'What's My Line' Dies Again

No sooner do I get used to a daily ritual of watching the previous night's rerun of What My Line from 3 AM than the Game Show Network pulls the plug and starts running Card Sharks instead. As you saw in my previous post, GSN began running WML and I've Got a Secret in the middle of the night just a few weeks ago. Then they aburuptly stopped. It may be they were contractually obligated to show all their episodes before the end of 2010 or they'd have to pay extra. In any event, I don't understand the creative or financial reasons for stopping the WML and IGAS repeats. Nobody is watching at that hour anyway so they may as well show someting that might interest nostalgia buffs like me instead of Card Sharks which was a rather uninteresting game show during the 1980s. Seriously, is anyone DVRing Card Sharks?

GSN used to have a whole lineup of panel shows from the 1950s and 60s on Sunday nights when the network first started, including incredibly obscure titles like The Name's the Same, a What's My Line rip-off featuring panelist Joan Alexander who did the voice of Lois Lane in the Superman radio series and the 1960s cartoon version. The object was the guess the name of the contestant which was the same as a famous person or thing. One young lady challenger was named A. Fish. (Get it?)

When I announced the WML tragedy on Facebook, my cousin Debbie commented that she remembered I used to love WML and IGAS when I was very little, like five years old, and would do imitations of the regular panelists. I don't recall ever imitating Arlene Francis or Dorothy Kilgallen, but I do remember being so obsessed with To Tell the Truth, I transcribed the "affadavits" of the contestants and recorded who was the real person and who were the impostors, keeping all that info in a notebook which I still have (My favorite contestant was Frank Zane, a Mr. Universe, for obvious reasons). We would watch Dark Shadows, have dinner and then TTTT. I also remember the panelists on To Tell the Truth included Kitty Carlisle and hearing a story that Carlisle wore a different dress every day and kept all of them. Her neighbors lost all their possession in a fire and she refused to lend them any clothes. (Well, that was the story anyway.)

The obsession with To Tell the Truth came when the show was in syndication and was on every night at 7PM, followed by What's My Line at 7:30PM. Coincidentally, the moderator of To Tell the Turth during its network run was Bud Collyer who provided the voice of Superman on the radio and the 1960s cartoon series, playing opposite Joan Alexander as Lois. I knew Gary Moore as the host of TTTT during its syndication. WML was hosted by Tony winning actor Larry Blyden who died as a result of a car accident while in Morocco right after the show ended its run. This was all during the 1970s. I guess I wanted to be a regular panelist on one of those shows when I was kid. I couldn't think of a more fun job, playing games and hobnobbing with celebrities.

Scenes from the Life of an Amateur Comic Book Collector (20)--Letters to Lois Lane

In the recent haul of comic books (see previous blog), there are several Lois Lanes from the early 1960s into the 1970s. During this period, Lois was constantly scheming to marry Superman and when she wasn't doing that, she was in the past or on another planet scheming to marry a Superman Substitute--a hero with super muscles and a secret identity--like Astonishing Man, Titanic Man, Super-Male, Achilles in Ancient Greece, Robin Hood, Petronius, etc. It can also be quite revealing to read the letter column and see how it reflects the social mores of the day.

In Lois Lane No. 45 (1963), Elva Evans of Sheffield, Texas, writes "I am 23, a housewife with 3 children, but they are fairly good children, and I keep my house clean. It takes about four hours to clean it and prepare meals, so I have quite a bit of spare time to read, which is my favorite hobby. I just love Lois Lane. She's as cute as a button, always getting into hot water. (She reminds me of Mary Tyler Moore of the Dick Van Dyke Show, the way she is always getting into trouble and crying her pretty little head off.)"

Only four hours to clean and prepare meals? What is this woman, Supergirl? The letter also shows were her priorities are: the home and getting pregnant. Three kids at 23? It was probably common in those days. By fairly good children, does she mean they don't make a lot of noise so Mommy can read her comic books? And BTW, Laura Petrie of the DVD Show cried a lot more than Lois. During the late 1930s and 1940s when Lois was first introduced, she was a lot more daring and independent, always out to get her scoops without Superman's help. Then in the 1950s when soliders returned from the war and everyone wanted a stable homelife, Lois realized her greatest ambition was not to be a top newspaperwoman, but to be Mrs. Superman.

In the same letters column, Alan Dean of Jasksonville, Ind. suggests actors to play the Superman family. He says MTM should play Lois and Richard Egan as Superman. Richard Egan??? I think his biggest credit was A Summer Place as Sandra Dee's father who is having an affair with Dorothy McGuire. Alan also suggests Virgina Gibson as Lana Lang. Who?? I checked imdb and she had small parts in Funny Face and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. She was also nominated for a Tony Award for Happy Hunting with Ethel Merman. Maybe she had red hair. The topper is his idea for Lex Luther-William Frawley. Fred Mertz as the biggest supervillain ever? The editor rightfully responds to Alan's casting with less than enthuiastic tones: "Frankly, we're not impressed. Most of your nominations involved personalities who are not too widely known. And William Frawley, although an excellent actor, seems too old to play Luthor. We'll throw this open to our readers and invite them to send in nominations which have a better chance of scoring a bull's eye." Oh snap, Alan.

Best DVR Week Ever

This had to be one of the best weeks for my DVR ever. The Game Show Network has started showing the old black and white What's My Line at 3 AM weeknights. The Sundance Channel has gotten all Bravo and Logo-y with Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys, a docu-series about straight women who are best friends with gay men. Batman had two of the campiest episodes ever--Hizzoner the Penquin, wherein the wily bird runs for Mayor of Gotham City; and The Devil's Fingers, the highest-rated Bat-episode ever because it starred Liberace. And to top it all off, the BEST Big Bang Theory yet with Leonard, Sheldon, Penny, Raj, and Howard headed to the comic book store for a New Year's Eve party dressed as the Justice League of America. New regular Zack, Penny's current hunky substitute for Leonard, is drafted into playing Superman. The scene at the end was priceless with the comic book store owher dressed as Doctor Who No. 4 (Tom Baker) announcing the winner of the best costumed group as the JLA--and there are THREE JLAs.

Where to begin? WML is like taking a time machine back to the 1950s when Broadway and movie stars would drop by to fool the blindfolded panel who were in formal wear to play sophisticated parlor games. America knew what was playing on Broadway then and cared. Not like now when the only show people know about is Spider-Man.

The Sundance series is fun and growing on me. But the hot guys in the ads on the sides of the bus aren't even on the show and they are way hunkier than the regular subjects.

The Batman episodes were a hoot. In the Penquin show, the pompous waddling kingpin of crime runs for mayor of Gotham and the script satirizes Barry Goldwater, polls, TV commentators, debates, etc. At one point game show hosts like Dennis James and Allen Luden play political TV anchormen as the Dynamic Duo and Pengy fight a mob of crooks at a jeweler's convention. The commentators cover the bat-fight as if it's a political convention--get it?

The Liberace segments were beyond absurd with the swishy maestro romancing Aunt Harriet and flirting with a trio of gorgeous lady crooks.

Oh, and DADT was repealed. So it was a perfect week.

Sarah Palin at Burger King

So I'm having dinner at Burger King on Monday night. I know it's bad for me but I was in a hurry. I had to make a 7 PM curtain to see Donny and Marie: A Broadway Christmas which I was reviewing (It will be posted on the Back Stage website by now.) Anyway, this BK on Broadway and about 40th Street, right by where they have the Fashion Walk of Fame, has a TV monitor where they show trivia questions and headlines with news photos. I'm sitting there munching on a Chicken Sandwich and some onion rings while reading a 1968 Superman comic book and who should appear on the TV screen but goddamn Sarah Palin, the bane of my existence.

On display was a photo of Sister Sarah on her recent visit to Haiti for publicity and to gain legit cred for actually having visited a foreign country she can't see from her house. The caption reads: Sarah Palin visits Haiti and gains valuable foreign relations experience and humanitarian kudos. I almost spat out a hunk of onion ring! Who was writing these right-wing-leaning captions? "Valuable foreign relations experience? Humanitarian kudos?" What did she do bring them some caribou meat? BTW, I watched her dreadful reality show for maybe five minutes, it was all I could take.

I noticed a definite conservative bias in the news reporting at this Burger King. A few weeks ago while chowing down another Chicken sandwich and reading a Batman comic, there was a photo of Nancy Pelosi and the caption read something about the national deficit being this enormous, horrible number and it was due to the Democratic-controlled Congress. Who is running this newsfeed at BK? I'm almost tempted to ask the manager who gave them the programming for their flat screens. Most of it was innocuous trivia like which actor was never in a Harry Potter film or who won which Super Bowl? Anyway, if it happens again, I'm definitely asking.

Oh, and Donny made a joke about Bristol Palin during the show--Donny won Dancing with the Stars and Marie only came in third, like Bristol. Marie was saying she didn't do so badly and Donny teased her for being no better than Bristol. So he just went up in my estimation.

Batman on The Hub

Batman, the hit 1966-69 TV version of the comic book hero, has recently begun a run on the new cable network The Hub. Now is my chance to get all my favorite episodes on DVD. As you may know, this is probably the ONLY TV series not to be on DVD--I mean they have all five seasons of Gilligan's Island, Family Ties, The Odd Couple, HR Puffinstuff, the Brady Bunch and myriad other pieces of video crap preserved for all time, but not the Caped Crusader. It has something to do with who controls the rights. If the series were on DVD, it would make a fortune. I'm worried the reruns are snipping out little pieces here and there in order to fit in a few more commercials. Anyway, I have some episodes from when the series was on American Family Life every Fri.

My favorite episodes were from the second season when the humor was very campy but had not yet descended to the utter bizarreness of the Batgirl third season. That was when the budget was totally slashed. Anytime the script called for a set that wasn't already built--such as stately Wayne Manor, the Batcave, Commissionner Gordon's office or Barbara Gordon's apartment--they used a black void with some furniture thrown in.

The second season had such kooky villains as Egghead, The Black Widow (as played by Tallullah Bankhead), The Archer, Clock King, Ma Parker (Shelley Winters), Marsha, Queen of Diamonds, the Minstrel, etc.

Bruce Wayne lived in an adolescent world, the only recurring female character--until Batgirl showed up--was Aunt Harriet, a substitute mother for the orphaned Bruce and Dick--or a house mother in the all-male fraternity of the Batcave. Aunt Harriet is a fascinating figure. She is supposed to be the aunt of Dick Grayson. In the comic book, Dick is abandoned when his trapeze-artist parents are killed but Bruce Wayne steps in and adopted the kid. The rather patrician Mrs. Harriet Cooper doesn't seem to be the type to have acrobats in her family. The real reason Madge Blake as Mrs. Cooper was brought into the Wayne household was because it was feared a household full of men would seem too gay. Yes, sexy Madge made the Dynamic Duo seem as straight as a quiver of arrows.

If you look in the Batman comic books pre-1966, you occasionally catch a glimpse of Bruce and Dick sharing a room. Yes, they sleep in separate beds, but doesn't it seem a bit odd for a 30-ish strapping bachelor, and a millionaire to boot, to be sharing a bedroom in a huge mansion with an adoloscent boy? What did Aunt Harriet have to say about that? And didn't she get suspicious that those two were always off bird watching or fishing together? "Hello, Commissioner Gordon, can I have your child abuse deptartment?"

But I never saw any of those other levels when I watched Batman as a kid. It was an action-adventure show to me, not a campy spoof. Just now I watched the one with Sandman and Spryng Byington as J. Pauline Spaghetti. At eight, it went straight over my head that her character's name was a take-off on J. Paul Getty. But even I got tired of it in third season when they jumped the shark and added Batgirl. Still, I often think about what would have happened in a fourth season which would have happened if ABC hadn't destroyed the Batcave set after cancelling the show. NBC was willing to give the Dynamic Duo another shot, but they didn't want to spend $100,000 to build another Batcave.

I had to be satisfied with the Batman cartoons CBS was showing along with Superman, Aquaman, and other DC heroes in the early 1970s. At least in those, Aunt Harriet has mysteriously vanished. They were actually pretty good and Ted Knight did almost all the voices including Penquin, Joker, Riddler, Commissioner Gordon, the narrator, Mr. Freeze, and dozens of others. There were new weird villains including the Judge and Simon the Pieman--that was an exciting segment. The later Batman cartoons with Adam West and Burt Ward doing the voices were pretty stupid because they included Bat-Mite.

There's some much to write about Batman and I've just scracthed the Bat-surface.

The Amazing Race 17--Episode 10--Nick Shows His True Colors

After the most exciting and exotic episode of season 17 of The Amazing Race, we returned to familiar terrority this week--Hong Kong, a city we've been too at least three or four times, and one I've actually been to once. I distinctly remember a leg in this city in season two when teams had to find the White Star Line ferry and then find a fortune teller in a crowded market. Then in the season with the Asian-American father/daughter team weren't they here again and didn't they have to chauffeur some people and then find a real bouquet amid a store full of fakes? Or was that Tokyo? If I had my book about the Amazing Race--"My Ox Is Broken"--I could look it up, but I left it upstate.

Anyway, the main take-away from Episode 10 is that Nick is a jerk. At first I kinda liked this team because they didn't take themselves too seriously and admitted they were dumber than a bag of hammers. But then Nick started getting crankypants and nasty to Vicki. This week was too much, after bawling her out for missing the ferry because of her ashthma, laughing when Claire threw up, letting Vicki do all the work of eating all that sushi, he basically gave up on the sampan challenge and went to sleep leaving Vicki to keep searching for the number matching their bird cage. He quit just like Sarah Palin while his poor girlfriend who did not give up even after tossing her cookies, was still trying. I knew it was a non-elimination leg because there were still two episodes left before the finale, so the ending of this episode came as no surprise. They will probably luck out and there will be some kind of time equalizer in Korea. Nick is wrong; they are the luckiest team on the race. This is the second time they were saved because of a non-elimination. They will have to fly to get to Seoul, it's not a long flight. I took it when my Dad and I were on our big around-the-world trip in 1996.

Other observations this week: Jill and Thomas have NOTHING to be ashamed of for U-turning Brooke and Claire. Thomas is right, it's all part of the game and Team Home Shopping should take it as a compliment that they were seen as such a threat. Jill and Thomas made a serious mistake by taking the trolley rather than the sampan, but they realized their mistake and took the other roadblock quickly. I knew it would be harder to find three neon signs amid the glittering jungle of Hong Kong rather than locating a series of numbers on all those boats. That's only one serial number instead of three clues and you don't even know what you're looking for.
I think it's going to come down to Jill and Thomas vs. Nat and Kat. Claire will hold Brooke back.

Day 18--Wait for night flight from Dhaka to Singapore to Hong Kong, leaves 8 PM.
Day 19--Arrive Hong Kong, probably mid-day, challenges into the the late night, 4AM for Nick and Vicki

Oh and BTW, if Bristol Palin were the best dancer on Dancing With the Stars, I would have said she deserved to win, but she wasn't so she deserved to lose, regardless of her family and politics.

Scenes from the Life of an Amateur Comic Book Collector (19)--Supergirl and Superhorse: The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Naaaah-me

A few weeks ago I acquired the largest haul of my comic book collecting career, several hundred comics from the early 1960s into the 1970s, almost all of them DC. I was at a birthday party for a neighbor when I started chatting with another neighbor. I mentioned my collecting craze. It turned out she had all her comic books from when she was a little girl and wanted to get rid of them to clean out her storage space. She wanted them to go to a good home and didn't want to have to drag them to a dealer. So I volunteered to take them off her hands.

My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I say she had four boxes stuffed to the gills with Silver Age stuff. I did have quite a lot of them already, but many I did not including a lot of Teen Titans, Aquaman, Green Lanterns, Inferior Fives, etc. We agreed on a price and with my granny shopping cart, hauled them back to my place. I haven't been able to read much else since--I did finish Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow and The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion, both short novels which did not interrupt the flow of Superman, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen. I also postponed my reading of the Fantastic Fours I had recently acquired, deciding to take a break from Marvel's nonstop soap opera of the past few decades.

Among the stories I had not read before where several of Supergirl's adventures. She was the second feature in Action Comics for many years before migrating over to Adventure. Hers is in interesting saga reflecting the shifting attitudes towards women in American society. When she lands on Earth after surviving the desctruction of Argo City, she is 15 and her cousin Superman decides she is not ready to start serving mankind. She must be his secret emergency weapon and hide as an orphan. the idea of a Superwoman equally as powerul as Superman was too alien and threatening a concept for the DC creative team. If there is a female superbeing, she must be a girl, not a grown woman. Later she is sprung on an unsuspecting public, but unlike her manly cousin, the maid of might is suspectable to female failings, like romance.

In one of the weirdest relationships in comics, Supergirl acquires a pet Superhorse. You know the stereotype that all girls love horses, right? Well, this one is special, and not just because he has superpowers. Comet the Superhorse is actually a centaur from ancient Greece transformed into a full horse by a magic spell from an evil wizard. Circe the sorceress cannot reverse the spell but takes pity on him and grants him the powers of the gods like flying and superstrength. He time travels to the present and Supergirl adopts him. She is unaware of his unnatural attraction to her--he is really half-human after all. When a certain comet is within earth's orbit, the spell is broken and Comet can become a man. He assumes the guise of a cowboy and Supergirl in her secret identity of Linda Lee falls in love with him. The implications of interspecies love are lost to the comic writers. Fortunately, the comet leaves Earth's orbit and Comet reverts back to being all horse. What kind of children would they have had?? Though he is telepathic, Comet never reveals his true feelings for his human mistress. Sick, I know.

More on Supergirl: The mighty Supergirl later forgets about Superhorse. Later comics in the early 1970s reveal another weird shift in her depiction. Just as the Women's Liberation movement is gaining power, DC removed Supergirl's full strength. She falls victim to a plot by a female villainess named Starfire who arranges to have a superpower-depriving pill slipped to her by a handsome stud--again she is tricked by her female weakness for love. As a result, her superpowers come and go. Interestngly just a year or two earlier Wonder Woman lost her powers and become mortal, opening a mod fashion shop and becoming a judo expert. It's no coincidence that DC decided to weaken its two strongest female heroes just as real women were becoming more powerful and demanding to be given equal rights.

There are many more observations serious and otherwise to come based on this gigantic comic haul.

The Un-Thanksgiving

This year my partner Jerry and I were too exhausted to do anything for Thanksgiving, even cook. He had major surgery five weeks ago and is just now getting back to his old self. Plus I seemed to have more than the usual amount of stuff to do at work such as interviewing the stars of The King's Speech, putting together a panel of casting directors for Back Stage and the SAG Foundation, and covering a lot of shows. (There were more than usual for this time of year.) Jerry had spent that time recuperating, and we haven't even thought about the usual holiday stuff like what kind of turkey to get or should we invite anyone over. We finally decided to come up to our country place in upstate NY and do nothing for the whole weekend. We drove up on Tues. night.

The only work involved doing a phone interview with Guy Pearce to complete the King's Speech article (see previous blog on the interviews with Helena Bonham Carter and Colin Firth; I had spoken to Geoffrey Rush on the phone from Australia already). It was difficult to arrange, but the only time he could give me was the day before Thanksgiving. Pearce called my cellphone from Serbia where he is filming a sci-fi action picture with an international crew.

On Thanksgiving Day itself, our plan was to eat out and see a movie. We didn't even have the energy to cook our own meal. The day was overcast, we just relaxed and watched the Macy's Parade which was interesting because this year they seemed to consciously include more multicultural entertainment including an Indian dance troupe doing a salute to Bollywood and a Latino troupe doing a wild extravangza. The rest of the day I put in the storm windows for our enclosed porch and sealed the air conditioner so the back room wouldn't be drafty, then read Supergirl comics and playscripts--I'm on a committee to chose the best new play produced outside of NYC. It was strange not to be smelling cranberries or stuffing, but it was also nice to just be and not have to make an effort for the holiday.

The plan was to eat at the local Chinese restaurant and go to Unstoppable with Denzel Washington which had received good reviews for an action picture. We figured they would be open--but no, they were closed along with every other eatery around. If he had stayed in the city, we would have found something open, but up here there was nothing. I wasn't so much worried about not having a nice dinner in a restaraunt, but not getting any dinner at all. Finally, we settled on buying some sandwiches at Walmart. Yes, Walmart, the only establishment open. It was kinda weird being in the deli section of the half-empty super Walmart with employees there away from their families and a handful of customers getting a head start on their Christmas shopping. I had a ham and cheese sandwich with potato salad while Jerry had a turkey wrap. BTW, I ate a frozen turkey dinner for lunch so it wasn't totally untraditional. We eat our makeshift dinner along with potato chips and diet coke in the car and then drove to the movie. I wasn't upset or depressed we had such a non-holiday meal, it was fine. The important thing was we were together. We both were just so tired it was easier not to observe the holiday and regard it as a nice day off from all responsibilities.

The Amazing Race 17--Episode 9--Double U-Turn in Dhaka

This was the best Amazing race episode for this season. We were in an exotic and bizarre location (Dhaka, Bangladesh), the tasks were pretty challenging, teams yelled at each other while carrying bricks, and there was a double U-turn. At first I thought they were going to spend too much time at the airport, but even that usually boring sequence turned out to be pretty good when Chad was slupring on his Blizzard ("I didn't get enough graham crackers in the crust") while Jill and Thomas were smart enough not to be satisified with being on the same flight as everybody else and finding an earlier one to Bangladesh. Then the punk rockers actually showed some brains and worked to get an earlier flight, too. Though they booked one behind Jill and Thomas they were still way ahead of the other three teams.

In Bangladesh, we were introduced to a new innovation--the Double U-turn. Jill and Thomas U-turned Team Home Shopping which kinda surprised me. I do think they should have U-turned someone, unlike some other people on the internet who are saying they should have skipped it like Nick and Vicki did later because they were seven hours ahead of everyone else and there was no way anyone else was going to catch them. But it was an important strategic move if they wanted to get rid of a competitive team. I would have U turned Chad and Stephanie as the doctors later did. I don't think Brooke and Claire were as big a threat as those two. But I do have to hand it to the salesladies, the blonde pushed the one who had gotten the melon in her face in leg one really hard and they wound up neck and neck with the other teams even though they had to go all the way back to the dock and haul bricks.

Another thing I liked about this episode was that it was action packed. Even getting the first clue involved performing a task--squeezing out the juice from those bamboo things and then drinking a whole glass of it. Then they had to deliver food to a ship or haul bricks, then build a rickshaw. It all looked really tough. The doctors did the right thing in taking the second U turn and giving it to Chad and Stephanie. They had no choice. If they didn't they would have been eliminated for sure. They're just lucky the punk rockers didn't use their U turn. I'm not sad Chad and Stephanie are eliminated, but I will miss Chad's meltdowns. He was never as crazy as some of the classic Amazing Race temper tantrum throwers like Jonathan who pushed his wife in Berlin I think it was or that couple who cried when they go eliminated in Hong Kong and the guy said "I feel like our relationship just died."

Now it's looking like Jill and Thomas are the team to beat unless Brooke can drag Claire's tired ass over the finish line. I do admire Team Home Shopping, but I don't think they can beat Jill and Thomas.

Day 16--Head for airport in Muscat, book flights to Dhaka
Day 17--Arrive Dhaka, Bangladesh

The Amazing Race 17--Episodes 6, 7, and 8--Stuck in Russia

After two weeks in St. Petersburg, things finally heated up on the most recent leg of The Amazing Race. For the second time this season, we were stuck in the same city for two legs. Talk about budget cuts. Previously we hung around Accra, Ghana, now we had to mark time in St. Petersburg, a city we've visited in previous races. There were actually difficult challenges in Russia especially the classic music versus classic film one. As soon as they showed the roomful of pianos all playing different pieces, I said to msyelf, "They'll never get this." I recognized Pictures at an Exhibition, it was the theme for Cinema 13. But unbelievably Chad and Stephanie stuck to it and got it while other teams gave up despite Chad's existential despair--"I wish we could go back in time and never have picked this challenge."

The second St. Petersburg episode was actually pretty exciting with the outcome hanging by a matter of minutes and how much of a penalty the father-son team would incur. BTW, there is nothing wrong with Nick's lying at the Russian mystery roadblock. I had DVRed the episode and Undercover Boss, the next show, because of the frequent football-related delays. But this week, wouldn't you know it, goddamn football ran over by one hour and about five minutes! I didn't tape the show after Undercover Boss, so just as the camera is showing who's about to be eliminated, the sign comes on to save or delete the show. Now do I have to tape NCI or CSI or whatever it is that follows Undercover Boss? Fortunately, I was able to catch the outcome online. The father and son took a cab when they weren't supposed to and were panalized a whole 30 mins., allowing Chad and Stephanie to step in.

Episode 8 had the six remaining teams FINALLY getting out of Russia to Muscat, Oman, a totally new and exciting location. I love it when spoiled Americans are totally out of their comfort zones. Camera-hog Chad proposed to Stephanie on national TV while Nick screamed at Vicki for letting slip some info at a gas station. Miss Perky Kentucky lost her sparkle as she and Dad got lost on the way to the first task. I hope it doesn't boil down to a race between the newly engaged couple--so cute that their subtitle changed, is that a first?--and the Notre Dame guy and the Cosmetology Univ. grad. That would be so cliched, the young fit heterosexual couple winning, especailly when the producers obviously went to so mcuh trouble to get strong all-female teams. I would have no problem with Team Home Shopping winning, or the doctors, but both are behind. BTW, what is this rule you aren't allowed to pay a cab to lead you somehwere? This cost Thomas and Jill first place. Was it conspiracy to get Chad and Steph a honeymoon trip to Belize, especially after oversleeping by three hours?

Next week, or tonight actually, I am that far behind, we get the first ever double U-turn and the spoiled Americans go even further into the third world in Bangladesh which I'm sure makes Accra look like Beverly Hills.

Day 9--Drive to train station in Norway, 8:30 PM
Day 10--Train to Stockholm to get flight to St. Petersburgh
Day 11--Arrive in St. Petersburgh, film vs. music, babushka potato digging
Day 12--Circus challenge, Russian mystery
Day 13--Fly from St. Petersburg to Oman
Day 14--Arrive Oman at night
Day 15--Enter the fort, Chad proposes, day of challenges, repelling, delivering water, etc.

Crazy Monday

Monday was kind of a crazy day. I arrived at the Regency Hotel to interview Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter in connection with their new film The King's Speech. To my surprise, the whole block was cordoned off with a police barricade and there was an X-ray machine and a metal detector in front of the entrance. I had been to the Regency a few times in the past to see cabaret shows at Michael Feinstein's club, but there was never a security check, not even for Mitzi Gaynor. So to get in the building I had to give the police my bag for the X-ray machine and walk through the metal detector just like at the airport. I later heard the reason for the heavy duty security was Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, was staying at the hotel.

The interview went well. I was given about 20 minutes with the very tall Mr. Firth and ten minutes with Miss Bonham Carter who I think had a cold. She sat curled up on the sofa of her hotel suite wearing clunky glasses and the same jewelry she had on in The Hollywood Reporter cover shoot, clutching a stuffed animal and sipping tea her publicist had brought her. She graciously asked if I wanted anything, but I figured I would be in and out of there so fast, I wouldn't have time for more than a sip of anything. Geoffrey Rush was supposed to be on the junket with his co-stars, but he was still filming Pirates of the Caribbean part 37 which went overschedule.

The whole thing took about 30 minutes. Then back to the office. That night I had the weirdest dream. I dreamt I was at the Actors Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival, but I was locked out of my hotel room and no one had a schedule of the plays. I wandered through the theatre trying to figure out which plays were performing when and what I had reservations for, but no one knew. Finally, I found my way to the first play which starred Kathy Griffin and Derek Jacobi. What do you think that means? Don't answer that, except with comments--I never get any. Please, leave your interpretations of the dream.

Project Runway Season 8: Finale--Miscarriage of Justice

A week later I finally caught up with the Project Runway finale and did my imitation of Edvard Munch's The Scream when the winner was announced. All I can say is Tim Gunn was right about the judges smoking crack. What happened between the stand-off between the Nina Garcia-Michael Kors faction and the Heidi-Jessica Simpson alliance when they said they were deadlocked and then Gretchen being declared the winner? Did Nina say, "Jessica is only a guest judge and Michael and I are more important"? I was really stunned because Mondo definitely deserved to win. The two people who would actually be wearing the clothes--Heidi and Jessica--favored Mondo, but Michael and Nina were saying Gretchen's snoozefest would sell more easily at the local J.C. Penny's.

This does not make any sense and is totally inconsistant with past seasons. Last year, for instance, the judges crowned Seth Aaron's Third Reich parade in front of Der Feurher over Emilio's very wearable and pretty collection. Nina even said in the reunion show when Emilio tearfully asked why he lost that his was a "line" rather than a collection, meaning it was too everyday. Gretchen's was definitely everyday while Mondo's was a wild, fun party--so what if it was too young, Nina. Then there was Katho whose stylish yet flattering looks lost to that shy girl--can't remember her name--with the art-school concept-y wave things. (I did like them but who would wear them except to a costume party?) And let's not forget Christian's all-black, high-couture whacky train wreck with those enormous hats. I can just see wearing one of those to the Pathmark. Obviously, Michael and Nina decided being on-trend and safe was more important this time than taking a risk.

I think the real reason for their choice was those two were pissed off that Mondo did not listen to them about the circus and kept the headpieces and the bubble dress which everybody else including Heidi thought was fabulous. They rewarded Gretchen for listening to them by heightening the styling. They praised the styling but doesn't that say that the clothes themselves need help?

IMHO, Gretchen had one or two nice outfits you could wear while shopping on a summer day in Darien, Conn. or to an afternoon tea party on Cape Cod. Mondo's looks were exciting and different and definitely his own. Gretchen's were bland and that jewelry was meh. As Heidi said, it's a fashion show, not a jewelry show.

And what were those voluminous cargo pants Andy was wearing? He had some cute outfits, but they were too similar--his models looks like high-fashion elves with all that green and those star headthingies.

The Amazing Race 17--Episode 5--No Love or Hate

It's getting hard to work up any enthuiasm for this season of The Amazing Race. As noted in the last blog, there's no one to hate or love. The cutie-pie Glee nerds are gone--I know they were a couple, I just know it! Team Home Shopping aren't obnoxious enough to despise or grating enough to be annoying. Though I do notice the blonde always has the darker-hair one do the challenges, even after the latter got smashed in the face with a melon on the first episode. And like Blanche Devereaux, they will use any excuse to kiss any male, even the tractor guy in England who told them how to get to Heathrow--you would think they would have looked it up the night before. The tattooed bikers are too dumb to hate and they admit their stupidity. Chad is not arrogant enough to develop any strong emotions for. Miss Kentucky is a tad too perky for me. The volleyball girls were so bland I didn't even notice when they got eliminated this week. The father and son are OK I guess, but I got a little riled last week when their speed bump consisted of sitting on giant ice cubes for ten minutes. These speed bumps get easier and easier every year. And whoever heard of a non-elimination leg in the third episode??? That's a new one.

But I digress, this week we saw more evidence of the producers' cheapness by having the contestants drive an hour or two from Swedish Lapland to Norway rather than fly somewhere. The Notre Dame grad bragged about how many gondolas he'd been in while his costmetology-school girlfriend shrank with shame at never having been in one either airborne or on the water. They took the gondola all the way up to some mountain just to get their clue. What a letdown. The doctors took the fast forward--probably the only one on the race, remember when every leg had one? Fast Forward, we hardly knew ye.

While driving to the ff location, the non-diabetic doctor kept saying how she hoped it wasn't an eating challenge since she's a vegetarian. Doesn't she watch the show? Every season there's a gross eating challenge of some kind--tons of caviar, wasabe bombs, crickets, cow lips, etc. She shouldn't have been all surprised when they were presented with the chewy, gummy sheep's head to munch on. In the promos, they built it up as this big deal, but she just eat it with a minimum of fuss.

Having won the ff, they took first place. Then the best part came when Mr. and Mrs. biker chick went for it too and couldn't figure out what "taken" meant. What school you go at? Rule 1 of the Amazing Race: If you are in sixth place, do NOT go for the Fast Forward. It's probably already been taken (and if you don't know what that word means, I have a nice bridge in Brooklyn to sell you) and you will lose valuable time.

Instead of a fun ski down the mountain, the remaining teams had the boring tasks of repelling off a bridge and inching back up, riding bicycles and remembering what color their lock was or taking a boat ride to deliver fish and a buzzsaw. Yawn! Lots of time wasted getting lost and watching Notre Dame yell at Cosmetics U.

At least next week, we get on a plane and head for Russia to see some vodka-soaked peasants make fun of the clumsy Americans.

Day 8--Drive from Swedish Lapland to Norway

Catching Up with Reality--Project Runway, The Amazing Race and The A List

Real life has kept me from keeping up with reality TV. Project Runway is almost over and the Amazing Racers have run from Ghana to the Arctic Circle. Plus those shallow idiots on the A List New York are hot for the most part, but what a waste of pecs. All they do is bitch about what big fame whores the others are and which restaurants they can get into. They're all pretty ridic. Even I, a fame whore if ever there was one, got tired of them after one episode.

Project Runway is just about wrapped up with the final three chosen and fashion week just a few days away. I felt glad for Tim who got to visit Hawaii this time on his home visits. Usually he winds up in some unexotic place like Portland. I just finished reading his new book and he spent a great deal of time in Asia when he was working at Parsons so he must have been to Hawaii at some point. Anyway, he was visiting Andy who had done hardly anything since his textiles hadn't arrived from Laos until a few days ago. He talked a good game, but the results were disappointing for me. What was up with that bikini cape thing? The model looked like she had escaped from Victoria's Secret.

I loved it when Nina called Gretchen's samples from her collection Crunchy Granola. I thought what Gretchen was wearing was a lot chicer and more interesting than anything on her models. Her new look was drab--that green,ugh--and resembled a potato sack. Mondo was the only one who was totally safe. I loved his polka-dot evening gown. Even the little headdresses that Nina and Michael thought were too circus-y I thought worked. I would have aufed either Andy or Gretchen rather than Michael C. The main complaint seemed to be that his clothes were all the same color. That's not so bad. He reacted like they were killing his baby when he lost. "What am I gonna tell my family," he moaned. There seems to be a lot of backstory there what with the kid and the partner and the unsupportive parents who think he should be a truck driver or something. He seems to have been married before then came out as both gay and a fashion desinger.

Meanwhile on the Amazing Race, the budget cuts showed when the teams stayed in Accra, Ghana for two episodes. I really hoped the cute Glee nerds would stay. They showed their intelligence by being the only team to figure out the word-search challenge, but then Johnny's lack of athletic skill tripped them up in Sweden.

I figured out why there are so many blondes. They are probably getting a lot of pressure for an all-female team to win. So they've got a lot of strong women who just happen to be blonde. I think Team Salesmanship has the best chance to take it and I don't hate them. I don't hate any team this season and that takes some of the fun out of it. I guess the only one I kinda hate is the buff boyfriend guy cause he's been so arrogant, but he's not that bad--so I don't hate him like I hated Rob and Amber or the frat boys who lost to the hippies.

Here's a quick summary and if I feel like it I'll go deeper into episodes 2,3, and 4, but it's late and episode 5 is tomorrow, so I'll try to give a better blog on that one.

Day 3--Drive to London, six-hour flight to Accra, Ghana

Day 4--Arrive Accra, sell sunglasses, etc.

Day 5--Remain in Accra, Glee nerds win

Day 6--Flight to Frankfurt

Day 7--Arrive in Lapland

Fashion Observations

Maybe I've watched too many episodes of Project Runway, but I recently noticed a weird fashion situation on an old Golden Girls. It was the one where Dorothy and Blanche bought the same dress and both refused to return it. It was a long flowing, drapey number in champagne. Dorothy looked great because she is so tall. On the other hand all those folds made the shorter Blanche look squat, heavy--and heaven forbid--matronly. The thing is Blanche would have known that and not picked a dress that concealed her best features.

Then to compound the mistake, Blanche bought another dress--the same one Sophia picked. It was fine for an 80-year-old, but Blanche never would have chosen a navy blue outfit with sequins and a giant bow on the neckline.

Also on the subway today I saw this Asian woman who had a perfect look--great black boots, black bag, and a neat white jacket. Her Lina Wertmuller glasses with thick gray frames set the whole thing off.

Then tonight I watched Fashion Police on E! and the stylist George with some Greek last name had a really cute outfit with a gray print shirt and a vest, and a nice tie. The new trend was nerdy glasses. Maybe next time I'll get those instead of my thin frames.

Scenes from the Life of an Amateur Comic Book Collector (18)--A Pro at Two Cons

It's been too long since my last blog post. A lot has been happening--there was a major event I had to organize for work followed by one of my collegues taking a long vacation, then me getting a sinus infection, etc. But enough whining. There were two bright spots--Big Apple Con Oct. 2, followed by Comic Con on Oct. 9. Last year, these two cons threatened to be held on the same weekend this year, but Big Apple Con backed off on that game of chicken and was a week earlier. Holding it in the Penn Plaza made it seem small compared to last year's huge event at Chelsea Piers. There was the usual washed-up celebs selling their autographs and photos to make their Medicare payments--Lee Majors, Adam West, Burt Ward, all three of the Brady boys, one of the kids from Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Richard Anderson, Majors' co-star from 6 Million Dollar Man, even Oscar nominee Mary McDonnell.

The comic book pickings were pretty lean, I hoped a lot of dealers were waiting for Comic Con the following week. There was one dealer from Virginia who has some good deals with lots of Silver Age books at about $4-$5. One guy had plenty of stuff for $1; it was all Bronze Age and I was able to fill out the Fantastic Four holes.

The following week I got to Comic Con at the Javitz Center and there had to be at least 20,000 people. There weren't as many people in costume or as many interesting panels as previous years. I did see some repeat costumed people, like the same Batgirl, Black Canary and Green Arrow as at last year's Big Apple Con.

My friend Diane was there and she turned out to be a MacGyver when her sandal broke and she fixed it with a paper clip. The only celeb we saw was Carroll Spinney who plays Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street.

There were plenty of familiar superheroes including lots of Catwomen, Supermen, and Spidermen. There was one guy who had a giant inflatible TARDIS from Doctor Who on his head. But the coolest outfits had to belong to two fellows we encountered once we left the con and started to head to Ninth Ave. in search of a restaurant. They were Unemployed Man and the Master of Degrees, promoting their own graphic novel (pictured above). I asked if the guy in the college grad gown if he was supposed to be Mastermind, a villain from Justice League of America # 28 The Case of the Forbidden Superpowers, who dressed in a college cap and gown to denote his superior brain.

There were lots of great buys at Comic Con and I didn't spend any more than $3 on a book. I did buy Action #368 without realizing I already had it and that the copy was damaged with a rip through all the pages. On top of that I thought I was going to pay $1 for it, but the dealer said "That's a $2 book, it wound up in the $1 box." I should have said, "But it's in the $1 box, so I should have it for a buck." Too late now. The highlights were finding lots of Jack Kirby Capt. Americas, and some good Jimmy Olsens and Lois Lanes.

The Amazing Race 17--Season Premiere--Too Many Blondes

There are just too many blondes on this season of The Amazing Race. In addition to the obvious blonde beach volleyball players (zoom in on the cleavage as she zooms in for the ball), there's the blonde doctor, the blonde home-shopping host, the blonde Miss Kentucky, and two of the girlfriends in the heterosexual couples are blonde. That's seven blondes--and they all look alike. I can't tell them apart. What is going on? Did CBS send out a memo to the producers reading "We're losing the young straight males, make sure you hire plenty of bimbos next season." (It's just a joke, so no letters please. But do comment if you're offended, blondes. I have a total of 152 posts and maybe 7 comments.)

Anyway, stupid football ran long again so I had to record Undercover Boss. It's too early to pick favorites, but I love the nerdy glee team. Jonathan is so adorable and I feel I could invite them and the two African-American guys from the cast of the Wiz over for a Golden Girls and Designing Women marathon, if you catch my drift. I like the Tattooed Couple too because they admit they're stupid and may look bad ass but are totally humble. Chad and Stephanie think they're badass but got totally humbled when they allowed the nerds to beat them in the turtleshell boat challenge and then dropped three places in the race to the pit stop when they got lameass lost.

Overall, this was an exciting beginning with lots of challenges and an unexpected twist with the Express Pass-but if they explained it one more time I would have screamed (at the same volume as if they had had said "Throw him under the bus" on Project Runway one more time.) There are too many similar teams with no enough variations. They're all too young and perky--the dads are the only older people and they're probably my age or younger (early 50s). It looks like they're going to new locations. They have been to London before, but not Stonehenge and next week it's off to Ghana. So they are not staying in safe, comfortable Europe, but heading straight into the third world right away and giving everyone cultural shock in the second episode. PLus, it's a loong flight from London to Accra, the Ghanese capital, so it looks like they are making good on their promise to make this one of the most grueling races ever.

Day 1--Gloucester, Mass to Logan airport in Boston

Day 2--Arrive London, drive to Stonehenge, then Castle in Tewksbury

Winners--Jill and Thomas--bland white het couple,loot: Express Pass.

Project Runway Season 8: Episodes 8 and 9: Battle for Most Hideous

The designers should know by now that if they are given two days for a challenge, there's going to be a big twist coming. For Episode 9 they had to create a whole second look--ready to wear based on their couture design. Ironically Michael C. whom everyone thinks is a lousy craftsman was already almost finished with his burgundy train wreck. So he was in the clear. It's also funny that even though he was in the bottom, the judges still said it was a well-made train wreck while Ivy and Valerie, the nasty naysayers of Michael C. from Team Luxe, had crappily made train wrecks. Ivy's was really bad with this blue material that looked like crepe paper sloppily attached. It looked like a little girl's Halloween costume. Valerie wasn't much better. I liked the outfit she was wearing better. She cried because she was saved rather than Ivy.

Last week was confusion city behind the scenes according the Tim Gunn's vlog--which was taken off of Facebook, did you notice that? The producers originally had Tim report to a dance studio for a dance-based challenge and no one was there! After some frantic calls, he reported to some historical gallery where they were to do the Jackie O challenge. And even that was screwed up because they wanted American sportswear and according to Tim, she mostly wore European sportswear.

Anyway, Ivy redeemed herself, temporarily with a sheer top and flowing pantsuit. I loved the asymmetrical neckline. But she slipped up this week and now is gone.

Project Runway Season 8: Episode 7--The Last Resort

The highlight of this week's Project Runway was seeing Tim Gunn in a full business suit on that boat while the designers looked like a whore convention, especially Andy who resembled a Native American slut bucket with that Mohawk and Cher ear jewelry. The challenge was to create a resortwear outfit. The twist was they had to have another designer execute their look and vice versa. That's a good idea in fact, because a big time designer does not sew his or her own dresses. Can you imagine Betsy Johnson or Vivian Westwood at a sewing machine? I think not.

It appeared Michael C. was like the kid who always gets picked last for volleyball. In spite of his two wins, no one wanted him because if his alleged poor skills. But Mondo realized he wasn't so bad and they bonded, actually hugging by the end with Mondo apologizing for being such a bitch--I can't picture Gretchen or Ivy doing such a thing. Speaking of Ivy, she should have been the one to have been ripped off the walls (that's a pun on her name, hon). She can't blame Michael D. for her poor choice of fabrics or her ho-hum design. Her model looked like a protester at an Earth Day demonstration in 1971. That color was so blah and the blouse looked like a moo-moo on Kathy Griffin's mom (OK that was probably Michael D.'s fault, but what the hell.)

The bottom two were Ivy and Casanova, and though Casanova's work would have more appropriate for Rue McClanahan at a Florida cocktail party for seniors than at a beach in San Paolo, at least it had a certain amount of flair. And why does Casanova rate an entire clip montage when he's auffed? He wasn't that charismatic. I did like Andy's sexy bathing suit and wrap over April's punk baby doll. I loved Michael D.'s piece esp. with the asymmetrical back, I think those are always interesting.

Ivy is going down soon. I think it's interesting that all the people at the top in early episodes like Gretchen and Valerie are now in the middle most of the time and people on the bottom previously like April and Michael D. are coming out on top.

And if I hear the phrase "throwing him under the bus" one more time, I'll scream. Can't they come up with another way to describe backstabbing? How about, kicking him in the bajangas?

Project Runway 8--The Story So Far

I've been on vacation for most of August and catching up with work, so I haven't had a chance to comment on the new season of Project Runway. After viewing episode six in real time, I am finally up to date. Since we are now about halfway through the series, I wondered if it was even worth it to start talking about it here, but rather than go over each episode, I'll give my impressions of the first six here and then go episode by episode.

In his vlog Tim Gunn said he thought the judges were smoking crack this season because of some of their wacky decisions and I have to agree with him. In the very first episode they kept Jason and Casanova who made monstrosities and kept McKale whose look was rather cute. I believe they were told by the producers, "Jason is a straight guy and we need at least one and Casanova is a major drama queen, so he'll be this season's Santino. Keep them and ditch the vanilla girl.Besides we'll send her back to her baby at home and that will make us look good." (Although I only found out about that from Tim's vlog.)

In the second episode, the judges continued with their crack-smoking by choosing Gretchen as the winner when it should have been Valerie. Gretchen's jump suit was clean but not as exciting as Valerie's. And thank God they got rid of Jason who blamed being a straight guy in a gay man's world for his shortcomings. His silver Lost in Space uniform with the safetypins was obviously a piece of crap. But why did they have to get rid of two people that week? I do like having as many designers as possible--I think 17 is the most they've ever had. I also like to 90-minute format, it gives more time for Tim's critiques.

The party challenge was fun and I thought Michael C.'s flamenco dress from plastic cups was very pretty. Maybe he's not the best seamstress, but he does have good taste and good ideas--in spite of everyone else's mean attitude towards him. The African-American woman's (forgot her name, too lazy to look it up) dress was a real mess--the hem was awful--and I was surprised she wasn't on the bottom. Did they want to get rid of one of the two tall blondes that time?

I had to agree with the judges somewhat on the hat challenge. Christopher's heavy hostess outfit was a bit much, but it did not deserve to be in the bottom. Michael C.'s Hispanic spitfire gown was a little simple, but it work with the hat. I thought the other Michael's farmer-sun thing looked like cardboard.

Then it was the clusterfuck of Team Luxe versus the Misfit Toys and their military lace collection which I loved. It was cohesive and unified without hitting you over the head--or "matchy-matchy" as Nina likes to say. Gretchen took the cake in backstabbing. I couldn't believe the whole tearful team vow not to betray each other and then as soon as they get on the runway they throw Michael C. under the bus because he has immunity. He proceeds to cry like a little girl. Bravo to Tim for ripping Gretchen a new one.

Michael C. shocked everyone again with his slutty remake of the bridesmaid's outfit.
But how much longer will he be able to get by the judges?

Mexico-Las Vegas-Utah-Arizona

As you can see from the past few blogs, I had limited access to the internet while I was on vacation. I'm now back home and can finally catch up with everything including all that reality TV--the finale of Work of Art and all of the new Project Runway. I had only seen the first episode and I need to see the next five to bring myself up to date, not to mention the final two episodes of Doctor Who. I'll tackle all of that in separate blogs.

The trip was fun and unusual, slightly marred by my headaches caused by my getting used to new glasses (I'm still having problems, but a recent visit to the opthamologist may finally resolve the situation.)

We flew to Mexico City to visit friends who live there and then drove with them to Malenalco where they have a second home. We stayed there for a few days during which we drove to Taxco, a beautiful town specializing in silver. Very hilly, like a European resort. It was really pretty. We had a mini-Carmen Miranda festival, watching DVDs of two of her movies. Interesting that she was never the star, always the comic relief with one or two big numbers featured all that fruit on her head. Ironically in "Doll Face," the best number was "She Was Always True to the Navy" which was cut from the film--featuring Carmen with a lighthouse on her head.

The we flew to Las Vegas. We had been there once before, staying at a sleazy motel. but now we decided to splurge and stay at Caesar's Palace. We lucked out and got a suite with an amazing view of the strip, right across from the Flamingo where Donnie and Marie were playing. We swam in the luxurious pool, used the jacuzzi in the room, ordered cocktails from room service (They didn't send the order of nuts, but the waiter told us it would ahve been $25). While walking on the strip I saw several bridal parties and three people getting arrested.

From the center of man-made splendor, we drove to natural wonders in Utah (passing several billboards advertising the services of lawyers). Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon were breathtaking. We finished the trip in Arizona visiting Jerry's sister and her partner who had a summer home in a resort area called Lakeside.

The vacation came to a mixed ending when our rental car went over a big rock in the Salt River Canyon. It caused a bad oil leak and luckily we found an open garage in Globe, AZ. (It was Sunday morning.) We had to get a cab to the Phoenix airport and we just made our flight back. But we had a great time.

Hoodoos In Utah; Papers in Arizona

(LAKESIDE, AZ) We crossed the border from Utah to Arizona and were not stopped to show our papers, so the new law must be ineffective. We travelled the Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon, staying at the Thunderbird Lodge in Mt. Carmel Junction. Breathtaking scenery of gigantic cliffs and mesas and hoodoos--what the hell is a hoodoo you ask? Wasn't that the villainous magician played by Charles Nelson Reilly on that awful Sid and Marty Krofft kids' show called Lidsville? Actually a hoodoo is a standing piece of rock carved out by years of erosion. We asked a ranger where the phrase came from and he said someone in the 1880s just started calling them that. It derives from voodoo and black magic. It's supposed to be a spell. Anyway, after driving out of Utah, we entered Arizona to visit with Jerry's sister who has a summer place here.

I will have to give you a more thorough account of the trip with pictures once I have downloaded them from my camera, but we did not bring our laptop. Over the last few days I've gotten a little cold, so I'm taking it easy today by just resting here at the Holiday Inn Express. I watched the beginning of Sea of Grass with Hepburn and Tracy but got bored with it and I think I'd seen it before. So then I watched Divorce Court and an episode of Law & Order. My glasses are still bothering me so I couldn't read too much, just a few pages of Atlas Shrugged. I did still in the hotel hot tub and felt relaxed.

More Vacation

(MOUNT CARMEL JUNCTION, UTAH) I'm typing this in the lobby of the Best Western Thunderbird Lodge in Mt. Carmel Junction, UT. After a week in Mexico, we flew to Las Vegas, then rented a car and drove through Nevada to a little bit of Arizona to Utah. We spent the afternoon at Zion National Park and then drove here where we had a reservation.

I didn't expect to like Vegas as much as I did. The last time we were there we stayed in a crummy motel right out of "Leaving Las Vegas" with Nicholas Cage. We had a suite at Caesar's Palace--We lucked out because it wsa only for one night and we were first time guests. There was a lovely view of the giant sign of Donny and Marie at the Flamingo across the street. While walking on the strip I saw three people getting arrested and several brides. I will fill in with more later. My headaches are still here and I'm limiting my computer time.

Gays, Muslims, and Illegal Immigrants: The New Axis of Evil

It´s a strange coincidence that Prop 8 was overturned and landmark status was denied to the future site of a Muslim community center and mosque a few blocks away from Ground Zero in Manhattan on the same day. Both actions infuriated elements of the right wing and for the same reason--they demonstrate the legitimacy of the Other in America and that scares them.

By these decisions, gays and Muslims are deemed equal to straights and Christians in the eyes of American jurisprudence--not barely tolerated, marginal figures, but morally equal citizens, entitled to live openly and practise their religion anywhere.

The generation over 50 will be the last with white people in the majority and losing that status scares the hell out of them. During the 2008 election, NPR inerviewed an old white woman from Pennsylvania who was voting against Obama for admittedly racist reasons. She gave voice to her fears that black young man emboldened by an Obama victory would feel free to push her around on the street. I think she was projecting her own feelings of prejudice onto others. She was afraid she would suffer the same fate blacks had when they were in the minority, and probably she had feelings of white superiority and was now guilty about it.

Another image terrified me. There was a news photo on the Huffington Post of a woman protesting a mosque coming to her little town of East Podunk. She held a sign reading ¨IT´S NOT YOUR COUNTRY.¨ I wanted to say to that woman through my computer screen, Ÿes, it is the muslims´ country, just as much as it is the Christians´, the Jews´, the Buddhists´ and the nonbelievers.¨ BTW, the anti-Ground Zero mosque people have at least the slight justification of saying the proposed house of worship is too near the WTC site. Not that I agree with them at all. We are not at war with all of Islam, just its fanatic wing.

People angry over mosques in Anywhere, USA have no rational ground for their indignation. I don´t want to seem naive. There may be individual cases where mosques may be fronts for terrorism, but judging all mosques as dangerous and anti-American would be like the blacklist days judging of all left-wing organizations as fronts for Communism.

With the call for repeal of the 14th amendment and Arizona´s racial profiling legislation, illegal immigrants are added to this new Axis of evil for the far right. Yes, being here illegally is wrong, but there is a larger subtext of anger at immigrants--largely Hispanic--for not assimilating, retaining Spanish as their primary language, and maintaining their cultural identity. It´s rage that America is no longer the Leave it to Beaver fantasy of their youth with white, straight, Christian, English-speaking people as the only worthy images in their culture. The Tea Partiers want us back to that world where gays were only seen as hairdressers and interior decorators, black people were loyal maids like Hattie McDaniel with no lives of their own, Hispanics were gardners or entertainers like Ricky Ricardo or Carmen Miranda, and Muslims didn´t even exist except as mysterious espionage agents in movies like Casablanca.

Mexican Holiday

(MALINALCO, MEXICO) Currently in the gorgeous garden of the country home of our friends Nick and Jim in Mexico. We´re in the first stages of our trip which began on Fri. Somewhat weird vacation in that at the beginning of July, I began to get headaches after reading and concluded I needed new glasses for my aging orbs. The same thing happened to me last year before vacation and I had to go through about a few days of adjusting to the new specs while trying to relax upstate.

Anyway, we arrived in Mexico City Fri. Jerry had come down with a bad cold. He stayed in bed at the apartment where we were staying while I went out with Nick and Jim to soak my throbbing brain in margaritas. It actually worked and I forgot the dull ache behind my eyes thanks to the lime flavored booze.

Nick writes a blog on Mexican food (it´s linked on the side, I´m too relaxed right now to put in a direct link) and has written a guide book to Mexico City.

Sat. Jerry was almost fully recovered and we looked around the city. Had breakfast at a place called the Barracuda diner which featured American food. I had pancakes. We went to a musuem and saw an exhibit of a French artist who did nothing but black shapes and designs. We went to the University and saw two Rossini one act operas. The kid in front of us checked his cell phone three times. We decided not to sit through the second one and went for dinner at a very nice restaurant.

Sun. we drove to Malinalco where they have a weekend house. They live off the rents for the apartments they own. We´re thinking, do we (Jerry and I) want a life like this?

Observations: black market DVDs and computer programs are a big deal here. Jim and Nick took us to a place that had dozens of them for 30 pesos or about two bucks. I got Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: First Contact for next to nothing. The first was missing the first five minutes, the second was intact but both were in English. People were selling bootleg versions of Windows and Abode for like $10. I still haven´t written up the first episode of Project Runway or the next to the finale of Work of Art.

Nick is a big fan of old movies like me. We might force Jerry and Jim to watch Carmen Miranda.

Scenes from the Life of an Amateur Comic Book Collector--(17)--Search for the Fantastic Four

Recently I completed my collection of Marvel Essentials reprint volumes of the Fantastic Four. Volumes 1 though 8 go up to issue number 183. So rather than wait for volume 9 to come out, I decided to catch up to the present with as many back issues and other collections as I could find. There are color reprints of the FF works of George Perez, John Bryne, and Walter Simonson but they don't cover every issue. There is a gap between issues about the 190s about 214, then 215 to 220 is covered by a John Bryne collection. Bryne picks up for issue 232 and continues way into the upper 200s, but I have only gotten as far as 230, with a few sporadic issues in there. So my mission was to find the missing issues.

I went to Cosmic Comics, Time Machine, Midtown (which had no early ones), Metropolis Collectibles--really a mail order house, but I found their address on the web--and St. Marks Comics which was having a half-price sale on back issues. I went to Metropolis before work and found a few good issues for reasonable prices. I managed to find almost every missing issue. Now I just need 195, 197, and 213. A lot happens. Reed Richards loses his stretching power, but regains it just in time for a final showdown with Dr. Doom in the 200th issue. Then the FF engages in a gigantic intergalatic battle with the Skrulls which goes on for several issues and involves recruiting Galactus, the devourer of planets, to save the world from a super-powerful being called the Sphinx. It gets very distracting when a bunch of other heroes from a defunct comic called Nova into the action in a wild attempt at crossover. It's almost like a continuing episode of Doctor Who with endless space battles, a beautiful alien queen, a battle between the Skrull general and his treacherous wife, and a planet split into four separate parts.

Byrne's work starting with 232 is way too stylized for me. Everyone looks so cartoonish. I prefer the realistic earlier issues which resembles the art of Dick O'Neal at DC. In the early John Bryne series, the Human Torch finds a female equivalent, but later falls in love with Alicia Masters, the blind sculptress romantically involved with the Thing. but it turns out she's a Skrull in disguise. I hate when that happens.

Work of Art--Episodes 7 and 8--Miles Wears Thin

At first I thought Miles on Work of Art was cute, enigmatic, and soulful. Now I'm getting a bit tired of him. Every week he nails together some pieces of wood and the judges love it. And yes, Jaclyn has a beautiful body, but enough with the nudity. That's the main takeaway from Episode 8. I was too busy to write my reactions to episode 7 last week. Plus I'm getting headaches from being on the computer too much so I need new glasses, but they're not ready yet. So I'm trying to limit computer time. Also I'm too obsessed with the Fantastic Four to think about art and Project Runway starts soon. But where was I?

Okay, episode 7 was the childhood one, right? Peregrine's piece looked sloppy to me. but the idea was interesting. I thought Jaclyn's was totally undeveloped. She obviously did not want to think about her childhood. I wanted to see more of Mark's comic book. It looked really intriguing and was a departure for him and they only showed a few seconds. Miles bamboozled the judges once again with some abstract empty shit--a blank crossword puzzle and some rubber band balls. Give me a break. He should have gone home for that. Abdi made a bunch of logos. If he had taken them and done something more creative than just arraging them in rows that could have worked. Nicole had a really great idea, but I couldn't make out the individual pieces and what they meant. Ryan's piece was definitely not the worst--that was Jaclyn's. But we needed to see her breasts one more time, so she stayed.

Onward to episode 8--opposites. I really liked Peregrine and Mark's heaven and hell pictures and I don't care if the snooty judges thought they were too obvious. They were right about Abdi this time however. He really dropped the ball with that green coral painting. What is with that Socrates' cave crap?? Miles sailed by with some woodwork he punched. I will say that Jaclyn's painting was actually very pretty, even though it was the same subject--herself nude--that she's been doing week after week. I'm sure it excites the straight guys--particularly Miles. I would have eliminated Abdi rather than Mark. And why was everyone crying? Was China that upset and why did she wear a cocktail dress in the morning segment? Did she just get in after a night on the town?

They said there was one more challenge before the final three compete for the prize, so I guess two will be eliminated next week. Probably Abdi and I hope Jaclyn, but she'll probably stay to disrobe and pleasure herself publicly once again.

Forget About Jobs Coming Back, Plus ruminations on Kathy Griffin and Joan Rivers

Despite victories on financial reform, capping the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and the fine for Goldman Sachs, Obama and the Democrats are still trailing in the polls. Just as Dems hated Bush's guts, Repubs can't stand Obama's audacity to try to do something for people--and spending money doing it (even though Bush did the same thing.) It all boils down to--where are the freakin' jobs? The average American is saying "I don't give a crap about gays getting married or in the miltary, oil spills, stocks, bail outs, or any of that shit. Just give me a job so I can watch American Idol in peace."

Unemployment hovers at around 10 percent and it's probably going to stay there for a while. The reason is employers have discovered they like it like this. During the recent economic crisis, thousands if not millions of people were laid off and the companies realized, "Hey there was a lot of waste the ways things were before. Now one person can do the work of three and we only have to pay the one salary and benefit package. Why should we hire back anybody when we can work those remaining like dogs and make bigger profits?"

The repubs will use this in their bid to take back Congress in 2010. Their soul aim is to stop any sort of meanigful legislation, say NO to everything and get back in power. Fortunately Scott Brown and the women from Maine went along with financial reform. Speaking of Scott Brown, I had no problem with Kathy Griffin's joke about his daughters being prostitutes. They are both grown women and Brown set it up with his comment them being available during his acceptance speech. I also find it ironic that all this moral indignation is coming from a former Playgirl model. She's a commedienne, it was a joke. Similarly Joan Rivers was very funny in the new documentary on her life and effectively dealt with a heckler objecting to her making Helen Keller jokes. "I have a deaf son, that's not funny," he yelled. She responded, "I'll have you know I have a deaf mother and I lived with a man for 17 years who lost his leg in World war I and then went back to get it." It was pretty funny that she ad libbed all that. I haven't always found Rivers all that funny, but you have to admire her for perserving through all kinds of setbacks. Not many people of her age (77) are still on top and in the public eye. She also pointed out during her rant to the heckler that we have to be able to laugh at anything--including pompous Scott Brown. I do still like him for having voted the right way on occasion.

Work of Art--Episode 6--Eric Sulks, Peregrine Dresses Cute

The first team challenge on Work of Art resulted in predictable fireworks with novice artist Eric clashing with tortured "art-school pussy" Miles (Eric's assessment not mine). I can't really blame Eric for getting pissed off because the other three in his group--sleepy Miles, quirky Peregrine and sexy Jacklyn--shot down all of his ideas for their public-space sculpture. But he should have discussed it with them instead sulking like a child and getting all passive-agressive. Then that weird note from Jaclyn. Why not openly say to him in front of everyone, "Look, I'm sorry for not acknowledging your suggestion on my photo collage in front of the judges. I'm sure you have good ideas, I want to encourage you. We don't have a lot of time so can we quickly go over your suggestions and see what works. I'm willing to listen." Slipping Eric a note was kind of a way of relieving her guilt without directly contradicting Miles.

Eric really let his insecurities get the better of him. He's clearly unsure of himself and jealous of Miles' seemingly effortless way of coming up with minimalist stuff the judges love. He probably thinks, Who is this creep who can take naps in the middle of the floor and still win two challenges and makes nothing but homeless shelters. I don't think Eric is correct in believing it's all an act on Miles' part. That's how he really is. (BTW, Ryan's impression of Miles making coffee was a riot.)

I had to agree with the judges on the final results. The winning piece was intriguing and looked finished. I liked the separate little pebble pieces. The Miles-Eric thing had a certain grace, but the sheets of metal they stapled on at the last minute made it look like a sloppy patchwork.

Peregrine looked really cute in her aviator's cap. I'm loving the way she dresses, that red jacket really suited her and stood out in the crowd. I forgive her for the rabbit-ears headdress of a couple of weeks ago.

So Eric was kicked off for his non-cooperative attitude and it was great to see Miles in the bottom. He needs to be humbled. It will probably come down to Miles, Abdi, and probably Jaclyn--yes, the judges will be told by Bravo, keep the girl with the bare breasts on as long as you can. She'll attract what few straight guys we get.

Leaderboard
Miles--two wins--death portrait of Nao; sleep sculpture with concrete anuses
Abdi--one win--explosive heads
Jaclyn--one win--photo and mirror collage about how sexy she is
John (eliminated)--one win--Time Machine book cover
Nicole--one win--concept of the public sculpture with separate pebble pieces

Objections to Objectivism

I recently found a video on You Tube of Rand Paul explaining he was not named for Ayn Rand, contrary to internet rumor. His full name is Randall and it's just a coincidence that he's a big fan of her anti-government novels and philosophy. Lately, I have become interested in her work. I recently read her fantasy novella Anthem about a dystopian future where collectivism has destroyed civilization and the word "I" has been obliterated from the language. I also saw and reviewed the NY premiere of her 1934 play Ideal in which a movie star is accused of murder and seeks refuge with six of her devoted fans. Like Christ she asks her worshippers to forsake safety and side with her, all but one turn her down.

I have not read Rand's longer novels or her philosophical tracts on her view of life called Objectivism, but I did see the movie version of The Fountainhead with Gary Cooper, Patricia Neal, and Raymond Massey on TCM. I remember getting an almost Nietzchean vibe from it. The superhero has the right to conduct him or herself however they chose because of their superior sensibility. The hero Howard Roarke is unwilling to compromise his artistic vision in the slightest. When a building he was to have designed is erected by a lesser competitor, he blows it up and Rand believes he is justified in doing so. She later proclaimed she was not in favor of violence, but she did believe the rights of the individual supercede those of the society at large.

I think a lot of Tea Partiers have read her work and are now taking it literally. Any move by the government to have an effect on people's lives, for good or ill, is seen as the first steps towards a tyrannical dictatorship. Ronald Reagan actually made a record in the early 1960s saying Medicare would lead to slavery.

Things I like about Rand's philosophy:

1. Man should rely on reason and not faith. Therefore it is rational to not believe in a God.

2. Excellence should be rewarded. (OK, but that's like saying motherhood is great.)

3. Government should not interfere in people's lives. This can be interpreted several ways and some have taken it to mean no Medicare or Social Security or unemployment benefits. But Rand at least was consistent, believing the government should not lift a finger to help anyone, but it should also not stop anyone from getting an abortion or pass laws against homosexuality, even though she personally found gays repulsive mutant sickos.

Things I don't like:

1. No one should pay taxes. What are you nuts, Ayn? She advocates entirely private infrastructure and services. We'd all be paying tolls and fees through the nose. If every service which should be public--that is something everyone uses--were privately owned, competition would NOT drive prices down. The capitalists would all get together and drive the prices up. That is unless you have government regulations to stop them, and that is exactly what Rand was against.

2.Government should not help anyone at any time.

3.Capitalism should be totally unfettered with no government regulations as to safety, fairness to the consumer, or how the owners conduct business. (She believed the open market would eliminated crooks. Ha!) The Bush White House and Republican Congress removed constrains on Wall Street and the morgage brokers and we all know where that led: Obama getting all the blame.

Rand was raised in Soviet Russia and her father's pharmacy was taken over by the state. I believe she was a brilliant person who was so enraged at this injustice, she went to extremes in the other direction. I do want to read Atlas Shrugged, but the damned thing is over 1,000 pages.

Note: these are just impressions based on Rand's statements and what I have read of her philosophy and her interviews with Mike Wallace, Phil Donahue, and Tom Synder, all available on YouTube.

Work of Art--Episode 5--Whores for Audi

If I were a contestant on Work of Art for this week's challenge I would have done a portrait of the judges as whores on Ninth Avenue in the 1970s with a big Audi car as their pimp. How do you like that, China Chow or whatever your name is? Such blatant product placement. The episode opens with Simon waking everyone up at 5:30 AM--with some gratuitous shots of the typically sleepy-eyed Miles getting out bed possibly naked--to meet him in front of the building for some shameless promotion. They will be driving through Manhattan in the sponsor's car to the sponsor's showroom to see how many times they can say the sponsor's name.

Once in the Audi Forum, which sounds like a letters column or the site of a debate society, they are given a half-hour to draw inspiration from a car! Miles promptly takes a nap and decided to take a photo of an empty space. Exciting (not)--and he almost wins--again. I will say his work is oddly beautiful but I didn't get the police barricade stuff. The promos showed him flirting with Nicole and touting him as a Casanova, when in fact it was just some brief silly talk. Yawn!

Once again Jaclyn uses males' fascination with her to create a meditation on how sexy she is. She spouts off on how difficult it is to be so attractive while the camera zooms in on her cleavage.

Ryan painted yet another self-portrait while Mark made a boring grid thing and Jamie assembled an art-school project while little figures of herself which belong on greeting cards for girls' 16th birthdays. I think she has a future at Hallmark. She deserved the boot this week.

Eric is beginning to display his jealousy of the others and it looks like it will explode next week. He still resents Jaclyn for not acknowledging his idea for her piece last week and is angry Miles always gets in the top two even though he takes naps at the drop of a hat.

My parnter watched the show for the first time last week and was fascianted with the interplay of the personalities.

Leaderboard
Miles--two wins--death portrait of Nao; sleep sculpture with concrete anuses
Abdi--one win--explosive heads
Jaclyn--one win--photo and mirror collage about how sexy she is
John (eliminated)--one win--Time Machine book cover