, Jimmy Carter continues to improve with age. His baffling legion of detractors just continues to whine. Troublingly large numbers of Xians (these ones don’t deserve the “Christ” part) seem to be awfully selective about living the way their leader taught them, don’t they . . .
Christmas here on the Front Range of the Rockies was dry-dry-dry, as it has been for months (while the big snows do continue to pile up in the mountains). So for a change of pace, we went hiking on the holiday, way out on the snowless Great Plains: Pawnee Buttes, an incongruous pair of 300-foot-tall sandstone formations, in remote grassland country in NE Colorado, not far from the Wyoming line.
It was just us and about five other hikers and, on the north horizon, a distant phalanx of wind-farm propellers, rotating lazily in an uncommonly quiet breeze. Sunshine, 50 degrees, blue skies, and no snow or mud on the trail. Thank you, La Nina . . .
And thank you, BHdork, for your “Black Swan” review. I’d been on the fence but thought, nahh, I’ll wait until DVD (or HBO). I know that movie trailers on TV are a dicey indicator of a movie’s worth, but the ones they’ve been running for BS remind me more of another clunker, “Eyes Wide Shut.” And that “psycho-sexual thriller” description in the NPR News underwriter blurbs sounded suspiciously like pre-opening desperation on the part of the producers. And I say this as a fan of Natalie Portman from the start (“Leon/The Professional”).
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Rana said on December 27, 2010 at 5:18 pm
We saw True Grit yesterday, and enjoyed it. Didn’t catch the river continuity error (which is odd, since I was eying the costumes closely throughout the film) but did note that at the very start of the courtroom scene Jeff Bridges had the eyepatch on his left side (it was on the right for the rest of the movie). Among the things we appreciated were that the characters were perfectly cast and didn’t come across as actors but as people, and that there was no music, just ambient sound. I did have to stop myself from expounding on modern snakebite first aid, but managed it, somehow.
My two large presents were a pair of boots and a camera; my “labor stands in for money” gifts were calendars of images I shot myself in Spain (available for sale; if anyone’s interested, I’ll post a link), and a LibraryThing account with my husband’s books already cataloged for him.
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coozledad said on December 27, 2010 at 5:45 pm
I noticed there’s a new operatic production of Bulgakov’s The Heart of A Dog, and tried to find a preview clip. Couldn’t find one, but Youtube has the Gorbachev era television film of it, in gorgeous black and white. They actually did a nice job of it.
EDIT: Found the new Dutch production.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5oz7yhHg84&feature=related
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Deborah said on December 27, 2010 at 5:55 pm
Maybe it’s my age but I do not remember Teena Marie. When I first read about her death I got confused with Tina Louise, or Ginger from Gilligan’s Island who I know I mentioned here before I met at a party in NY. Interesting how where we were in our lives at the time makes us have different cultural touchstones than others.
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Holly said on December 27, 2010 at 5:57 pm
Watched True Grit over the weekend. After she gets out of the water, it looks like the only thing that is wet is a small part of her coat. I looked Kim Darby up on the internet. She has been married 5 times. She really knows how to pick em. What has she done since True Grit besides a Star Trek episode?
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nancy said on December 27, 2010 at 6:05 pm
That’s such a huge continuity error, I wonder if the Coens put it in on purpose. If Kim Darby also came out of the river dry, maybe that was their little nod to the original.
The switching eye patch I didn’t notice, and would have to see for myself. A mistake like that would require so many people to be asleep at the switch it beggars belief for two of the best filmmakers working today. I mean, even on our little guerrilla productions, our makeup and wardrobe people take many digital photos to make sure everyone matches between takes.
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coozledad said on December 27, 2010 at 6:16 pm
There’s an MST3K episode where they dismantle some Star Wars ripoff space opera. A woman who’s just been killed appears in virtually the next scene, seated at her computer. I think it’s Crow who says “Nice of them to give her another chance.”
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Rana said on December 27, 2010 at 7:20 pm
The eyepatch was only visible on the wrong side for about 5 seconds; I only saw it because I was looking for something like it, after reading this: http://www2.wnct.com/entertainment/2010/dec/22/bridges-true-grit-eye-patch-change-was-unintention-ar-637482/
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Rana said on December 27, 2010 at 7:24 pm
Oh, and here’s a list of continuity errors from the first movie: http://www.online-movie-viewer.com/movie/true_grit_1969 (click on the “goofs” tag)
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DellaDash said on December 27, 2010 at 7:39 pm
Saw both ‘Black Swan’ and ‘True Grit’ while getting a new set of tires on my Dodge Ram (have needed them since last year when a patch of black ice on a narrow Nashville road sent me into a ditch…then again two weeks ago), and my recently mushy brakes taken care of.
I see in a news flash today that Natalie Portman has procreated with her ‘Black Swan’ choreographer. Hopefully, she’ll fill out again, and turn her back on the world of ‘prima-Annies’ (anorexic ballerinas). A year of heavy-duty training did NOT grace her with the posture and elongated lines that even the lowliest member of any corps de ballet starts to acquire from early childhood…let alone the principal of a high profile company. It was a huge suspension of belief to foist upon afficionados, even when only her upper body was shown in dance scene close-ups. Watching the cuts to blurry long-shots of a real ballerina dancing was like an itch…distracting and annoying. The heavy breathing on the soundtrack, leading up to the climax, was endless (like the thrashing through the woods in ‘The Blair Witch Project’), and would’ve worked my last nerve if I wasn’t having such a hard time trying to stay awake. I’m with BaldHeadedDork, although it wasn’t one of the worst for me. Overall, it was just too overwrought.
Adored ‘True Grit’. Missed the dry river crossing. Duh. Also loved the lawyer who wrapped wide, mobile lips with relish around ornate courtroom dialogue. And John Goodman’s surprise cameo appearance. The Dude in the saddle as an unintelligible blowhard was a-ok with me. Maddie, oh Maddie. Don’t want to overhype. (Elsewhere on the remade western front, I really liked ‘3:10 to Yuma’ a couple of years ago.)
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Joe Kobiela said on December 27, 2010 at 7:42 pm
Kim Darby was in a movie with John Cusack called better of dead. This movie also had David Ogden Stears from mash in it. It is one of those movies if I see it on tv I have to stop and watch.
Pilot Joe
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Holly said on December 27, 2010 at 7:49 pm
I am going to watch the movie again this weekend and see if I can spot the mistakes.
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4dbirds said on December 27, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Keurig is good.
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moe99 said on December 27, 2010 at 7:57 pm
My son (whose self portrait is currently my gravatar) saw Black Swan and loved it. He now wants to go to ballets. So if that led him there, so much the better. Maybe he will develop an appreciation for the real thing.
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DellaDash said on December 27, 2010 at 8:14 pm
My take on ‘Black Swan’ probably sends me to old fart territory. There were 4 late teen/early twenties girls sitting behind me who were gurgling with delight throughout. Chatting with them when the lights came up, I found out this was their second viewing. They were all smiles. Replete.
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Julie Robinson said on December 27, 2010 at 8:35 pm
It’s just nice to see ballet in the mainstream, if only a bit, and that’s why I’m happy that Black Swan was made. If it piques the interest of some, like Moe’s son, so much the better.
But yes, eating disorders are a horrible problem in ballet, as well as in sports such as figure skating, gymnastics, and even track. Probably lots more if I started listing them. I just finished a fascinating history of ballet by Jennifer Homans, Appollo’s Angels. The many photos don’t show emaciated ballerinas until the 1960’s. The early dancers were probably 30 pounds heavier and look positively pudgy in comparison.
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nancy said on December 27, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Dancers, hell. Try models. Cindy Crawford would be considered a cow by today’s standards. She was a size 8. By Kate Moss standards, that’s a big ol’ mooooooo.
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Dorothy said on December 27, 2010 at 8:55 pm
This has been a good movie weekend for us for the most part. We watched “Inception” on XMas Eve, and I was rather ‘eh’ about it. The special effects were very cool but I found the story to be extremely muddy. We also saw “Winter’s Bone” and were extremely, EXTREMELY impressed by it – thanks to all of you who recommended it! I still have “A Single Man” to watch before it’s due back on Wednesday, and today we went out to see “The King’s Speech.” It was really wonderful. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush deserve Oscars in my opinion. I’m off all week, except for a four hour stint tomorrow. My department processes the gifts to the college so several of us volunteer to work Tuesday-Friday for several hours to get them in before the end of the year. I’m glad my turn will be done on the first day. Happy New Year everyone!
(p.s. Kim Darby was in my all-time favorite made-for-tv movie, “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.” I bought it on DVD recently on either EBay or Amazon. They have done a remake of it and it stars Katie Holmes. I think it’s being released next spring or summer.)
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on December 27, 2010 at 9:00 pm
If you liked the movie “True Grit,” try this taste of the sort of research Charles Portis did to get there – http://www.nps.gov/fosm/historyculture/rattlesnake-cave.htm
A hard place, the West.
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brian stouder said on December 27, 2010 at 9:07 pm
An honest, non-leering observation: Kate Moss is pretty enough, but if (for example) I’m watching TV and she’s leaning on a new car in one commercial, while, say, some full-figured woman is leaning on another car in another commercial, I’m going to remember the commercial with the full-figured person in it.
Marilyn Monroe doesn’t date back a century (yet), and who says she’s elephantine? (no man that I know!) Or Jane Mansfield?
For Christmas, our fine 6 year old daughter got some number of Barbie-style dolls (which she loves), and which cannot stand up on their own! (She wanted me to play Barbies with her, and handed me her “Monster High” doll, which had the Barbie body but wolf ears; she took it back away from me when I said in a faux-girlie voice “Oh, Rapunzel, I will head-butt you” – and clicked my dolly’s head against her dolly’s head)
By way of saying – I suppose I get that clothes hang better on an emaciated person; but curvey women are the one’s who turn heads in the real world, every single time. (plus, they can stand up). And, I suppose I’m being a bad parent by handing an impressionable young lady such an impossibly shaped female model.
Edit – and a very cool dvd I received for Christmas is the Cary Grant movie Father Goose, which I am saving to play a little later in 2010…
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Julie Robinson said on December 27, 2010 at 9:09 pm
*dope slap*
Models, of course. And actresses. And yet women are larger. I donated costumes I wore 35 years ago to a local high school, but almost none were large enough. I’m 5’8″, big boned, and I have never been skinny, but the girls today are bigger.
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coozledad said on December 27, 2010 at 9:13 pm
I remember reading somewhere about younger dancers grousing about Serge Lifar because he was dancing well past his prime. He kept stumbling into them with his big ass.
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Julie Robinson said on December 27, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Brian, I have a friend who did not allow her daughters Barbies or anything like them because of the body image issues. I could see her point, but I had such fun dressing my Barbies that I could not deprive my daughter of them. And in fact, our son had one for awhile–he was so attracted to the silky hair that we just let him have one. He enjoyed stroking the hair, and yes, I can see how that could be read the wrong way.
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LAMary said on December 27, 2010 at 9:22 pm
When I was a size 8 I looked fairly skinny at 5’10”. The winner of America’s Next Top Model this year is incredibly skinny.
http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-204_162-10005745.html
photo 19 is especially scary.
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alex said on December 27, 2010 at 9:23 pm
Deborah—
This is Teena Marie. At her finest.
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coozledad said on December 27, 2010 at 9:28 pm
LA Mary: I’m a vegetarian, but that child needs to be fed pork barbecue like a goose.
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Rana said on December 27, 2010 at 9:47 pm
cooz, apparently one of her favorite things is bacon sandwiches, so I don’t think it’s lack of food, just genes and immaturity. Judging by her family, she’ll probably fill out when she hits her thirties like a bunch of my relatives did.
Lately I’ve been cruising vintage clothing and dressforms on eBay, and have been repeatedly struck by how my physical shape differs from the ideals of various ages. Judging by the dimensions of Victorian clothing, for example, most women then must have been tiny corseted Barbie dolls; judging by the modern dressforms, women today may have wider waists, and the hips to match, but breasts are in much the same range at both ends of the century.
(I must say, eBay cruising is a great way to shop without spending money. I’ll add something to my Watch List in the initial flush of interest, but find that staring at it repeatedly over the days works really well at winnowing out the things that were just of-the-moment whims from the genuine treasures.)
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Deborah said on December 27, 2010 at 10:00 pm
I was pretty skinny as a teen, I didn’t break a hundred pounds until I was in college and I was over 5’8″. I hated being thin, I tried everything to gain weight. So it’s not always people starving themselves, sometimes it’s heredity. I could touch the tip of thumb and forefinger together when I circled them around each upper arm. I hated wearing short sleeves because my arms looked like clappers (the bell being the sleeve). Kids called me “praying mantis”. It was not a positive experience for me, at all. Then Twiggy hit the scene and suddenly my body type was in style for a bit.
Alex, I watched that link and I have no memory of that song by Teena Marie at all. I must have been in the thick of motherhood at that time.
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Julie Robinson said on December 27, 2010 at 10:05 pm
Mary, they all scare me.
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coozledad said on December 27, 2010 at 10:08 pm
Rana: You can actually still get corsets that will give you any shape you want, but from the looks of some of them there’s a risk of hematoma. A lot of those nineteenth century clothes were the Western equivalent of footbinding. I think we’re drifting back that way. The curious difference being men have started to adopt their own intransigent physical aesthetic, and they’re wearing the old appliances and eating laxatives too. I can’t wait until some genius decides we need tits.
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MarkH said on December 27, 2010 at 11:00 pm
Kim Darby. hmph. She further irritated me when she reappeared a year after True Grit, again with Glen Campbell, in another Portis story, “Norwood”. Everyone in Cincinnati thought it was about the little community of the same name just northeast of town.
Anyone who hasn’t been to imdb.com care to guess who John Wayne was pushing for in the role of Mattie?
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Dexter said on December 27, 2010 at 11:08 pm
I always hated that Dance Fever stuff…Rick James and all that. I avoided it to the degree that I had never heard of Teena Marie.
I have eclectic tastes and most of my favorites draw blank stares when I play them on YouTube or mention them. Tom Waits is respected by prospero here, but most people hate his songs and his voice, until Springsteen does “Jersey Girl” and has the girls all giddy.
When Teena Marie was belting out those songs I was listening to The Rolling Stones and chasing Crosby, Stills, and Nash all over the midwest. The Woodstock performers were kickin’ the 1970s long after the event at Bethel, years after Max Yasgur took the dough and let the festival rock.
But for those of you that knew Teena Marie and loved that stuff, I am sorry for your loss. I chose to stay far away from the Rick James world.
This death to me is the same as when Left Eye Lopez was killed. Who? That’s what I thought. I had never heard of her either. Same for Selena, dead in 1995…who? I asked. Aaliyah—dead in a crashed airplane, just 22 years old, nine years ago…front page news the world over…old Dexter? Clueless.
So Just Give Me Some Of That Old Rock and Roll.
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Rana said on December 27, 2010 at 11:12 pm
There certainly are a number of tight-lacing corset fetishists on the ‘nets! Since I’m interested in costume and reenactment (notably SCA and steampunk), I end up looking for information on constructing said garments not infrequently. It requires some care to separate the useful information (about where to get supplies, say, or which patterns have reliable instructions) from the fetish sites. And, yes, some of the tight-lacers are men.
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Denice said on December 27, 2010 at 11:19 pm
I got a fun book called ‘Simple Times- Crafts for Poor People’ by Amy Sedaris, sister of David Sederis and hilarious actress.
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coozledad said on December 27, 2010 at 11:24 pm
I always liked the steampunk idea. If you had the good luck to be at Canal Jean, Alice Underground, or Love Saves The Day in the mid eighties with a modest amount of cash, you could have outfitted yourself well into the future. I remember looking at some coats that Baudelaire could have been buried in. I might have purchased one.
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basset said on December 28, 2010 at 12:06 am
Joe, Basset Jr. and I were in your town last night as part of an epic drive from Cadillac, Mich. to Birch Run to Dundee back up to 94 and over to 96 and down into Indiana; stopped at the Burger King in Auburn then carried on to Anderson, fueled on truck-stop coffee and energy drinks. One of these days we will go through Auburn with time to see the museums and get a good tenderloin.
Jr.’s license expired during the northbound leg of the trip so I drove every inch of the way, right at 1600 miles from Nashville to the north woods and back since last Thursday night. No big deal in my younger days, but it’s about all I can do at this age.
The Quality Inn in Anderson offers a new approach to ADA compliance; they’re doing some hallway painting so the room numbers on the doors are gone and replaced by photocopies held on with Scotch tape, which makes perfect sense till you try the Braille. Subtle, very subtle.
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Scout said on December 28, 2010 at 2:27 am
Just arrived back in Phoenix from our first LA Christmas. It was a lovely time, spent eating, taking walks, eating, opening gifts, eating, playing games, eating… Visited The Getty on the afternoon of the 26th. And then back to #1 son’s house for more eating.
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Dorothy said on December 28, 2010 at 6:42 am
Forgot to mention we also got to see “The Town” with Ben Afflect, Jeremy Renner and Jon Hamm. It was terrific. Highly recommend it if you haven’t seen it.
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Dorothy said on December 28, 2010 at 8:53 am
*Affleck* sheesh. Too early in the morning I guess.
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MaryRC said on December 28, 2010 at 4:33 pm
I just saw “The Town’ too and also enjoyed it except for not being able to understand a thing that Jeremy Renner said. Most of the other actors affected a heavy Boston accent (how successfully, I’m not equipped to judge) and it took a nano-second to translate sometimes – “Shit? Oh, he meant shirt!” But I could understand the others. Not Jeremy. He seemed to be talking into his chest or his hand a lot.
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Brian Cubbison said on December 28, 2010 at 6:25 pm
I completely missed John Goodman in “True Grit.”
I think of Jon Stewart as having Art Buchwald’s sources and Jack Anderson’s sense of humor.
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