Baron Dave Romm
A Serious Man
By Baron Dave Romm
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A Serious Man
Taking Woodstock took place in my neck of the woods during 1969, when I would have been 14. For me, the nostalgia helped build an okay movie into a minor gem.
A Serious Man takes place (mostly) in Minneapolis during 1967. Before my time, but thirty years has acculturated me some. A large part of the story concerns the oldest boy's Bar Mitzvah. My Bar Mitzvah was a year later, back in the Woodstock/West Point area of New York. At the time, Mpls was still reeling with anti-semitism. Interestingly (at least to me), Taking Woodstock deals with anti-semitism and A Serious Man doesn't. Oy gevalt... excuse me... good grief.
Taking Woodstock and A Serious Man aren't anything alike and have no connection with each other except that they're about Jewish families in the 60s, but that's not going to stop me from comparing them.
The experience of the Bar Mitzvah boy Danny Gopnik match and don't match mine in interesting ways. He's only a year older than I was, but I don't recall marijuana being around at that age. On the other hand, I wasn't invited to the hot parties...
Still, much of the milieu was familiar. The transition from the superstition-filled Yiddish old world to a whitebread middle class America. Younger inexperienced rabbis vs. learned older scholars. Sibling rivalry. Having to learn my haftorah from a recording. F Troop.
Music is more important in A Serious Man than in Taking Woodstock. That amuses me no end. And brings me to the other major overlap between the two movies: Jefferson Airplane. Airplane played Woodstock, and there's a cut from Volunteers on the Taking Woodstock soundtrack. But really, they had only one great album: Surrealistic Pillow. A Serious Man uses several cuts from the album (I won't say how many, not that the number would be a big spoiler, but hey).
If you're not familiar with Surrealistic Pillow, you should be. It's one of the defining albums of my generation, though I didn't really get into Airplane until many years later in college. If you do know the album, you probably have the CD. Most of use boomers replaced our records with CDs, and this would be high on most people's list. Before you go to A Serious Man, listen to Surrealistic Pillow.
Part of the fun, for me, was seeing Charles Brin in a small but juicy roll. I've known Charles since I started at Fresh Air Radio (he's in the white t-shirt at lower right). Over the summer, he mentioned his part in the movie, but I had forgotten, since his part in other movies wound up on the cutting room floor.
Somewhere in here, I should talk about the movie itself. But I'm still undecided. It's funny and ironic and painful and wistful and will speak to people even if you're not Jewish. Most kids can relate to the pain of school and of growing up in suburbia... if you actually grew up in any sort of similar environment. Most adults will feel empathy to the problems Larry Gopnik has... if you were middle class in post-war US. A Serious Man is much more than an historical set piece.
Recommendation: Ignore the trailer, which is one of the least representational I've ever seen. Listen to Surrealistic Pillow. On the Shockwave Radio Theater scale of 9 to 23, where 23 is tops, I'd give A Serious Man about a... well, heck, I still haven't made up my mind. But yeah, it's worth seeing. If you've liked other Coen Brothers movies, you'll probably like this one.
National Limerick Writing Month
Semi-inspired by National Novel Writing Month, I decided to embark on a project that was more my speed, and more my inclination: National Limerick Writing Month.
Bartcop E poet/correspondent Kevin K. finished off the limerick I started last week in an erudite and obscure manner. For the nonce, I'll leave it as:
Meanwhile, =ShoEboX= of Wormquartet issued a challenge to put "garden weasel" and "genitalia" in the same sentence "in a way that doesn't make me cringe!". Writhing in NaLiWriMo creativity, I generated:
Did this make =ShoEboX= cringe? His silence did not clarify matters.
If you want to participate in NaLiWriMo, send your limericks to Marty. Preferably clean, but that's up to you.
Vikings vs. Detroit: A sloppy win
The Vikings were 17 point favorites and won 10-27. And committed 13 penalties along the way. Detroit may be better than its 1-8 record, but not by much and the Vikes should have put them away in the first quarter. Oh well, a win is a win.
Baron Dave Romm is a conceptual artist and a noble of Ladonia who produces Shockwave Radio Theater, writes in a Live Journal demi-blog maintains a Facebook Page, plays with a very weird CD collection and an ever growing list of political links. Dave Romm reviews things at random for obscure web sites. You can read all his music recommendations from Bartcop-E. Podcasts of Shockwave Radio Theater. Permanent archive. More radio programs, interviews and science fiction humor plays can be accessed on the Shockwave Radio audio page.
Thanks to everyone who has sent me music to play on the air.
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Daniel Gross: Coming Soon: Jobs! (slate.com)
Why employment will rebound sooner than you think.
DAVID LAZARUS: The sad illusion of happy customers (latimes.com)
Retailers say they want shoppers to be satisfied, but few have the resources to deliver the goods.
Froma Harrop: Two Dots Don't Make a Political Map (creators.com)
Remember how Republicans kept government out of their Medicare drug benefit? The benefit is now projected to cost taxpayers about $800 billion over the next 10 years; Republicans "forgot" to fund it. The Democrats are reforming the whole darn health care system (coverage for the uninsured included) for not much more, and they plan to pay for it through fees and taxes. So which party is more serious about deficits?
Susan Estrich: Do You Recognize Your President? (creators.com)
There's an old saying that hard cases make bad law. The same rule, unfortunately, applies to presidential decisions.
Edward M, Eveld: John Irving's 'Last Night in Twisted River' mirrors his career (McClatchy Newspapers)
John Irving has always called himself an underdog, and he still talks like one - even at 67, even wildly famous as one of America's great storytellers, even at the release of his 12th novel, certain to be a best-seller. Maybe he feels goaded. A recent review of "Last Night in Twisted River" used such words as tricked-up, gimmicky, cartoony, cheesy and preposterous - all in the first...
Steve Johnson: Children's book author tries to get into Americans' skulls (Chicago Tribune)
Derek Landy has a problem. He knows his "Skulduggery Pleasant" children's books click with readers: They're hugely popular in the U.K., nipping at the heels of the "Twilight" and "Harry Potter" series. But they haven't caught on yet in the biggest market, the United States.
Erica Marcus: Talking with Jonathan Safran Foer (Newsday)
I let Jonathan Safran Foer choose the restaurant where we would meet. The acclaimed 31-year-old novelist ("Everything Is Illuminated," "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close") has spent the past three years tackling the moral and ecological implications of eating meat, and the resulting nonfiction book, "Eating Animals" takes a pretty dim view of its subject.
"The Opposite Field: A Memoir" by Jesse Katz: A review by Susan Wickstrom
Our language is peppered with baseball metaphors. We could barely communicate without them, especially at work: "She really struck out on that project, but he hit it out of the park." The game is so romanticized we even use those metaphors to describe amorous grappling: "I got to second base, dude."
Kristin Tillotson: Barbara Kingsolver is determined to advocate social change through literature (Star Tribune)
When Barbara Kingsolver is not writing, she may be shearing sheep, or harvesting vegetables. Most recently, peppers, tomatillos and cardoons. Cardoons?
Stefano Bollani: 'I couldn't stand to do the same thing night after night' (guardian.co.uk)
Jazz pianist Stefano Bollani tells Will Hodgkinson why he'd hate to be a Rolling Stone.
David Bruce: "Homer's 'Iliad': A Discussion Guide" (lulu.com)
Free download. This book is a question-and-answer guide to Homer's "Iliad," the great epic poem about the Trojan War. This book provides background information and an interpretation of the poem and is meant to be a guide for new readers and new teachers of the "Iliad." I have read and taught Homer's "Iliad" many times at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.
The Dollyrots: Because I'm Awesome (youtube.com)
The Weekly Poll
Current Question
The 'Two or Three and out' Edition
Washington (CNN) -- A handful of Republican senators have proposed a constitutional amendment to limit how long a person may serve in Congress.
Currently, there are no term limits for federal lawmakers, but Sen. Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, and several of his colleagues are advocating that service in the Senate be limited to 12 years, while lawmakers would only be allowed to serve six years in the House
GOP senators push for term limits - CNN.com
Are you in favor of term limits for US representatives and senators?
Send your response to
Results tomorrow
wrote:
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Reader Suggestions
Michelle in AZ
Daily Kos: Whose Morals Should Control My Child Bearing? An Open Letter to the Catholic Bishops
Jonathan Turley -- Courts' sentencing shouldn't sanction faith-healers' neglect - washingtonpost.com
Bob's Suggestions
BadtotheboneBob
Opening its fall tour in Detroit, Phish will bring together its tribe from far-flung areas for what is sure to be an unforgettable night... A devoted fan talks about the band's tribal appeal, mind-bending jams and compelling live shows...
Phish heads unite | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
Troops speak out in wake of base attack...
When Nader Alsafari of Dearborn was sent to Fallujah, Iraq, in 2006 to fight with the U.S. Marines, some of his fellow Muslims at a local mosque weren't pleased because they felt it was an unjust war... But Alsafari -- like other Muslims -- saw himself performing his duty as an American. There are some 3,500 declared Muslims in the U.S. military. Caught between two worlds, they're trying to carve out their own identity during a time of war when some are questioning their loyalty...
Muslim soldiers: We love America | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
By the time Nat King Cole first recorded the famous lyrics "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire," in 1946, American chestnut trees had nearly all been felled by a fungus. A combination of science and passion could bring the tall, majestic trees back...
MSU scientists unleash virus on tree-killing fungus | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Still sunny and still on the cool side.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Early Oscars
Without the burden of a live worldwide broadcast, members of the film academy threw themselves a lively yet relaxed dinner party to honor the first Oscar winners of the season.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences broke with tradition and presented its honorary Oscars off-camera Saturday night, months ahead of the televised ceremony in March.
Actress Lauren Bacall, B-movie king Roger Corman and "Godfather" cinematographer Gordon Willis each received Oscar statuettes during the black-tie banquet at the Grand Ballroom above the Kodak Theatre, the same room where the annual post-Academy Awards Governors Ball is held.
In addition, producer John Calley was honored with the Irving J. Thalberg Memorial Award, recognizing career accomplishments that include "Catch-22," "The Remains of the Day" and "The Da Vinci Code."
Early Oscars
'Flashpoint' Takes Top Honors
2009 Gemini Awards
Producers of the cross-border hit "Flashpoint" held it up as an example of what Canadian television is capable of as the slick CTV cop drama took home three Gemini Awards on Saturday, including best drama.
Of course, not every Canadian show is a hit. The quirky country-music show "Three Chords from the Truth" won for best comedy ensemble performance despite being cancelled after only 10 episodes.
CBC's "Rick Mercer Report" took the award for best comedy, while George Stroumboulopoulos was honoured as best talk show host for a second year running.
"Flashpoint" star Enrico Colantoni, who won best actor, was lured back to his hometown of Toronto for the series after working for nearly 25 years in the United States on shows such as "Just Shoot Me" and "Veronica Mars."
2009 Gemini Awards
Gift That Keeps On Giving
'Going Rouge'
By the time the former Alaska governor's memoir - "Going Rogue: An American Life" - officially hits book stores on Tuesday - there'll be a legion of titles waiting to cash in, from unauthorized biographies to critical essays to a tongue-in-cheek colouring book.
"There is something about her which is very hard not to be drawn into," says Colin Robinson, co-publisher at OR Books, which is putting out a collection of essays pulled together by two senior editors at The Nation, a politically liberal magazine. "It might be a sort of adoration. Or it might be that one is appalled. But you can't stop watching."
Other authors are going simply for laughs, such as "Going Rouge: The Sarah Palin Rogue Colouring and Activity Book" by Julie Sigwart and Micheal Stinson, which is filled with political cartoons drawn in the style of a colouring book. Readers can do a word search for Palin's potential vice-presidential picks - can you find "Rush Limbaugh" and "Tina Fey"? - or tackle a puzzle maze of oil pipelines.
"As a satirical vehicle, a colouring book is perfect," says Stinson. "Both the right and the left can enjoy this book. Unlike The Nation, which just has a bunch of words, we have pictures."
'Going Rouge'
Velvet Revolution 20 Years Later
Prague
US singers Joan Baez, Lou Reed and Suzanne Vega performed Saturday at a concert in Prague paying homage to former Czech president Vaclav Havel, a hero of the Velvet Revolution 20 years ago.
Havel was one of the leaders of the November 1989 Velvet Revolution, which toppled communist rule in then Czechoslovakia. He was president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until 1993 and then of the Czech Republic from 1993 to 2003.
The Velvet Revolution was marked by a series of massive rallies against the communist regime which were sparked after the police crushed a peaceful student march on November 17, 1989.
Prague
Craigslist Founder Joins Advisory Board
Wikimedia
The nonprofit group that runs online encyclopedia Wikipedia said Friday that it named Craig Newmark, the founder of Web classifieds site Craigslist, to its advisory board.
The Wikimedia Foundation said it chose Newmark as an adviser because of his work as an innovator and evangelist and his understanding of Web-based communities.
The Wikimedia Foundation put together the board in 2007 to get input from technology, education and culture leaders. Members include Electronic Frontier Foundation co-founder Mitch Kapor and venture capitalist Roger McNamee.
Wikimedia
British Government Apologizes
Child Migrant Programs
As many as 150,000 poor British children were shipped off to the colonies over three and a half centuries, often taken from struggling families under programs intended to provide them with a new start - and the Empire with a supply of sturdy white workers.
Forty years after the program stopped, Britain and Australia are saying sorry to the child migrants, who were promised a better life only to suffer abuse and neglect thousands of miles from home.
The British government said Sunday that Prime Minister Gordon Brown would apologize for child migrant programs that sent boys and girls as young as 3 to Australia, Canada and other former colonies. Many ended up in institutions where they were physically and sexually abused, or were sent to work as farm laborers.
A 2001 Australian report said that between 6,000 and 30,000 children from Britain and Malta, often taken from unmarried mothers or impoverished families, were sent alone to Australia as migrants during the 20th century. Many of the children were told that they were orphans, though most had either been abandoned or taken from their families by the state. Siblings were commonly split up once they arrived in Australia.
Child Migrant Programs
British Scientist Penned Call-Girl Blog
Brooke Magnanti
A British scientist says she is Belle de Jour, the anonymous blogger whose accounts of life as a call girl were turned into books and a TV series.
Brooke Magnanti was quoted by the Sunday Times as saying she decided to reveal her secret because she was afraid an ex-boyfriend would expose her.
Magnanti, 34, is a child health researcher at the University of Bristol in western England. She told the newspaper she turned to the sex trade in 2003 while finishing her Ph.D. and worked as an escort for more than a year.
The blog formed the basis of three books and the British TV series "Secret Diary of a Call Girl," shown on Showtime in the United States.
Brooke Magnanti
Mass Arsenic Poisoning Mystery Solved
Bangladesh
Researchers have pinpointed the source of what is probably the worst mass poisoning in history, according to a study published Sunday.
For nearly three decades scientists have struggled to figure out exactly how arsenic was getting into the drinking water of millions of people in rural Bangladesh.
The culprit, says the new study, are tens of thousands of man-made ponds excavated to provide soil for flood protection.
It has long been known that the arsenic comes from water drawn from millions of low-tech "tube wells" scattered across the country.
Ironically the wells were dug -- often with the help of international aid agencies -- to protect villages from unclean and disease-ridden surface water.
Bangladesh
Salt Marsh Swim
Bugatti Veyron
A man blamed a low-flying pelican and a dropped cell phone for his veering his million-dollar sports car off a road and into a salt marsh near Galveston. The accident happened about 3 p.m. Wednesday on the frontage road of Interstate 45 northbound in La Marque, about 35 miles southeast of Houston.
The Lufkin, Texas, man told of driving his luxury, French-built Bugatti Veyron when the bird distracted him, said La Marque police Lt. Greg Gilchrist. The motorist dropped his cell phone, reached to pick it up and veered off the road and into the salt marsh. The car was half-submerged in the brine about 20 feet from the road when police arrived.
Gilchrist said he doesn't know if the car was salvageable, but in his words, "Salt water isn't good for anything." He says the man, whose identity hasn't been released, was not injured.
A 2006 Bugatti Veyron was recently offered for sale in Jonesboro, Ark., for $1.25 million.
Bugatti Veyron
Overdue Library Books Returned
Camelback High School
A high school librarian in Phoenix says a former student at the school returned two overdue books checked out 51 years ago along with a $1,000 money order to cover the fines.
Camelback High School librarian Georgette Bordine says the two Audubon Society books checked out in 1959 and the money order were sent by someone who wanted to remain anonymous.
Bordine says the letter explained that the borrower's family moved to another state and the books were mistakenly packed.
The letter said the money order was to cover fines of 2 cents per day for each book. That would total about $745. The letter says the extra money was added in case the rates had changed.
Camelback High School
Dead Parakeet Changed Course Of Rock
Red Krayola
Few rock bands have been accused of killing a dog with sound alone. Probably fewer still would claim the death of a parakeet got them their first break in the music business. Not so Mayo Thompson's Red Krayola.
Though the band initially folded decades ago after the manager of a venue begged, then paid them to stop playing, they survived to become one of the world's most enduring underground acts thanks to a career built on a record made for $600 in 1967.
Dismissed by most critics upon its release according to Thompson, "The Parable of Arable Land" has since been hailed as one of the groundbreaking records of the 1960s.
The trio initially known as Red Crayola, with Thompson on guitar and vocals, bassist Steve Cunningham and Rick Barthelme on drums, set out to stretch the limits of music on their debut, Thompson said after a concert in Vienna this week.
Red Krayola
Weekend Box Office
'2012'
Doom spelled dollars at the box office as the global-disaster tale "2012" opened at No. 1 domestically with $65 million and pulled in $225 million worldwide.
"Disney's A Christmas Carol" slipped to No. 2 with $22.3 million, down only 26 percent from its No. 1 opening gross a weekend earlier. The Jim Carrey holiday adventure raised its 10-day total to $63.3 million.
Finishing at No. 4, "Precious" took in $6.1 million in 174 theaters, averaging $35,000 a cinema and raising its 10-day total to $8.9 million. That compared to a $19,095 average in 3,404 theaters for "2012."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "2012," $65 million.
2. "Disney's A Christmas Carol," $22.3 million.
3. "The Men Who Stare at Goats," $6.2 million.
4. "Precious: Based on the Novel `Push' by Sapphire," $6.1 million.
5. "Michael Jackson's This Is It," $5.1 million.
6. "The Fourth Kind," $4.7 million.
7. "Couples Retreat," $4.3 million.
8. "Paranormal Activity," $4.2 million.
9. "Law Abiding Citizen," $3.9 million.
10. "The Box," $3.2 million.
'2012'
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