Shutting the Old Girl Down

This blogger is taking his act (and his sometimes popular wife) down to Caracas, Venezuela this holiday season.  I don't know the extent to which I'll be posting in the dwindling days of '10, so I'll get this out of the way right now:

¡Feliz navidad y un próspero año nuevo!

de sus amigos de

McBone

Don't be a douchebag!

nwb

1918 - 2010

RIP, Rapid Robert

nwb

McBone Mini-Reviews; The McBone Week in Movies

Love and Other Drugs - I came out of Love and Other Drugs thinking 'wow, that sucked.'  Since then, what little affection I had for this farce of a movie has degenerated into a smoldering contempt that will only subside when Edward Zwick's latest effort is lost and forgotten.  For those who just want to watch good-looking actors in prolonged states of nakedness screw the devil out of each other, LaODs is for you.  I'll admit Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal make a lively couple, and the film thrives when their Maggie and Jamie are together...alone...and boning.  Anne and Jake, last matched in an infinitely superior film about unlikely lovers, have real chemistry, but the actors can't save this saccharine tale of a Parkinson's victim and her heroic Pfizer rep of a boyfriend who makes it big during the Viagra boom of the mid 90s but still has the decency to stand by his burden of a girlfriend. Ever seen An Affair to Remember?  Rich, handsome fellow condescends to accept a cripple as his life companion?  Same deal here, except it's no longer 1957 and by now we should be expecting more than the same old cheap little tugs at our heartstrings.  Beware the last half hour, when the emotional shamelessness of it all spins totally out of control.

I'm not done yet, because you know what really rubs me raw about LaODs?  The ham-handed attempt at comic relief in the form of Josh Gad.  Whenever the film threatens to get too serious, in rides Jamie's rich, fat, horny, dumbass of a brother, here to save the day with some lowbrow moments.  The part is so ineptly written it would be right at home smack in the middle of Star Wars, Episode II.  One day, long after we have accepted LGBTs as actual humans, the champions of civil rights will take up the cause of the overweight and obese.  Honestly, can we stop making the fat guy the clown?  How about we make the clown someone who is actually funny?  Josh Gad ain't, and neither are his lines.

Whatever.  Boo!  1.5 McBones

Meet the Parents - So crushingly dumb that the only thing that could possibly make it more inane would be to insert those insufferable Hollywood hams Streisand and Hoffman into a sequel.  Earns one point because the holidays have me in a generous mood.  1.0 McBones

The Bond Project: My sometimes popular wife and I will be watching the James Bond movies in chronological order and offering succinct yet cutting-edge insight into the evolving world of 007.

Goldfinger

N: For many, the pinnacle of Bond on film.  So much is iconic here: girl painted gold, Oddjob and his hat, industrial laser zoning in on Her Majesty's deadliest weapon and, of course, Pussy Galore--the coolest, smartest and toughest of all Bond girls.  In his first effort, director Guy Hamilton takes Terence Young's momentum and runs with it.  By now Connery so fully owns the role that no subsequent actor can possibly measure up.  4.5 McBones

A: Pussy Galore is so far the most multidimensional and interesting of the Bond girls, even if she does end up changing her whole plan after a visit from Bond's member.  I sure find it annoying that the non-Bond girls have to die in rather spectacular ways.  Pretty horrible.  2.5 McBones

nwb

McBone Presents: The 2010-2011 Aunt and Uncle Standings

The arrival of the holiday season can only mean one thing at McBone: time to assess the year in aunting and uncling.  Overwhelmed with more notes, statistics and data to pore over than ever before, we were forced to hire an assistant and purchase a state-of-the-art supercomputer to facilitate our tabulations.  Though this kind of spending promises to enrage our more conservative legions by turning record surpluses in the McBone budget into billion-dollar deficits, we believe you cannot put a price on fairness and accuracy.  The 13 aunts and uncles represented herein deserve nothing less.

Aunts

1. Fay - Finally able to put the dogfighting scandal behind her.

2. Gail* - Minor dip for last year's champ for ignoring NPR's fall pledge drive.

3. Denise - Suffered a mild embarrassment from leaked cable calling Aunt Fay a 'hack.'

4. Ann - Decent finish attributable more to weak competition than any display of real aunting competence.

5. Susan G - The family's lone Tea Party candidate grossly neglected her aunting duties, choosing to spend much of the past year gunning down wolves from a helicopter.

6. Susan J - Seemed destined for victory until a recent Facebook declaration that she would be 'taking her talents to Pompano Beach.' 

Uncles

1. Pete - The fresh pot of gourmet coffee he brewed the other day makes him the only uncle who can safely answer the question: what have you done for me lately?

2. Glen - Strong overall performance, but failed to do the little things.

3. Jeff - Late slump in the standings after hogging the pickled eggs at Thanksgiving.

4. Al - Humdrum placing shows how out of touch he is with Joe Nephew. 

5. Ed - Corpse discovered in trunk of car did him no favors.

T-6. Don S* (no longer in family) and Don H - So much for accuracy.  A regrettable balloting malfunction has made it unclear who occupies the final two places.  With both Uncle Dons declaring victory, a stalemate has been called.  The official sixth-place finish represents a new high for Don H, who ends a string of 19 years as the lone occupant of seventh place.

Past results

2009-2010
2008-2009
2007-2008

nwb

*Denotes previous year's winner

Hawaii Counts As a State

Okay, okay, I admit it: we've had it all along:

What can I say?  We've got a jones for presidential curios.  It was on the shelf next to Nixon's brain and a kidney stone that Chester Arthur passed in 1884.

Now let's move on, please.

nwb

McBone Mini-Reviews; The McBone Week in Movies

The Runaways - What an awesome idea to make a movie about the Runaways, the iconoclastic teenage-girl LA punk band that blazed trails and kicked all kinds of ass along the way.  What a bummer that The Runaways is the fruit of that idea.  The two lead actors, Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie, do what they can with underwritten parts, and therein lies the problem: way too much time is devoted to flamboyant (male) producer, Kim Fowley, played beyond the brink of hamminess by Michael Shannon. Director/ screenwriter Floria Sigismondi seems hellbent on cramming as much Fowley into the picture as possible, meanwhile almost completely ignoring one half of the band.  What the hell, Floria?  We're here for the chicks, not the dude!  And I'm not sure how all the showoff photography fits into a narrative that needed to be more raw and real, but there sure are a lot of shots that would be better served in something by, say, Julian Schnabel.  Kudos to cinematographer Benoit Debie, I guess, for being talented with the camera.

Look, it's not like The Runaways is a bad flick.  It's pretty well packaged and moves along at a decent pace.  Sigismondi based her film on Currie's book Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway, so maybe she's just sticking to her source.  Even so, these girls took big risks to make it in a male dominated industry.  Too bad this film takes none in telling their story.  2.0 McBones

nwb

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton

Happy holidays!

I hate Christmas music.

Actually, let me rephrase that: I freaking haaate Christmas music (jury's still out on bell choirs, though).  Nothing vexes me more than hearing Frosty the Snowman two weeks before Halloween, and if I'm ever made to hear that song about grandma and the reindeer again, the world will pay.

An outbreak of plague seems a welcome alternative to any album with the words 'Country' and 'Christmas' in the title.  I don't care if he does have a moustache; no way I'm gonna sit still while Alan Jackson twangs his way through Silent Night. In the name of mercy, deliver me!

And yet, come December even my coal-black heart is capable of some measure, however small, of holiday cheer.  Here are two notable and delightful exceptions, one from the Pretenders:



And another from Bob Dylan:



Chan! Chan! I'm waiting for you to join this short but worthy list.

nwb

One Small Request

Armenian as hell

Gentle McBoners,

The tall, handsome devil front and center is my cousin, Jonathan. He's in Afghanistan right now chewing on desert dust and doing the kind of work I wouldn't have the guts to do in a billion years.  I'm asking McBoners one and all to unite in sending Jonathan your prayers, energy, vibes, good thoughts or whatever mode you use in communing with the universe to get him through his tour and home safe so he can do normal, human stuff with his friends and family--like have dinner, laugh and get drunk.

Peace.

nwb

Birds Spotted, 12/4/10

It's a beautiful day here at McBone Outpost #1211 (aka McBone Manor).  We awoke to a fresh blanket of snow--the first winter storm of the season.  Happily our feeders were brimming with seed, much to the delight of:

Cardinal
House sparrow
House finch
Carolina wren
Chickadee
Tufted titmouse
White-throated sparrow
Dark-eyed junco
Red-bellied woodpecker
White-breasted nuthatch
Blue Jay
Downy woodpecker
Goldfinch
Mourning dove
Gray fucking squirrel

Also spotted

Robin
Cedar waxwing
Yellow-bellied sapsucker (first time ever!)
Starling
American chicken:

nwb

LeBron James Returns to Cleveland

Tonight LeBron James returned triumphantly to Quicken Loans Arena, the venue he electrified for seven seasons before abruptly fleeing in what was surely the second most villainous act in the history of Cleveland sports.  With torrential boos raining down, James and the Miami Heat eviscerated his former team by a final margin of 118-90.  James himself poured in 38 points on 15-25 shooting, including a stunning third quarter in which he scored 24 on a barrage of jumpers, dunks and acrobatic 'and-ones.'  That display of athleticism turned a mere blowout into a complete humiliation.  It was exactly the kind of angry, focused, vindictive performance that Cavs fans had hoped he would bring to the 2010 playoffs, when James and the Cavs were humbled by a tougher minded Boston Celtics team.  In the wake of that loss, the Greatest Cavalier Ever cried uncle, said fuck you to his fans and bolted to the hallowed basketball grounds of Miami, Florida.

The early returns for Miami have not met expectations, but on this night, in a regular season contest against a rebuilding team struggling to find its identity, James was superb.

Bah.

Go Cavs!

nwb

More Doctors Prefer Camel

As my sometimes popular wife and I strive to expand our cozy little family, there hardly seems a better time to talk about all the health benefits that come with smoking Camel brand cigarettes. Yessir, after a long day of babymaking leaves me exhausted, the first thing I reach for is my bedside pack of Camels.  Just a few pulls later and I know I have the energy I need to get the job done, because nothing says 'hump' quite like a Camel.

But there's more!  Camel packs a walloping 5000 mg of folic acid into every cigarette.  So put out that Winston, pregnant ladies, and try Camel's unique blend of American and Turkish tobacco, the one more doctors prefer:



Having trouble conceiving?  Why not smoke a carton today and see why Camel is preferred by doctors, blondes and McBoners alike?

'Tis the season, so don't forget that Camels make the perfect holiday gift:



Camel, it's not just for Javelinas anymore.

nwb

McBone Mini-Reviews; The McBone Week in Movies

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 - After Chris Columbus manufactured a pair of total duds in debuting the first two Harry Potter adventures to the big screen, Alfonso Cuaron gave the third effort an artist's touch, a welcome breath of sexiness and a sorely needed sense of humor.  HP 3 remains my favorite adaptation in the series, and is the chapter that all subsequent films have had to live up to.  Most have done so.  Happily, the first half of the finale does not disappoint.  I'm not sure there was any good cinematic reason that JK Rowling's lousy final installment of her septilogy should have been split in two, but Potter diehards can rejoice over studio greed since the material has found its way into the competent hands of director David Yates and writer Steve Kloves. The book, which features a gaping 300 page dead zone sandwiched between a fine beginning and end, could have easily been sliced and diced into a single feature film.  That said, 7.1 is a supreme upgrade over the book, in spite of the paucity of the best stuff, namely: Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon and Maggie Smith.

So, here we are in year seven and the bad guys are winning. HP and friends are on the run and trying to piece together the puzzle that will destroy You Know Who once and for all.  Director David Yates gets my applause for making something suspenseful out of Rowling's mess.  The kids (never better as actors, by the way) are dodging Death Eaters and trying to keep out of sight in a world where Harry has been labeled 'Undesirable no. 1'.  Stripping away dialogue and musical scores gives the film an unsettling kind of quiet as the three amigos tiptoe across Great Britain in search of Horcruxes.  Sound boring?  Well, what some might find slow, I found spooky, and there's just enough action to keep things moving along.  Another deft touch is a breathtaking animated sequence that explains the book's rather ponderous plot line about the Deathly Hallows. If Horcruxes and Hallows sound like too much mumbo jumbo, just know that it's really seeing the kids grow up together (and seeing Helena Bonham Carter wreak havoc as a classic villain) that strikes a nerve. This is the third Potter project undertaken by the Yates/Kloves team, and it marks their third success.  Thus I look forward to their next/last effort.  3.5 McBones (my outraged sometimes popular wife disagrees with my rating so much that she wants you to know that she gives it 5.0 McBones)

Elephant - A strange application of Gus van Sant's admittedly formidable artistic talents to a subject of the utmost sensitivity: school shootings. This to me felt nothing like the high school experience and nothing like tragedy, but rather a stringing together of strong visuals and Hitchcockian long takes.  Van Sant builds up to the event in the way Titanic builds up to the sinking.  I don't get it and I didn't like it.  1.0 McBones

nwb

On This Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for you, gentle McBoners, for continuing to read. Mayonnaise abuse remains a scourge, so we'll keeping fighting the good fight.

And I'm thankful for the fact that this never, ever gets old:



Thank you, moustachioed turkey slaughterer, for making the most of your fifteen minutes.

And thank you, Sarah Palin, for being risible, mockable you.

nwb

En Lieu of Movies...Boeuf

No movies to review today, so I'll use the opportunity to point out how enormous this strip of beef jerky is.  I've never been the one to engage in hyperbole, but is 'ginormous' too big a word to describe a full 24 inches of smoke-cured meat?  I think not!  When I spotted the vast curtain of dried bovine swinging from a rack in a truck stop somewhere in western Illinois, I knew I had to have it. I was headed toward Iowa City for the much anticipated Ohio State-Iowa matchup. The stakes?  Big Ten bragging rights. The tailgate was on; people would be hungry.  On an occasion like this, nothing less than an entire cow's worth of jerky would suffice.

So how did it taste?  Honestly, I'm not sure.  Ravening, we ripped open the plastic and tore the salty snack to shreds.  Seconds later, it was gone, barely a memory as our snapping maws sought new flesh.

Also, if you can possibly remove your eyes from the beef, please take a moment to notice my outerware.  McBone wants to let the good people at West Lawn Park know that they are not alone in the wearing of fleece.

More tales from the tailgate to come.

nwb

McBone Mini-Reviews; The McBone Week in Movies

The Social Network - I spend as much time on Facebook as the next guy, I'm not too proud to admit, but it's never long before status updates and Farmville notices have me feeling all icky inside--kind of how I felt coming out of The Social Network.  Now don't misunderstand me; I'm with of the critics on this one.  Director David Fincher crafts a hell of a flick in retelling the founding of Facebook, its meteoric rise and the concomitant plunge into petty squabbling, betrayal and litigation among its inventors.  Is it good enough that I can forgive him for Benjamin Button?  No, but it's still pretty darned good.

The creation of Facebook, as Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin would tell it, is a story of overprivileged and talented Harvard douchebags simultaneously changing the way we interact as humans and never missing a chance to make total jackasses of themselves.  Chief among them is Mark Zuckerberg, whose foray into social networking begins one reckless and beer-fueled night in his dorm.  Slighted in love, he takes aim at a whole gender by giving fellow students the chance to 'rate' the hotness of Harvard coeds on a network called Facemash.  Thus are the noble origins of Facebook.

I don't know if Zuckerberg is as condescending as Jesse Eisenberg plays him, or if the Winkelvoss twins, whose idea he allegedly stole, are as maddeningly aristocratic in real life.  I can't help wondering if Napster inventor Sean Parker is the world's biggest prick, or if this is Justin Timberlake almost overplaying his role.  Movies exaggerate, and Fincher lays it on thick.  By the end, there is a lot of sleaze and very little sympathy to be squeezed out of this narrative.  Exceptions are Rooney Mara, as spellbinding as she is unceremonious in dumping Zuckerberg in a tour de force opening scene.  Every verbal whiplash that she lays on him feels good, because you know what?  The little shit deserves it.  I haven't been knocked out by Andrew Garfield as an actor in his short career, but you do feel for his Eduardo Saverin, Facebook's co-founder and CFO, whose role in the company is jeopardized when Parker waltzes in with big talk and a charlatan's swagger.  I'm not sure why Rashida Jones is in this, but it sure was nice to see her, even in a throwaway role.

Aside from feeling like I spent two hours rolling around in fresh manure, there isn't much to complain about here.  A snappy script, slick direction and strong performances merit a good rating.  I'm giving it one.  Facebook may not be forever, but it is a phenomenon.  500 million users made this a tale worth telling, and The Social Network does its job in capturing a bit of the Zeitgeist.  4.0 McBones

Wendy and Lucy - Agnes Varda's Vagabond meets Old Yeller.  I've always thought Michelle Williams was a swell actor without ever being blown away by her...until now.  Williams astonishes as Wendy, an itinerant young woman on her way to Alaska, her only companions a yellow dog named Lucy and an ancient and unreliable Honda Accord.  Trouble begins when the auto craps out in Oregon.  Getting arrested separates Wendy from Lucy, and thus begins her journey through frustration, loneliness and heartbreak as she seeks out her best friend.  4.5 McBones

Paranormal Activity 2 - I have a fondness for small budget films that make a splash simply because they're well crafted.  That was Paranormal Activity.  Somewhat better endowed with cashflow, the filmmakers make the right choice in sticking to their roots for part 2. Watching PA2 in a theater packed with nervous students was great fun, and a reminder that we watch movies foremost to be transported.  Though slow to get rolling, PA2 packs in more scares than its predecessor, and manages to weave the two tales in clever way.  3.5 McBones

The Bond Project: My sometimes popular wife and I will be watching the James Bond movies in chronological order and offering succinct yet cutting-edge insight into the evolving world of 007.

From Russia with Love

N: Revisiting this masterpiece reminds me why FRwL was once, and may still be, my favorite Bond flick.  Miles above Dr. No, Terence Young infuses this saga with the spirit of North by Northwest as Bond makes his way by car, train and boat from Istanbul to Venice.  Most shameless moment: Gypsy catfight that sets feminism back decades.  4.5 McBones

A: This used to be my favorite Bond movie but it didn't shine much upon revisiting it.  I liked this one better than Dr. No because the Bond 'girl' is much more central to the plot and wonderfully endearing (though I'm still recovering from the Gypsy fight myself). What a way to look at the Other these films have.  The big scary Russians are the ones who get it this time. Yikes.  3.0 McBones

nwb

Men Are from Mars, etc

While I was in the yard listening to the football game, knocking back a few cold ones and doing a man's work...

Have fun in the compost pile, bitches!

...my sometimes popular wife was in the kitchen doing what she does best:

'Dinner's ready, fuckhead.'

Yes, for one Sunday, all was right with the world.

nwb

Pardon Our Appearance

McBone is making some minor modifications to our appearance. We are working to correct these issues as soon as possible.

Thank you for understanding and please feel free to continue McBoning as we complete our upgrades.

nwb

McBone Stuff

Every now and then somebody will accuse me and this left-leaning blog of being anti-capitalist.  Not so!  I recognize as well as anyone that we, as Americans, live in a consumer driven economy.  The fact is that on any given day you may very well catch me in the act of buying things.  That's just me doing my patriotic duty, folks. I take it seriously, and so should you!

Well, thanks to the miracle of CafePress and the artistic talents of Kid Shay, it's easier than ever to meet our responsibilities.  Behold the first ever item of McBone merchandise: The McBone Bier Stein.*  Featuring the Cleveland skyline and the towering form of singer/songwriter Cat Power, this finely crafted vessel is a handsome addition to any desk or mantelpiece.  To maximize its true potential, however, fill your Stein not with pens and pencils or loose change but with 22 ounces of your favorite ale, lager, porter or stout.  We promise the last sip will be as delicious as the first in the McBone Bier Stein.  That's right, ladies and gentlemen; McBone makes beer taste better!

Normally retailing at $799.99, the McBone Bier Stein, fashioned from certified authentic white rhino horn, can be yours for the crazy-ass low price of $20 dollars (plus shipping and handling).

Act now!  By purchasing the McBone Bier Stein you will not only be giving the economy a little boost and benefiting our resident cartoonist, you'll be saying 'I care' to endangered species.  For every 500 Steins sold, CafePress will pledge one dollar toward efforts to save the white rhino.

nwb

*Made in China

Just to Reiterate

In case my previous post did not make it clear enough:

Peter Luger Steakhouse is the reason bucket lists were invented.

I implore you, McBoners one and all, to make this a life's destination.

As a bonus, you can tour scenic New York City, maybe even catch the Pee-wee Herman Show. 

nwb

Now I Can Die Happy

My sometimes popular wife and I deferred our 10th anniversary celebration this year.  Why?  Because ten years is nothing to sneeze at, and we wanted this to be big.  Real big.  Like, as big as Uranus.  We had planned a enchanted weekend in sunny Indianapolis (the Brickyard is beautiful this time of year), but then an idea came a tapping, gently rapping at our chamber door.  Suddenly it made perfect sense to celebrate the event not in Indy, but on Halloween weekend in New York City.  Why?  Let me show you:

I'll admit I was reluctant.  As much as I heart Pee-wee, a weekend jaunt to NYC seemed a luxury we could ill afford.  Fortunately, Alex's reason prevailed over my anxiety: When, exactly, will you get another chance to see your idol in person?

Well, that shut me up in a hurry.  Thirty seconds later I had booked two tickets and a flight.

This was about more than just Pee-wee, however.  This was to be a celebration of a true love, a pure love, a love high in fiber and loaded with antioxidants.  That kind of diet has not only kept us regular for a decade; it had us in tip-top condition for the marathon day we had planned.

It started Saturday morning, when we hopped into our rental McBonemobile and sped from my sister's upstate pad to midtown Manhattan.  The first order of business was to fuel ourselves up.  Alex spied a bakery offering a wide assortment of sandwiches and confections.  Having ordered our 'baguettes' (a goofy way of saying 'bread'), we sat down among the well-heeled diners, all of whom were conversing in some funny dialect Alex referred to as 'French.'

Here she is double-fisting dessert for breakfast, dizzy dame!

Our repast finished and appetites comfortable sated, we made for Central Park.  We had some time to kill and we decided it would best be killed by...a FEROCIOUS POLAR BEAR!!!  Well, far from the terror of the frozen tundra, this bloated excuse for a man-killer was more or less enjoying the life of Riley:

With 'Gus' content to wallow in his own crapulence, we exited the zoo and made haste to Broadway and the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.  The show started at two, leaving us a few moments to snap some hilarious photos:

I was terrified going into this thing.  Doubt came a gnawing, clawing at my stomach walls.  What if Pee-wee had lost his touch?  What if the crowd reacted with a collective yawn?  What if it bombed?  I was aware of the good reviews his show had scored in Los Angeles, but still I cringed at the idea of a balding, corpulent Pee-wee Herman trying to pick up where he had left off 20 years ago.

No need to worry.

It was great!  Better than great!  The Pee-wee Herman show is something I recommend to ALL McBoners, young and old alike.  Alex and I and the entire matinee crowd spent a full hour and a half laughing our collective asses off, screaming the secret word, chanting mekka lekka hi, mekka hiney ho!  Pee-wee was as good as ever, blending together elements from his canon and throwing new material into the mix.  High marks for the rest of the cast, too, including original members Lynn Marie Stewart and John Paragon who reprised their respective roles as Miss Yvonne and Jambi the Genie.  Rarely have I so delighted in a live performance.  Rarely have I been so sad to see one end.

Afterward we hoped to get a glimpse of the manchild himself, but he gave us much more than that:

I know you are, but what am I?

I don't make monkeys, I just train 'em!

That's my name, don't wear it out!

Why dontcha take a picture?  It'll last longer!

I took this one chance to tell Pee-wee that I loved him.  It's true, after all, so why not say it?  Very few artists have impacted me as profoundly as Paul Reubens.  Bob Dylan, Alec Guinness, Tolkien, Shel Silverstein, Beethoven, Gary Larson.  This list isn't very long, so I was perhaps understandably trembling, yes trembling, when he emerged from the stage door.  His reply to my sincere if unoriginal flattery was an equally sincere 'Thank you!'

Alex, ever the astute one, seized this rare chance to engage Mr. Herman and ask when the forthcoming movie (to be directed by Judd Apatow) would be released.  'I have to write the movie first,' was the answer.  'But before that I have to rewrite some of the show.'

'But it's perfect,' protested Alex, to which he replied that it was 'almost perfect.'

Pee-wee wasn't signing or taking pictures with people, but he seemed genuinely grateful for the turnout and curious about where people had traveled from.

'Venezuela!,' declared Alex in a moment of semi-truthfulness.

'Oh!  Venezuela!  Wow!' cried Pee-wee in a moment of semi-astonishment.

'Indiana!' I shouted, but received no reply.

Alas, time is fleeting, and Pee-wee took his very gracious leave.  The crowd roared and, like that, he was gone.

But there was no time for tears.  On to round four.  For this very special day we chose a restaurant we felt could stand up to the occasion: merely the finest steakhouse on the entire east coast:

Almost we didn't make the reservation phoned in two months in advance. The streets of New York were filled with spooks, spectres and ghosts (and not a few Lady Gagas), all of them riding yellow cabs to whatever haunts they were bound.  Meanwhile, we hungry mortals were shit out of luck.  Nary a taxi was to be found, so we flagged down a private car and negotiated the fare to Brooklyn.  Our driver got us there by some mercy, and so we didn't miss out on this:

The thickest, most delicious bacon on planet Earth

Peter Luger's porterhouse.  There is nothing like it.  And check out that creamed spinach!

We dined at Peter Luger's once before.  I always remembered that first experience as not just the best steak I've ever had, but the best food of my life, period.  Ten years later, I was skeptical of my memory.  Perhaps time had exaggerated how good it was.  Turns out I had probably understated the excellence. Here was the menu du jour:

Beefeater martini on the rocks with a twist and an olive
House Merlot
Sizzling bacon appetizer (2 strips)
Peter Luger specialty ale
Steak for 2
Creamed spinach
French fried potatoes
Hot fudge sundae
Coffee

The bacon was so rich and buttery that even Alex, a sworn bacon hater, dove in.  To eat an entire strip would be to spoil the appetite, so a few bites bridged the gap between cocktails and main course.  Porterhouse is all that is offered--perfectly marbled cuts aged on the premises and broiled until tender, juicy nirvana is achieved.  The waiter's suggestion of medium rare was more of a command than a choice.  On a whim I asked if anyone ever asked for theirs well done.  The waiter sneered his reply in a Russian accent: It happens from time to time, but the steak is so thick it's not possible without ruining, really, and so no.  No, no, no!  He was getting more agitated.  Flames leapt from eyes that zeroed in on me as if I had dared to make such an infamous order: Not here, no.  Go somewhere else!

We ate until we could eat no more.  As bloated as any Central Park bear, we rolled out into the streets where the doorman had a taxi waiting.  Next up was a cabaret show staring Lady Rizo and the Assettes.  Quite naturally my sister had been recruited to get on stage and shake her tookus as an honorary Assette.  That we couldn't miss, and so we found ourselves back in Manhattan, where everyone it seems was in costume; everyone, that is, except Stanley Tucci*, who we watched have better luck flagging a cab than we did.  A perk of being Stanley Tucci?  I don't know and I didn't care, for there was much booty-shaking to see on this special night:

An example of an ass being shook (not my sister's)

Fight!

Well, you'd think that Lady Rizo would have finished us off, but we weren't done yet.  With just enough gas left to catch a flick before calling it a night, we took in Never Let Me Go.

Though disappointing, the day had been far too exhilarating for a movie to spoil our moods.

The last traces of our energy got us back to the car, and, ultimately to my sister's crib, where we arrived safe and sound but without strength enough to brush, floss or gargle.  All we could do was haul our corpses up three flights of stairs and collapse in the warm afterglow of a day so perfect that even the Two Lous would approve.

Thank you, my lovely, not just for a memorable Saturday, but for making it a perfect 10.

nwb


*Alex was thrilled to see Stanley Tucci, as her only previous NYC celebrity sighting had been Monica Lewinsky.

McBone Presents: A Friday Robots Third Anniversary Exhibition

11/9/2007

On November 9th, 2007, on what otherwise seemed like a pedestrian fall day, my partner blogger at Welcome to Falling Rock National Park quietly posted his first four Friday Robots.  Since that fateful moment, Kid Shay has been faithfully populating our little world with robots every single week.  What sparked this kind of creative output?  Was it the promise of a young and energetic candidate for president?  Were the stars aligned just right in the firmament?  Did this geyser of inspiration lay dormant for years, gradually building pressure until the whole thing had to blow in a mad orgy of circuits, electrodes and gears?  Hard to say.  All we know for sure is that Friday Robots were here, and Kid Shay promised they were here to stay.

Three years and hundreds of automatons later, it's easy to take Friday Robots for granted, and yet their benefit to humankind is impossible to measure.  That line of thought may seem counterintuitive considering that at any given time robots are likely to turn evil and kill or at least enslave every last living being on the planet. But these are no ordinary robots, gentle McBoners; these are Friday Robots, and they have been plumbed from the remotest recesses of Kid Shay's fertile imagination. That's a strange and wonderful place, dear readers, a mystical domain where Bogeymen drink scotch with pirates and zombies roam vast desertscapes in search of owlflesh.  A strange domain, yes, but also a benevolent one; we all know the toll a five day work week can take on the human spirit.  These Robots, though strictly useless from a utilitarian standpoint, are there to uplift us every single Friday with their soaring originality.  I prefer to behold them of a Friday afternoon, when The Man has me down for the count and I'm wondering, what, what, what exactly is the point of it all.  Facing these weekly crises, I let Friday Robots usher me into the promised land that is the weekend.

To celebrate three years of weekly robots, McBone is proud to host an exhibition of 20, nay 22 (the hell with round numbers) masterworks.  The robots herein were chosen not for the purpose of offering a broad representation of Kid Shay's portfolio.  No, we choose these robots because they are the ones that have touched us most deeply in a moment of need.

But don't take my word for it.  Without further ado from your humble curator, we present our exhibition.

12/6/07 - A solitary robot soars above the stark slopes of Mt. Hood.  Where
it is bound I know not.  I like to think it soars for soaring's sake.  Robots
can be surprisingly zen like that.

4/4/08 - This diverse yet orderly gathering of robots can
only spell trouble for humans.  Just think if our
congress could pool its talents like this.

5/23/08 - The buck-toothed, slouching
adolescent daydreams of robot babes that are way
out of his league.

6/13/08 - Robots may look out of place among cacti, but they are
in fact right at home in the dry environs of the American Southwest,
where rain is scarce and the threat of short circuit practically nil.

6/27/08 - A patient gathering of robots waits for a bus that
will never come.  I enjoy the idea of them wondering when the
blabbermouth on the right is going to shut up.

8/8/08 - Robots emerge from hyperspace.  I imagine a robot invasion
would look something like this.  Breathtaking in beauty just
moments before they end our world.

8/15/08 - Four robots peer up over the mountaintops and down upon a
doomed resort town in Colorado.

9/12/08 - Friday Robots are often mistaken for animals.
By the time you realize the mistake, it's too late.

10/17/08 - These, my favorite Friday Robots of all time, took me
by surprise.  Like none that came before or any that
have come since.  They seem to me reminiscent of characters
from an Asian language.  I highly recommend clicking the link to
view all of that day's remarkable robots.

11/14/08 - Friday robots abide.

1/16/09 - I appreciate these robots for their simple beauty.  In my eyes
they are recently 'spawned' and fleeing then 'nest' for the first time.

3/6/09 - Some robots have adapted to life under the sea.  To learn
the story of these Friday Robots, watch the video by Andy K below.

5/8/09 - I suppose what I like so much about these robots
is the notion that, even in a jungle clearing, one might
chance upon some Friday Robots.

7/17/09 - Here are some Friday Robots beaming trillions of bits of information
per second into the cosmos, where a looming mothership awaits their report.  The
treeless prairie landscape allows for a clear transmission.

8/14/09 - Occasionally robots get their just deserts.  Here an elegant duo
becomes acquainted with the gnashing teeth of a rock monster.

11/13/09 - Friday Robots are familiar with the classics
of 19th century American literature.

11/27/09 - I like to believe that this installment represents fossil
evidence of rather than actual Friday Robots.

1/8/10 - A quartet of robots descends upon a sleepy
metropolis.

2/5/10 - Ordinary clumps of human hair?  Think again.
Friday Robots can assume nearly any shape or size.

3/19/10 - Snow blankets a city where robots rule
the land and the skies above.

10/1/10 - Overpopulation is a problem that plagues robots too, as
illustrated here in a devastating pileup.

10/29/10 - A grouping of four robots brings us full circle.
Robots imposed over a backdrop of canned fish reveals how
Friday robots has evolved over the years.

I hope you've enjoyed this brief stroll through history.  Though you will have certainly been moved to tears by now, understand that this is but the tip of the iceberg.  For the proper Friday Robots experience, make sure to visit the Falling Rock blog every Friday.

And now, let the robot extravaganza continue!  Be sure to visit McBone's two favorite parks: Falling Rock and West Lawn.  Today, robots rule the world of blogs.

nwb