Up

I'm sure the kids loved the adventure with Doug (and the other talking canines), Russell, and the exotic bird......but for me, personally, all I enjoyed was the side story of Carl and Ellie. I can understand why the film couldn't stay focused on them......I mean, it's a Disney film.....hmmm, am wishing Pixar never sold out to them. It would be interesting to see Pixar do animation for an older demographic.....but maybe this opens the door for other production companies.

The team so far...

The team appears to be getting in a rythm and that's good news.

• The starting pitching is holding strong (good to see Zito getting consistent and more confident).
• The bullpen has also toughened up (Romo and Affeldt have held up well).
• Schierholtz is being rewarded for making good contact (and sadly Lewis has gone back in a slump)
• The pickup of Uribe is paying dividends.
• Burriss is consistent and clearly the better choice than Frandsen.
• Torres is an excellent utility right now. Whiteside shows promise as well.
• Sandoval is....well....the Panda! (....and Bengie is.....the Big Panda!)

Hermione no more

I'm not into fashion really, but seeing Emma be the new face of Burberry.....she's absolutely stunning.

Randy's 300th

Watching Randy dive and throw to first like that.....not bad for a 45-year old, huh? Congrats on reaching 300, man!

See Ball Hit Ball

He really is a kungfu panda, ya know ;). His power at the bat is expected. But athleticism is quite a surprise. Playing third base really shows it. Today's game was fun to watch because it also continues to show that Lewis has turned a corner with his stroke. Personally, I enjoyed watching Rich Aurilia hit a whopper (his first HR this year).

Jay's last Tonight Show

You could already hear in Jay's voice the sadness and a little fight to hold back tears. It's been a great run (and he's not exactly going anyway with that 10pm spot going for him in September). But despite the fact that he's still entertaining to watch, this move may be a good thing for him. I've always liked Conan and I'm actually really excited for him. And I do hope he doesn't change anything from what has made him a success in late night. Keep pulling those imaginary strings, Conan!

Colonia

I'm about two weeks listening to A Camp's Colonia album and have grown really fond of "The Crowning", "Golden Teeth and Silver Medals", and "Chinatown". I really like Nina Persson's voice and the "old pop" sound works really well.

Must get ball

It's admirable how Rowand throws his body there in the outfield. In Sunday's game, he preserved an out twice. With his body type built with more bulk it's probably strong enough to take the landing, but still a high cost. When you watch baseball there are always moments when the ball lands in front of a player and you wonder why the player didn't dive for the ball. There are reasons for it, of course, but in Rowand's case, it's hard to question it....you know he would dive for the ball if he has to....

Aurilia wins it in the 10th

The new guys are great, but I'm glad we still have the veterans. It was sad when JT Snow left (and I'm glad to say I was there when he came back for one game to retire as a Giant), but Rich Aurilia has helped keep a nice memory of the past on the team. I can't believe I've been following this team for more about 7-8 years. Aurilia was one of the first and most familiar faces I got introduced to back then.

BB in the Booth

It was nice surprise to see Barry in the booth in today's game. Just listening to him talk to Kruk and Kuip about baseball was very entertaining. They should think about having him come in more often. Too bad he had to move over to the radio booth (with John Miller and Dave Fleming). Good to see ya, BB.

Pitch streak

Giants pitching has been solid for at least the past 4 starts! Looks like Lincecum has snapped back, Cain finally got good run support, Randy Johnson was in the zone, and Barry Zito was on a mission! Good work guys! The bullpen has been very effective, as well. Jeremy Affeldt is a great addition.

See you later space cowboy...

It's been months since I bought a used copy of the first eposide and I've been hooked ever since. I've seen all 26 episodes of Cowboy Bebop by now of course.....and I wouldn't debate one bit why a lot of people rank it so high in thier all-time lists for anime. The characters, the storylines, the soundtrack.....excellent work. I'm glad these all got done before the proliferation of computer-based animation. I'm a little worried about the live action film that's in production. Will it do this masterpiece justice?

St Vincent

I had only heard bits of her music in a radio feature, but it was enough to be curious about Annie Clark's music. Coincidentally, I had been browsing through the local library's music collection when I happened to find her Marry Me album, so I borrowed it. I love "Landmines", but "What Me Worry" is my favorite in the album. She playfully channels Ella Fitzgerald in her own way.

Griffey's Return

Griffey's return last night was a monster festival. I haven't earned yet enough time here to be a "local" but I can tell you the feeling this city has for Griffey.....you can't miss it.

Seattle PI Goes Down

Today I got my last copy of the Seattle Post Intelligencer. I've enjoyed reading this paper and have grown fond of it as much as I did the San Francisco Chronicle. There is still a lot of tactile pleasure to be had with a traditional newspaper, but I guess I'm just old fashioned. The PI is still around on the web. Perhaps someday it will be in print again.

The Wrestler

I see a little bit of the struggle that Darren Aronofsky probably had adapting his style to this story that mostly follows aging wrestler Randy "the Ram" Robinson and it was evident for me when it came to that tear-jerker scene when the Ram spills his guts to his daughter Stephanie. A scene that I think deserved a flow to have allowed it to build up to the moment. Mickey Rourke's performance was really powerful and even when you've seen the trailer and know exactly what he's going to say, there's a lot of sting in watching him say how broken he is and what he deserves. Exposing the real side of wrestiling though through the scripted acts and brotherhood was a good touch and Marisa Tomei's turn as an aging stripper shouldn't go unnoticed. While this film has a lot of traits to claim awards, I think it could have been better.

Stacey's Closing

Sad to see another "Non-Borders-Barnes" closing. I loved coming to this place when I was working in San Francisco. If there was any book that was hard to find or only available online, Stacey's might just have it in one of its shelves. It's location in downtown's financial district also made it an easy walk-by after work.

Madagascar 2

It was a friday night but I decided to watch a movie......and to my surprise there were only three of us in the theater....is this economic impact or just Madagascar 2 at the end of its run? The movie had its moments (including every scene where the penguins make an appearance) but I had a hard time keeping focused.

Pacman wins again!

Corinne Bailey Rae

It was that scene in Venus when Peter O'Toole's character, eager to impress young Jodie Whitaker (Jesse), that he takes her on a limo ride and when Jesse pokes herself out the sunroof that "Put Your Records On" started to play. After days of humming it I finally got the album and still play it quite regularly in the car. I enjoy listening to "Choux Pastry Heart", as well as "Like a Star". She's got a great smile and "early morning" eyes and soothing voice it feels like a Sunday morning listening to her.