Had planned on hot sausage sandwiches, but I started the sauce way too late, so I’m settling on a couple of slices of gut bomb pizza from DiCarlo’s. I’ll just let my sauce and peppers simmer and then finish it for dinner tomorrow. I think I am going to hit the matinee and see Inception, so a quick dinner when I am done will be nice.
Has anyone seen the Invention of Lying? That is the new movie on HBO this week- looks pretty good, hard to go wrong with Louis C.K. and Ricky Gervais.
Talk amongst yourselves.
Michael G
Both movies are awesome.
But make sure you bring your thinking cap to Inception. You will need it.
Mark S.
You’d better hurry.
PTirebiter
I remember thinking how only Gervais could have made the movie work so well. I thought it was very funny and ultimately very sweet.
JAHILL10
Loved “The Invention of Lying.” It was smart and funny on so many levels, yet it was really thought provoking too. Worth your time.
The next to last samurai
Pet update pls.
Frowny
It was pretty good. . . there are some very perceptive digs at organized religion. Then it suddenly realizes it needs to finish its narrative arc and decides to become a romantic comedy, which causes the last third of the film to suffer.
General Stuck
We don’t get much matinee here in Bumfuck NoWhere, USA. But will make do.
Adam Collyer
The Invention of Lying was clever, particularly in the first hour. I thought it dragged a bit afterwards, but conceptually it was terrific. Really interesting.
I’d be interested to hear what other people thought, though. Without giving too much away, I just felt like one part specifically was very unrealistic. Being “totally honest” doesn’t necessarily indicate that every single thought you have needs to be said out loud. Clearly I’m over-thinking this; it made for some extremely funny moments, but I thought there were points where it killed the suspension of disbelief. Almost a bridge too far.
Dee Loralei
I thought Invention of Lying was a great concept and the movie was very funny in spots, but it was pretty smarmy. I was a bit disappointed afterwards because I love Ricky Gervais and whatshername is not bad at comedy.
Maybe I’ll re-watch it, since I seem to be in the minority here.
Am also going to see Inception this evening. Have red beans and rice cooking, though it’s much too hot. And a new Dr Who will be on the dvr when I get back, YAY!
One of my Goldens seems to have an ear infection, it’s rashlike and red bumps, maybe like mild bites. I cleaned them a bit, but her ears weren’t dirty and I didn’t see any creepy crawlies. The other Golden has been grooming her ears for the last few days and she keeps shaking her head. I’m out of ideas to ease her misery. Any suggestions?
ETA: What Adam Collyer said @ #8. Also, Too.
QuaintIrene
Considering the weather today all up and down the east coast, I hope ‘IT’S KOOL INSIDE!”
gmf
Hated “invention of lying” – great idea – horrible execution – boring with flat jokes.
Entertain me – religion is bullshit – I don’t need to be convinced of that & the people who do turned the movie off after the first 15 minutes.
demimondian
Finally gave in to the constant hucksterism on this blog and bought a Furminator. Wow.
The two short hairs are now actually comfortable to touch. The long hair isn’t, yet, given that I’ve pulled at least two softball sized masses worth of loose hair out of her coat so far, and still have (by feel) another two of them to go.
MattR
@demimondian: And people act like peer pressure is a bad thing
RedKitten
I definitely want to see Inception now, after so many of you have given it rave reviews!
I’m just upstairs at my sister’s right now, waiting for SamKitten to drop off to sleep. She has about a dozen girls over for a BBQ, and the little casanova gave every one of them a big, open-mouthed baby kiss goodnight before I brought him upstairs.
I also came thisclose to hitting a deer this morning on my way to Halifax. The damn thing just darted across the road in front of my car, I hit the brakes, and I swear, it passed by my front left bumper no more than 8 inches away, if that.
Jim Kakalios
I’ve basically burned today by reading reviews/comments/theories about Inception. First film of the summer (or in a long while) that I want to see again right away.
jeffreyw
Yaar! Gimme fries wid…
Phyllis
+2 on the bloody mary’s; reading Before The Storm in which one could insert today’s ‘conservative’ names and not miss a beat; and fixing to roast corn and grill pork chops for supper.
Plan to be at least +5 on the drinks before the night is out, particularly if the Braves stink up the joint as badly tonight as they did last night.
stuckinred
If it comes to a theater near you check out “The Secret of Their Eyes”. It’s an Argentinian film that is really good.
stuckinred
@Phyllis: Damn dawg, they are not going to win every game. Shessssh!
MtW
The Invention of Lying makes a terrible mistake. It confuses blurting out every thought that comes into your head with honesty. The notion that an honest society is one without a filter is daft. I expected better from Gervais.
Robertdsc-iphone
LOL. Get em’ SamKitten!
My new job is a 7-to-4 deal delivering mail for a private corporation that does government sponsored research. The stuff that passes through my mail cart is interesting & appealing to my little engineering interest. The downside? I have to do my rounds in the hot fucking sun. I worked graveyard for the better part of the last 15 years. Fuck the sun! Heh.
The people are nice & I’m starting to get my precision workflow down. It’s good to be back at work again.
MtW
@stuckinred:
I’ll second that. Well-made film that works on more than one level.
stuckinred
177 dogs turned in at the St Bernard Parish because folks can’t afford them.
Phyllis
@stuckinred: I know, I know. Consider me suitably chastened.
R-Jud
I’m supposed to be writing, but have burned most of my evening on Regretsy. Which is where I found this. JefferyW, you might need that.
General Stuck
Reds game blackout with the Rockies, so can’t watch on MLB live. Due to Fox Sports and their exclusive contract with MLB. I get blacked out from Denver (800 miles away) and from Phoenix. Does anyone have a good link somewhere else for live streamed games?
specialed5000
Is that the same DiCarlo’s that I remember there being one of in Wheeling when I lived there as a kid?
General Stuck
@The next to last samurai: No pet pick, but can offer a pretty cool new hummer pic.
James Gary
‘Inception’ is two-and-a-half hours (although it felt like at least four) of pretentious, talky exposition intercut with some remarkably generic Hollywood car-chase/gun-battle action scenes. My advice is to suck down three or four beers beforehand to help with the boredom.
Phyllis
@General Stuck: Not without having to pay, because MLB are some exceedingly greedy f**kers.
Martin
Smoking a brisket for tonight and making brioche buns for burgers tomorrow. Lots of cooking going on this weekend.
Anne Laurie
@Dee Loralei: No personal experience with doggie ear problems, thank goddess, but it sounds like your Golden might have a yeast infection. If so, you’ll need to take her to the vets to get a proper diagnosis, and you may have to change her diet. I know it can be a chronic & painful problem for dogs with hanging ‘hound’ ears (poodles, cocker spaniels, beagles) and besides steroid creams for the immediate problem, I seem to remember the friends whose dogs had similar problems being told it was related to food allergies. If one of your dogs has this problem and the other doesn’t, it doesn’t seem like it would be a creepy-crawly issue (ear mites, for instance, are as contagious as head lice in a preschool, but yeast infections only spread if both dogs are allergic.)
General Stuck
@Phyllis: I figured that, cause they are some extremely greedy fuckers. I pay them 25 bucks a month and have two fucking teams blacked out. Instead of just one.
jeffreyw
@R-Jud:
I tried one of those on, all I got were “looks”.
jeffreyw
@General Stuck: Well done, General.
Phyllis
@General Stuck: My peeve is that due to the ‘Clearchannelization’ of local radio, and because I live in outer buttf**k, there is no local radio broadcast of the Braves to listen to. 150 miles from Atlanta and I can’t listen to the damn game on the radio.
R-Jud
@jeffreyw: Niiiiiiice.
General Stuck
@jeffreyw: Simply Splendid!!
Yutsano
Trying to get over being a lazy ass, but hasn’t kicked in yet. Gonna stuff and roast a chicken for dinner tonight, but need to go soon so we don’t end up eating at like midnight. I’m just trying to work up this little thing called motivation. Should kick in any…second…now…
Mudge
Ricky Gervais is always entertaining on Graham Norton’s show (BBC America) and shows up fairly often.
Anything with sausage is beyond delicious..I hope your pizza had it as a topping.
John Cole
@specialed5000: Same chain, yes.
Gromit
“Inception” was awesome. It was kind of like “The Matrix” cubed. Before the crappy sequels, that is. Just don’t get too caught up in how the movie dreams relate to dreams in real life, and it’s tremendous fun.
SiubhanDuinne
I saw “Inception” this afternoon and mostly liked it a lot. It wasn’t the Best.Movie.Evah, as some reviews and comments had led me to expect, but it was a very interesting concept, well-executed. (Pace James Gary #29, I found it dragged a bit in parts, but I’m not sure how they could have done with *less* exposition.)
If you don’t mind hanging out with ambiguity and having your head messed with, it’s a good air-conditioned way to spend 2-1/2 hours on a hot summer’s day. I’d see it again and probably will in the next week or two.
Batocchio
The Invention of Lying has some very funny scenes, as well as some thought-provoking ones. It’s worth a look.
chrismealy
“The Invention of Lying” is pretty bad. On top of what everybody else has said, it has the cheap, lifeless, and drab vibe that Lifetime movies have. Me and the gf were so bummed out by it we had to go to another theater and see another movie right away to get it out of our system (we lucked out with “Whip It,” which was charming and vibrant).
cmorenc
@James Gary:
Your reaction to Inception is much the same one a small (16%) minority of critics e.g. over at rotten tomatoes reviews had. However, I saw it last night, and my reaction was much the same as a large majority of the critics linked there had (84%, including Roger Ebert).
IMHO Inception is one of the most brilliant, fascinating mind-fucks you’ll ever see, well worth the two and a half hours. One one level it’s true that the movie is simply another sci-fi action movie heavily laced with CGI and absurdly adrenaline-pumped chase/gun battle scenes – but then again, so was the original Matrix, the movie this most closely resembles in nature and shared themes. On its main level, however a central theme is that you can never be totally sure anywhere in the movie what’s dream and what’s reality, and who is really in control of the dream world (or even whose it is), even though there are many stretches where you justifiably think you do for awhile. However, there are a great many subtle details studded throughout the movie that, sometimes at a given moment, sometimes on the viewer’s own later reflection, cast quite a bit of doubt upon that certainty. Leonardo Di Caprio is simply brilliant as the central character – the perfect actor for this part to make the movie utterly convincing despite the bizzare central premise of the movie (that it’s possible for one or several persons to deliberately invade, inhabit, and even control other person’s dreams). Another unique feature of this movie is that someone who’s seen it could attempt to give a thumbnail description of the movie from beginning to end and yet only inflict a very limited “spoiler” on a listener who hadn’t seen it: it’s the sort of movie that has to be experienced for yourself to see what you think of what’s going on, and what your own impressions are.
Go see this for yourself, and don’t let any sourpuss who thinks their tastes are too cultured to enjoy this sort of movie spoil it for you. It’s a thoroughly fun mental romp, and not just a simple action-CGI flick.
demo woman
I was going to watch The White Ribbon tonight but decided against it. Just not in the mood for a horror film with subtitles. Has anyone seen it? Maybe I’m over reacting and it won’t keep me up with thoughts of “things to come”.
debit
@cmorenc: What you said. I just got back from seeing it and would happily go see it again. Except next time I’d get there earlier. The theater was packed and I had to sit in the second row. Ow, my neck.
James Gary
@cmorenc:
I was wondering how long it would take before the Nolan Defense League arrived. Let me keep it brief:
1. I absolutely don’t care what percentage of critics on Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic liked or disliked the film, and I have absolutely no idea why stats from those sites are so often used to argue for a film’s absolute merit or lack thereof.
2. The “central theme is that you can never be totally sure anywhere in the movie what’s dream and what’s reality” has already been used with infinitely more cleverness, lyricism and imagination in numerous movies (partial list: “Videodrome,” “Last Year at Marienbad,” “Synecdoche, New York”) than it is here. What made Inception so boring for me is that none of the “clever” metaphysical elements ultimately have even the slightest effect on the plot or structure of the movie: it’s a standard Hollywood heist pic with a semi-trailer of pretentious, unnecessarily complex bullsh*t hitched to the back.
asdf
“Smoking a brisket for tonight and making brioche buns for burgers tomorrow.” Martin
There hasn’t been a good piece of beef for sale at my local Albertson’s here in New Mexico all summer long, even at these elevated prices.
In the interests of full disclosure, my old Dad (82) runs a cow/calf operation and he’s getting top dollar for the calves this year. I am very proud of my Dad. Imagine the way you’d like cattle to be raised… that’s how my Dad does it.
Stringy, overpriced tasteless beef that should have been made into jerky, that’s what it’s been like around here this summer. It’s frustrating.
James Gary
@demo woman: White Ribbon’s pretty good, although, in my opinion, overlong.
Greenhouse Guy
Invention of Lying : watching now for the first time. Already weird… weird is a good thing… IMHO.
Yutsano
@RedKitten:
I predict a very active and very interesting dating future for the young one. Hopefully the experience doesn’t generate too many gray hairs.
me
What the fuck does this mean?
Craig
The Invention of Lying – 2/3 of an awesome movie, enormous third act problems.
Yutsano
@me: Could possibly refer to the WaPo investigative report about defense contractors and their lack of regulation. Or something the Secret Service needs to investigate yet again. So hard to tell for sure these days.
Martin
@asdf: Yeah, the stuff in the grocery stores is pretty blah this year as well. Brisket is fairly forgiving and this is from the farmers market – it didn’t look too shabby and it was on sale. Ribs were my first choice for tonight, but the sale pushed that back to next weekend. The steaks I got from the farmers market last weekend were pretty good, so I’m hopeful.
We’ve got a great butcher here, thankfully. Dry-aged Prime. Not cheap, but gooooood. Can’t afford it every weekend, but for the special occasions, it’s nice having it available.
Michael G
I just want to point out two things:
1) Rex Reed is still alive. Strange but true.
2) He savages Inception in one of the most vitriolic reviews I’ve ever read: http://www.observer.com/2010/culture/can-someone-please-explain-inception-me
Even without this review, I do not think Rex and I would get along.
Yutsano
@Michael G: One would think, after reading that review, that Rex doesn’t like any movie. Of any kind. In existence.
asdf
“We’ve got a great butcher here, thankfully. Dry-aged Prime.”
I’d love that. Date-night food!
eemom
OMG, I did not know that. What is he, a thousand? And did he emerge from retirement just to trash this one particular movie? Sheesh.
I’m interested in seeing the movie, if only because it has provoked such extreme love/hate responses.
stuckinred
Just finished “The Last Station”. Swell flick, a movie about Tolstoy and not a snow flake was seen.
jeffreyw
Thread needs more kitteh.
Anya
Not sure if any of you saw this but Rapper Jasiri X, has a point about the craziness of the tea party and the media’s treatment. What if the Tea Party was Black
burnspbesq
@Martin:
We get our special-occasion meat from Pacific Ranch Market, on the corner of Chapman and Newport. Pricey but worth it.
Martin
@burnspbesq: Have you tried Beef Palace in HB? It’s been there forever.
Cat Lady
@jeffreyw:
Good gawd. Win.
BTW, on America’s Test Kitchen last week, they did fries. You’d think frying potatoes is a no-brainer, but the best way was to use Yukon Golds cut into 1/4″ x1/4″ fries. Put into a deep skillet with peanut oil room temperature right out of the bottle, then bring the oil to a strong rolling boil. Once the oil is boiling, cook the potatoes for 15 minutes, then drain and salt. Something about getting the moisture in the potatoes to evaporate by getting the boiling oil up to temperature gradually makes the fries crispy on the outside and really creamy on the inside. I’m a believer.
burnspbesq
Listening to a stunningly good recording of the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra, by the Budapest Festival Orchestra conducted by Ivan Fischer. Way better than my previous fave, BPO/von Karajan. This would be a great way for somebody like our gracious host, who is just discovering orchestral music, to dip his toe into the 20th Century.
burnspbesq
@Martin:
Will have to check it out. Thanks.
There used to be a commercial butcher in Garden Grove whose delivery trucks actually had “you can’t beat our meat” on the back doors. Haven’t seen one in a while.
Yutsano
@burnspbesq: Heh. I saw what you did there.
Turgid Jacobian
The Invention of Lying went on and on about finding the “perfect genetic match.”
CynDee
I was talking among myselfs and asked what movie I would like to see very, very soon.
Myselfs said, none just “LilyandRosieStillPics.” Few or many, grateful for any. Thank You, and have a nice weekend.
middlewest
So here’s Al Franken, telling the truth about the economy and the deficit to an empty room. Sigh. Could some of the other states elect some Al Frankens? Please?
Martin
@burnspbesq: Oh, you *must* check out Beef Palace. It’s a small place, but let them know it’s your first visit and they’ll probably drag one of the sides that are dry-curing from the cooler. They’ll give you a little tour. You can basically ask them for anything. Important fact: they only take cash.
arguingwithsignposts
Late, but saw Inception this afternoon. Didn’t think it was worth 2.5 hours, and a little too complicated with a lot of loose ends. Christopher Nolan should stick to directing and let someone else do the writing, but that’s just my 2 cents.
Also, most underutilization of Michael Caine evah.
Davis X. Machina
@Cat Lady: I’ve done this technique a couple dozen times — cast iron dutch oven, regular corn/soy/canola (i.e. ‘vegetable’ oil) — and the results rival Julia Child’s blanch-rest-fry two-stage process, at about 1/3 the work. Perfect fries in 22 minutes.
Highly recommended. The potatoes go in the oil before you even turn on the heat. That’s what makes it so unique.
Cat Lady
@burnspbesq:
We have a local porta potty company whose motto is “We’re number 1 in the number 2 business”.
arguingwithsignposts
@cmorenc:
I think you’re overstating the case here. It’s not even that good as a mind-fuck. But again, that’s my opinion.
debit
@jeffreyw: That is a lovely cat and a lovely setting. Great picture.
This sweetie pie latched onto us at the dog park and wouldn’t leave even when her owner called. Just a doll.
Comrade Mary
@Cat Lady: Huh! The video is here, if anyone is curious. Fries portion starts just after the 14 minute mark.
Also of interest for obsessives: this tutorial on recreating McDonalds’ fries.
burnspbesq
@Cat Lady:
Gotta love it.
debit
It’s a wild weather night here in Minneapolis.
Yutsano
@debit: Thank you for the weather report. I now am prepared for wifey’s inevitable grumpiness, especially if the weather is both weird and hot.
debit
@Yutsano: Well, the good news is the temp dropped about ten degrees and it’s nice and cool-ish now. The bad news is tornadoes, straight line winds at 60+ MPH, and non stop lightening. I actually like storms; sadly, Chloe is hiding in the corner so the thunder can’t find her.
Comrade Mary
Now that I’ve watched the Test Kitchen video:
1) Put 2.5 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into quarter inch sticks, freshly cut but unrinsed, into an empty dutch oven.
2) Pour 6 cups of peanut oil (plus 1/4 cup bacon grease for flavour) on top of the fries.
3) Bring oil up to an aggressive, rolling boil. This shouldn’t be a few bubbles. It should look turbulent. You will probably be at about 300 degrees, but the beauty of this method is that you don’t need a thermometer. Just look for a good rolling boil.
4) Set a timer for 15 minutes. DO NOT STIR. Leave the fries alone.
5) After the 15 minutes are up, gently stir the fries (which are still bubbling away in oil) to break them up and to loosen any that may be stuck on the bottom. Because they are fairly crispy now, they should not break.
6) Let cook at a rolling boil for another 10 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon or mesh scooper and rain on paper towels, adding salt as needed.
According to the show science guy, you get less greasy fries this way than with many traditional methods. Why? Because as the fries are cooked, their water is removed and replaced with oil from the cooking medium. It’s a direct relationship: the more water you lose, the more oil that gets into the fries. The science guy drew a couple of loosey-goosey graphs showing that while a certain amount of water-fat exchange happens in the first few minutes, the line flattens out after that. The line peaks higher at higher temperatures, but still flattens out after a few minutes.
In short, fat absorption in fries is a function of temperature, not time. Sitting the fries in room temperature oil and bringing them to a boil, then cooking for a total of 25 minutes after that point, just will not get you greasy fries.
A caveat: this method works with Yukon Gold potatoes cut to the given dimensions and cooked in peanut oil. There may be a way to make this work with other potatoes or oil, thicker or thinner fries, or fried foods, but using this method and timing with other foods may give inferior results.
pat
@burnspbesq:
If you go to theatlantic.com/ben-carlson
you’ll find a series of essays about learning to listen to classsical music. His aim is to get a younger audience (he’s in his mid-twenties) interested.
Martin
@Cat Lady: Our neighbor was doing a remodel and had a port-a-potty in the front yard from ‘National’. Every time we’d pass it my son would say ‘Go National, go like a pro!’. It’d crack me up every time.
Something Fabulous
@middlewest: did you see the Sherrod Brown one right after that in the queue, about unemployment insurance? only about 4 minutes. He’s not quite such a smooth speaker as Al, but he is pretty damn good.
Yutsano
@Comrade Mary: This, I have to admit, is descending into Alton brown territory. I find the methodology fascinating, and I’ll have to try it some time.
ellaesther
@Mark S.: Ack! You’re long gone!
I hope you come back and see this so that you know I saw your gracious thank you for my post about Israel and Diaspora Jews. Thank you for saying so!
And now I’ll stalk you until I’m sure I’ve found you….
But in a totally laid back, not at all creepy way.
4jkb4ia
(Wallison stares impassively at David Lehman as he testifies. He, too, must be wondering why Goldman would hire anyone who is only twelve.)
That's Master of Accountancy to You, Pal (JMN)
@debit:
No kidding. Eddie has been hiding under the bed most of the day. I think he’s figured out what sorts of weather is likely to lead to thunderstorms and takes cover early. He made the mistake of coming out to grab a bite to eat right as the really monster cloudburst and thunderclap got started.
@Yutsano: It was humid and ridiculously hot all day. Now it’s about 65 and ridiculously humid.
Minnesota: the Land of 10,000 Puddles, Good for Nothing but Producing Humidity and Mosquitos.
pat
@Turgid Jacobian:
at comment # 71
I thought the constant references to genetics was to highlight evolution. The movie pretty much made everyone seem pretty unhappy and soulless until the invention of the “man in the sky.”
asiangrrlMN
@Anya: Thanks for the link. I really dug his message, and I agree. I can just imagine the heads asplodin’ if the Tea Party was mostly comprised of African Americans.
@Yutsano: Was insanely hot and humid earlier. Harrumph. Then, wicked tornado weather (which looked really cool) and a bit cooler, so less harrumph, but still fucking humid, so add half another harrumph. Have you eaten your stuffed chicken yet?
Inception: Finding out that some people didn’t like it/weren’t that impressed by it actually makes me more inclined to see it even though I have no desire to actually see it. Sigh. Just once, I wish I could get stoked over a movie that everyone else was excited to see.
Cole! Tunchie pics, plz. Kthxbai.
Honus
@specialed5000: DiCarlos is where they put the cheese on after the pizza comes out of the oven. No kidding. Little square slices. Used to be one in Moundsville back in the 70s where we’d go get pizza late at night for 25 cents a slice.
Steeplejack
@demo woman:
I liked The White Ribbon. Not the feel-good movie of the year, admittedly, but it’s way more than just a “horror movie with subtitles.” It’s very subtle, and definitely worth watching. And I love, love, love the black-and-white cinematography.
Trailer for those who might be interested.
And Roger Ebert’s four-star review.
ETA: Reread Ebert’s review and thought this is a little gem:
Amen to that. I really liked Caché, but it bugged the hell out of me.
snarkypsice
I loved The Invention of Lying. Yes it has the problems others have mentioned, but they didn’t bother me. Rickey Gervais is hilarious and it’s a sweet film. Sometimes sweet and funny is enough.
Ronbo
Invention of Lying is sophmoric, at best. 4/10
Inception is creative and thought provoking. 8/10
Jill
YES!! to “The Invention of Lying.” I don’t usually like Ricky Gervais, but this movie is smart, funny, sweet, delightful — and even Mr. Brilliant sat through it and didn’t even gag at the happy ending. Jennifer Garner is adorable. Definitely worth your time. I wanted to see Inception today myself, but there were basement stairway walls that have needed painting since last November.