I am desperately trying to carve out some time for myself to blog about the stuff that I can--which is to say not much of anything right now. I could talk about Hannah, but when she's not sleeping, she's eating or crying. The simple truth is that she doesn't do much right now. That will certainly change in the coming weeks (for which Lynda will be very happy) as her eyes begin to focus sharply and she notices that the blogs around her are actual people, making faces to laugh at and so forth. So, that's to come (TK, as they say in the publishing world).
Other random stuff:
1. I found time while Hannah slept on me to watch the tape I made of the "Knight Rider" movie (possible series reboot) that aired last Sunday night. I was underwhelmed. Growing up, I was a very big fan of the original show but this new version just seems to lack any energy. The new KITT is a schmancy Ford Mustang Shelby redesign. The "Mike Traceur" character, who is the son of The Hoff's indelible "Michael Knight" original seems to lack energy also. Most importantly, the voice of KITT (then done by William Daniels) is now done by an almost unrecognizable Val Kilmer (!). Kilmer was a late replacement of Will Arnett. I think that Arnett--given his familiarity with saying the name Michael with contempt--might have added much needed verve to a show that just didn't go anywhere or do much of anything. And you really didn't get the sense that the car (and it's capabilities) are all that awesome. Have we become so technologically jaded since the 80s? Is the ubiquity of cell phones, YouTube, and iPods made it all seem so simple?
2. The family went to see Sarah perform in the Drama Club at her elementary school last night. There were three (approximately 12 minute) plays performed. Sarah was a dwarf named "Slumpy" in The Case of the Bewitched Books, a tale of fairy tale witches that cast a spell to reshape their familiar evil portrayals in fables into that of heroines. In the process, the former heroines--Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, et. al. are recast as villains. You can see a brief clip of Sarah below. She's the second dwarf on the right, in the red cap and red coat. The dwarfs are being forced to march all day and night by a pitiless drill sergeant that is now Snow White.
Generally, I love that Sarah is in the Drama Club and I am fully in support of the effort made by the kids, the coaches, the volunteer parents, and everyone involved. But you can't overlook the slipshod nature of the performance. It's funny when the various microphones that the kids are turning on and off, passing back and forth, causing feedback and static amidst the dropped lines, the monotone delivery of one and the over emphatic nature of another. Add to that the fact that the popcorn maker running in the background periodically makes more noise than the acting troupe--mic'ed up or not. But Sarah did a good job.
4. I refuse to give Puff Daddy/P. Diddy/(just) Diddy any credit for his work in the new remake of Raisin in the Sun. The reason has nothing to do with his performance (or lack thereof). Simply this, after years of asking us to call you increasingly ridiculous names, you try to use Sean Combs in the commercials? Forget it.
5. Wanna influence television directly?
6. In more relevant news . . . I still haven't decided who to vote for in the upcoming Ohio primaries. As you probably know, my first choices are somewhere between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. But I do have a lot of respect for John McCain, though I don't think I'll vote for him in the end. About a week ago I was all psyched to vote Obama . . . but now I'm beginning to think he's like New Coke. Everyone was excited briefly, but in the end you wanted your old familiar Coke back again. (In this tortured analogy, Hillary is regular Coke.) New Coke is flashy and has dramatic advertising. But after tasting New Coke, you wonder if he can get things done in Washington. The newness is exciting but in the end, will your thirst be quenched like you need? Regular Coke, on the other hand, is predictable, less exciting, and fully expected. But you know that Regular Coke can get legislation through Congress and get the government running right? Regular Coke has been doing it forever and knows how to get frosty in the glass just when you are thirsty. McCain, I guess, is RC Cola . . . or (if you believe his detractors who call him a hothead . . . Mountain Dew?). So, what I'm saying is . . . I don't know for sure yet. I'm tantalized by the prospect of newness and dreams of the unknown, but the practical father and suburbanite in me is leaning toward the more of a sure thing?
Other random stuff:
1. I found time while Hannah slept on me to watch the tape I made of the "Knight Rider" movie (possible series reboot) that aired last Sunday night. I was underwhelmed. Growing up, I was a very big fan of the original show but this new version just seems to lack any energy. The new KITT is a schmancy Ford Mustang Shelby redesign. The "Mike Traceur" character, who is the son of The Hoff's indelible "Michael Knight" original seems to lack energy also. Most importantly, the voice of KITT (then done by William Daniels) is now done by an almost unrecognizable Val Kilmer (!). Kilmer was a late replacement of Will Arnett. I think that Arnett--given his familiarity with saying the name Michael with contempt--might have added much needed verve to a show that just didn't go anywhere or do much of anything. And you really didn't get the sense that the car (and it's capabilities) are all that awesome. Have we become so technologically jaded since the 80s? Is the ubiquity of cell phones, YouTube, and iPods made it all seem so simple?
2. The family went to see Sarah perform in the Drama Club at her elementary school last night. There were three (approximately 12 minute) plays performed. Sarah was a dwarf named "Slumpy" in The Case of the Bewitched Books, a tale of fairy tale witches that cast a spell to reshape their familiar evil portrayals in fables into that of heroines. In the process, the former heroines--Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, et. al. are recast as villains. You can see a brief clip of Sarah below. She's the second dwarf on the right, in the red cap and red coat. The dwarfs are being forced to march all day and night by a pitiless drill sergeant that is now Snow White.
Generally, I love that Sarah is in the Drama Club and I am fully in support of the effort made by the kids, the coaches, the volunteer parents, and everyone involved. But you can't overlook the slipshod nature of the performance. It's funny when the various microphones that the kids are turning on and off, passing back and forth, causing feedback and static amidst the dropped lines, the monotone delivery of one and the over emphatic nature of another. Add to that the fact that the popcorn maker running in the background periodically makes more noise than the acting troupe--mic'ed up or not. But Sarah did a good job.
4. I refuse to give Puff Daddy/P. Diddy/(just) Diddy any credit for his work in the new remake of Raisin in the Sun. The reason has nothing to do with his performance (or lack thereof). Simply this, after years of asking us to call you increasingly ridiculous names, you try to use Sean Combs in the commercials? Forget it.
5. Wanna influence television directly?
6. In more relevant news . . . I still haven't decided who to vote for in the upcoming Ohio primaries. As you probably know, my first choices are somewhere between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. But I do have a lot of respect for John McCain, though I don't think I'll vote for him in the end. About a week ago I was all psyched to vote Obama . . . but now I'm beginning to think he's like New Coke. Everyone was excited briefly, but in the end you wanted your old familiar Coke back again. (In this tortured analogy, Hillary is regular Coke.) New Coke is flashy and has dramatic advertising. But after tasting New Coke, you wonder if he can get things done in Washington. The newness is exciting but in the end, will your thirst be quenched like you need? Regular Coke, on the other hand, is predictable, less exciting, and fully expected. But you know that Regular Coke can get legislation through Congress and get the government running right? Regular Coke has been doing it forever and knows how to get frosty in the glass just when you are thirsty. McCain, I guess, is RC Cola . . . or (if you believe his detractors who call him a hothead . . . Mountain Dew?). So, what I'm saying is . . . I don't know for sure yet. I'm tantalized by the prospect of newness and dreams of the unknown, but the practical father and suburbanite in me is leaning toward the more of a sure thing?
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