Roadster

Permit me to go a bit off-book for a moment…

It’s no small secret that I am fiercely proud of the city I come from for a whole host of reasons. It’s also no small secret that the city I come from is making international news in recent weeks for a truly shameful reason.

This man’s circus act is nothing new. He has been a part of municipal politics for twelve years already, and during that entire time, he has been a lout that just. doesn’t. get it. Sadly, not enough people were paying attention during those first nine years, so his tubthumping about fiscal conservatism convinced enough of the city’s citizens to vote him into office in the autumn of 2010. I know people who voted for him. I’m even related to a few. I (literally) begged them not to. They didn’t listen.

So now this is the beacon my hometown is sending out into the world. That we empowered a lying, stubborn, boorish addict, and that we’re stuck with him for at least another year because nobody can convince him to step aside and there are no rules in place to force him. It started out as shocking, then turned farcical, and now it’s just sad.

So for starters, I’m sorry to anyone who is getting this news and is tired of it. I’m ashamed that there is still even 25% of this town that approves of the job Rob Ford is doing. I’m angry at the lack of leadership my city has suffered during this crucial time in its development. And I’m grumpy that every time I’ve thought about starting Season Four of “The Wire” in recent weeks, I’ve shrugged and thought “Why bother – I can just turn on the news.”

Yes folks, my city’s mayor is a sad, stupid, insulated, isolated, broken man. I didn’t vote for him, but I’m stuck with him.
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For your Listening and reading fulfilment, I give you…
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This week Mamo dropped upon its listeners a fascinating listen. Here we have Messrs Brown and Price discussing THOR: THE DARK WORLD and all things “Phase Two”. However, they are discussing with both enthusiasm and reason…not geeking out about how awesome everything is because it’s so awesome. It’s a level of measured effusion that I think is far too rare these days, and another in a seemingly unending string of killer episodes from the boys.

Ordinarily, I only post one podcast link per week, but when one hears two amazing episodes of two amazing shows in seven days, how is one to resist? This week Andrew Robinson had Candice Frederick on Movie You Love. Candice did something rather unexpected and picked a new release to discuss as a film she loves – Alfonso Cuaron’s GRAVITY. For a moment, you might think that you’ve heard enough about GRAVITY for one autumn, but I promise you – Candice has some very insightful things to say about it.

Ever go to your DVD shelf to pull something you feel like watching and then get surprised that you actually don’t own it? That was me last week. I was dead certain that Lindsay would have bought THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by now, but apparently I am mistaken. Rubbing salt in the wound somewhat was Andina’s post this week about things she loves about Stephen Chbosky’s film.

Nick Prigge caught my attention this week. My love for Superman is pretty much legend by now, so when Nick wrote a few hundred words detailing why Amy Adams is his favorite version of Lois Lane, you best believe I stopped what I was doing and read.

Shala Thomas has been keeping Life Between Films going for two whole years as of this week. No small feat! Drop by her space and wish her well.

By this time next week, I’ll have caught up with Alexander Payne’s NEBRASKA. In a perfect world, I’d be seeing that tomorrow, but it just ain’t a perfect world now, is it? Speaking of NEBRASKA, its star – Bruce Dern – is quite the character actor. This week Paula took a moment to look back on his stellar carrer, in all its scene-stealing glory.

Finally, Alex has a list for us. He’s compiled his fifteen favorite musical scenes in the films of Cameron Crowe. It’s an interesting read for a few reasons. For starters, I could make a list of fifteen moments just in ALMOST FAMOUS or JERRY MAGUIRE alone. What’s more, Alex strays off the path for an interesting choice at number one. Go. Read. Argue.
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For the Tweet of The Week, I turn to Sam Adams – Grand Poohbah over at Criticwire. I wonder how early in the morning he has to get up to be this witty:


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Enjoy!

6 Replies to “Everybody’s Talkin’ 11 – 14 (Chatter from Other Bloggers)”

    1. Exactly! The whole shitstorm seems to be calming down, so I might toss s4 on soon. I was working through s2 of Fringe and s2 of The League. I finished with the former and have almost finished with the latter so I imagine I’ll be watching The Wire by December.

  2. Hey, thanks! Appreciate it. I hope I did Amy’s Lois justice in your eyes.

    Chicago’s Mayor has his own issues, but yeah……your guy……(shakes head).

    1. I’m especially interested to see where Amy’s Lois goes headed forward. The shameless geek in me actually has a soft spot for Erica Durance from Smallville.

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