August 05, 2006
Football!
The football season starts this week with preseason games. At last, something better to watch than the usual boring summer tv fare.
2006 Green Bay Packers Schedule
2006 Preseason
Date Opponent Time
Aug 12 @San Diego 9:00pm
Aug 19 Atlanta 7:00pm
Aug 28 @Cincinnati 7:00pm
Sep 1 Tennessee 3:00pm
2006 Schedule
Date Opponent Time
Sep 10 Chicago 3:15pm
Sep 17 New Orleans 12 noon
Sep 24 @Detroit 12 noon
Oct 2 @Philadelphia 7:30pm
Oct 8 St. Louis 12 noon
Week 6 BYE
Oct 22 @Miami 12 noon
Oct 29 Arizona 12 noon
Nov 5 @Buffalo 12 noon
Nov 12 @Minnesota 12 noon
Nov 19 New England 12 noon
Nov 27 @Seattle 7:30pm
Dec 3 N.Y. Jets 12 noon
Dec 10 @San Francisco 3:05pm
Dec 17 Detroit 12 noon
Dec 21 Minnesota 7:00pm
Dec 31 @Chicago 12 noon
August 04, 2006
Preseason Preview
The Sports Illustrated Green Bay Packers preseason review is online at SI Preview. If the appraisal is to be believed it doesn't look like a good season, but preseason prognosticators have been wrong before.Scary
Exploding Powerbooks!
From Cult of Mac via Wired Online 4 August 2006
By Leander Kahney and Pete Mortensen
Ever wondered just why Apple issued those PowerBook battery recalls? Giant explosions, as reader Kevin submitted, via his "sister's friend:"
"Just a warning to everyone: we woke up this morning at 6 a.m. because the apartment was filled with smoke and our laptop was on fire. It wasn't plugged in, and it had been put to 'sleep' over night. It's only a year old, so the lesson is: DON'T LEAVE YOUR LAPTOP ON UNATTENDED!"
Ouch. Stay safe, kids.
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Thankfully, my PowerBook doesn't have one of the batteries that can explode.
August 02, 2006
A Prairie Home Companion
My favorite movie so far this year is A Prairie Home Companion. Filmed in St. Paul, it's a hometown movie with universal appeal and typical Altman touches that I like so much in his movies, particularly two favorites, Nashville and The Straight Story.
One thing I enjoyed is that it is filmed much like a stage play, right down to striking the set at the end. The emphasis is on acting and story, wonderfully entertaining and thought-provoking. I highly recommend it.
I previously posted Roger Ebert's review in "Our Prairie Home."
Small Movies
I've seen a few movies in the last month or so, which is fairly unusual. Too many movies these days seem aimed at teenage boys — emphasis on all action with a thin plot, all technology with a thin plot, usually accompanied by what can best be characterized as bad acting.
I seem to be gravitating to what I call "small movies." These films aren't necessarily indies (though they may be) but non-blockbusters where the story and the acting are the distinguishing characteristics.
I've previously posted something on the must-see documentary of the year, Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. I'll add some more observations on movies I've seen lately.
I seem to be gravitating to what I call "small movies." These films aren't necessarily indies (though they may be) but non-blockbusters where the story and the acting are the distinguishing characteristics.
I've previously posted something on the must-see documentary of the year, Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. I'll add some more observations on movies I've seen lately.
Franken on Gibson
My Plan for Rehabilitating Mel Gibson
By Al Franken
So, I don't think Mel Gibson should be totally drummed out of the business. I think he should just have to start all over again. Put him in a movie as an "under-five" (an actor who has fewer than five lines). Make him play BUSBOY #2 in a Matthew McConaughey comedy.
Watching the dailies, a producer might say, "Hey, that busboy who said, 'You dropped your napkin, sir' - he's pretty good."
Then the director will say, "Of course, he's good. That's Mel Gibson."
And then the producer will say, "Oh, yeah, that's right. In my next movie, let's give him a slightly bigger role."
Then in about five or six years he could be rehabilitated and have his own sitcom.
By Al Franken
So, I don't think Mel Gibson should be totally drummed out of the business. I think he should just have to start all over again. Put him in a movie as an "under-five" (an actor who has fewer than five lines). Make him play BUSBOY #2 in a Matthew McConaughey comedy.
Watching the dailies, a producer might say, "Hey, that busboy who said, 'You dropped your napkin, sir' - he's pretty good."
Then the director will say, "Of course, he's good. That's Mel Gibson."
And then the producer will say, "Oh, yeah, that's right. In my next movie, let's give him a slightly bigger role."
Then in about five or six years he could be rehabilitated and have his own sitcom.