Annie Clark at Neumos

More than a week had already passed and I'm still thinking about St. Vincent's performance at Neumos. The evening was all Actor album.....I don't think I remember...wall maybe at least one from the Marry Me album. You gotta see "Marrow" performed live...nothing quite like it :).

Why try to change me now...

Archer

Spoofing the intelligence community (or an intelligence operation) is not a new concept, but for as long as you have funny dialogue you can still get away with it and Archer is entertaining to watch and a nice way to get some laughs from an animated series late at night (right now just once a week, though....but episodes are available on-demand ;) ).

Depth chart so far...

Spring training is already within radar range and my brother and I have already set our sights on March for our annual trek to Arizona. Looking at the Giants roster so far...

Signing Mark De Rosa and Aubrey Huff is a bit of a gamble, but I have a good feeling about it. I'm glad they were able to bring back Juan Uribe. He's a great sparkplug on and off the field. It looks like they're bringing back Torrealba so Posey can get more seasoning in the minors...still thinking about Bengie Molina though...hey, if the Mets don't give him the years he wants, perhaps he can come back to SF instead for two...the second in a mentoring role to Buster...I know, I know, I'm dreaming.

It's too bad they had a short leash on Garko. I still think he didn't get enough time to prove himself. On the flipside, I think it was about time to say goodbye to Merkin Valdez. I think the team has invested a lot of time and opportunities for him and maybe a change of scenery would serve him better.

See ya soon, Annie!

The march to March begins...

New album finally coming :). Curious to see what direction they will take this time. Seventh Tree was such a departure from Supernature, but was outstanding and one of my favorites.

Leave 'em, Conan!

I think it was the right and classy move by Conan to resist NBC's desperate moves. I hope he finds a network that can treat him fairly. (Conan's message)

Avatar

The visual imagery in Avatar is beautiful and that alone can grab your attention. The meat behind this visual skeleton is straightforward and easily accessible...which is possibly why some critics have not looked more favorably at this undertaking. I personally appreciate the inspirations for the elements.

Women are strong characters in James Cameron's movies and Sigourney Weaver and Michelle Rordriguez do not disappoint (though Michelle gets the key bitch line this time).

Pacman continues to roll

The Pacman continues to power on...it's beginning to scare me each time he takes on an opponent and I think its because it's becoming more and more inconceivable to see him lose. It took twelve rounds for him to finally put Cotto away but Manny appears really solid. 'Hope Cotto is ok...he really took a beating.

Hang in there, Shirley...

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Nowhere Boy

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This program is brought to you by the letter S

Congratulations to Sesame Street on it's 40th anniversary! I always say I grew up on Sesame Street and owe a lot of learning (and humor) from the program. I still have great memories of Cookie Monster singing "C is for Cookie", the Count's laugh, Ernie's pranks at Bert (no, I never thought they were gay....when you're a kid you just don't see things that way), Big Bird and Snuffalufacus (spell that right?)......and of course, the real folks...Maria, Bob, Mr. Hooper, Gordon. Like the old Star Trek crew, I'm very much partial to the original muppets (not fond of Elmo, sorry). Anyway, congratulations to the Street!

The Office

After I got my Roku player from Netflix I started loading up my streaming queue and this was the first tv series I had wanted to check out. Finishing the first season was easy...the second season, which had more than twenty episodes, took longer.....but I did finish seasons 2 and 3 over the weekend.....yes, that pretty much proves that I'm hooked on the show :). I finished off seasons 4 and 5 during the week and season 6 online....which pretty much brings me up to date on this show so far. The show has an amazing cast and I have to admit after season 2, I started getting tired of Steve Carrell's character, but the other cast members kept it very much alive for me. Jim's pranks on Dwight, the quirky accounting crew (Angela, Oscar, and Kevin), Meredith (I love all her scenes where she shows off skin), Creed's spaced-out antics, ....there's a lot to enjoy. The guest spots have been great as well, but my favorite would have to be the casting of Amy Ryan. She does that lovable quirkiness really well.

Season's done

Season's over, thoughts about the roster and next season's efforts?  In general, I think I share the same sentiment everyone has pretty much said lately...that an impact hitter is what the Giants need to focus on for next season. And pretty much is it. The pitching rotation and bullpen has more than enough depth and prospects from the minors. As for the field, my fantasy roster would be:

• C - Posey/Molina/Whiteside (this, of course, assumes that Molina is offered perhaps a 2-year deal but with less playing time and more mentoring purpose for Posey); Whiteside has proven to be a good backup and may even flourish with more playing time.
• 1B - this is where a potential impact hitter can be drafted. But if none is acquired, I wouldn't mind sticking with Garko and Ishikawa (plus Sandoval, when he's not on 3B)
• SS - Sanchez/Renteria/Velez
• 2B - Uribe/Renteria
• 3B - Sandoval/Rholinger (I'd like to see Rholinger make the team...I think he has potential)
• Outfield - Torres/Rowand/Schierholtz as primary with Velez (and perhaps Lewis) for depth
• Rotation - Lincecum/Zito/Cain/Sanchez/Penny - this assumes Penny re-signs with SF; wouldn't this be a nice R/L combo?
• Bullpen (relief/long relief) - Affeldt, Runzler, Romo, Medders
• Bullpen (closer) - Brian Wilson

You can't keep everybody...if I had to...either in trade or other decision.......Valdez (Merkin), Lewis, Ishikawa or Garko (if the right deal comes along for 1B).

Comback wish: Noah Lowry.

So long, Ross...

Today was Ross McGowan's last day on KTVU and I just wanted to say goodbye.....again.....I actually did send him an email though the station's website (and lo and behold he replied!) and I'll say it again....Ross was one of the reasons I enjoyed watching Mornings on 2. He had a warm voice and was very smart on interviews. He also had a great sense of humor that worked really well with Tori, Frank (now on the evening news), and Sal. Come visit sometimes, Ross. We miss ya already.

Thanks Richie!

Just getting Rich Aurilia back with the team this year was one of the bright spots for me, personally. Having known him since I first caught on with the Giants, he's like an old friend coming for a visit. He was great to have in the clubhouse and he made his contributions on the field whenever he got the chance. I hope he can come back with the same opportunities JT Snow had....Richie interviews well and may be a better broadcasting choice than JT (JT....I think you're better as a coach on the field). In the meantime, thanks and farewell for now, Richie!

the state of

This weekend marks the release of Days of Abandon, the-state-of's new album. I've been listening to them for some time now and really admire the dynamic between Steph Taylor's piano/lyrics and Nabedi Osorio's drum work. Right now they've been drawing from covers and Steph's material, particularly the Between Ground and Sky album, which itself has great tracks ("Collide", "Helmet and Sword", "Anything for You", "My Love"). I think the reprise for "My Love" was a very special touch. "Helmet and Sword" is my favorite. 'Looking forward to the new album.

Marrow

The dosage entered the bloodstream.....it started with Landmines....then What Me Worry?....pretty soon I couldn't end my daily trek home without hearing We Put a Pearl on the Ground. Then, like a cigarette habit, I had to at least hear The Apocalypse Song at least once when I'm driving anywhere. I tried to mix in Marry Me for a little kick up. Alas, another dosage is necessary. At first try of the Actor album, it seemed that there was no kick...but then I left the player running...then it suddenly.....sank....and all made sense. The dosage is now again running fine in the bloodstream. The Party is leading the way.....Marrow is not too far behind....The Neighbors, too.......and Black Rainbow, yes......Laughing with a Mouth of Blood, absolutely.......like the Marry Me album, Actor is meant to be consumed as a whole. See you on the other side.....maybe.

Diane in Texas

As they continue to play No Country for Old Men on cable, I can't help but continue to admire Kelly MacDonald's performance as Carla in the film. For a Scottish lass, she does that country accent in a really lovable and warm way. She's done a lot of films but my lasting memory of her will always be Diane from Trainspotting ;).

(Carla and Llewelyn on the phone)
Carla: "you're hurt aint cha"
Llewelyn: "how can you tell?"
Carla: "i can hear it in your voice"
Llewelyn: "You meet me in El Paso.....I'm puttin' you an a plane"
Carla: "oh, Llewelyn i can't just leave you in the lurch..."

Pooopulaaahhhh

I've been replaying Ratatouille the past couple of weeks and just can't get enough of Anton Ego's "special moment". It was excellent casting to have Peter O'Toole do it. Jeneane Garofalo also did Collette very well. Had I not checked, I would never have known it was her throwing that French accent (like Kevin Kline....she did refer to his portrayal in French Kiss as a reference).