Variety is reporting that some Hollywood geniuses have picked Heathers as the latest thing to turn into a crappy TV show:
Fox is developing a contemporary take on the 1989 Christian Slater/Winona Ryder feature "Heathers."
Dark comedy will be adapted for TV by scribe Mark Rizzo, with an assist from "Sex and the City" alum Jenny Bicks. Sony Pictures TV, where Bicks is based, will produce, along with Lakeshore Entertainment, which holds the rights to "Heathers."
I was going to write something about how those of us that loved it will hate a remake and those that hated it will harp on the post-Columbine inappropriate...whatever.
It reminds me of a line that I am going to butcher from another great Christian Slater film. It went something like:
Everything good has already been done. All the great themes have been turned into theme parks.
I thought that reality TV took over because people will watch anything and it is cheap to produce. But it seems that Hollywood really has run out of ideas. This was good stuff, though:
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Here We Go Again
The last leg of the Great Mold Removal of 2009 begins tomorrow. We are gutting the Master Bathroom, which was to be the Summer House Project before we found the mold, anyway. The other projects were painting the exterior and Taming the Jungle (the backyard), which we thought we would have to put off until next summer. At least.
Once we decided to put off getting a new fence, the backyard project was not as expensive as we had feared. So we contracted with our awesome landscaper, Mr. Torres. The downside of contracting with the landscaper is that they have to squeeze in the project work in between their regular maintenance work. The regular maintenance work is, of course, beholden to the weather. So our project has been half done since last Tuesday. Check it out:
If I remember correctly (from Alex's picture books) this is called a skid steer. It is sitting in my backyard because it was used to remove the pond my dad built in 1985.
Yes, I said a pond. I don't know if he was for real, but I remember him telling me that he would put fish in the pond. There were never fish in the pond, but I seem to remember seeing water flow that first summer. I don't really remember because that was just about when we first got cable.
These are the remnants:
Once we decided to put off getting a new fence, the backyard project was not as expensive as we had feared. So we contracted with our awesome landscaper, Mr. Torres. The downside of contracting with the landscaper is that they have to squeeze in the project work in between their regular maintenance work. The regular maintenance work is, of course, beholden to the weather. So our project has been half done since last Tuesday. Check it out:
If I remember correctly (from Alex's picture books) this is called a skid steer. It is sitting in my backyard because it was used to remove the pond my dad built in 1985.
Yes, I said a pond. I don't know if he was for real, but I remember him telling me that he would put fish in the pond. There were never fish in the pond, but I seem to remember seeing water flow that first summer. I don't really remember because that was just about when we first got cable.
These are the remnants:
Oh. And these stones. We are going to use them to reinforce the remnants of the old garden so that the mud doesn't run off and flood the neighbors:
We are also taking out various bushes and a couple of trees. I will spare you the pictures of that mess.
Here's what I have learned about landscaping - less is more. You can have grass. And maybe a tree. But make sure the tree is nowhere near the house. You don't know what those roots can do to the foundation. Wait, they can still get to the sewer line. Forget the tree. Go to the park if you want to look at a tree. Just grass.
So. Tomorrow morning Kiwi the Grey is going back to board at the rescue. She is still on the anti-fungal meds. My mother is taking the dog and going back to the hotel. Spooky the Cat and I are going to tough it out and stay here.
I am exhausted already.
It Seems to Have Worked
That "Book Club Bundle" idea seems to have worked. Once anyway.
A group of four used copies of Cold Mountain for $2.50 (and we included information on some websites for discussion questions) took about a week to sell. Unfortunately, while we have two copies of several suitable books, we have four copies (minimum for a book club, I should think) of only one - Death of a Salesman. I am certain the reason we have four copies of it is that my high school teaches it to English classes in the junior year. I hated that book.
So - not an obvious pick, like Cold Mountain, but worth a shot. And I am going to be on the lookout for more.
A group of four used copies of Cold Mountain for $2.50 (and we included information on some websites for discussion questions) took about a week to sell. Unfortunately, while we have two copies of several suitable books, we have four copies (minimum for a book club, I should think) of only one - Death of a Salesman. I am certain the reason we have four copies of it is that my high school teaches it to English classes in the junior year. I hated that book.
So - not an obvious pick, like Cold Mountain, but worth a shot. And I am going to be on the lookout for more.
Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago, by Mike Royko
Book 34
Since Mike Royko's death, I have been seeing his books everywhere. I picked up Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago at the Library Used Book Store. When my mother saw me reading it, she asked if it was my father's copy. He had to read it in college. They went to college in Ohio.
This particular edition had a new introduction written by the author after Daley's death. The introduction was downright poetic, in my opinion:
"If a man ever reflected his city, it was Richard J. Daley and Chicago.
In some ways, he was this town at its best - strong, hard-driving, working feverishly, pushing, building, driven by ambitions so big they seemed Texas-boastful.
In other ways, he was this city at its worst - arrogant, crude, conniving, ruthless, suspicious, intolerant.
He wasn’t graceful, suave, witty or smooth. But then, this is not Paris or San Francisco.
He was raucous, sentimental, hot-tempered, practical, simple, devious, big and powerful. This is, after all, Chicago.”
Since Mike Royko's death, I have been seeing his books everywhere. I picked up Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago at the Library Used Book Store. When my mother saw me reading it, she asked if it was my father's copy. He had to read it in college. They went to college in Ohio.
This particular edition had a new introduction written by the author after Daley's death. The introduction was downright poetic, in my opinion:
"If a man ever reflected his city, it was Richard J. Daley and Chicago.
In some ways, he was this town at its best - strong, hard-driving, working feverishly, pushing, building, driven by ambitions so big they seemed Texas-boastful.
In other ways, he was this city at its worst - arrogant, crude, conniving, ruthless, suspicious, intolerant.
He wasn’t graceful, suave, witty or smooth. But then, this is not Paris or San Francisco.
He was raucous, sentimental, hot-tempered, practical, simple, devious, big and powerful. This is, after all, Chicago.”
I think if the Old Man himself had read the introduction, he might have liked it. The book itself…I think he would have turned purple. The introduction validated many of my feelings of the son, Richard M. Daley, the current Mayor. Certainly imperfect, probably corrupt, but oh so Chicago. Oh, about that corruption..Royko suggests that Daley wasn’t actually in on the take himself, he just turned a blind eye to everyone else cashing in. Unless they got caught.
Royko drew a really interesting picture of the Chicago Machine, and it scares the bejeezus out of me. It doesn’t, however, give a whole lot of insight into the man. Other than the whole Getting Whatever He Wants All the Time thing.
Royko was a journalist and Daley hated journalists. I wonder what it was like to be Royko in the five years between when this was first published and Daley’s death.
Anyway, back to why I care..the current mayor. Because I do not live in the city-proper, I do not vote for mayor. I am perfectly happy with this. I don’t want the responsibility for voting for or against Richard M. Daley. I believe he loves Chicago more than he loves anything. I certainly enjoy his sound bites. I am told that the garbage is always picked up and the snow is always removed in a timely manner. And you remember how he tore up the runway at Meigs field in the middle of the night? I loved that. But what the book said about the father, I believe to be true of the son..that he builds great things that people can see and buries the horrible things that people can’t see.
Like Poverty. Segregation. And don’t get me started on the schools.
I guess it is really easy to judge from the ivory tower of the suburbs.
Aside from the Tribune bashing in which Royko, of the Sun Times, indulges, this is a fine book and some time, I might look him up again.
But now I am going back to school.
Meatheads
The Moe's Southwest Grill didn't last very long in Northbrook, which was sad. But last month, a new burger place called Meatheads moved into its place. I wasn't sure why the heck we needed one more burger place, but for one reason or another my mother was driving by there and picked up some carry out for dinner.
We each had a kiddie sized burger, which they call the 'Lil Meathead, and cajun fries.
The burgers are the really pressed-flat kind and pretty crispy around the edges. Tasted just fine, but the cajun fries were the main event for me:
Fresh. Cut. French fries. With cheese sauce.
I love this place.
Overall, Meatheads is rather pricey for quick service burgers. But the restaurant looks great, the location is good and omg the fries. They have been open for six weeks and we have been there three times.
It looks like the other locations are college-towns.. Naperville and downstate. I wouldn't drive halfway across the state for it (Cook County has plenty of hot dog joints with fresh cut fries, thank you), but if Meatheads is in your path, I recommend it.
We each had a kiddie sized burger, which they call the 'Lil Meathead, and cajun fries.
The burgers are the really pressed-flat kind and pretty crispy around the edges. Tasted just fine, but the cajun fries were the main event for me:
Fresh. Cut. French fries. With cheese sauce.
I love this place.
Overall, Meatheads is rather pricey for quick service burgers. But the restaurant looks great, the location is good and omg the fries. They have been open for six weeks and we have been there three times.
It looks like the other locations are college-towns.. Naperville and downstate. I wouldn't drive halfway across the state for it (Cook County has plenty of hot dog joints with fresh cut fries, thank you), but if Meatheads is in your path, I recommend it.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Dominick Dunne
Somewhere underneath all of the coverage of Senator Kennedy’s death are the notices that writer/celebrity chronicler/victim’s advocate Dominick Dunne died this week.
Dunne is the reason I started subscribing to Vanity Fair (although I still haven’t caught up from all of my back issues from last semester). His writing was just far enough above Joe Gossipcolumnist that I didn’t feel bad reading it. The novels are brain-candy, but the celebrity trial stuff was good.
For example:
Most of America came to know him from the O.J. trial. He was. Obsessed. With the O.J. trial. In the aftermath, when people were trying to figure out how O.J. might actually be innocent of the crimes, a theory went around that O.J. didn’t do it, but his son Jason did. The theory explained a lot of stuff like why O.J. was acting guilty if he wasn’t guilty (because he knew something and/or covered up something) and why there was blood somewhere and maybe even some DNA stuff. O.J. didn’t tell the truth about what he knew in order to protect his kid. When Dunne was asked to comment, he said something like:
It isn’t a bad theory; it might explain a lot of things. But personally, I don’t buy it. I watched O.J. Simpson’s every move for months and it is my opinion that he is far too selfish to risk going to prison for the rest of his life to protect one of his children. I think he would have done anything to save his own skin.
What made Dunne good is that he paid attention, he talked to people and he made no bones about the fact that he was on a side. His daughter’s murder made him a victim’s advocate. He wrote a column and gave his opinion. Sometimes, like in the case of Gary Condit, it got him into trouble. Sometimes the “dishing” got to be a bit much. But he wrote with a lot of heart – affection for the people he met and liked and venom for those he truly considered to be the bad guys.
And now with are left with TMZ. Sad day.
Dunne is the reason I started subscribing to Vanity Fair (although I still haven’t caught up from all of my back issues from last semester). His writing was just far enough above Joe Gossipcolumnist that I didn’t feel bad reading it. The novels are brain-candy, but the celebrity trial stuff was good.
For example:
Most of America came to know him from the O.J. trial. He was. Obsessed. With the O.J. trial. In the aftermath, when people were trying to figure out how O.J. might actually be innocent of the crimes, a theory went around that O.J. didn’t do it, but his son Jason did. The theory explained a lot of stuff like why O.J. was acting guilty if he wasn’t guilty (because he knew something and/or covered up something) and why there was blood somewhere and maybe even some DNA stuff. O.J. didn’t tell the truth about what he knew in order to protect his kid. When Dunne was asked to comment, he said something like:
It isn’t a bad theory; it might explain a lot of things. But personally, I don’t buy it. I watched O.J. Simpson’s every move for months and it is my opinion that he is far too selfish to risk going to prison for the rest of his life to protect one of his children. I think he would have done anything to save his own skin.
What made Dunne good is that he paid attention, he talked to people and he made no bones about the fact that he was on a side. His daughter’s murder made him a victim’s advocate. He wrote a column and gave his opinion. Sometimes, like in the case of Gary Condit, it got him into trouble. Sometimes the “dishing” got to be a bit much. But he wrote with a lot of heart – affection for the people he met and liked and venom for those he truly considered to be the bad guys.
And now with are left with TMZ. Sad day.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
The President's Reading List
Slate.com wrote about the books the President took on vacation with him this week. The purpose was to over-analyze the selections and debate on what he would or would not finish. And what does it mean that all of these books are written by white men? (My answer? Not a bloody thing. Leave the man alone.) The list:
“The Way Home by George Pelecanos, a crime thriller based in Washington, D.C.;
Lush Life by Richard Price, a story of race and class set in New York's Lower East Side;
Tom Friedman's Hot, Flat, and Crowded, on the benefits to America of an environmental revolution;
John Adams by David McCullough;
Plainsong by Kent Haruf, a drama about the life of eight different characters living in a Colorado prairie community.”
Incidentally, I have read none of the above – although there is a copy of the Adams biography in my library.
I am such a sucker for this stuff.
Monday, August 24, 2009
The Difference
Now this is interesting. MSN Money has an article (well, it is really a blog post) trying to determine why some people earn $30,000 and some earn $100,000:
“Many commenters noted that, from their experience, high-income earners generally exhibit several of the following traits:
They maintain a strong work ethic.
They don't watch the clock.
They seek to improve their skills.
They do quality work.
They're flexible and adaptable.
They maintain a good social network.
They possess self-confidence.”
No surprise, but the comments were at least as interesting as the original post. “Luck” was absolutely named as a factor. In my experience, being at the right place at the right time is a big deal. Knowing someone that knows someone. But while I can’t cite it, I could swear there was statistical evidence that established tall people earn more than short people, and thin people earn more than heavy people. And that is before we even get to race, gender and ethnicity. And education. And choosing the “right” field.
I love reading this stuff – for the sake of argument. But the real question is: what is that salary worth to you? Are you spending your time the way that you want to spend it? Do you have a lifestyle that you can afford?
Assuming that your basic needs are met..What makes you happy?
“Many commenters noted that, from their experience, high-income earners generally exhibit several of the following traits:
They maintain a strong work ethic.
They don't watch the clock.
They seek to improve their skills.
They do quality work.
They're flexible and adaptable.
They maintain a good social network.
They possess self-confidence.”
No surprise, but the comments were at least as interesting as the original post. “Luck” was absolutely named as a factor. In my experience, being at the right place at the right time is a big deal. Knowing someone that knows someone. But while I can’t cite it, I could swear there was statistical evidence that established tall people earn more than short people, and thin people earn more than heavy people. And that is before we even get to race, gender and ethnicity. And education. And choosing the “right” field.
I love reading this stuff – for the sake of argument. But the real question is: what is that salary worth to you? Are you spending your time the way that you want to spend it? Do you have a lifestyle that you can afford?
Assuming that your basic needs are met..What makes you happy?
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Lost Dog
This is Margarita. She bolted out of her yard (Northbrook, IL) on Saturday, August 22 and hasn't been seen since. She was not wearing a collar. If you spot her, please call 847/509-1026.
Edit: Margarita has been found. She is safe at home now. So now I am just leaving cute dog picture on my blog.
Edit: Margarita has been found. She is safe at home now. So now I am just leaving cute dog picture on my blog.
Speaking of "Forgotten Bookmarks"
I don't even know what book this was marking, because it fell from a pile that I was sorting, but I found an old postcard:
The back says:
CAPE CRAFT PINE
Hwy. 17 North
Myrtle Beach, S.C. 29577
Phone (803) 449-5423
EARLY AMERICAN DECORATOR ITEMS
DIRECT FROM FACTORY AT WHOLESALE PRICES
I Googled it and found that the postcard is from the '70s and it seems to be going for $3.99 on ebay. Another site, titled "Myrtle Beach - Other Landmarks" tells me that:
"Today, its a golf supply store, like many others along the highway. "
So. That was depressing.
The back says:
CAPE CRAFT PINE
Hwy. 17 North
Myrtle Beach, S.C. 29577
Phone (803) 449-5423
EARLY AMERICAN DECORATOR ITEMS
DIRECT FROM FACTORY AT WHOLESALE PRICES
I Googled it and found that the postcard is from the '70s and it seems to be going for $3.99 on ebay. Another site, titled "Myrtle Beach - Other Landmarks" tells me that:
"Today, its a golf supply store, like many others along the highway. "
So. That was depressing.
