Author Archives: Rob MacD

Today I thought to myself “What song would I be embarrassed to admit I like?” The first song that popped into my head: Patio Lanterns by Kim Mitchell.

I’m not sure why I’m embarrassed to like this song. It’s not a song I think about often, if ever. I don’t have it in my music collection. I hear it about maybe once every 3 or 4 years, I’m guessing. It’s not a bad song, has nice harmonies, invokes pleasant memories of adolescence. Yet, I am. I am embarrassed to admit I like this song. And what is astonishing to me is how immediately it answered my question.

Those of you trying to figure me out can add this bit of trivia to your theses.

And what of you? What song are you embarrassed to like?

I think it’s over at Delta Tango Bravo where there was a post about great names.

One of the greatest, I think, has to be Lotta Hitschmanova, she of the USC television ad from the CBC of the past.

Before peaking at this website, or any other documentation, who will be the first to correctly post the address that will be forever associated with Lotta Hitschmanova.

The prize for posting the correct answer is the respect and admiration of an entire blogging community (yes, I can speak on behalf of us all).

This is entertaining: Cartoon Laws of Physics

And, in something of the same vein, this (from 1990) is too: Coyote V. Acme (although I also seem to recall seeing something like this earlier than 1990, in National Lampoon)

So, this’ll be my longest post so far, maybe ever. I’ve looked through the list of all 254 films eligible for nomination for Best Picture of 2003 Academy Awards and picked out some I think might receive some form of recognition. This list is alphabetical.

AMERICAN SPLENDOR – I didn’t see this movie. Yet based on other’s opinions, I think it has a chance at a Best Picture Nomination. However, in lieu of that, Paul Giamatti will get a nom for Best Actor instead.
BAD SANTA – Won’t get close to a Best Picture nomination. Billy Bob may have a small chance at a Best Actor nom. There’s an even slighter chance for a Supporting Actor.
BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM – This movie was so long ago, I think people will have forgotten about it. If it had come out later in the year, there might be a ‘Greek Wedding’ surge to nominate it, but it ain’t gonna happen. Good movie, though.
BIG FISH – didn’t see it. Too many unsatisfied reviews to get it a Best Picture nod, but I think it’s within the realm of possibility for a Best Director choice. Won’t happen, though.
CITY OF GOD – Didn’t see it. Another movie that’s been out too long and lost the buzz? May still get on the Best Picture list. Will it win Best Foreign? Yes.
COLD MOUNTAIN – Didn’t see it. Don’t really want to. Will probably get some nominations: Best Picture, Actress.
THE COOLER – I think this might be a long shot for a nomination or two. Maybe a supporting actor for Alec Baldwin. I doubt it though.
ELEPHANT – Made it up high in some ‘best of’ lists. I don’t think it’s the Academy’s cup of tea, though. Wouldn’t surprise me to see it nominated for Best Picture. Won’t win though.
FINDING NEMO – If there was no ‘Best Animated’ category, this might make it into Best Picture. It’ll be in, and win ‘Best Animated’.
IN AMERICA – Didn’t see it, kinda scared/tired of the poor irish experience. But pretty much all accounts rave about how moving it is. Should get a Best Picture nom, and maybe a Supporting Actress for one of the kids.
INTOLERABLE CRUELTY – I liked this movie quite a bit, yet don’t think it’ll make it into many Oscar categories, if any. But you should never underestimate the fans that the Cohen brothers have in Hollywood. A longshot for winning anything, slightly less so for being nominated.
KILL BILL – VOL.1 – I wonder if this’ll get any nominations. I doubt it. Afterall, it’s a movie, not a film.
THE LAST SAMURAI – Didn’t see it. Will likely get a Best Picture, Best Actor nomination.
LAUREL CANYON – Maybe a Best Actress for Frances McDormand. Didn’t see it.
TLOTR: TROTK – Should get a Best Director, Best Picture nomination. Plus will win pretty much all of the technical awards. No acting nominations.
LOST IN TRANSLATION – Will be up for Best Picture, Best Actor. Maybe Best Director, not likely Best Actress.
LOVE ACTUALLY – Might get up there on a nomination or two. Maybe a supporting Actor or Actress. Nothing more.
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD – I’m guessing a Best Picture nomination, a Best Actor nomination, maybe Best Director, plus some technical nods.
MONSTER – It might get a Best Picture nod. It will get the nomination, and win the Best Actress award.
MYSTIC RIVER – Likely best Director, Best Picture, Best Actor nominations.
OWNING MAHOWNY – Likely too small and too far in the past to be remembered, but I’m guessing Philip Seymour Hoffman will get nominated for Best Actor.
SEABISCUIT – Likely nominated for Best Cinematography, maybe Best Picture, but it was such a long time ago this year.
THE STATION AGENT – A long shot for anything, but might slip through to grab a nomination in something.
THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE – Will get nominated for Best Animated Film, but will be hard-pressed to beat Finding Nemo.

And, to put it all on the line, here is my pre-announcement guess for what will get nominated for Best Picture. This is not necessarily what I think should be nominated, but what likely will get nominated:

Best Picture: The nominees are:

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Mystic River
Lost In Translation
In America

A few days ago, at the supermarket checkout (or ‘cheque-oat’ for our Candian friends) I saw the front cover of the Weekly World News. It featured a picture of BatBoy. I forget the exact reason BatBoy was featured, but I would assume that he was being accused of being involved in or responsible for some current-day story.

Anyway, this got me to thinking that perhaps there was a way for me to gain, financially, from the ever-expanding BatBoy phenomenon. See, I have a 10 year old son who likes to put on shows, to act. I’m quite confident that the folks who do Extreme Makeovers would be able to reconfigure his features so that he closely resembles BatBoy.

Teach him how to make up gibberish and we’d travel North America and beyond, looking for stories and events at which BatBoy (the real, with honest to God photographic proof, BatBoy) could appear. Or, maybe, you got an event that you want after-the-fact publicity for? Just give me a call and we can ensure that the freak of nature BatBoy shows up and, depending on your wishes, causes havoc or hands out awards. Either way, it’s publicity, guaranteed.

Anyone know the phone number for Extreme Makeovers?

Checking out people who’ve linked to this site, and this one tells us to look around because ‘she is funny’. Meaning me. I remember Matt telling me one time that someone else (I forget who) thought that I was female, based on reading these posts.

What is it about this site, or my writing, that would make people believe this?

Tonight on Great Performances, they feature French impressionist Edgar Degas. From what I understand, he does a great young Jerry Lewis.

I just read in the TV Guide about a new, upcoming program, on Fox, I believe. I don’t know the title, but the concept is this:

People gather to receive extreme makeovers. Then, shortly after they’re healed, they compete in a beauty pageant against each other.

I don’t know what the winner receives, but the losers most likely receive a lifetime of therapy.

I’ll be passing on this one.

The room is booked and the scripts are being written, so I feel safe enough to make this announcement:

There will be comedy in Charlottetown this summer. Thursday and Friday nights at the ARTS Guild throughout July and August.

I’m part of a newly formed group, tentatively calling ourselves The Cable 10 Players (I’m guessing the name’ll change) and we’ll be presenting sketch comedy of both the theatrical and videological variety. Because it’s still being written, we don’t yet have a name for it.

Stay tuned for updates as they become warranted.

Because I know some of you probably haven’t been sleeping well since I announced that gel would no longer be a required addition to my daily hair routine, I thought I’d update you all on what’s been happening, follically speaking.

My hair has been growing well, thanks. In fact, it’s longer now than it’s been since I was, perhaps, 14 years old (although, to be accurate, my hair doesn’t seem to get long. Just thick). After much consideration as to what style I’d implement (now that no-gel makes the ‘parted on the side’ look of the past 20 years impossible), I decided I’d go with “no style”. That is to say, wash, towel dry and voila: what’s left is my style. Of course, because the hair is so fine, no-style is the only style that would hold anyway, so really, it was no decision.

And how’s it going? I’d say it ‘works’ about 58 percent of the time. About 6 out of ten glances in a mirror leave me feeling adequately satisfied as to how it looks. Maybe 2 glances of 10 leave me thinking “ugh I must change this”. Yet, because I am now talking about glancing in the mirror, I fear that I am falling into a “I’m a pretty pony” syndrome and because of that, I fear that I’m losing my mind. Losing my mind under a huge unstyled head of blond hair.

Worry for me, people. While I’m mostly coping well enough with the new feel of hair on my head, and on my forehead, I do have moments where I wonder how much gel is left in the bathroom. I have moments where I hear me thinking “a buzz cut would look good, and be just as easy…no, easier, to take care of”. Today, I told my wife and a co-worker that I was going to get my hair cut, and I intended to. At the last moment, though, I changed my mind, sucked up the courage to stick it out with this no-style hair for just one more day.

Tomorrow, I hope that I’ll convince myself of the same again.

Just one more day.