So the Jets beat the Bradys, so it is on for Stillers/Jets at Heinz field next week. Should be a good one, and they beat us before and just rolled the Colts and the Pats, so it will be tough.
Ricky G. is hosting the Golden Globes, so I was asked for a thread. Here it is.
And while we are at it, don’t forget to visit the Balloon Juice Store or pick up a Balloon Juice Calendar. Here is January:
As always, click to embiggen.
This would also be a good thread to say NICE things about the new rebuild and to thank Stacy for putting up with all of us.
WaterGirl
Lots of technical folks hang out at balloon juice, so some of us are in a position to know just how big a job this was. There are some problems, there always are, but I consider this a very successful rollout. Great job!
Edit: I hadn’t seen your name here until yesterday, are you a long-time lurker or are you new to the site?
Laura W.
Stacy, the site is sleek, clean and elegant. Love the look. (I’m on a Mac and use Firefox and never, ever have functionality issues, oddly enough.)
My only beef is that my favorite rotating tag line is not on a mug in the store and there are no damn bumper stickers. Can you get on that next?
Phyllis
Don’t do awards shows anymore, and especially not with Ricky G. hosting. Eddie Izzard? Now that would be a different kettle of fish.
And I concur that the site looks very clean and elegant.
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
Thanks Stacy for the nice new site. Now if you could do something about the grouchy overlord …
gwangung
If Cole likes it, I like it.
Stillwater
I like the look of it. Others may disagree, but I’m glad you got rid of the avatars. Sometimes this place feels like Romper Room, but there’s no reason to encourage that. And FFB!
arguingwithsignposts
Stacy, go fuck yourself! Seriously, like the changes so far. All good. especially the non-collapsing center column. I’m sorry Cole didn’t warn you about this. :)
freelancer
60 minutes looks much more interesting.
BalJu Commenter #2401
I am very angry this new design does not make me write 20 years younger. *kaff* *kaff*
Angry Black Lady
It is also a good thread to complain about a GLARING oversight in the “Contact” sidebar.
::ahem::
Signed,
Forgotten Black Lady
morzer
More nekkid pics of Tunch! If I must lose my cherished gravatar, I expect some serious cat-porn, cudlips!
scav
Oh I love this title: “How to Terminate a Suicidal Employee” I know it’s a serious serious topic but: it’s just how I’m miswired. Well, that and a little Doctor Who.
jeffreyw
Ah, January! And there’s that drunken kitteh again!
freelancer
@Angry Black Lady:
This is NOT a white people problem.
MTmofo
Looks okay fine to me. It is an improvement.
But it doesn’t respect the right side column line, again.
Multiple F5s before it behaves.
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
@Angry Black Lady: Who are you?
Maude
@Angry Black Lady:
Oh, shame on them and they promised to put your name in lights.
WaterGirl
Suggestion for the contact list in the upper right… The list is alphabetical right now, but i’d like to see the list in chronological order. John first, since it’s his blog, then each person listed in turn, in the order that they were added as a front-pager.
Angry Black Lady
@freelancer: ATTICA!
morzer
@Angry Black Lady:
You seem sort of familiar. Are you the recipe chick?
Mark S.
GO KINGS SPEECH GO!
Oh, I haven’t actually seen any of the movies nominated this year. I think I’ve seen one movie in the theater in the last three years.
geg6
It looks lovely on the iPhone and loads really quickly. My only complaints are that I have to type my email address every time I comment and I simply cannot figure out how to reply to other commenters. But, otherwise, I likee.
madmommy
Both my teams won today, so yay! The site looks quite spiffy, kudos and thanks to those who did the heavy lifting to get it done.
And now for pretty people in pretty clothes. How did someone as lovely as Scarlett Johansen get out the door with her hair looking like that? Is it a homage to Madeline Kahn in Young Frankenstein?
Mark S.
@morzer:
No, she’s the gal who writes about soccer, er, football.
Angry Black Lady
@Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen: Nobody of consequence. Would you like to subscribe to my newsletter Balloon Gin ‘n Juice?
Kristine
I like the new layout–it’s a very clean design. I really like the Share/Save option.
Great job!
slag
Bring back the talking ads!
For reals, the site does look spiffy. At this moment in time anyway. Nicely done. For now.
jimdoc
The rebuild is not ‘working’ for me (multiple problems) in FireFox 3.6 or IE8 on either my Vista desktop or Windows 7 laptop. To those of you that are seeing the redesigned site in some coherent, easily-read form – what browser are you using?
morzer
@Angry Black Lady:
Looks like someone has ambitions to get more than 3/5 of a byline.
Honestly, don’t you care what the Constitution says? Originalism! Origenism! Orogenous schism!
Cacti
My Super Bowl prediction:
Jets vs. Packers
Comrade Mary
@morzer: I think she’s the one who really, really likes fluffy things, if you get my drift. ::cough::
DON’T HURT ME, ABL! I have free health care, lots of clean water, and space for the upcoming wave of refugees from the south. I can put you on the top of my list, OK?
(Site looks awesome, Stacy — thanks! Hope you’re having many, many beers now.)
WaterGirl
@geg6: The site looks the same on my iPhone as it did before, do I have to do something for it to recognize the mobile site?
freelancer
@Angry Black Lady:
Attica! Attica!
Angry Black Lady
@Maude: I know! It is all verrah unjust. I blame Obama.
Jeanne ringland
Thank you Stacy. (It looks pretty much the same on the Mac, but it is greatly improved on my laptop.)
Nicole
Looks great on the iPad. Nice job!
WyldPirate
Thanks for your hard work, Stacy. The change was a bit of a shock at first, but it is for the better. Much cleaner design.
Thanks for putting up with our bitching and fuckwittery, too Cole, you grouchy ol’ sumbitch.
matoko_chan
Black Swan sweep, philistines.
heard it here first.
robertdsc-PowerBook
Thank you, Stacy. :)
morzer
@Angry Black Lady:
What did the Kenyan Usurpers ever do for us?
Other than the roads, the aqueducts, health-care….
Angry Black Lady
@morzer: I shall henceforth be known as AngBlady.
TaMara (BHF)
Hey, if we’re going to be taking my name in vain here…I guess I better show up. Also, ABL was robbed. Too.
How did I miss that Christian Bale is from Wales, I’d never heard his real dialect before. Beautiful.
asiangrrlMN
Stacy, nice job. Sorry you had to put up with us miscreants. If you’ve been lurking here for awhile, though, you probably knew to expect it.
@Angry Black Lady: We shall overcome!
@Phyllis: Right there with you about Eddie Izzard. I would watch any show he hosted.
Jeanne ringland
@scav: No good can come from acting on a title like that.
morzer
@Comrade Mary:
She’s a Patriots fan? Shit, you can’t rely on anyone these days!
morzer
@asiangrrlMN:
You can come over any time.
*grin*
Barb (formerly Gex)
A very heartfelt thanks to all of you behind this blog. Stacy for putting in the work, I’m sure it is no fun getting long lists of conflicting requests (I’m a programmer, I know).
Thanks to John for curating such a great blog. He’s collected a great set of front pagers. I learn so much from them.
And thanks to the BJ commentariat. I learn as much from you as the front pagers.
This is a terrific blog. I can honestly say that it has made me a better, more knowledgeable citizen.
Too sappy? Too bad!
morzer
@Angry Black Lady:
Angry Bladder?
I am so sorry.
AliceBlue
I can’t believe “True Grit” didn’t get a single Globe nomination.
I like the look of the site, but the comments are making my eyes cross. It really would be nice if there was a space or two between each comment.
Wait–since I posted this, everything looks better.
Violet
Site looks really nice. It loads way faster. Thanks for all the hard work.
I love the Golden Globes because people are drinking and you never really know what they’ll say. Plus Ricky Gervais did a good job last time so I hope he’ll be good this time.
WaterGirl
@WyldPirate: See, I think this was all part of the strategy!
First, add the avatars and the facebook stuff to make the site look completely different and un-Balloon Juice like.
Then take the avatars and facebook “like” away, and, by comparison, the site looks enough like the old Balloon Juice that everybody calms down and is completely grateful to have survived the rebuild. :-)
MikeJ
@AliceBlue: What browser/os are you on? If anything there’s too much space on FF4b9.
asiangrrlMN
@morzer: Why, do you have Eddie Izzard hiding in your pocket?
And, I just knocked my orange slices onto the ground. I think they are protesting the fact that John Boehner is not a front-pager here.
@WaterGirl: EWWWWW! And I just ate my orange slices! (Five-second rule).
@morzer: Well, since you put it that way, I would be glad to sack you.
And, I am digging the clean lines of the site.
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
@Angry Black Lady: Does your newsletter contain… Pictures? [Breathes heavily]
flukebucket
First time I have seen the site since last night. I think this is outstanding. Heckuva job Stacy.
WaterGirl
@asiangrrlMN: Didn’t you get the memo? His name is Orange Boner, not John Boehner.
morzer
@asiangrrlMN:
I’ve certainly got a ready lizard hiding in my pocket, and you can blitz him any time you like…..
Maybe it is time for the coffee and hot bath….
oondioline
The site looks fucking awful. Why couldn’t you leave good enough alone, losers?
John Cole
@jimdoc: Clear your cache.
JimPortlandOR
The middle column of the main page (and now the entire comments pages) overflow the area over the right column and extend past the window off to the right, STILL.
This is with IE8 (w/all updates) and Vista (w/all updates).
Does anyone on the dev. team know anything about CSS?
Cacti
For those who are feeling something other than sadness at the Pats demise…
A little musical montage
rikyrah
oh my…
PACKERS VS. BEARS
and the Pats went down..
what a fabulous weekend.
morzer
@Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen:
Filthy, disgusting pictures that good citizens have to inspect in revolting detail to keep them from the greater community?
John Cole
If ABL would answer her email, we’d put her address up.
Just sayin’.
madmommy
@TaMara (BHF):
That accent…yum!
Did anyone see Helena Bonham-Carter? I think she might have broken the fug-meter.
Linda Featheringill
Thank you, Stacy. :-)
freelancer
@John Cole:
How dare you Blood Libel ABL?!
Violet
@madmommy:
Did you see Scarlett Johannson’s hair? She looks like Bride of Frankenstein.
morzer
@John Cole:
YOU LIE, BOY!
MikeJ
@asiangrrlMN:
The definition of an orange people problem.
madmommy
@Violet:
Yep. Madeline Kahn did it better.
WaterGirl
@JimPortlandOR: Did your problem go away after you posted your comment? (Just posting a comment seems to resolve this for many people.) If not, have you tried clearing your cache?
If you have already cleared your cache, I suggest mentioning that so they know there might really be a problem that they need to solve.
TaMara (BHF)
@flukebucket: Damn, you missed all the fun.
slag
@JimPortlandOR: First, CSS is always a bitch when it comes to placement of stuff. Tables. Tables, with all their problems, make sense in a way that CSS has not managed to.
Second, this is CSS-WordPress, the combination of which I can only imagine must make some poor, unsuspecting developer believe they’ve entered the second level of hell when they start working on it.
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
@morzer: Amen my brother!
And if you could return those copies of Big Butted He Sluts (Vol I, issue 5 – Vol XVI, Issue 12), I’d appreciate it. I need them for a … project.
asiangrrlMN
@MikeJ: I hear you. They were muttering something about Obama taxing the tanning booths and how fascist/sociaIist that is until I ET them.
@John Cole: Oh, sure. It’s always someone else’s fault with you lie-brals! Where’s your sense of personal responsibility?
AliceBlue
@MikeJ:
I’m using Safari. The comments looked a little wonky at first but everything seems to be okay now.
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
Wow, sluts made it through the filter. How about SOCIALISM.
Yutsano
Just loaded FF 3.6 on parents’ computer, looked all jumbled, did the ctrl+F5 trick, and now it looks brilliant. So I’d start there before trying to dig too much deeper.
Also: LET MY ANGRY BLACK LADY GO!! That is all.
jimdoc
Thanks, john. That was simple enough and fixed everything in FireFox. Screw IE8; I only went to it to see if the same problems I was having in FF showed up there.
morzer
@Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen:
I’ll call Coach Belichick and have him drop them off at your place tomorrow.
cleek
Carson Daly is the worst interviewer in the history of humanity
Violet
@cleek:
All the NBC red carpet interviewers are horrible this year. You’d think a major network could find some people with talent. Ryan Seacrest over on E! is waaaay better than Carson Daly.
cleek
like the new look.
feels like i should be witty and erudite.
madmommy
@cleek: Except for Ryan Seacrest. Or Guiliana Rancic. The only time I see these clowns is during award shows and they all make me want to borrow asiangrrlMN’s rusty pitchforks.
Mark S.
@madmommy:
Yeah, the different color shoes are the least of her problems.
asiangrrlMN
@cleek: So, what’s your problem? Do you not use Google Chrome? Is that why you are oppressing me by refusing to write a pie filter for it?
@madmommy: You can haz one for free. I overestimated the demand, so supply is rather high right now.
Mike Kay
the odds open with Pittsburgh as a 3 pt favorite.
ditto, green bay.
WyldPirate
@WaterGirl:
Yep. Probably a dastardly and well executed PsyOps executed by the real overlord of BJ– Tunch!
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
@morzer: I hope he doesn’t cry all over them. And ask him to get Brady to autograph his latest c-fold.
John Cole
@Violet: No one was looking at her hair…
MikeJ
@Mark S.: Red right returning, isn’t that the rule?
Svensker
Stacy, it looks great! Yay you! You play for the Jets? :)
I am GIDDY.
Violet
@Mark S.:
I kind of love how she dresses so crazily. She’s like the new Bjork as far as crazy awards show outfits go.
morzer
@cleek:
You just have to be different, don’t you?
Violet
@John Cole:
Heh. Lots of women were, if you check out Twitter.
WaterGirl
@WyldPirate: We are on to them now!
@ anyone: what is a fug meter?
Moonbatting Average
Love the new look, and I really love the new functionality on the IPhone. Thanks a lot John and Stacy!
Mike Kay
@Violet: guys look at tits.
Jeanne ringland
@Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen:
Get a room!
lol
Violet
@WaterGirl:
Fug: short for F**king ugly. Also see: http://gofugyourself.com/
Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther
@Phyllis: “Welcome to Church of England. Would you like the kettle or fish?”
I may be paraphrasing.
Violet
@Mike Kay:
Well duh.
madmommy
@Mark S.: @Violet:
She is that most English of characters, The Eccentric. I kind of like how she can always be counted on to bring the crazy.
Brachiator
@geg6:
If there is a blue Link indicator next to the poster information, click on that and see if the Reply button becomes available.
Great job, Stacy.
Great wins for Christian Bale and Boardwalk Empire at the Golden Globes.
asiangrrlMN
@WaterGirl: Fucking ugly. That’s my educated guess, anyway.
@madmommy: Oh my. I like the hair and the shoes, but not the dress. Shame as she’s gorgeous.
ETA: Since I am not watching, I had to Google HBC. They already have a picture up!
Jeanne ringland
@morzer: You need to join them in the room they need to get.
Comrade Mary
Wow. I actually like Helena’s whole look: hair, rack, dress and OMG SHOOZ!!
WaterGirl
@Violet: Thank you! I had no idea what it meant, which may explain a lot since I actually like the whole mismatched shoes thing on her tonight.
Edit: @asiangrrlMN: Good guess, I was clueless.
MikeJ
@cleek: I’ll berate you in front of the kids. Your site is one of those that forces my droid to use the mobile version with no way to go back to the decent god fearing version with sidebars and links and stuff. Grrr.
Mark S.
@Brachiator:
Uh-oh, that calls for the Christian Bale Theme Song.
It gets better every time I listen to it.
madmommy
@asiangrrlMN:
That’s her look and has been for ages. Can’t even blame it on playing crazy Bellatrix for so long, she’s always looked like she dresses in the dark.
Violet
Christian Bale with the long hair, beard and moustache is teh hawtness. Yum.
Angry Black Lady
@John Cole: I prefer to make an unwarranted fuss, Mr. Cole.
Signed,
Hysterical Black Lady
sal
Thank you, Stacy.
dorita
I like the new site. I’ve been following the updates today. It’s quite amazing how you all have made adjustments.
But why isn’t ABL on the list of frontpagers? Even if she doesn’t want her email linked, at least you could recognize that she a contributer, right?
Otherwise very good merge.
Edit: I see, nevermind :)
Bruuuuce
Digging the site redesign. Liked the large, bold numbers and names for commenters, but the black text is now easy enough to read. It’s clean, and the “save/share” link makes it easy for me to spread the B-J love on FB (or even LJ, when I want to actually say something deep and meaningful :-)
Thanks!
Mike Kay
Robert Downey has turned into Robert Evans
asiangrrlMN
@madmommy: Yeah, I know. I think she’s just gorgeous. The dress is not to my liking, though. Too much frills and lace.
JenJen
I don’t get the Gervais-hate. He is openly dogging these celebrities right to their faces, and they’re not enjoying it, either. This might be the best Golden Globes ever!
WaterGirl
Not to put a damper on the festivities, but I just read that Gabrielle Giffords was just upgraded from critical condition to serious. I hope there is more good news tomorrow.
Uncle Clarence Thomas
.
.
Day 5
On day five of my deeply earnest quest to honor President Obama’s heartfelt and inspiring call to action – “to live up to the example that young Christina Green expected in how our democracy should function” – I have decided to continue my Renowned and Buttery Constitutional Scholarliness and veto any and all extensions of the quite clearly un-Constitutional Patriot Act. And this time I really mean it.
.
.
morzer
@Jeanne ringland:
Foursome then? I’ll bring the Euro-trash elegance.
MonkeyBoy
@WaterGirl:
A pongometer?
See bathroom fug.
Yutsano
@JenJen: Note to Golden Globes: if you don’t want your precious celebritys’ fee-fees hurt, then don’t hire an insult comic to host your show. Duh.
@WaterGirl: I read that, and that hardly qualifies as a damper to me. That is kinda awesome. It’s possible the damage isn’t as bad as they fear.
madmommy
@JenJen:
This is his second year hosting. I agree, he’s giving some great zingers. He’s now shed the jacket and is bringing his drink onstage.
Violet
@JenJen:
I love Gervais hosting the Globes. Last time he had his tie off and was well through multiple beers by the first hour or so into the show. He doesn’t take it too seriously.
I can’t imagine Anne Hathaway hosting the Oscars. James Franco will maybe make it tolerable, but Anne Hathaway? Yawn.
MikeJ
@Mike Kay: Is that a good thing? You bet your ass it is!
I love that book.
WaterGirl
@MonkeyBoy: I think I preferred the “fucking ugly” definition! :-)
Mike Kay
@Violet: but she’s nice to look at.
MonkeyBoy
@WaterGirl:
Ummm, that means that she is doing better.
morzer
@Violet:
Well, with the sound turned down, I have to vote for Hathaway over Gervais. Sorry, but that’s how I roll…
asiangrrlMN
@WaterGirl: That’s great news. Not a damper at all.
@Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen: Jinx. Buy me a rum and diet coke.
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
@WaterGirl: That’s not a damper, that’s great news.
Mike Kay
stallone must have a steroid/HGH I.V. drip at home.
TaMara (BHF)
@Mark S.: Those are some ugly ass dresses this year, HBC obviously had to up her game in order to win ugliest.
WaterGirl
@Yutsano: I am so glad she is able to move and breathe on her own, but I will be holding my breath until they say that she is able to speak.
JenJen
@Violet: Co-signing the Anne Hathaway hosting the Oscars sentiment. What are they thinking, having an actress host? Having a decent comedian host is the only thing that makes that 10-hour show tolerable.
I think I missed the Golden Globes last year. Gervais is killing it; thought I was gonna pee my pants when he brought up “the two homosexual Scientologists” and everyone gasped and he said “don’t worry, they’re not here.”
Oh and yes, I love when he brings his beer on stage. He was pounding Foster’s oil cans through one of his stand-ups I saw.
gnomedad
(First-grade cadence) THANK you STAY-cee!
Mike Kay
ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA!
Violet
@Mike Kay: @morzer:
Oh yeah, she’s gorgeous. Stunning woman. If eye candy is what they want as a host, she’s they’re woman. But hosts usually do a little more than look pretty.
WaterGirl
@MonkeyBoy: Sorry if I wasn’t clear… the damper I feared was bringing up a serious subject on a thread that is more fun and frivolous than serious. Serious condition beats the hell out of critical.
madmommy
Al, sweetie. If you’re going to wear a shirt with French cuffs, for god’s sake get some damn cuff-links!
Mike Kay
@JenJen: Watch, Cruise is gonna sue, he’s nuts.
morzer
@Violet:
Well, never mind what they want. Gervais compared to Hathaway is a battered dandelion compared to a white narcissus in full splendor!
Violet
@JenJen:
I know! That was excellent! The collective gasps of the pampered celebrities was beautiful. He’s great as host of this awards ceremony. I wonder how he’d do at the Oscars?
Mike in NC
Christ, what an ugly mess. Fix the fonts and the messed up spacing. It’s not rocket science, it’s a web site.
freelancer
@Mike in NC:
Spacing is fine, Ctrl + F5 to clear your cache.
burnspbesq
As if enough good things haven’t happened already today, Carolina is trying hard to self-destruct against Georgia Tech. Lot of time left, though, and it’s dangerous to assume that a Paul Hewitt-coached team won’t snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Comrade Mary
@Mike in NC: Did you try Ctrl-Refresh or Ctrl-F5? The site looked awful in Firefox this afternoon before I did that, and it looks great now.
Felanius Kootea (formerly Salt and freshly ground black people)
Love the new look!
magurakurin
Not a complaint, but I thought I would report what I am seeing. The site looks very different in my Chrome browser than in Firefox. In fact, it’s pretty well buggered in Chrome. In Firefox, the site looks very nice.
Yutsano
@Violet: Heh. Trust me someone is gonna bitch about this and Gervais will be watching the Oscars the same way the rest of us do. And it wouldn’t shock me if that bitching was done by the sizable cult constituency in Hollywood.
Angry Black Lady
@Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen: I love when sluts make it past the socialist
hitlerfilter.(ETA: I had to unmoderate myself. Aw yeaaaah.)
hildebrand
@morzer:
Nope, Black Adder.
And yes, the site looks quite good.
Violet
@Yutsano:
Gervais was a scream last year. He slammed everyone and was three sheets to the wind partway into the show. He even said he was never coming back so it didn’t matter what he said. I remember rumblings after show of “Did he go too far?” Obviously not, since he’s back.
madmommy
@Violet:
Billy Crystal is about as cutting edge as the Oscar people are willing to go. He did a pretty good job, but has said he doesn’t want to do it again.
Mike Kay
@Violet: they should be bold and get Giselle to host the oscars.
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
@Violet: Damn. This is making me wish I could tolerate awards shows.
Yutsano
@Angry Black Lady: You can DO that? U haz mad skillz!!
And I get around the sociaIist filter early and often. Though it may not work so well in the new iteration.
EDIT: nope. Stupid new font took away all my tricksies.
morzer
@Angry Black Lady:
Soc.ialist sluts the pair of you! Now, turning to your bad points….
Comrade Mary
@magurakurin: Looked buggered in Chrome to me, too, but I used Ctrl-F5, Shift-F5, and sacrificed a chicken[1], and it’s all purty now.
[1] Pan fried a breast from the supermarket, OK?
Comrade Mary
@Yutsano: Testing:
social-ist
sociaIist.
Ash Can
@freelancer: WOW! I didn’t catch that earlier. I did this, and it made all the difference in the world! Thank you for the tip — everything looks splendiferous now.
And thank you Stacy, not only for the site rebuild but for not finally saying fuck it all and blowing the site up and telling us all to go to hell.
Yutsano
@Comrade Mary: Lemme try one other possibility:
Sociallist.
It looks a bit goofy but I can’t do French characters on my laptop. FYWP.
Mike Kay
And the winner is Sophia Vergara’s rack.
damn, the wonders of modern technology.
asiangrrlMN
@Yutsano: Yeah. It’s back to sockulist for me.
Eddie Izzard on the Oscars would be GOLD.
Violet
@Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen:
I just DVR it and FF through the boring people and commercials. Put it on pause when I catch up with live TV and go do something else.
Joseph Nobles
The two homosexual Scientologists may actually come to the Oscars, so Gervais won’t be hosting it anytime soon. Still, I wish I could have heard that one realtime.
Comrade Mary
@Yutsano: Don’t you mean “VTFFWP”?
socialist
Comrade Mary
Crap. Sorry. So much for my theory that you could post, then edit to add The Forbidden Words. VTFFWP! Hostie.
Violet
@Mike Kay:
She is soooo beautiful. And hot. And that dress is amazing.
Angry Black Lady
@Yutsano: It’s dead sexy.
Mark S.
Speaking of homosexual Scientologists, I couldn’t remember the last time ol’ Rubber Face was in a movie. I see he’s going back to the basics: another fucking Mission Impossible sequel.
If he’s going to make sequels, how about A Few Good Men 2: The Revenge of Col. Jessup? I’d watch that.
madmommy
@Violet:
The poor thing said she couldn’t find anything that fit her. Glad she was able to scare something up eventually, she looks stunning. Just because she’s not an emaciated size 0 the designer samples won’t work for her.
JenJen
@Mike Kay:
You’re sooooo right!! And you know, turning into Robert Evans is always a good thing, if you ask me.
Yutsano
@asiangrrlMN: I could be alliterative and do socialisht, which is also goofy but at least slightly plausible.
@Comrade Mary: Fuck. You. Word. Press. Sometimes it just needs to be spelled out.
@asiangrrlMN: Eddie Izzard would be fucking brilliant. And it will never happen. At least not in my lifetime.
Michael D.
@Angry Black Lady:
Channelling Dave Chappelle: It’s Balloon Drink.
Yutsano
@Angry Black Lady: Speaking of which, could you liberate me plz? kthxbai!
(Actually going to eat dinner, will BBL.)
Triassic Sands
Jeebus, John, are you still playing for the Steelers? I thought you retired after the shoulder injury.
burnspbesq
Georgia Tech has some pretty spiffy cheerleaders.
Southern girls with brains: it doesn’t get much better than that.
Jeanne ringland
@morzer: Ok, sure. ;-)
John Cole
Ok- who are the two homosexual scientologists? Travolta and Cruise?
ABL- your name is up there now.
JenJen
@John Cole: Oui.
@Mark S.: How about “Cocktail 2: On The Rocks”?
Jackie
Chrome on windows 7 is messed up and cache clearing not changing a thing. Seeing if a comment helps.
Oh and thank you Stacy.
Jackie
Yup, try posting a comment if the cache thing isn’t working out.
asiangrrlMN
@John Cole: Cruise and Katy Holmes would be my guess.
@JenJen: Really? Travolta? Huh. Didn’t see that one coming.
Anne Laurie
Stacy, thank you for all your hard work towards overcoming the inherent FYWP of the hosting platform.
Cole, thanks for…
(I’m thinking, I’m thinking)…
Maude
ABL at the top of the list. Woot.
Comrade Mary
@Yutsano: And sometimes it needs to be translated.
Va te faire foutre, Word Press!
(Anyone else care to join in?)
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
@Angry Black Lady: They’re in but they’re barefoot ‘cos the filter keeps taking their sh oes.
Mark S.
@JenJen:
I might pass on that one.
Top Gun 2: Fun in the Shower?
THE
Looking pretty for me.
I didn’t care for the avatars either.
Barb (formerly Gex)
@Mark S.: How about “Do the Right Thing 2: Tell Katie You’re Gay”
Violet
@John Cole:
That’s the beauty of it. It could be so many people.
Mark S.
@asiangrrlMN:
I’ve been hearing for years Travolta’s gay.
Joel
If it weren’t for Roethlisberger, I could pull for the Steelers. Instead, that’s it for the NFL this year as far as I’m concerned.
Anya
@asiangrrlMN: Apparently there is more evidence of Travolta being gay than there are of Cruise’s gayness.
Mark S.
@Barb (formerly Gex):
All right, that made me lol.
asiangrrlMN
@Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen: Wait, so shoes is back on the list?
(Checking to see).
Yes! Shoes still make it past the filter, so the sluts don’t have to be barefoot after all, but they damn well better not be sockulists.
JenJen
@asiangrrlMN: One of those open Hollywood secrets for years now. Rumor mill picked up a lot of steam with this Gawker piece from a few months back.
THE
socia1ist?
JGabriel
Stacy & John Cole: Thank you both, for tolerating our unrelenting whinginess and for the beautiful new upgrades.
.
Violet
@Mark S.:
Here’s the smoking gun Travola pic.
asiangrrlMN
@Mark S.:
@Anya:
@JenJen:
DAY-UMN. I did not know. OK. Can we say he’s bi? Not that I want to claim him, but maybe he swings both ways.
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
@JenJen: Nope, nope, nope. I REFUSE to believe a gay man would be involved in Battlefield Earth.
No. Nuh-uh. LA LA LA I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!
jl
Cole wants to hear *NICE* things.
Wow, that is really weird. It creeps me out. Some strange supernatural being took over Cole during the rebuild.
I like the new version. I do not use all that new fangled crud, so whatever the BJ ‘mobile theme’ is, it’s fine with me.
When can we try the new booze?
Mike Kay
see, reading a teleprompter isn’t easy.
Here’s DeNiro, one of the top 5 actors ever, and he’s stumbling over the teleprompter.
madmommy
Pretty sure Gervais was referring to Travolta and Cruise. Rumors have been circulating about them both for ages.
Comrade Mary
@jl: It’s a GOOD site. A real GOOD site. Why, I don’t miss clicking on the banner image at all.
Please don’t wish me into the cornfield, John.
freelancer
SociaIist. Test
Dammit. Oh well
Socia|ist, eh good enough
Alex S.
Site looks great, thanks Stacy!
Now they had all those great DeNiro movies in the presentation and they still missed his parts in Heat, Jackie Brown, Brazil and the better Focker movies.
Mark S.
The Tourist got nominated? I thought it got terrible reviews.
ETA: Yeah, pretty bad.
JenJen
@asiangrrlMN: Uhhh, read that article and tell me he swings both ways. ;-) I have no idea whatsoever why gay actors won’t just come out, but in Travolta’s case, too bad for him he belongs to an anti-gay church-cult.
@Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen: Hahahahahahaha!
Mike Kay
has anyone seen “the social network”?
The clips I’ve seen on tee vee are unwatchable.
madmommy
@Mark S.:
This gives credence to the recent stories that the GG is fixed. Shocking, right? But then a movie Jennifer Love-Hewitt made for the Lifetime Movie Channel was also nominated. This resulted in the truly bizarre pairing of JLH and Dame Judy Densch being nominated in the same category.
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
@madmommy: For a second I thought you meant they’re rumored to be dating. I was ready to carve out my mind’s eye with a spork.
Then I realized the only man Tom Cruise would fuck is Tom Cruise.
@JenJen: You’re not being very civil.
THE
ʇsıןɐıɔos
;)
Mark S.
@JenJen:
I’ve also wondered why gay actors don’t come out, since 75% of the population doesn’t give a shit. I guess if you want $20 million a picture, you can’t afford to alienate even the mouth-breathers.
JenJen
Halle Berry’s going to be stunningly gorgeous and beyond perfect forever, isn’t she? It’s really not fair.
Anya
@Mark S.: Gervais made fun of the nomination in his awkward monologue. I wanted to watch it because I love Johnny Depp but my brother and his wife saw it, and said that the movie was nothing more than showcasing Angelina Jolie in different glamorous outfits.
Violet
@Mark S.:
These days most films tend to make their money overseas. A lot of countries aren’t as accepting of homosexuality and in many cases it’s even illegal. The fear is that the movies starring openly gay actors would not even be allowed to be shown in those countries and wouldn’t do very well if shown. So studios and agents, etc. pressure actors to stay in the closet so as not to affect their careers.
madmommy
@JenJen:
She is lovely but that dress is doing her no favors. Which is strange since the woman could wear a potato sack and look fabulous. She’s had not such great luck with men, which is somewhat depressing. If someone that stunning gets screwed over by some dude what hope is there for the rest of us mortals?
cleek
@asiangrrlMN:
i do not.
MikeJ is the official Master Of Pie for Chrome!
@MikeJ:
there’s a “see our real site” link at the bottom. it’s not sticky for you?
Violet
@Anya:
A friend of mine was in Venice when they were filming it and ended up having dinner in the same restaurant as Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie one night. She was totally star-struck and said they were even more gorgeous in person but that Angie was super thin.
Montysano
Mrs. Monty and I just came from seeing “The King’s Speech”, and it indeed lived up to its billing. Firth and H. Bonham Carter were wonderful; Geoffrey Rush was astounding. Gorgeous settings, cinematography, fabrics; the whole package.
Ija
Can’t believe Natalie Portman wins for what is essentially a B-movie horror thriller.
Violet
@Montysano:
I’m so looking forward to seeing that. I love Colin Firth.
madmommy
@Montysano:
I do love historical dramas. From what clips I’ve seen I might have to rent it when it comes out. I nearly passed out from sticker-shock when I took the big kid to see Deathly Hallows, it has been years since I’d been to a movie. And I still had to put up with noisy patrons, sticky floors and crying babies. I’d rather watch movies at home in my jammies.
Ija
Question for people who’ve seen The Fighter. I’ve heard good things about Christian Bale’s performance. Is it worth it seeing the movie just for his performance? Is there enough of him in the movie or is it really all about Mark Wahlberg? Not a big fan of Marky Mark.
Montysano
@madmommy:
That makes me a little sad.
Mrs. and I still love the big screen. We never eat out, so I guess this is our extravagance. “The King’s Speech”, in addition to its obvious strengths (the acting, the story), is just a gorgeous thing to look at, and in that case, the bigger the better. The audience burst into applause at the end.
MikeJ
@cleek: Now I get mobile version with firefox on droid, but not with the default nook browser. And yes, now that I’m not hopped up on coffee shop wifi I see a regular site link which I would swear wasn’t there last time I actually was was attempting to read it on the pad.
suzanne
Thank you, Stacy—site looks good!
And to Linda Featheringill and Maude, who were kind enough to ask about my lovely little family on the other threads: We are all just bueno, thank you! We could use some more income at this point (who couldn’t?) so I am starting to ramp up my job search. (I didn’t want to reply in the other threads ’cause John asked to keep the comments site-related.)
The dog is seriously on my shitlist, though. As is the kitten, Lots of mischief today.
Montysano
@Ija:
Really? IMHO “Three Kings” is one of the great war/anti-war films.
Comrade Mary
And he wasn’t too shabby in Boogie Nights, either.
Anne Laurie
@Ija: Great, now former ballet-baby Matoko-chan is gonna be all over ur cudlip.
(I totally believe that part of her autobio, because there are few better training grounds for divas.)
JenJen
Gervais’ final line killed: “And thank you to God, for making me an atheist.”
Oh!! And best caption of Helena Bonham-Carter’s ensemble that I’ve read came from Gawker: “Bernadette Peters attends the 1991 Grammy Awards.”
icuryy
@Anne Laurie: Meeooww
Alex S.
@Ija:
Yes, Bale is amazing. And Melissa Leo is very good. Wahlberg is the main character but his role is relatively “normal”. It’s not a very attention grabbing role and in the end, Bale is as important for the movie as Wahlberg.
madmommy
@Montysano:
Maybe I’m just spoiled. And also stingy. I do love certain types of movies in the theater, the big screen really does make the experience for some types of movies. But when you factor in the cost of tickets, plus a babysitter for the madkiddies, it would have to be something we really want to see to justify the expense.
Violet
@Montysano: @Comrade Mary:
Agree on both counts. I think he’s a pretty good actor.
Brachiator
@Ija:
I think the entire film is great. Not just Bale, but Amy Adams and the other wonderful women actresses in the cast. They all get plenty of screen time.
dorita
Thank you for tanking the FB shit. In the little bit that I have dealt with it — mostly it’s just gossip, mostly lies. the sooner it dies the better.
suzanne
Can I just say that the more I hear about friggin’ “Black Swan”, the more I’m sick of it, and I haven’t even seen the damn thing? FFS, Natalie Portman takes herself just SO. DAMN. SERIOUSLY. I know y’all hate Slate, but I generally agree with their movie reviewer, and she hated it, so I think I’d be disappointed. Will wait till it’s on Netflix.
And matoko_chan loved “Avatar”, which was three hours of my life I’ll never get back, so her endorsement of “Black Swan” makes me think it sucks.
Ija
@Anne Laurie:
Hah! You know, that might actually explains a few things. My main takeaway from the movie is, ballet dancers are scary. If you have a daughter, keep her away from ballet as far as possible.
Yutsano
@suzanne: I would go with your instincts on that one. I would watch “Avatar” just because I’m curious, but I have resisted calls so far to watch “Titanic”. Maybe it’s because I know how it ends.
Ija
@suzanne:
But she has too. How else is she supposed to win an Oscar for a horror schlock? Seriously, if Darren Aronofsky and Natalie Portman (i.e. SERIOUS PEOPLE) are not involved in this movie, it’ll be one of those straight-to-video movie. But no, it’s probably going to be nominated as Best Film.
Montysano
@madmommy:
Ah yes… I didn’t factor in the babysitter.
The day will come, sooner than you’ll believe, when you’ll say to the kids “We/I are going out. There is food in the fridge. We’ll be back at some point”. Lemme tell you, that’s a beautiful day.
suzanne
@Yutsano: Continue resisting. “Titanic” also sucked ass.
@Ija: You’re right. Some over-the-top Grand Guignol shit always gets through. This movie rubs me the wrong way more than most, though. It just looks so fucking PRETENTIOUS.
Omnes Omnibus
@Yutsano: Avatar was interesting for the visual effects. Titanic is horrific, bloated and unwatchable (like the last days of Marlon Brando). Black Swan was well done, but, like much of Aronofsky’s work, dark and creepy for the sake of being dark and creepy. It is worth watching, Portman is very good in it, but I would not want to watch it again.
gwangung
@Ija: Meh.
For me, it’s never what you do. It’s always HOW you do it.
Montysano
@suzanne:
@Yutsano:
I thought Black Swan was a fun but uncomfortable experience, and that Portman’s performance was amazing, but I never felt the need to ponder as to “what it meant”.
“Titanic” was masterful IMHO; I tried several times, but I never made it all the way through “Avatar”. Hard to believe they were made by the same guy.
suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus:
Like your mom. ;)
Couldn’t resist.
Omnes Omnibus
@suzanne: Portman’s speech was the worst thing since the invention of mayonnaise, just horrible. I cringed. I was very pleased that Colin Firth won and managed to be both amusing and gracious,
Montysano
@suzanne:
@Omnes Omnibus:
I can understand “I didn’t care for “Titanic”. “Sucked ass” and “horrific” I don’t get, but I guess hyperbole is fun.
Violet
@Montysano:
I love Titanic. I know it’s long and it’s not perfect but I don’t care. Kate Winslett was so stunning in that film and her dresses were just as gorgeous as she was. Kathy Bates was hilarious. Leo wasn’t too shabby. The whole thing was just great, imho.
Ija
@gwangung:
I think I just hated the ending so much. WTF? Seriously? It’s just so over the top.
Omnes Omnibus
@Montysano: It is also possible that tastes differ.
Yutsano
@Omnes Omnibus: I am also constitutionally allergic to Leonardo DiCaprio (don’t ask, no real rational reason behind it, I just think he’s a terrible actor who wallows in his own self-importance) so that would keep me far away from “Titanic”. Since “Avatar” doesn’t have that defect (and has teh hawt Aussie) I would watch it once just to say I had. Plus there is a bit of the sci-fi geek in me that is interested in the effects and immersion in another world.
Elizabelle
Can go to bed happy. Colin Firth for the win.
Glad that Winter’s Bone got at least a nomination for Best Actress.
My favorite film of the year.
Christian Bales deserved his award. He was terrific.
Omnes Omnibus
@suzanne:That’s not funny. My mom is dead.*
(*)Kidding. She is fine (or was when I spoke to her this morning).
Elizabelle
Stacy: Lovely site rework. Well done.
You really do have to comment to get the benefit of the new layout. Lurkers: step forth!
Omnes Omnibus
@Yutsano: I have the DiCaprio issue as well. I don’t understand why Scorsese keeps using him.
Elizabelle
Loved Ricky Gervais closing:
I thank God. For making me an atheist.
Anya
@Violet: I would’ve been star struck too, if I saw that trio and I am not big on celebrity . But I adore Johnny Depp, he was my first crush.
suzanne
@Montysano: Well, I sat through both movies in the theater, and during both, I distinctly remember (a) guessing the dialogue before it was spoken, and being right, and (b) repeatedly wishing I could get up and go home, but I’d come with other people, so I was SOL, and (c) my ass hurting when I finally got to get up, because I’d been sitting so damn long.
@Omnes Omnibus: Heh.
Tattoosydney
Edit: never mind.
Great rebuild. Thanks Stacy.
Yutsano
@Omnes Omnibus: It made a bit more sense when Leo was the new hip edgy thing. That phase has long since passed. Only other reason I can think of is nationalistic, and even the Di Laurentiis clan doesn’t go that route. And they’re about as Italian as you can get in Hollywood.
@Tattoosydney: Hi hon. I tend to notice the opposite problem: it will take me to the very bottom of the thread, but it doesn’t happen consistently and it occurred before the rebuild as well. So I just figured it was a FYWP thing.
Angry Black Lady
@John Cole: i guess i’ll call off the coup dayjuice.
hey, great job on the redesign!
heh.
no seriously, it looks great.
attica!
Violet
@Yutsano:
So here’s the DiCaprio take that I heard on some radio show that makes sense to me. The problem is, his voice is too high. Leading men don’t have high voices. Con men and other shady characters have high pitched voices. Which is why he was so good as the con man in “Catch Me If You Can” and isn’t as good or believable in films where he’s playing the serious male lead. This person’s suggestion was for him to take voice lessons and lower the timbre of his voice if he wants to be taken seriously as a male lead.
I thought it was fascinating and possibly makes sense. I always think there’s something “shifty” about him in films even when he’s supposed to be playing a good guy. I wondered at the time when I heard the radio program if it was his voice that was contributing to the disconnect. I think it could be part of it.
Angry Black Lady
@Yutsano: i couldn’t liberate you because i was in mid-air liberating myself from san francisco!
Ija
@Yutsano:
Nationalistic? You mean Scorsese wants to use an American actor? Or an Italian-American one?
My main problem with diCaprio is he looks like an overgrown child. I just can’t take him seriously as a man with darkness in his soul contemplating the meaning of it all, which is what he often gets cast as. He almost ruined Inception for me. He looks too immature to ever be Marion Cotillard’s husband. Come on, that woman would never have fallen for that man-child.
Omnes Omnibus
@Yutsano:I liked The Departed though, so I can get past the Leo thing. The combination of DiCaprio and all the things Suzanne listed above made Titanic horrific.
Yutsano
@Ija: Italian-American. Sorry for any confusion there.
@Angry Black Lady: Heh. I guess it’s water under the Golden Gate Bridge now. And I realize this is gay heresy, but I can’t stand SFO.
Angry Black Lady
@Ija: have you ever seen basketball diaries? i saw that before i saw any other dicaprio film so i totally bought him in inception. homey can play dark.
Yutsano
@Omnes Omnibus: There was also the massive hype factor, which is a really good way to NOT get me to see something. I am very peculiar in my tastes (i.e. I’m a classically trained opera singer but I hate most opera) so when something shows up that will interest me I’ll go out of my way to notice it. Could be why my favorite composer is Sibelius and my favorite opera is based on the life of Emmeline Mosher. Or my wires are just crossed somewhere. :)
suzanne
I don’t feel one way or the other about DiCaprio. “Titanic” sucked teh ballz, but I thought both he and Kate Winslet were as good as the material would allow. And I recently saw “Shutter Island” and I thought he did a good job.
However, I will watch Robert Downey, Jr. in anything. I’d watch that man read the phone book. And my panties would probably get moist.
jnfr
Thank you Stacy!
I love my BJ calendar, and had fun watching the Golden Globes tonight. So I am on topic for once.
Ija
@Angry Black Lady:
Never seen it. I’ll check it out on Netflix. It’s hard to believe he’s 36. It’s like he hasn’t grown into his adult face yet.
Violet
@suzanne:
I adore Robert Downey, Jr. He was hilarious on stage tonight. I’m not sure the audience appreciated it but I laughed out loud.
I love Johnny Depp too, especially if he’s playing sexier, less-weird characters. Like, more “Don Juan de Marco” and “Chocolat” and less “Alice in Wonderland.”
Omnes Omnibus
FWIW I like the fact that Helena Bonham Carter is a weirdo and doesn’t give two shits if anyone knows it.
Joseph Nobles
@Brachiator: @Ija: It was her third scene before I realized that was Melissa Freaking Leo playing the mom. And the Boston pack of Maenads was so freaking funny I couldn’t hardly stand it. Yes, that’s a go see movie.
Yutsano
@Omnes Omnibus: Absolutement.
suzanne
@Violet: I like Johnny Depp and think he’s a great actor, but I have to confess I don’t find him all that sexy. Good-looking, but not sexy. I know. I’m weird. I think he’s a little too pretty for me.
@Omnes Omnibus: Concur. I love talented people who let their freak flags fly. The stars who surround themselves with armies of stylists and spokespeople and care about their image… those are people I can do without. See my comments about Natalie Portman above.
Comrade Mary
@suzanne: Love Helena, was disappointed by Natalie. I’ve had a soft spot for her since The Professional, but while I didn’t expect anything extraordinary from her speech tonight, I also didn’t expect that mawkish, vain, simpering nonsense.
Harumph, also.
Yutsano
@suzanne: Well…Natalie is Israeli so I guess that’s something. Didn’t think she did much as Padme though.
THE
I liked Avatar.
I haven’t seen Titanic and have no interest in stories about ships. I get seasick.
I haven’t seen Black Swan. I am not surprised matoko would love it. Dancing and dark themes.
I would only watch it to see what Queen Amidala is up to these days.
Omnes Omnibus
OT: I am watching The National on Austin City Limits. While I don’t play guitar, I now want a Gibson Les Paul with the cherry starburst finish.
ETA: Black would be cool too.
Angry Black Lady
@Yutsano: get RIGHT OUT OF TOWN.
i’m a classically trained clarinetist and finlandia is the goddamn best piece of music ever composed.
ETA: should say WAS since i don’t play anymore.
StonyPillow
Great redesign. Smooth, enough foam, just the right hint of bitterness, eminently drinkable.
Yutsano
@Angry Black Lady: I also play oboe and wifey is a cellist. I bet the three of us could make the most bizarre trio that ever existed. Though good luck finding anything decent for THAT instrumentation.
@Omnes Omnibus: Don’t you EVEN say 4′ 33″. I shall place a curse upon your beloved Packers for that.
Omnes Omnibus
@Yutsano: Violin and viola here. John Cage may have written something that might work for you guys.
THE
More Ricky Gervais on atheism
Mike Kay
@THE: it was more of a special effects movie.
recreating the Titanic with the limited available technology in 1997 was ground breaking.
Afterward computer technology grew by leaps, so much so, that the accomplishments of that movie, 13 short years later, are now anachronistic.
Ija
@Yutsano:
Okay, stupid question alert. Is cello considered as an inferior instrument than violin? Why is it when we read stories about parents who are obsessed about their children playing musical instrument it’s usually the violin (re Amy Chua)? Why not cello or viola? Or is it about affordability, i.e. cello is more expensive than a violin?
Origuy
@Comrade Mary:
I read that story when I was a kid. Scared the shit out of me. Someday I’ll have to dig up the Twilight Zone episode.
THE
I don’t generally like DiCaprio, I agree he looks too boyish.
But I liked him in Gangs of New York.
Mark S.
@Yutsano:
I don’t think anyone came off looking good from those movies. Ewan McGregor, maybe.
Am I the only one who can’t stand Scar Jo? I don’t think she’s that hot, and she’s a terrible actress.
Omnes Omnibus
@Ija: If I may offer my opinion here, it is that violin is the “glamour” instrument. First chair, first violin is the Concertmaster/mistress, the top dog in an orchestra. I moved to viola when I could never get above 3d chair; after the move, I was the first chair viola. Cello is larger and harder to lug around than the violin or viola.
suzanne
O/T: The baby is asleep on my chest, the kitten is cuddling on my lap, and the dog is curled up at my feet. I am blessed.
Yutsano
@Ija: Cellos are A) more expensive and B) harder to learn and handle when really young. A lot of cellists start out on violin then migrate over when their hands are large enough to handle the spacing of the cello strings. That’s my understanding anyway.
Comrade Mary
@Origuy: Some day? Heh heh heh …
It’s a Good Life Part 1 of 3. I leave looking up parts 2 and 3 as an exercise. (Also? FYWP with the 2, maybe 3 links per comment limit.)
Ija
@Omnes Omnibus:
Thanks. Makes sense if the purpose is to have your child master something that you can show off to other people rather than something they really love to play that the focus would be on the “glamour instrument”. Maybe that’s too hard on Amy Chua. Her daughters could have discovered a deep and abiding love for the violin at age 7.
Angry Black Lady
@Yutsano: i also play(ed) piano and alto sax and i sing, but none of that opera stuff. :)
Yutsano
@Angry Black Lady: I rebelled enough to get my jazz pipes on as well (I can scat semi-decently) and of course jamming along to the radio. I more or less murder piano (didn’t learn until I was 18) and I’ve held a saxophone. Double reeds are much more fun, especially when you graduate from bad to really good. A well-played oboe just sings like nothing else in the orchestra. The first time I could do that…I shocked myself.
bago
As long as Aria kicks ass at Afterlife on Omega.
MattR
@suzanne: You tease us with adorable descriptions that don’t include pictures.
Ija
Uh oh. Ricky Gervais has angered his paymaster. He should have taken a lesson from people who work for think tanks on how not to piss off your corporate overlord. Bye bye future hosting duty for Ricky.
suzanne
@MattR: I couldn’t get up to take a picture without disturbing the menagerie. :)
WaterGirl
@MattR: @suzanne:
Just as I got to suzanne’s sweet description about babies and kitties and dogs, my kitties knocked something metal off the kitchen counters that they are not supposed to be on, and I left to try to catch them in the act. When I returned to BJ, I somehow missed suzanne’s comment #300.
So when I saw the comment from MattR: “You tease us with adorable descriptions that don’t include pictures”, I thought he meant suzanne’s comment #277, which I thought was great, but would not have described as adorable. :-)
Brachiator
@Joseph Nobles:
The Massachusetts Maenads. Yep, a funny and scary bunch of women (the Wahlberg character’s sisters).
If the ratings are good, he will probably be back, unfortunately.
But it wasn’t just Gervais. The producers of the show clearly wanted a snarkfest, which was just lame and pointlessly overdone. For instance, we had Gervais pitching a joke to the stupidest Americans in the viewing audience who don’t give a shit about foreign language films. But the winners of the award, who appeared right after Gervais’ remarks, were unknowns who were clearly happy to have their work recognized and to win an award for it.
I was far more entertained by the remarks of the cast and show runners of Glee, who praised high school kids, teachers and misfits, than I was by anything that Gervais or some of the other presenters said, excepting Gervais’ remarks about atheism. Then again, I don’t expect much from televised awards shows.
As always, your mileage may vary.
Anne Laurie
@Ija:
Being compared to Colbert ripping the C-Plus Augustus is pretty much a compliment, in my world!
Of course, the review comes from Alessandra Stanley, who is notorious for… well, seldom producing an article that doesn’t require at least one entry in the next day’s correction block. But, on the other hand, she is certainly qualified in the field of “not upsetting her paymasters”!
Ecks
@Mark S.: I actually like the red and green shoes. It’s like an airplane or a ship. In fact, come to think of it, going to a party where you drink as much as these people will just have done, anything to make the navigation easier has to be counted as a win.
Ija
@Anne Laurie:
It’s an astounding achievement to write about a trivial subject (entertainment) and be hit with corrections after corrections. Maybe the references to Bush and the current political climate is the sign Ms Stanley is ready for the big time – writing about politics.
morzer
@Angry Black Lady:
Finlandia? No way! Tapiola is streets better. Not to mention the 3rd or 5th symphonies. Sibelius did crank out a few “patriotic” tub-thumping pieces like Finlandia (and the Karelia suite) but his symphonies and mythological pieces are much richer.
A Humble Lurker
Titanic is overlong, overrated and over hyped, but it’s still FAR more watchable than Avatar. Just my 2¢.
Also, Helena Bonham Carter rocks.
@suzanne: D’AAAAAAAW, also, too.
asiangrrlMN
@cleek: I know! But I also saw he couldn’t do it until today because he didn’t keep an old version. Now, I gotta see if he’s updated it yet.
asiangrrlMN
@Montysano: Not hyperbole. I didn’t want to go see the movie because I knew I would hate it. Two ex-friends convinced me I would looooove it. I knew from the minute I sat down I would hate it, and I did. From the opening shot to the unbearable, unending running around the ship (just die already!) to Rose saying she’ll never let go of Jack, and then does (Move your ass over and let him up on your plank), it was a hot mess. It is in my top five worst films ever (which includes Pulp Fiction and Amelie), and the only thing that could have saved it was a nude Kate Winslet throughout the entire film.