um... yeah....

I need my girls... soon.

Yo

MY WIFE DID KISS!

I thought it would be fun today to post my odd and pathetic correspondence with Alex Borstein. If you don't know Alex, she does the voice of Lois Griffin on Family Guy and also has been in Gilmore Girls, Mad TV, Catwoman... and stars in George Clooney's new movie.

Check it out!

Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2004 14:40:31 -0500
From: Jed Findlay
Subject: another creepy fan e-mail
To: alex@alexborstein.com

It always amazes me when I find e-mail addresses of stars and directors. You can take some time and write them a beautiful note about respecting their work... and they often respond. It sometimes almost makes them seem more human!?!
You caught my eye in the early episodes of Gilmore Girls (who is that
crazy cellist?) and down right blew my mind with your work on Family Guy. I really have enjoyed the characters that you have brought to life. Bravo.
It seems you have a wonderful group of friends/co-stars to work with! I was not surprised to see you pop up in Bad Santa (nice improv line on the DVD outtake!).
Looking forward to the new Family Guy episodes and I really do hope you find a way back into Gilmore Girls (tell Amy or Daniel that your fans cannot stand another moment without your pressence on the show)!
I will see Catwoman - damn you - just because it looks like your largest role to date and I am really excited to see what you do in it.
Good luck in the future... uh... sorry for the "title dropping" and "name dropping." It is the only way a fan can try to connect... right?
Thanks for the good work Alex... can't wait to see what comes next.

Jed Findlay
creepy fan-boy

On Aug 2, 2004, at 2:55 PM, wrote:

Dear Creepy Fan Boy,

Thanks so much for being a creepy fan boy! It's always nice to have one. Here's hoping you continue to enjoy my work. Here's hoping
I do, too. You will see me pop up on Gilmore Girls again
this season, so look for that.

All the best!

Alex Borstein



Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2004 09:09:05 -0500
From: Jed Findlay
Subject: Re: another creepy fan e-mail
To:

Dearest Alex,

I am thrilled at your acknowledgement of my creepy fan boy status... but you certainly cannot believe that you have only one. In fact, after receiving your e-mail, I immediately contacted my creepy fan boy harem (can fan boys have harems?) and alerted them to your kind and informative message.
Looking forward to your Gilmore appearance. I hope it is more than just a cameo (Lorelai's long lost sister - who now is a challenge for Lukes affections... the episodes write themselves!!).
Keep loving what you are doing - it shows in your talent.
Explain Catwoman to me sometime...

Creepy Fan Boy - out!

On Sep 29, 2004, at 2:55 PM, wrote:

Dear Creepy Fan Boy,

FYI Webster's definition of "Catwoman" (noun) - A script
that was not ready to be shot, but the star was available so
it was shot anyway.

Hope that helps!

Best,

Alex

... this agression will not stand, man!

Slow day in the work world and blog world - thought I might drop an add for an upcoming DVD release that is a must have for everyone who frequents this haven of filth!

THE BIG LEBOWSKI came out in '98 - and completely died in theaters. Our gang of theater-ites and loser film geeks, bonded together and viewed the film as much as we could while it played at Sierra. We memorized lines... began bowling more... and started drinking white russians day and night.

Video and DVD really saved the film and it has become one of those "cult classic" things that people seem to like. So Universal has decided to milk a little more out of it... and sends on this special edition.




Available from the 18th of October this year at around $19.98, the disc will feature an anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) transfer, Dolby Digital 5.1 audio (English and French), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo audio (Spanish), an introduction by Mortimer Young, Jeff Bridges' photography, a 'Making of The Big Lebowski' featurette and production notes. Some of the lucky employees of the Sierra actually have the book of Jeff Bridges' photos - but perhaps they will do a little video about it (don't count on it though)!



A special 'Achiever's Edition' gift set will also be available from the 18th October, priced at around $49.98. In addition to the features listed above, this will include eight exclusive photo cards, four character coasters and a collectible bowling towel.

You had better stock up on the vodka-kahula-half&half now... cuz things are gonna get a little f*cked up!

Yo

ALERT ALERT!!!!

Guys - Stevens, Kilker and I need your help. We have to come up with clever names to put on the back of our jerseys for flag football. Right now all we have is "damfino" and "urnotme." But we would prefer something better.

Our team name is "The Colostomy Bags" and our shirts are sh*t brown with orange font.

Come on you filthy b@stards... lay it on us.

Jed = @ssclown
Dan = tool
Jason = mullet

Kern - we are leaning on you!!

addiction #235

Getting through a book that can't seem to gain your interest is always a struggle - my book club chose "A Morbid Taste for Bones" as this months read... and I am having a tough time getting through it. Thus - my other interests tend to fire up to keep me from reading.

Jerry has the first season of Six Feet Under burned on dvd and I had always planned on viewing them. With the finale airing last weekend, I decided to start the whole journey with the Fischers all over again. Season one took me two days to get through...



So, when I get focused on something, I tend to block the world out and power through the interest until it is finished. Since Jer did not have the other seasons, I was left with a thirst for more... and that sent me out to video stores. The search was grueling... but I finally found a spot that had the second season (third season will have to be rented from a different location).

It is really a marvelous show - the characters are fascinating - troubled and doomed. The look and feel of the show is perfect, never too flashy (though once in a while they get excessive with dream moments) and it really allows the viewer to see the open wounds of each character!

I love it - if any of you bloggers own a copy of the rest of season 2 or more importantly, season 3... please let me borrow it. Or else I may have to go out and make a dent in my credit card.

The weekend was nice - highlights were flag football practice, monopoly at Dan and Hol's, cooking out with my Mother and her hubby and my little brother... and Holly's stunning popcorn cake. There is some in the fridge for me right now... mmmmmmmm.... popcornn cake.....


Yo

I am in Baby!!!

After trying to figure out how to get on this Damn thing I am finally on. Now I just have to remember all the passwords and user names. Tooo much to remember. Yeah for me!!!

8 hours left baby - YEAH!!!

That image is quite the morning refresher - and it summerizes my brother so well. Today we will be discussing Josh - his world, his mind, and his wubbies.



This is a big day in my older brother's world. Today he leaves his job at Rain and Hail for a better paid position at Allied Insurance. Josh has been butt monkey to the suits at R&H for 5+ years and earlier this year he applied for a position that would move him forward in the business - he had paid his dues and it was time to let R&H give a little back. They responded by giving the job to someone else, continuing to use my brother as their personal handi wipe.

So Josh stepped up - realizing that he would never move forward at R&H, he found a better spot with Allied! Of course, being the kind and soft individual he is, he kept working at R&H until today... then he starts Allied on Monday (one day off would not have killed him).

Congratulations Josh! You are moving forward with your life... maybe I can start stealing change from you again now.

Yo



p.s. I changed the settings for responses to comments to include only those who have signed up for our blog - no more anonymous. So everyone try to comment... and e-mail me if you have issues.

Feel My Pain!

Noooo!!!
So, I've been having computer problems ever since The Man (Dish Network Hooker Upper) screwed with my phone line. Well, I started going through my computers programs and crap trying to delete all the unnecessary stuff I didn't need any longer. One of the programs was QuickTime and I never use it so I deleted it. Later I found out that it was QuickTime AND itunes!! I lost 1500 of my most favorite songs. I lost stuff I don't have hard copies for like 7 White Stipe concerts over a 3 dozen live songs and concerts by Nirvana, just everything. Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh

The Baxter

I know that Jed is a fan of Stella, and many moons ago, I was a fan of the comedy troupe, The State who spawned them. The very talented Michael Showalter wrote, produced, directed and starred in a new movie that I hear may take a few tangential cues from The Apartment, which I haven't seen but have heard great things about. The movie is called The Baxter and it looks great. Hopefully Mr. Showalter's attempt at wearing so many hats in the moviemaking process will net him far greater rewards than one Yahoo Serious.





Anyhow, here is an interview I found from Chud.com with the man.

http://chud.com/interviews/4082

And let me add (damfino) here is the trailer.

trailer

it's already gone

Ya know, I never really got hooked into Six Feet Under. I did not see the first season, I watched sprinkles of the second and third... and most of the fourth, but I never really felt the urgent need to watch every episode. So when I tuned in on the finale Sunday night - I was not really that involved in its end.

Yet, I found the final images of the series quite moving. And I was astounded by the final montage - so much so, that I went out the next day and bought the soundtrack. Just so I could listen to the song "Breathe Me" over and over again.



The song is by an artist named Sia, someone who I have never heard of (but of course Kern immediately caught). I cannot say her lyrics are especially moving... it is the dynamic force of the piano and rythym of the piece, and how Ball did some amazing counter point editing to it... that really got my senses moving.

So, by watching the end - me thinks I am now hooked to watch it all. I fired up the first episode yesterday... we will see if the series finally drags me under!

Yo

GO F*CK A GOAT!!

I think it was safe to say that with our group of friends, most everyone was looking forward to The 40 Year Old Virgin. Anchorman has moved into the common vernacular in convo and Freaks and Geeks is a beloved favorite. So expectations were pretty solid for this film. And it met them well and exceeded in surprising areas.

Of course Carell is funny - and Apatow (the director and F&G and Undeclared producer) finds comedy gold in various places; crude humor, honest-yet funny moments of life - and the loving but sad view of Andy's small life (comics, video games, action figures).



Actually, the greatest element of the film was how close the characters were to our gang. There are pieces of Jerry - me - Josh in each character - and the way they spoke, riffed, made fun of one another... it all seemed very real (the guys work in an electronic store... often movies are playing and they comment on them... it is too creepy how close to us it is).

This is a safe recommendation... there is some crude humor but the film is solid - everyone will love it!

Weekend was great - had a birthday party for a friend! Drunken croquet is a blast!

Also, Greg the Bunny aired... and it was terrible. Sad to see.

Yo

New shows Blah!

Kern reminded me that Greg the Bunny is returning to TV this Friday, blah. IFC - 10 pm - blah. You had better tune in... blah.

More Greg the Bunny fun

here

Like father, like son, like... holy crap kung fu!

I was really excited to watch Sin City last night. Jer and Josh were supposed to run off and rent it... and I would spend the evening pondering how Carla Gugino's breasts would look whilst cooking up ribs in our kitchen.... ahem. Anyway, Josh and Jer were gone a while and sadly came back sans Sin City. Jerry happily offered 3 alternatives; Be Cool (ugh) Guess Who (AHHHHHHHH!) and Kung Fu Hustle (?).

As non excited as I was to watch any of them, I chose KFH... and was simply blown away.

First off - the movie defies any sort of genre or contrallable handle by the viewer. It goes wherever and does whatever it wants (for instance, the impromptu Axe dance number you see below!), and the free feeling made my mind tingle with excitement. Second, it is a very beautiful film, unbelievably beautiful!! Third, it is very very funny. And finally, it is a film geeks dream come true!



We are not talking about some lame references to Resevoir Dogs or Star Wars, this film lays down subtle little nods to Astaire and Rogers in Top Hat, Murnau's Sunrise, Chaplin's finale in City Lights, Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, and a little gag from the Untouchables (What are you prepared to do!!), as well as many others. Stephen Chow stars and directs - both turns are amazing. I was particularly thrilled with his handling of the camera - not specifically in the action sequences (which it is stunning) but more in the smaller moments... the tender moments. It is such a thrill to fall into a film, not expecting anything... and getting so much out of it.



If I could compare it to a film, Kill Bill comes to mind. Not because of the wire-esque action scenes - or the sense of humor - but more in the sense that each film takes the viewer in many different directions. You never know what is going on... or where the movie is heading. Now, I am sure fans of the this type of cinema know these stories and can see where things are leading - but I do not. Thusly - very thrilled.

Rent it immediately kats!



One final note; I was able to finish up the short story "Hallowed Be Thy Game" last night before the flick. It is a quick read from our resident author Mr. Kern and a tale with two narratives woven into one event. I have read Kern's work before and have enjoyed his characters and manipulation of narratives, but this piece seems to achieve more than his previous endeavors.

The visuals are very strong (now this might be because I was waiting to see Sin City...) and my mind drew up a comic book world for the Missionary and his '68 GTO. In fact, the image Kern created above really influenced the imagery in my mind. So I read the piece with Frank Miller style red and black art pouring through the words.

If I can complain, one area that began to disorient me was JH's memory of his trip with Teddy to the jumbotonless tent revival - it is the longest section of the memory trips... and some of it tends to veer me away from the event driving the story. But I fully understand why Kern has shown us this moment - it is defining for our character.

I also wish I could have known RJ better... but so does the Missionary.

Read it kids - you'll dig it (and be very impressed by Alex's massive vocabulary and visual storytelling!!)

Yo

For the Sheriff and Friends...

I ran across this just now and thought all of you, especially the Sheriff might find this interesting.

I don't know if it could top all of the discussions about converting straight men to win china sets, anal leakage, or other various filth, but I'm giving it a shot anyhow.

Enjoy...

Greg The Bunny's Puppeteer

IT'S NOT OK!

Here I am again, singing praises to my roomate Jerry for finding another pair of shows that are hilarious! Jer set the ol DVR to record FX's new comedy forrays - "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and "Starved."

The first ep of "Sunny" was not really that impressive - three guys and a girl run a bar - business is not good and the girl brings a theater group friend to help business. The friend is able to have a line up of patrons the very next night - the twist is that he is gay and his friends are as well. Comedy ensued.

Not that funny... but the second ep is where things started to fuse really well. Two of the guys head out to an abortion rally to try to pick up women - one succeeds in scoring by showing a girl a piece of paper with doctor's names on it.

"This is a list of doctors that I am going to kill."
"There are two names already crossed off..."
"I know...."

Cut to the guy having sex with her in a car.

"Starved" is also tossing out some extreme stuff for humor - the story is about a group of friends with eating disorders in New York city. The eating dis humor is really good (a scene where the guys weigh their unmentionables with their female friends scale - at a restaurant no less - is killer!) - but some of the other more conventional stuff lacks a tad.



Check em out if you can...

Yo

Hello Clare....

I am not sure if I could have picked a better book to bring me out of the negative funk that "American Psycho" put me in. Ellis covers his pages with empty souls and ironic filth - Niffenegger layers on the lovely intimate moments of two lovers. When I first jumped into the book, I tried keeping my mind from identifying with the characters - I wanted to read the metaphor - look past romance and see what exactly this author was trying to release through her words. Then - I started falling for both of these people - watching their worlds spin and twist with the difficulties of containing their passionate love.

I am not a reader of romance novels - so perhaps I just read my first, and I now call be called a major wus - but I really enjoyed this book. The structure is really engaging - allowing the reader to easily follow both characters and hear their inner thoughts - whilst surviving the time traveling debacles. The characters, Henry and Clare, are really close in age to myself. Thus their college days - their musical tastes... all sorts of qualities were easy to connect with. Finally, the book does a helluva job in keeping the love and desire real - never cheapening emotions or hiding from reality.



The book makes mention of "Possession." A book I have never read and a film I have not partaken of. I get the feeling that the author has somewhat dug into the feel and story of that book - and used it as a backbone to her structuring of this book. I might pick up the movie sometime.



I am not sure if I can fully explain why... but I kept seeing the final image from Scorsese's AGE OF INNOCENCE whenever the book spoke of the longing and desire of Henry and Clare. Though the characters choices and lives don't reflect anything in that movie... it is the crushing sadness and insane craving for each other... for the embrace... for the time that will be lost or never had... that emotion that the final image from the film evokes in me - really came out!

I am really glad that I was turned on to this book and I would recommend it to anyone. My heart even woke up... and thudded a few times at the close of the book. Maybe a little misstep in the end... but the impact is there regardless... and suddenly, I am dreaming of holding up in a loft apartment with my girl... dancing to some Sam Cooke classics... hiding from the world... waiting to watch it all disappear.

Yo

Fair weekend

After all of the convincing by many die hard fans, I joined my brother in law and sis at the fair this weekend. Actually, it was a beautiful day - just cool enough to keep you walking around without getting too warm.



But once again - I continue to scratch my head at the wonderment that is tossed upon the event. We arrive, Stevens hits a corn dog immediately (I join him, to see if I can fully understand what he gets out of the day) and we venture off to see the butter cow. We breeze by the cow and the butter Tiger Woods (?) and then head out to get a pork chop on a stick. Then down to the dairy barn - ice cream cone... then up towards the midway. We stop for a beer - then head off and go to the UofI booth and down a cup of cookies.



My gut is shot - but somehow, on our way out - Stevens inhales another corn dog.

The carnies were not nearly as frightening as past years... the amount of trash walking around was limited... and I was really full and worn out by 3 pm. The Iowa State Fair - still a confusingly boring experience (but tickets were free and time with Dan, Hol, Josh, Larry and Rhonda was all good!).



I took a large dive into "The Time Traveler's Wife" this weekend. The author, Audrey Niffenegger, is a first time writer - and the book was brought to my attention for a book club reading... regardless, the work is quite engaging. One part a modern love story - the other an odd introspective time traveling tale... we will have to see if it works out in the end (actually, the book dwells alot on the college and post college marriage experience - so identifying with some of the characters is very easy).

Finally, I went to my 10 year class reunion this weekend. Kind of to be expected - no one looked that different. I was surprised to see that most everyone was in really good shape... and in good spirits. Actually, aside from one girl from L.A. - I was the only single person there. Kinda sucky - but a good time was had!

 

anything with a Tubes montage can't be all bad!

That's right! "She's a Beauty" came cranking out of the wonderful Dolby system at Jordan Creek and I giggled as a montage of Deuce dates occured. A hunchback - a chick covered in poo - and a Russian with a leaky appendage for a nose.... loads of gross out low brow stuff - tossed together with a cool Tubes beat.

I actually enjoyed myself.



Ok - so perhaps my decent into lower class mediocrity is now offiical - but I gotta be real to my instincts. I came in not wanting to see the movie at all - and actually began to hate the opening... but slowly, the dumb jokes and cute ladies got to me... and I found myself laughing very hard. Not Wedding Crashers hard... but still, more enjoyable than Dukes and Bad News Bears (Dukes gets special kudos for the car stuff - the rest aint funny)!



Admittedly, things turned around in the film as the young hottie Eva (pictured above), Deuce's love interest, showed up. The actress' name is Hanna Verboom and she pretty much turned my frown upside down. So - just so we understand each other - I am reviewing by the loins.

Deuce was a stupid fun movie... badly made - with some really tasteless stuff (and lame crap too - I think it is the first time I did not laugh when a cat attached itself to a character's giblets - with a not very humorous scene of kitty violence that followed - lame!)... but in the end - not a bad way to spend 75 min. I can't wait to go out to the Sheriff and Buttercup's place, grab a few cold beers, sprawl on their couch - and laugh away a Saturday night with Deuce - the Kreitners - and the girls.

YO

It's great to be young and insane!

I was always a giant fan of Michael Keaton; I loved BEETLEJUICE as much as a non-goth child of the 80's could. That led me to BATMAN - hasn't aged as well, but Keaton still holds my interest. Hell, I even loved THE SQUEEZE! But more importantly, I loved watching THE DREAM TEAM over and over again!

I bought it for my older brother last year for Christmas - and last night, I finally broke into it and watched it for him.

Though the laughs are majorly dated (seeing Peter Boyle's butt did not envoke the giggles it used to), I still found myself enjoying the very simple film. It really made me wish that Keaton still had a career... and now I have the urge to rent WHITE NOISE, just to see what he is up to (thank God for that flick - there was no way I was renting JACK FROST).



I also took a half hour to watch Stevens' Rock Star INXS show. Hmmm - ya know, I don't dig American Idol... and this sorta seemed like a hyped up version of that. I got to hear the Marley tune (yippe) then watched as 3 kids sang different INXS songs for a bid to stay on the show. Luckily, the gomer of the trio was picked to leave. I am afraid I won't be watching again (this is the sort of crap that Stevens begs us to view... and then avoids Gilmore with all of his might?!?!).



Finally, Josh and I are heading out to see DEUCE tonight - our buddy Matt Johnson gave Jerry some tickets... and poor Jer has to work. I will let you know how filthy the flick is tomorrow. My only memory of the first film was trying to eat pizza while the Sheriff unloaded his hork in the bathroom - continuing to dry heave for many minutes!

Lovely eh?

Yo

In The Can

No, headline is not the punchline to a Michael Jackson joke. I am referring to the short story I started last Monday and finally finished last night after slaving away deep into the night for several days in a row. I sent a copy to Jed, so if anyone is interested in reading it, ask him to forward it to you.

As a side note, I wanted to say that my diminished presence is due to the heating up of the library project I'm working on which has a soft deadline of the end of August. It's a big job, so I am away from my desk a lot. Don't worry, however, I'm still here in all my snarky, filth flarn filthy spirit. I'll pop around when I can.

Hope to see more of you guys soon!

Rockstar: INXS

Last week I brought this show up to try and get everyone to check it out. The last 2 weeks have had 2 of the most unbelievable performances. Last week Jordis did a version of Man Who Sold the World that was better than Kurt Cobain's and David Bowie's combined. I'm serious. It was so good that INXS asked her to do an encore of it the next night. It was truly beautiful. Last night Marty was supposed to cover Mr. Brightside by The Killers with the House Band(who are surprisingly very, very good), but 10 minutes prior to the show he decided to do the song by himself acoustically. It was so fucking jaw-dropping. It was better than the killers version for sure and was just awesome. He was the first to do anything acoustic and it surprised and impressed the INXS members to call for a show next week of just acoustical performances. Now, this showing by Marty was so damn fantastic I can almost guarantee they'll ask for an encore tonight from him. So here's my point: I'm pleading with you all to catch the show tonight just to see this song sung. Not only will you get that, but you will get to see the 3 people who got the least amount of votes from the fans perform an INXS song and then the band will decide who is going home. Please check this out. It's only a half hour and is definitely worth it!

BTW

A HUGE congratulations go out to my big brother Josh - he just snagged a new job at Allied! More pay - more hotties to stalk... and loads of relief that he is moving on!

Way to go man!

Yo

weekend-o-pics!

As promised (though a day late as it seems), here are the pics from our exciting weekend of the Duke boys, the Kreitner girls (Lil and Tulip!) and some sweet home cooking!


Greg recovers from our Friday night escapades with his ladies.


Drea cooks up a mean batch of bacon - try not to read her butt.


Here is our breakfast, stolen from a Pampered chef cook book... and sadly, I really did not have much to do with its creation. But it was zwonderful!


Flash forward to the evening - here is Dan-o and Hol with my little brother Caleb; notice his belt buckle and the Dukes of Hazzard DVD's strewn about - we spent the day preparing!


Drea and I spent our day running from Atomic Garage to the DAV - and we created this outfit. You cannot see the $4.95 boots she bought!


Krysta Jo showed up all decked out - and for some reason she brought a trash can... very odd.


Greg-san is looking fine in his new shirt - Atomic Garage we thank you!


Josh - thinks he is the king of posers... unfortunately I rule!


Dinner - most ate, while I simply posed and allowed all to take in the magnificence that is... um... me?


We end the journey where we began - note Jerry having gastral issues.

So, we got into our flick and it was enjoyed by most. Definitely not anything mind-blowing here... but the car stuff was truly errectial!

One by one, each member of the crew left... and we were sad to see them go. Here's to another weekend of bliss - perhaps the next gathering can be for the Gilmore debut! We can each dress as one of the girls... I wonder if the Atomic Garage sells skirts in my size... hmmm.

Yo