Ah, the Grammys. I didn’t watch them last night but I read the results and, after much consideration, I came away with the following:
THE GRAMMYS BLOW.
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We loved with a love that was more than love. ↔ Edgar Allan Poe
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To put it simply, The Roots just get it. They get better with each album and have honed their sound to the point few other musical acts have. Here’s “Lighthouse” off the latest album, Undun.
gallimaufry
→ So I’ve been doing my best to wake up earlier than I have in the past and one of the morning shows I’ve been trying to watch is Eye Opener on WPHL17 here in Philadelphia. And, boy, I’m sorry, but it’s pretty awful.
→ After years of pretending that I’d seen it, I’m proud to admit that this Saturday, I finally watched Air Force One from start to finish. What did you do with your Saturday that’s worth talking about?
First, let me just say that Wednesday’s post was one of my most popular ever and that I appreciated all of the back-and-forth on Facebook. I was tossing around the idea of posting the comment strain here but decided not to as I’m unsure of the legality of re-publishing comments made on there.
Anyway, switching gears, here’s a portion of a conversation between two women I overheard the other night:
Woman #1: Book group is in two days, the book is like 500 pages, you’re not gonna be able to read it. (eJ – Actually the book is over 1,ooo pages.)
Woman #2: Who cares? I’ll just get shitfaced so no one asks me any questions.
Nearby Guy: Actually, you could just watch the movie version.
Woman #1: They made a movie out of that book?
Nearby Guy: Yeah, it’s pretty famous, probably more famous than the book.
Woman #2: Right. See there? I’ll just watch the movie. Do you think it’s on Netflix?
Woman #1: I’m not sure but they got every movie on Netflix, so probably. But Netflix won’t get it to you on time. Book group is on Thursday.
Woman #2: Well, just tell me the gist, so I can act like I read it.
Woman #1: It all takes place during the Civil War.
Woman #2: Oh, it’s a war story. I hate those.
Woman #1: Nah, nah, it’s not like a shoot-em-up kind of story. It’s mostly a love story between this guy named Brett (Rhett) and this woman named Scarlett. And, if you ask me, Scarlett is the biggest moron that ever lived.
Woman #2: Is it a true story?
Woman #1: I don’t think so but maybe. Why?
Woman #2: You said “the biggest moron that ever lived.” Was she a real person?
Woman #1: No, I mean, she might have actually lived but I don’t know. My point is that she was a total fucking moron.
Woman #2: Okay, why?
Woman #1: I don’t know she just was. I’m not getting into with you because you didn’t read the goddamn book. So I started to get curious about the Civil War and look up some stuff. And I learned more through Google than I did actually reading the book.
Woman #2: You know you can’t trust all the stuff you find on Google.
Woman #1: You think I don’t know that? But I did learn some shit.
Woman #2: Okay, what did you learn? Anything good?
Woman #1: Oh yeah. Tons. Like did you know that Negroes got the right to vote before women did?
Woman #2: No shit. Wait, are you sure? Negroes? Like how long before?
Woman #1: I don’t really remember but it was a while. A couple of years, I think. I couldn’t believe it, either. I would’ve bet anything women were allowed to vote before Negroes.
Woman #2: You can’t be right about that. Women weren’t first? It was Negroes?
At that point, I had to just walk away.
People are pretty outstanding.
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A world where medical advances allow us to live forever is a terrifying thought. Imagine the crowd. ↔ Salman Rushdie
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If you’re cool like me, you’ll be at The Electric Factory in Philadelphia on Saturday, March 24th (hit that link right there to go and get tickets) to see Dr. Dog. I’m betting they’re going to play “That Old Black Hole” somewhere toward the end of their set because, wow, what a great song.
Before I get started today, I wanted to take some time to thank everyone who came out to The Field House last Wednesday night for the happy hour in support of the Harvey Forsyth Memorial Fund. It was an amazing turnout and it was great to reacquaint with so many old friends (you who you are) who I hadn’t seen in years and years. For those of you who weren’t able to make it, don’t fret, there will be plenty more opportunities as the event wasn’t a one-shot deal.
Also, I wanted to thank everyone for all of the fantastic comments, through Facebook and text messages and emails and in person, about my post about Harv last Wednesday. It was a truly humbling experience. I really appreciate it.
I usually steer clear of pontificating about the NFL on here for two reasons: (1) I don’t generally give a shit about the NFL and (2) No one seems to really give a shit about my opinion when it comes to the NFL.
But today I’m gonna do it anyway because I’ve become increasingly interested in the unlikely rise of Denver Broncos’ quarterback Tim Tebow, the guy who was supposed to suck as a quarterback in the NFL, despite being a Heisman Trophy winner and winning a national championship at the collegiate level.
For those of you who might’ve been recently rescued after becoming stranded in a mountainous region when your plane went down and are just now just catching up on everything you’ve missed in the past couple of months, here’s a quick recap on Tim Tebow’s so far:
1. Although Denver fans are clamoring for him to be the starter, Tim Tebow begins the NFL season as the number 3 quarterback on the Broncos’ depth chart.
2. The Broncos get off to a 1-4 start, prompting head coach John Fox to succumb to the pressure. He tags Tebow as his new starting quarterback.
3. Instead of floundering, as most experts predict he will, Tebow goes 6-1 as a starter and puts the Broncos in the improbable position of playoff hopefuls.
All right, so that’s what’s happened so far in a nutshell.
And it’s not the most important thing going on in the world but it is pretty interesting simply because everyone in the know when it comes to the NFL seems to be gleefully anticipating the day when Tebow falls flat on his face. And that’s most likely because they’re befuddled by how the dude just keeps winning games, week after week.
Predictability is the most appealing facet of the NFL. Sure, upsets occasionally happen but, for the most part, the outcome is sort of predetermined. That’s why NFL commentators have the best job in the world. They spend all week telling fans what team is going to win and what team is going to lose and the reasons why. And when they’re right, they proclaim their genius in an I-told-you-so tone. And when they’re wrong, they cite it as the very reason they love the game, praising the parity of the league, “any given Sunday” and all of that.
But Tebow confuses them. For all intents and purposes, he’s not supposed to be successful as an NFL quarterback. He’s not a gifted passer in a game that’s mostly all passing. He’s not a conventional player, a wildcard. He’s overly religious and too nice a guy. He’s not supported by his coach or the most important guy in Denver, John Elway.
In essence, Tebow’s been told, “Listen, buddy, we’ve explored all of the options and, really, if there was any other choice we’d be going with that but there’s none forthcoming so just get in there and try not to make us the laughing stock of the league.”
And Tebow probably doesn’t curse but if he did, he’s mostly likely saying something like, “Hey, fuckers, how do you like me now?”
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Hunting is not a sport. In a sport, both sides should know they’re in the game. ↔ Paul Rodriguez
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Yet another unearthed song from my broken down, antique iPod that only works when it I plug into my laptop. Here’s “Teenagers Talking” by Sunny Day Sets Fire.
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→ If you’re ever in Philadelphia and you’re wondering to yourself what restaurant serves the best burger, follow these intructions: (1) Get your ass to 19th and Lombard where you’ll find The Pub and Kitchen. (2) Enter the building. (3) Order the Churchill Burger. (4) After it’s placed in front of you, eat the Churchill Burger. (5) Spend the next week telling everyone about it. (Like I’ve been doing.)
the euneJeune daily 