I’d been wanting to see the new Sci fi channel series called “Face-Off,” which is a competition between folks who do special effects makeup. I finally caught an episode last night in which the competitors were asked to change the apparent gender of a couple and to set them up as if they were going to get married. Thus, they changed the male into the bride and the woman into the groom.
I won’t, however, be watching another episode. Not because of the competitors, who were interesting and showed various levels of talent, but because of the judges, who apparently have no discernment at all. With one couple, the man was a tall black fellow with strongly masculine features. I’m sure the two competitors chosen to work with him did their best, but in the end there was nothing remotely feminine about the guy except for the bridal gown they put him in. The judges raved about the transformation, about the makeup, about the whole presentation, and rated him the highest of any of the “products” of the competition.
Now, maybe some of you saw the Sports Illustrated joke cover picturing Mike Ditka as a groom and Ricky Williams as the bride back in the day when Ditka gave up most of the Saints’ draft choices to get Ricky. The “bride” in this set looked as feminine as Ricky Williams did in that photo. Or maybe you’ve seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show? Well, Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter looked more like a woman than this guy did. Rupaul probably wouldn’t even have this guy on his drag show.
In other words, these judges apparently know absolutely nothing about true transformation, although they apparently recognize shades of make-up. I’ll be passing on any future episodes.
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Showing posts with label New Orleans Saints. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Orleans Saints. Show all posts
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Monday, February 08, 2010
Super Saints
What else would I post about today but the Saints winning the Super Bowl. Who Dat!
I wasn’t a Saints fan from the beginning like so many others down here. I moved to the New Orleans area in 1986 and certainly became a fan then. And the Saints had some good years at that time under Coach Jim Mora. Mora always had great defenses and generally less than stellar offenses, and we won quite a few games but could never get over the hurdle of winning our first playoff game.
That first playoff win came under Coach Jim Haslett, but while we had a pretty exciting offense over the next couple of years it seemed like the team got out from under Haslett’s control and we just couldn’t be consistent. In fact, that lack of consistency has been a consistent trademark of the Saints during the years that I’ve been a fan. Too often it seemed to me, that when we needed someone to step up, many players took a step back instead. Rooting for a team like that can be agony year in and year out.
But when Sean Payton came things took a turn for the better. He put together a staff and a team in which there were lots of players ready to step forward when needed. Not only ready, but eager to step forward. The culture sure has changed for the Saints over the last four years. Now you don’t hear people saying that: “The Saints found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.” Now, even when the Saints are down, as they were in the first quarter against the Colts, you still think, and ‘feel,’ “we can do this. This team may lose at times, and they may make mistakes, but they just don’t give up.
The Super Bowl showed, too, that this is as genuine of a “team” as I’ve ever seen in the NFL. Sure Brees was the MVP for the game and I would never say he didn’t deserve it, but every player on that team did their part. Pierre Thomas made a great run for a touchdown. Bush got a couple of needed big runs. Colston made some hard catches. Lance Moore made an incredible grab for that 2-point conversion. Porter got the interception. Greer played so well they didn’t even throw in his direction. Vilma crushed some runners. Shanle and Fujita did too. The offensive and defensive lines played their hearts out. Shockey caught a touchdown. David Thomas caught a ball. Bell made a good run. Hartley set a field goal record. Our special teams covered well and recovered that onside kick.
And the coaching staff did a wonderful job. Payton and his crew came to either win or lose, not merely to show. They coached an aggressive game that paid off with this young and aggressive team
This team definitely deserves the recognition as “Super Saints.”
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I wasn’t a Saints fan from the beginning like so many others down here. I moved to the New Orleans area in 1986 and certainly became a fan then. And the Saints had some good years at that time under Coach Jim Mora. Mora always had great defenses and generally less than stellar offenses, and we won quite a few games but could never get over the hurdle of winning our first playoff game.
That first playoff win came under Coach Jim Haslett, but while we had a pretty exciting offense over the next couple of years it seemed like the team got out from under Haslett’s control and we just couldn’t be consistent. In fact, that lack of consistency has been a consistent trademark of the Saints during the years that I’ve been a fan. Too often it seemed to me, that when we needed someone to step up, many players took a step back instead. Rooting for a team like that can be agony year in and year out.
But when Sean Payton came things took a turn for the better. He put together a staff and a team in which there were lots of players ready to step forward when needed. Not only ready, but eager to step forward. The culture sure has changed for the Saints over the last four years. Now you don’t hear people saying that: “The Saints found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.” Now, even when the Saints are down, as they were in the first quarter against the Colts, you still think, and ‘feel,’ “we can do this. This team may lose at times, and they may make mistakes, but they just don’t give up.
The Super Bowl showed, too, that this is as genuine of a “team” as I’ve ever seen in the NFL. Sure Brees was the MVP for the game and I would never say he didn’t deserve it, but every player on that team did their part. Pierre Thomas made a great run for a touchdown. Bush got a couple of needed big runs. Colston made some hard catches. Lance Moore made an incredible grab for that 2-point conversion. Porter got the interception. Greer played so well they didn’t even throw in his direction. Vilma crushed some runners. Shanle and Fujita did too. The offensive and defensive lines played their hearts out. Shockey caught a touchdown. David Thomas caught a ball. Bell made a good run. Hartley set a field goal record. Our special teams covered well and recovered that onside kick.
And the coaching staff did a wonderful job. Payton and his crew came to either win or lose, not merely to show. They coached an aggressive game that paid off with this young and aggressive team
This team definitely deserves the recognition as “Super Saints.”
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Wednesday, February 03, 2010
All Good Things: Or Almost All
Generally, good stuff going on at the moment. First, my mom had to have the batteries in her pacemaker changed yesterday. It’s supposedly routine, but nothing is quite routine when you’re 93. However, they didn’t have to put her under deep anesthesia and she came through fine and is already home. She has developed “Shingles,” but is being treated for that.
Second, Choice Words has been released by Borgo Press. The book is edited by Robert Reginald and is subtitled: “The Borgo Press Book of Writers Writing About Writing.” Besides the fact that I always enjoy seeing new books come out for writers, I also have three essays in the book. These are reprints. Two of them come from Write With Fire and the other from Writing in Psychology: A Guidebook. The last is a collaboration piece, of course, with Elliott Hammer and Du Bois Irvin.
Third, the new Illuminata is up and looks very interesting this month. My essay on “Evolution of a Genre” is included. You can download it for free here. If you haven’t signed up for the free newsletter you can also do so on that same page.
Fourth, I just finished reading J. Bruce Fuller’s 28 Blackbirds at the End of the World and I raved about it over on Goodreads. Below is what I said there:
I originally read this collection in manuscript form and enjoyed it very much. I gave the author a blurb, which appears on the back cover. Here's what the blurb says:
"J. Bruce Fuller's "28 Blackbirds" is to haiku what Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" is to apocalyptic novels. A masterpiece."
I stand by that.
The printed version has a great cover, as seen above, and contains a short introduction by the author. If you like haiku, especially connected haiku on the same theme, you will surely enjoy this book. All the haiku revolve around the theme of blackbirds surviving, and sometimes dying, at world's end.
Here's one of my favorites:
world burned black
the hearts of men are black
blackbird's eye is black
If you're interested in the collection you can get it from Bandersnatch Books
Fifth, the Saints are still going to the Super Bowl. And I think that’s enough good news for one day!
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Second, Choice Words has been released by Borgo Press. The book is edited by Robert Reginald and is subtitled: “The Borgo Press Book of Writers Writing About Writing.” Besides the fact that I always enjoy seeing new books come out for writers, I also have three essays in the book. These are reprints. Two of them come from Write With Fire and the other from Writing in Psychology: A Guidebook. The last is a collaboration piece, of course, with Elliott Hammer and Du Bois Irvin.
Third, the new Illuminata is up and looks very interesting this month. My essay on “Evolution of a Genre” is included. You can download it for free here. If you haven’t signed up for the free newsletter you can also do so on that same page.
Fourth, I just finished reading J. Bruce Fuller’s 28 Blackbirds at the End of the World and I raved about it over on Goodreads. Below is what I said there:
I originally read this collection in manuscript form and enjoyed it very much. I gave the author a blurb, which appears on the back cover. Here's what the blurb says:
"J. Bruce Fuller's "28 Blackbirds" is to haiku what Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" is to apocalyptic novels. A masterpiece."
I stand by that.
The printed version has a great cover, as seen above, and contains a short introduction by the author. If you like haiku, especially connected haiku on the same theme, you will surely enjoy this book. All the haiku revolve around the theme of blackbirds surviving, and sometimes dying, at world's end.
Here's one of my favorites:
world burned black
the hearts of men are black
blackbird's eye is black
If you're interested in the collection you can get it from Bandersnatch Books
Fifth, the Saints are still going to the Super Bowl. And I think that’s enough good news for one day!
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Sunday, January 24, 2010
Saints in the Superbowl
Most folks probably know the outcome already but I can't help but talk about it. For the first time in their HISTORY, the Saints won the NFC Championship and are going to the Super Bowl. They had to beat the Vikings with a field goal in overtime to do it.
The Vikings played a hell of a game and outplayed the Saints in yardage gained. But they suffered with turnovers, both interceptions and fumbles. Some were sloppy ball handling but the Saints defense caused a few of them as well.
One thing the Saints did well was pressure and hit Bret Favre all night long. He took a beating and you know he's a tough guy to be able to walk after that one. Neither team gave up on this one. They fought until the end.
Brees had more time to throw but he and his receivers didn't connect as easily as in the past. The Saints offense definitely wasn't hitting on all cylinders. The Saints also got more than their usual share of penalties. I thought there were a few bad calls against the Saints, but we also got a couple of calls that went for us as well so I figure it leveled out pretty well.
Overall, I'm just very proud of the team and they way they fought through this year. As people have been saying, this ain't yo mamma's Saints. I'm not even thinking about the Super Bowl. Not yet!
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The Vikings played a hell of a game and outplayed the Saints in yardage gained. But they suffered with turnovers, both interceptions and fumbles. Some were sloppy ball handling but the Saints defense caused a few of them as well.
One thing the Saints did well was pressure and hit Bret Favre all night long. He took a beating and you know he's a tough guy to be able to walk after that one. Neither team gave up on this one. They fought until the end.
Brees had more time to throw but he and his receivers didn't connect as easily as in the past. The Saints offense definitely wasn't hitting on all cylinders. The Saints also got more than their usual share of penalties. I thought there were a few bad calls against the Saints, but we also got a couple of calls that went for us as well so I figure it leveled out pretty well.
Overall, I'm just very proud of the team and they way they fought through this year. As people have been saying, this ain't yo mamma's Saints. I'm not even thinking about the Super Bowl. Not yet!
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Saturday, January 16, 2010
Saints Win! & Face Book
Whoooo Hoooo! The Saints pretty much decimated the Cardinals to win their first playoff game of the season. I’m ecstatic. The game started out dangerously. The Cardinal’s running back, Hightower, broke for a touchdown on the very first play from scrimmage. But this Saints team isn’t gonna roll over for anyone. They scored touchdowns on their first three possessions to take a lead that they never gave up. The Cardinals did score a second touchdown to close the gap to 21 to 14, but after that it was all Saints for a final score of 45 to 14. The player of the game was Reggie Bush, who ran smash mouth football in the first half and had over 200 all purpose yards, including a rushing touchdown and a punt return for a touchdown. Next week we’ll play for the NFC championship against either the Cowboys or the Vikings. GO SAINTS!
In other news, our Department Chair created a Face Book account for our department, though I’m not exactly sure why, and I had to join in order to see it. I’ve been intending to join Face Book for quite a while anyway, so this was as good of an excuse as any to set up a page. I think it’ll actually be more convenient to post albums of pictures than it would be to load those to the blog. If you’re on Face Book then friend me. If you want to see my page it’s here.
I’m still trying to take weekends off of blogging and I’m not going to “replace” that with Face Book. I don’t plan to spend lots of time there. I have too many writing projects that I want to complete. But I will try to keep a regular presence since it will help me make contact with folks that I don’t see on the blog. Already I’ve connected to quite a few of my old high school colleagues who are not regular bloggers.
Again, GO SAINTS!
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In other news, our Department Chair created a Face Book account for our department, though I’m not exactly sure why, and I had to join in order to see it. I’ve been intending to join Face Book for quite a while anyway, so this was as good of an excuse as any to set up a page. I think it’ll actually be more convenient to post albums of pictures than it would be to load those to the blog. If you’re on Face Book then friend me. If you want to see my page it’s here.
I’m still trying to take weekends off of blogging and I’m not going to “replace” that with Face Book. I don’t plan to spend lots of time there. I have too many writing projects that I want to complete. But I will try to keep a regular presence since it will help me make contact with folks that I don’t see on the blog. Already I’ve connected to quite a few of my old high school colleagues who are not regular bloggers.
Again, GO SAINTS!
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Sunday, December 06, 2009
Saints, School, and Stories
The Saints nearly gave me a heart attack today but somehow managed to pull out a win over Washington to go to 12 and 0 on the season. Washington helped 'em out by missing a field goal that would have put 'em up by 10 with just a couple of minutes left. But you don't make it to 12 and 0 without some luck in the NFL. As someone said, these ain't your momma's Saints. They never stop scrapping, and they have a quick strike capability that is nothing short of amazing.
In school news, we are finished with classes now and final exams start Monday. Going to be grading intensive for most of next week but after that I should be able to rest up. There's always a few humorous experiences that happen around this time of the year. I got an email Saturday from a student who has missed about a third of one of my classes asking if I'd be in my office on Saturday so "they" could explain why they've missed so much and get the information that they've missed by missing so much. I chuckled over that one for quite some time.
I'm also starting to put together a collection of my short stories for potential publication. I've got quite a lot of stories stored on my hard drive. Right now I have over 70,000 words of fantasy stories, and close to 100,000 words of horror. Quite a lot of the horror stories are vampire or vampire related, and vampires are quite popular these days. If I included samples of my poetry I'd be able to add a thousand words here and there to either collection.
Do people still read short story collections? I know I do. I just finished one collection and am reading another now. In fact, I usually have an anthology or two going. Do you think in this day and age a short story collection might be well received?
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In school news, we are finished with classes now and final exams start Monday. Going to be grading intensive for most of next week but after that I should be able to rest up. There's always a few humorous experiences that happen around this time of the year. I got an email Saturday from a student who has missed about a third of one of my classes asking if I'd be in my office on Saturday so "they" could explain why they've missed so much and get the information that they've missed by missing so much. I chuckled over that one for quite some time.
I'm also starting to put together a collection of my short stories for potential publication. I've got quite a lot of stories stored on my hard drive. Right now I have over 70,000 words of fantasy stories, and close to 100,000 words of horror. Quite a lot of the horror stories are vampire or vampire related, and vampires are quite popular these days. If I included samples of my poetry I'd be able to add a thousand words here and there to either collection.
Do people still read short story collections? I know I do. I just finished one collection and am reading another now. In fact, I usually have an anthology or two going. Do you think in this day and age a short story collection might be well received?
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Monday, November 16, 2009
Pleasant Sunday
This was the first weekend in over a month when I didn't have to leave the house for anything. Lana and I did go hiking on Saturday, only to find the place we intended to visit had been clear cut and fenced off for construction. I get the feeling they are going to build a lot of cookie cutter houses there, although I just can't see the profit in it in this economy.
After that disappointment, however, the rest of the weekend turned out pretty darn well. First, we found another place to hike and the weather was perfect for it.
Then, we went through the drive through at Popeyes to pick up supper and when the young lady was handing the car in front of us their food she dropped a bag. She gave them a replacement and they drove off without anyone picking up the dropped food. I got out to move it because we would have had to run over it to get to the window and found that the box hadn't opened. Score.
Sunday we had breakfast out on our deck in extremely pleasant weather. I made scrambled eggs and bacon and Lana set up the table and chairs. We had leftover Popeyes' biscuits. The birds were hopping around the feeders and it was just a gorgeous morning to be out. Lana and I agreed that we were very lucky folks.
Sunday afternoon I watched the New Orleans Saints win their 9th straight game, this one over the St. Louis Rams. Then I had a nap. When I woke up I printed out and signed contracts for three nonfiction articles that will soon be published in a book, which I will reveal more about later. All in all, a weekend to enjoy. Sometimes it's very good to be alive.
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After that disappointment, however, the rest of the weekend turned out pretty darn well. First, we found another place to hike and the weather was perfect for it.
Then, we went through the drive through at Popeyes to pick up supper and when the young lady was handing the car in front of us their food she dropped a bag. She gave them a replacement and they drove off without anyone picking up the dropped food. I got out to move it because we would have had to run over it to get to the window and found that the box hadn't opened. Score.
Sunday we had breakfast out on our deck in extremely pleasant weather. I made scrambled eggs and bacon and Lana set up the table and chairs. We had leftover Popeyes' biscuits. The birds were hopping around the feeders and it was just a gorgeous morning to be out. Lana and I agreed that we were very lucky folks.
Sunday afternoon I watched the New Orleans Saints win their 9th straight game, this one over the St. Louis Rams. Then I had a nap. When I woke up I printed out and signed contracts for three nonfiction articles that will soon be published in a book, which I will reveal more about later. All in all, a weekend to enjoy. Sometimes it's very good to be alive.
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