Day: June 19, 2009

Friday various

  • In his review of The Proposal — which doesn’t sound at all appealing to me, frankly — Keith Phipps writes:

    Bullock plays a feared, powerful book editor, a job that apparently consists entirely of reading unsolicited manuscripts while riding an exercise bike, and trying to coax authors into appearing on Oprah.

    Yes, this is exactly what the job of book editor consists of, just as the job of book author involves nothing but music-filled montages of frenetic typing, feverish concentration and crumpled-up wads of paper. Red pens are sometimes stategically employed in either case.

    And authors need coaxing to appear on Oprah?

  • In his review of Woddy Allen’s new movie, Whatever Works — A.O. Scott writes:

    Mr. Allen’s unwavering belief in an empty cosmos made somewhat less bleak by the charms of old movies, older music and much younger women is one of the few things left we can count on. If the man ever gets religion, then we will know we’re really in trouble.

    Frankly, this new one doesn’t look so great either.

  • Meanwhile, I agree with Scott Tobias: Quick Change is an underrated comedy.

  • This must be a joke, or else it takes the idea of “urban exploration” way too far. And I hope like hell I don’t live near anyone like this. [via]

  • And finally, Amanda Palmer on the importance of being bored:

    “I don’t want to sound like a luddite old-fart, [but] I kind of worry about the ‘digital generation.’ Kids today don’t have the freedom to be bored. There is something really important about boredom, and how you choose to fill it. If I had had the Internet at age 14 or 15 and had been able to expose myself and connect with people that way, I don’t know if I would have gone and messed around with the piano. Kids can definitely use the Internet creatively, but I think that there is something important about incubating on your own. I think boredom, space, time, and development need ‘unconnectedness.’ These kids are so connected, and they are never bored, because they don’t need to be. I think that’s dangerous. I think boredom is important.”

Random 10 6/19

Last week. This week:

  1. “Union Song” by the Nightwatchman
    There’s a thunder cloud exploding
  2. “You Could Be Happy” by Snow Patrol
    Is it too late to remind you how we were?
  3. “If I’m Dreaming My Life” by David Bowie
    Was it air she breathed?
  4. “Run Like Hell” by Pink Floyd, guessed by Clayton
    They’re gonna send you back to mother in a cardboard box
  5. “Play the Game” by Queen, guessed by Kim
    Light another cigarette and let yourself go
  6. “New Speedway Boogie” by the Grateful Dead, guessed by Generik
    Things went down we don’t understand, but I think in time we will
  7. “Road to Nowhere” by Talking Heads, guessed by Clayton
    And we’re not little children
  8. “Roll Me Away” by Bob Seger, almost guessed by Kim
    Took a bead on the northern plains and just rolled that power on
  9. “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by the Rolling Stones, guessed by Clayton
    She was practiced at the art of deception
  10. “Johnny 99” by Los Lobos (orig. Bruce Springsteen)
    The bank was holdin’ my mortgage and they were gonna take my house away

And so it goes. Good luck!