Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The Artist Formerly Known As $teve

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

First off, I wanted to wish happy birthdays to Mrs Wingman yesterday & Filly back on Sunday. They are amazing friends and I’m glad that they’re having wonderful birthday weeks. Wish I was there with you guys…though that’d be tough to do at the same time living in separate states. Still. So, the date was last night…and oddly enough, we met up at a microbrewery in Reno (like the one Saturday) but this was a different girl. We had a few beers (no dinner which was questionable) and chatted for over two hours just getting to know each other and having a good time. Although… I hate to say it, the eye contact thing came up again. A lot of wandering eyes…and she did mention that she recognized a few people stopping by the restaurant from her previous job, so maybe that had a lot to do with it but…yeah, I’m horrible at reading women. Period. Anyway, the date started & ended with a hug, so very casual and light…and hopefully she’ll want to meet up again. We shall see. I know, it’s a boring ass story about a seemingly lame date…but hey, it is what it is (specifically written for JL Clyde because I know she hates that phrase). So yeah, after that, went home, found out there’s going to be a Game 7 in the NBA Finals tomorrow night, soccer’s boring as all hell, sun rose this morning. World keeps spinning…

Monday night, I watched “Up in the Air” starring George Clooney. Why? Because it was nominated for a few awards…and Clooney usually does pretty good work. It’s the story of a man (Clooney) whose job is to go around the country…and fire people, because their bosses don’t want to deal with the confrontation & reactions. As you can probably guess in this economic climate, business is a-boomin’ and he’s been doing this for a while…so he’s racking up some MAJOR airline & hotel mileage points…but basically has no family connections or home (can’t really blame him, cuz home base is in Omaha). Well, during his travels, he meets a woman of similar age, attractiveness & lifestyle…and they hit it off. Also, his business is restructuring…by doing firings via webcams now, which means he’s soon out of a job. His boss (Jason Bateman) sets him up with a young woman who is the main force behind this movement, so that they can collaborate and make sure this goes as smoothly as possible (because there’s obviously a certain human & personal aspect to getting sh*t-canned). Anyway, that’s the story…and I don’t want to give away the ending (though I totally called it) but I would highly recommend checking it out. It’s funny…but not like “Hangover” funny. It has its moments of dry humor…and is kind of a heartfelt film that I kinda personified with a bit. See, as you know, I travel a lot…and especially the past few years, I’ve been moving around a lot…and away from the family. Sure it’s great to see all these wonderful things and have no experiences…but as you’ve often heard me say, it’s not what you do but who you do it with. It’s quite an odd feeling to have spent the day walking through a beautiful city, strolling on a beach, checking out museums of fine art, eating seafood, wandering around under the streetlights, having a drink at a bar, listening to a live funk band, going back to a king sized bed in a five-star hotel…and then realizing that you did it all by yourself. A weird mix of wonderment and loneliness all at the same time. Would I be able to do a job like the one portrayed in this movie? Oh yeah…but only because I’d be so distracted by my work and hectic schedule that my mind wouldn’t wander as much. The way things are though, eventually I’d have a bit of free time…and then I’d long for that sense of connection with family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances and God willing somebody to tuck me in at night. Is it required? No. I’m a big boy. I don’t need to live my life based on what other people think of me. Is it appreciated? Oh hell yes. It sure makes the day a lot easier when the workday is done that there’s somebody who gives two sh*ts about me. I guess the point is, check out this flick if you’d like, and live your life to the fullest. Don’t just sit around and wait for somebody to share it with. If they know what’s good for them, they’ll come to you. Just put yourself out there.

Prince Get Recognized - This month's BET Awards will be a royal affair: Prince is getting a lifetime achievement honor. The 52-year-old joins the likes of James Brown, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross and Reverend Al Green in being honored by the BET Awards, which will celebrate its 10th year in Los Angeles on June 27. BET says the Prince tribute will stand out. Stephen G. Hill, president of programming, music and specials for the network, said BET will celebrate the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's "unique style." "Prince is dynamic. Prince is genius. Prince is music," Hill said of the performer, who has 10 platinum albums and 30 Top 40 singles to his name. The BET show will be hosted by Queen Latifah and include performances by Kanye West. Congratulations Prince!!! Being a HUGE fan of the Funk, I have to agree that I’m glad to see Prince get some recognition. I’m a little sorry that it took me 25 years to watch “Purple Rain” for the first time…but that was my loss. And the soundtrack is always in my mind. Classic songs throughout the years like “Kiss”, “Red Corvette”, “When Doves Cry”, “Nothing Compares to U”, “Let’s Go Crazy”, “1999”, the list goes on and on and on and on and… Just an incredible performer. Big ups for Prince Rogers Nelson!!! Representing Lake Minnetonka to the fullest!!!

Record Sculpture Sale - A sculpture by Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani has fetched 43.2 million euros ($52.6 million) at a Paris sale, an auction record for the artist (NOT overall) and the highest price paid for a work of art sold in France. The 65 cm (yes, as in about two feet) limestone work, entitled "Tete," (yes, that picture just to the left is THE sculpture) was executed in 1910-12 and was one of only around 10 Modigliani sculptures to be held privately, according to Christie's, which sold the piece. The artist is known to have created only 27 sculptures overall, and its rarity value, combined with booming values for top works of art, drove prices higher. "Our Paris sale results confirm a vigorous market in which collectors demonstrate an insatiable appetite for works of great rarity and excellence," said Anika Guntrum, head of Christie's impressionist and modern art department in Paris. Both Sotheby's and Christie's set world auction records this year, each selling a work of art for more than $100 million. The Modigliani was from the collection of Gaston Levy, which acquired the work in 1927. Don’t these people know we’re in a recession? Seriously, almost a million dollars per centimeter of sculpture? And it’s not even a record for the past year. I just don’t get art. It’s a lot like insurance. Apparently the only way to make money off it is to be dead…and you have to question anybody who says they understand it all. “No please, explain it to me. Explain to me first off why I paid so damn much for this painting…and then explain to me why my insurance doesn’t cover it because it was burned in a fire. I thought that would be specifically WHY I insured it.” Anyway, would you pay that much for it?

Doody Calls – Maybe if you find lots of money in the weirdest places you might consider splurging on art. This is why your mother says to wash your hands after handling money: A St. Louis sanitation worker (and fellow $teve) found $58 — packed in dog poop. Steve Wilson works for DoodyCalls Pet Waste Removal. On a recent call, he noticed money sticking out from the canine feces (or as we call in the profession Scrappy Doo). Wilson wasn't sure what to do (really?), but eventually pulled out the bills, sanitized them, placed them in a plastic zip-locked bag and returned them to the customer. It turned out to be $58. The company said the money was torn, but the serial numbers were identifiable (“Is that a 3 or an 8?” “It looks like dog sh*t to me”), which means the bills could be returned to a bank and replaced with new money. The Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists (A-PAWS) says Wilson is the first person in his profession to find and report money in dog poop. I guess that puts him up there with Neil Armstrong. Congratulations, Steve! I hope you got a pat on the back for giving the owners their money back. “This money came from where? Ugh…why don’t you keep it?”

Crazy Lunch Lady - Police in Idaho think they might have solved a yearlong condiment crime spree. Authorities said a 74-year-old Boise woman arrested after pouring mayonnaise in the Ada County library's book drop box is a person of interest in at least 10 other condiment-related crimes. Joy L. Cassidy was picked up Sunday at the library, moments after police say she pulled through the outside drive-through and dumped a jar of mayo in the box designated for reading materials. Cassidy was released from jail and faces a misdemeanor charge of malicious injury to property (apparently that’s the legal term for book gooking). Boise police say Cassidy is under investigation for other cases of vandalism that started in May 2009. Library employees have reported finding books in the drop box covered in corn syrup and ketchup. Weird, right? Maybe that’s her way of critiquing the work. If it’s a great book, she might just give it back for redistribution. If it’s crap, then she turns it into a f**king sandwich. I doubt she has a blog…and doesn’t want to write on the inside cover “Don’t waste your time. The butler did it. The end.” Okay, I really don’t have a whole lot to go on in defending her other than she’s old…and lives in Idaho…and she kinda looks like the lady from Goonies. Now you know that next time you check out an erotic novel from the Boise Public Library, it really is mayonnaise and not an overzealous reader. Reading is fundamental, kids.

Just Weird – Yeah, didn’t know what else to title this one. A German student created a major traffic jam in Bavaria after making a rude gesture at a group of Hell's Angels motorcycle gang members. What did he do? He hurled a puppy at them and then escaping on a stolen bulldozer. German police said on Monday that after making his getaway from the Hell's Angels club, the 26-year-old dumped the bulldozer, causing a 5 km (3 miles) traffic jam near the southern town of Allershausen, local police said. He then fled to his home nearby where he was apprehended by the police. "What motivated him to throw a puppy at the Hell's Angels is currently unclear," said a spokesman for local police, adding that the student had lately been suffering from depression. So…maybe he was looking to be killed by the Hell’s Angels…but all he had as a weapon was…a puppy? And then had second thoughts about it? Oh…and the spokesperson added that the puppy was now in safe hands, so no worries there. They didn’t eat him or squish him like in a fetish video or anything. Yeah, just an overall weird story. Like first off, what the hell were Hell’s Angels doing in Germany? I was a little stumped from there. Forget the whole puppy tossing, bulldozer jacking, and running home like a little b**ch.

Fox Update – So remember a few months ago when Mickey Rourke said that Megan Fox was the greatest actress that he’s had the pleasure of working with (and then I kinda picked it apart but agreed with him). Well, Megan Fox has revealed that she has a new tattoo to honor actor Mickey Rourke. Fox, who stars alongside Rourke in her new movie “Passion Play” confessed she felt a bond with “The Wrestler” actor, so much so that she got inked as a tribute to him (and what a tribute it would be). The Jennifer's Body star told MTV: "Mickey is such a beautiful, wonderful human being. He's so genuine and so sweet and so talented. I just love him to death. I kept telling him that he needs to have kids, because I think he's going to be an amazing dad. I hope he does that soon." The actress, who recently quit her role in Transformers revealed: "I actually got a tattoo that is sort of in honor of him. It's on my ribs. I don't know if it's been photographed yet, but it'll come out eventually, I'm sure. I just love him very much and think he's very special." We wonder what Megan's fiancĂ© Brian Austin Green would say about her new tattoo as Fox herself has claimed that she expects to marry him in the near future (and you all know where Brian’s name is tattooed on her body, right?). The 24-year old star told Access Hollywood: "I've been in this relationship for so long and I love Brian so much and of course marriage is in the future somewhere. I'm not closed to that idea. I just think, if you're going to get married, if you're going to be with someone and make a commitment, it's good to tell the universe, to say, 'I'm committing to this person and making them my family.' Fox added: "I think there's something respectable about that and if we were to do it, it would be for ourselves. It wouldn't be for society." Sigh…so anyway, she’s still on the market ‘til the deed is done. What’s that? THEY’RE ENGAGED AGAIN!!! Well, good for them. But yeah, a tattoo in honor of Mickey Rourke. Ain’t that some sh*t? Can’t wait to see it…though I’m sure it’s a fatherly symbol or gesture rather than his face or a motorcycle or an angel heart or something. It’s her body though. She can do with it whatever she wants. I got love for that. That’s why I got the Pootie Tang symbol on my beltline. Sah da tay…

Anyway, that’ll do it for today. Maybe I’ll go shoot some hoops since I don’t have a softball game this week. Or maybe I’ll just go walk around the neighborhood. It’s been a little chill today with a few showers here and there, so that perfect crisp clean feel is in the air that I love. I really do like it here. Why am I considering moving again? Damn career goals, they always mess everything up. Have a great day everybody!!!

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