Archive for January, 2011
Charlene Tilton Week: Day 2
January 31, 2011
Fun Charlene Fact of the Day: In 1984 she had a number one hit in Germany with a song called “C’est La Vie.” This song is not available on iTunes. However, even better, you can watch this clip from a German TV show:
Welcome To Charlene Tilton Week
January 30, 2011Each day this week, visit Not Shallow for a photo of Charlene Tilton as tribute to the break-out star from Dallas who somehow managed not to morph into Sally Struthers.
Charlene Fact O’ The Day: Charlene is only 4’11.
On Friday night we went to Mayslack’s in Northeast Mpls to see T/N/T, an AC/DC tribute band. One thing I’ve discovered since our venture is that it’s important to make the distinction, when talking about T/N/T, is to make sure you distinguish it from TNT, another AC/DC tribute band based out of Los Angeles (basically, the fitter version).
While it’s not surprising that there is more than one AC/DC tribute band (with so much material, why should only one band reap the cover band gold?), it’s not clear to me why only one name is allowed. Is there a TNT franchise that one can buy into and set up shop in a region? Could one of the bands be High Voltage or Back In Black or, if I were going to have an AC/DC tribute band, American Thighs?
The band we saw, T/N/T, is the Midwest-based AC/DC tribute band, which one can pretty much guess by looking at them. One of the singers – mostly supposed to sing Bon Scott’s songs - looks a bit like Louie Anderson – overweight, kinda sweaty, pasty skin. I was a little worried that he would have a heart attack during his performance but, luckily, I’m sure the show held no surprises for him.
“OK, now I go into ‘Big Balls’ and then it’s onto ‘Dirty Deeds… Let’s get on with it.”
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“Premakes” Up!
January 27, 2011My Important and Precious Oscar Predictions
January 26, 2011C3PO Gets A Job
January 25, 2011Yesterday morning Keith said, “I wish we had a robot that could walk the dog.” So I drew this:
The ‘Rents
January 24, 2011
Look, we’re your parents and we love you. We know you’re going to screw up and test your boundaries. But we believe in you.
Sometimes it may seem like we’re distracted or too busy for you. Daddy’s always at the Pie Shoppe and I’m at the Wine Shoppe. But we work hard because we want to provide a better life for you than we had growing up.
So, what’s this we hear about you skipping gym class today? That’s not OK with us. Ms. Bartleman said she found you behind the school with Strawberry Shortcake, smoking a cigarette. Did you really say, “Eat a bag of dicks,” when Ms. Bartleman asked you to put it out?
This isn’t the daughter we raised. This isn’t our daughter, the one who helped make muffins on Saturday mornings and picked flowers all afternoon. This isn’t the path we want for you. We’re envisioning you at a private college, a launching pad to law school. Do you know what that could mean for your future?
We feel we have to make our displeasure known. We’re very sorry but you will be unable to attend Angel Cake’s party on Saturday night. No, we don’t care that Mrs. Cake is going to be there. We don’t feel you’ve earned the privilege of going out to see your friends. Instead, you will do algebra, practice piano and then, if there’s time, you can watch Ace of Cakes with Daddy.
Please don’t be angry with us. You brought this on yourself and someday, if you continue on your path of self-destruction, you’ll see that. You’ll look back and think, “That’s where it all started to go wrong, when I smoked that cigarette with Strawberry Shortcake instead of going to gym class and playing badminton. Badminton isn’t that bad. I even like it. What was I thinking?”
Furthermore, no cell phone for two weeks.
God, you guys, can I go now? This is, like, the longest, most boring conversation you’ve ever had with me. I’m going to my room.
The Holy Trinity
January 22, 2011
Just as many actors long to direct, many rappers long to act. A successful career for some rappers includes the cross over to acting, often starting out playing pimps and drug dealers and then moving on to play detectives, cops and cooks on research ships. Fortunately or unfortunately, the acting bug usually greatly diminishes the anger and/or drive needed to keep producing songs like “Home Of The Body Bag,” and “Why We Thugs.” Although it’s clearly not for everyone – thankfully no acting careers for Snoop, Dre or Chuck D yet – here is a look at the Holy Trinity of Rappers Turned Actors – T, Cube & LL – and a look at the points when their dual careers reached their zeniths.
ICE-T
Birth Name: Tracy Marrow
Grew Up In: Was born in New Jersey and spent his early years there, despite being closely identified with the West Coast rap scene. He moved to LA when he was about 11 or 12, after both of his parents died of heart attacks within 4 years of each other, and was raised by an aunt.
Surprising Fact: Served in the U.S. Army for 4 years
Not-So-Surprising Fact: He claims to have had extensive “pimping experience” prior to getting into rap and acting. He discusses this in his song “Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy.” It’s certainly not the stroll in the park that being a prostitute is! Those gals have it soooo easy.
Early Gig: In 1984, he wrote the raps for Mr. T’s motivational video called Be Somebody… or Be Somebody’s Fool!
This clip doesn’t include any of Ice-T’s raps:
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Nothing On TV, Let’s Watch a Movie: The Devil’s Advocate
January 20, 2011
Rebecca: So I think it’s interesting that we decided to watch this movie now, right when we’re talking about moving to New York so you can take a job at a law firm and I can paint the walls of our expensive “classic 8″ apartment every other day. Uh, are you rethinking this decision at all?
Keith: Listen, woman, I’ve never lost a case, I have an undefinable Southern accent and I like to bite women on the ass while dancing. New York is the place for me.
Rebecca: Well, I learned a lot from watching this movie. Yellow walls and maroon furniture don’t go well together.
Keith: Did you notice the way the wall colors of the apartment kept changing and Mary Ann (Charlize Theron), in her final breakdown, even said something like, “Did you like the green?” There was this weird agenda in the movie that only evil city people try to decorate their apartments, and then they do it badly.
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