For fans of the Lingerie Bowl

Regrettably it will not be offered this year as an alternative to the Super Bowl halftime show. And no, it is not a fear of the Boss that is propelling this. Apparently this year’s Bowl was to be played at a nudist colony, but the network could not get an assurance from said colony that none of the audience would be nude. So the game was called off. File this under the “Things that may you go hmmmmm” category.

One of the few redeeming things about Media Day

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I happened upon The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo when I was in Marion, Indiana over Thanksgiving weekend. I went to the mall bookstore looking for something to read, and I asked one of the workers there for a recommendation. He mentioned that someone had just asked for this book. On a whim, I bought it. It took me a few pages to get into it, but once I did I was proverbially hooked. A stellar and unique mystery that is as much a triptik for untraveled parts of Sweden as it is a well-researched book on family secrets, journalism, and Swedish business. The premise is fresh; the characters brilliantly flawed and unlike any you have met before. The solving of the mystery is not the gem of this book, but it is satisfying, and leaves you asking for more. There is more as this is the first of a trilogy, but it is a posthumous trilogy in that the author is dead. Before his death, however, he delivered these three manuscripts. The author, Stieg Larsson, was a graphics editor for a Swedish magazine and died four years ago, and to my knowledge, these were his first books. What a shame that his death preceded the discovery of his literary talent. And I must say this has been quite a Scandanavian month for me. Ja!

Did I fail to mention . . .

. . . that MY STEELERS KICKED SOME MAJOR RAVEN-BUTT THIS WEEKEND!!!! QUOTE THIS RAVEN NEVERMORE.

American Teen

In the MTV age, a "real-life documentary" about teen experience in high school is not extraordinary. In fact, some of the cinema veritas often is the product of amateur filmmakers living the experience themselves, i.e., high school students via such media sources as You Tube. So why the need for American Teen, a documentary on five students experiencing senior year at Warsaw High in Indiana? Well, after seeing the movie you come to realize that the other attempts at chronicling this angst-ridden state of life have been hopelessly superficial. The beauty of what filmmaker Nanette Burstein does is she provides an unfiltered view of the lives of five students warts, acne and all. She lets them tell their own stories and as a result the drama they provide is both simultaneously raw and sincere. And at the end of the film you form an unavoidable bond with these characters and a hope that they will find the next phase of their life filled with more happiness than drama.

Life on the RTD . . .

. . . is never a dull moment. I decided to take RTD to The Killers concert. The trip there was uneventful. I thought the trip back would be as well when I went to take my seat next to the window. Suddenly two young ladies sat down next to me, and, of course, there was only one seat next to me. Turns out their friends were sitting across from me and there were three in that seat as well. Then they started talking and I heard many "Ja"s (pronounced "Ya") which made me suspect that they were from Norway. I suspect they may have been college students from there here to work on the slopes and they ventured down to Denver to see The Killers, who are, of course, huge in Europe. They were quite pretty but the combination of their young age, "Ja"s, the fact that I was being squeezed against the window, the wearing off of my buzz from the concert, and my exhaustion (I had judged a debate tournament from 8am to 5pm, went to mass, went to a prayer service, and then the concert) led me to not initiate any banter with them but merely to wonder when normal RTD seating patterns would recommence. Plus two of their inebriated male companions, also sporting the same accent, told them that the plan was to get off at the next stop and head back on the northbound train to Denver so they could go to "Club Po Po" – don't ask me; I never heard of it either and was not about to ask. So the group got off at Belleview onto their next stop on their Magical Mystery Tour and I had the seats to myself heading to Lincoln.

Somebody Told Me . . .

. . . that you had a boyfriend that looked like a girlfriend. Quite the gender –ambiguous diss coupled with pure Las Vegas showmanship. Surely this song should have propelled The Killers into the stratosphere of American music. Granted their last album sold 1.5 million copies; not bad in this age of downloading, but only 1/3 of the sales came from the US. Meanwhile in the U.K. the album sold 200,000 copies in its first week, debuting at No. 1. Tonight they played Magness Arena on the University of Denver campus -- a modest-size arena and hardly the Pepsi Center. Meanwhile they played Royal Albert Hall in the UK and have been the headlining act at Glastonbury and Reading. But for the crowd at Magness, The Killers were U2; the sold-out crowd never sat down and never stopped dancing. And The Killers delivered the killer soundtrack to their dancing. They have reached the stage where their repertoire makes for a concert with few duds. They made all the right decisions opening with Spaceman off their new album which quickly tapped into the energy of the crowd. They then mixed in some of their new album, which is growing on me, with the classics. I consider half of their first album, Hot Fuss, to be one of the best albums (or half-album) ever made. Think about it – Mr. Brightside, Jenny Was A Friend of Mine, Smile Like You Mean It, and the aforementioned Somebody Told Me. Their stage is also evolving and featured foliage and a screen of freckled lights. And yes the obligatory confetti and sparkles. Viva Las Vegas it was. They ended the set with When We Were Young leaving an exhausted crowd seeing a band ready to take the next step.

The Globes

All in all, I thought the Globes got it right last night. Best Picture went to the one film I put on my top ten list, and next to Step 2: The Streets, it was the best movie of the year. I would have liked to have seen Anne Hathaway win, but you can't go wrong with Kate Winslet especially when she professes her love for another man right in front of her husband. Mickey Rourke is truly deserving, although totally different from his earlier persona. Ironically, he had to destroy his looks to get credibility. But really the Globes are not that great a prognosticator of the Oscars despite what everyone says, because they have awards for musical/comedy as well as drama so it really does not narrow things down. Really the highlights are if someone has too much Moet and makes an undecipherable speech or if a winner is in the restroom when the award is announced. I don't know if either occurred as I was watching the return of my fave show, 24, which returned as strong as ever, after a 1 ½ year gap.

You live for these days, but why?

Yesterday was one of those days a sports fan lives for, at least one from Pittsburgh. It started with Pitt maintaining its No. 1 ranking by quelling a challenge from a rejuvenated St. John's team and it ended with a dominating win by the Steelers over the hottest team in the playoffs. The latter included a tormenting start where the Chargers led until the last minute of the half. Needless to say I was at the edge of my seat. But why? Why do we get so obsessed over our favorite teams? It is not as if there is any tangible, long term benefit to my life. They will not give me a playoff share if they win the Super Bowl; they did not the last time. And with Pitt, I did not even attend the school. My sisters did but when I was 9. Still I follow them as closely as I do the other Pittsburgh teams. I would be in such a dour mood if either team lost, and I am on cloud nine that they won. But next weekend may bring a different result, and all I can ask, is why?

Romo as Coach?

Bill Romanowski has thrown his hat into the ring for Broncos head coach. He is the perfect coach – if you are looking for a coach that will spit at, punch, and then give steroids to his players.

One day . . .

. . . every member of my dance troupe will be able to do this.

Thank Goodness We Don't Have Subways

But if you are in a city that does, be wary on January 10th, which is the date of the annual No Pants Subway Ride. Apparently Salt Lake City is one of the places where this will take place which will mean that the special underwear will be on display.

A great time to be a Pittsburgh fan

From today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

The Steelers went 12-4 against a brutal schedule, won the AFC North Division and have as much chance as any team of winning the Super Bowl.

The Penguins, though in something of a deep funk, still have Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury. Remember two things: Hardly anyone looked at them as a Stanley Cup favorite at this time last season, and invaluable defenseman Sergei Gonchar will be back for the playoffs.

Pitt is No. 1 in the country and could get to the Final Four.

We really are lucky.

What a great time to be a Pittsburgh sports fan.

 

Of course, it could all disintegrate on Sunday, but until then I am in seventh heaven (with Jessica Biel).

Random Thoughts for the New Year

• For those of you who missed New Year's Eve on TV:
  
  • T.I. rang in the New Year on Carson Daly's show; quite frankly there is no person that equates hope for the New Year than T.I.
    
  • The Ting Tings rocked the same show.
    
  • Miley gave a do-gooder whose mother is recovering from breast cancer a day to remember including much bling, hangin' with her friends, a parade, and performances by Miley and her brother's band.
    
• I am sure many of you heard about the man who left gasoline bombs around Aspen which shut down all New Year's Eve activities. In stories addressing those incidents you always get someone who knew the perp that says "You would never suspect [ ] of doing such a thing." Well, this guy, per the NY Times, was sentenced to prison on various larceny and forgery charges, climbed to the top of the county courthouse and threatened to hang himself, confronted local officials in a bar, and was a heavy-drinking womanizer. Yeah, I guess you would never be suspicious of such a guy.
  
• The New Year is starting off with a bang for male fashion. There is going to be a male version of Spanx. Prices start at $100 per garment, but surely like BluRay players, the price will come down. Of course, men who rely on Manx to mate, can never take the shirt off for fear of exposing his real physique. I hope those garments are odorless and moisture-wicking.
  
• This is also going to be a big year for competitive dance with Michael Flatley rolling out a new show for NBC called "Superstars of Dance". And, of course, there will be new seasons of "Dancing with the Stars" and "Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew III".
  
• In the recipe for disaster department, MTV offers "Bret Michaels Rock 'n' Roll Bus" – I just know this will not end well.
  

A Video Preview to Slumdog Millionaire

MIA Slumdog Millionaire Remix - Slumdog Millionaire