Thursday, July 8, 2004

Peak of Excitement

One of my favorite commercial illustrators was the late Bob Peak. You may not know the name but you know the style. The repros on this website do not do his work full justice but are still enjoyable.

• Posted at 8:10 PM · LINK

Recommended Reading

A lot of people have savaged Michael Moore's movie, Fahrenheit 9/11, and I agree that Moore left himself open to a lot of criticism. But in the negative reviews I've read — and I've read a lot of them — I don't think I've seen any criticism or fault found with two of the film's most memorable elements. One is the footage of Bush in the classroom on 9/11, doing nothing constructive after hearing our nation was under attack. Defenses of his inaction seem pretty feeble...he didn't want to panic the children, he was confident Dick Cheney was in command, etc. Most of the time, Bush partisans just seem to change the subject.

The other thing that doesn't get addressed is what some think is the most important material in Moore's film, which is the story of Lila Lipscomb, a Michigan housewife who believed in one set of values when her son went off to fight in the Iraq war and another after he was killed over there. This article affords some insight into her sad story.

• Posted at 1:03 PM · LINK

Vocal Girl Makes Good

The Cinegrill, which is a nice and intimate night spot situated in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, has recently had its latest in a long series of grand reopenings. Most recently, it flirted with higher prices and a partnership that didn't work out with Michael Feinstein. Now, it's just the Cinegrill again, featuring a cavalcade of folks who perform show tunes and other songs with actual lyrics, and we're happy to hear this. If you live within commuting distance of Hollywood Boulevard, you might want to keep an eye on their schedule to see who'll be warbling there and when.

Take special note of who'll be vocalizing there, the evening of Tuesday, July 20. That's right — it's Chanteuse Extraordinaire Shelly Goldstein, offering her new show, which she calls "Slings & Eros." This probably means she'll be singing songs, both funny and poignant, about a raft of subjects, most of them having to do with something or other. Everyone who goes to hear her has a very good time and there's no reason to think you'd be an exception.

That's Tuesday, July 20. 8:30 PM at the Cinegrill in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. No food served...just drinks and good singing. Call (323) 769-7269 for reservations.

• Posted at 9:26 AM · LINK

Dennis, Anyone?

I watched Dennis Miller's CNBC show last evening — first time in quite a while...and last. Miller led off with a newscast/monologue that slammed Kerry and Edwards and provoked so little laughter that Dennis tried to joke that the audience was all Democrats. Since the audience never cheered the anti-Bush statements of a few later guests, that seems unlikely.

Jay Leno was a guest but never got near any kind of political discussion. Miller fawned over him a lot, then Jay read and tested the jokes he was considering for that evening's Tonight Show monologue. That's right. Jay was unconcerned about spoiling his precious stand-up spot by exposing his jokes a few hours earlier on Miller's show. That should tell you how low the ratings are at CNBC.

I really don't understand the logic of that channel's programming or that of MSNBC. Yeah, Fox News is doing great as basic cable goes, catering to those who want to enjoy their news with a right-wing spin. But how long do you have to fail, trying to beat Fox at their own game, before you try something else? It doesn't have to be left-wing TV but there must be something else to put on. And it's not like that something else is going to do any worse.

• Posted at 1:40 AM · LINK