I'm pissed. Maybe disappointed is a better word. I just found out on MSN.com that Ricardo Montalban died today. No, I'm not a Montalban-o-phile in that I don't have any memorabilia or DVDs of his work, and I certainly never considered Fantasy Island high art.
Why then am I disappointed? Because back in the early- to mid-80s he appeared on Late Night with David Letterman. He would have been in his late 60s/early 70s, but he was sharp as a tack, and traded jokes quite liberally with David Letterman over his Fantasy Island image, as well as his turn as a spokesman for Chrysler. Letterman couldn't resist bringing up the phrase "... rich, Corinthian leather..." which was always one of the highlights of the car ads of the time. There was absolutely no ego associated with Montalban that I could tell and he seemed quite comformtable with his legacy as an entertainer. Based on this one appearance, I envisioned that he would be a great person to have as a neighbor.
I always wanted to write a letter to him to let him know I thought his appearance on the show was great, and to wish him well in his retirement. Of course, I never did (I'm sure it would have seemed a little silly to him), but who knows, he may have written a short thank you in reply. I'm not star struck by anyone, but if I were to write anyone in Hollywood, it would have been him and Barbara Eden (who was also very gracious in an interview conducted by the biggest c-u-n-t in the news business, Connie Chung).
Will I ever write Barbara Eden? Probably not, and I'm sure I'll feel a twinge of regret when she passes, too.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Dinner and a Movie
Friday we (that would be the wife and I) got together with our friend for a movie, Slumdog Millionaire. Great movie, if you haven't already seen it. In the end, you know they boy and the girl get together, it's the weaving of the threads that make it interesting.
After the show, we decided to get a bite. Where to? Made our way to Broadway and encountered a Greek restaurant, The Byzantion. I like all things Mediterranean, so I was game. It was cold outside; nice, warm and fragrant inside. Got seated, got a beer, and perused the menu. It's a big one, with lots of options, so you'll probably need some time to check things over. I got the roast 1/2 chicken. This was no scrawny birdy, but a monster that took up half the very large plate with enough room for the salad that came with it. It was a bit steep at $15, but very, very tasty. I would definitely go back.
All in all, a great end to a hectic, first week back at school.
After the show, we decided to get a bite. Where to? Made our way to Broadway and encountered a Greek restaurant, The Byzantion. I like all things Mediterranean, so I was game. It was cold outside; nice, warm and fragrant inside. Got seated, got a beer, and perused the menu. It's a big one, with lots of options, so you'll probably need some time to check things over. I got the roast 1/2 chicken. This was no scrawny birdy, but a monster that took up half the very large plate with enough room for the salad that came with it. It was a bit steep at $15, but very, very tasty. I would definitely go back.
All in all, a great end to a hectic, first week back at school.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Anthropology prof is terrible: Buh-bye
After 3 hellish days of the worst instruction imagineable, I've decided to cut my losses and drop my Anthro class.
Yesterday we sat through a "lecture" that was on of the most disjointed things I've had the pain of sitting through. Today was worse.
She started by telling us that she was going to participate in a Mexican/Indian dance this weekend at UW and that if we showed up we'd get extra credit. For what!? Just showing up? How does that warrant any extra credit.
We then sat through a 40-minute rehash of yesterday's presentation, including a bunch of "new" info, some of which consisted of her telling us the most recent Anthro book she read, with a summary of said book. This all done via PowerPoint, mind you. The next few slides consisted of photos of her current professors at the U, along with quotes pertaining to the work they've done. How the hell is this relevant to what we're doing?!
The slide deck she used today was rife with typos, misspellings, and even an incomplete thought. The material is obviously not been prepared with the care that it needs.
She also wanted to thank the student who yesterday asked her to explain what Anthropology was. She explained that she usually teaches to grad students and had forgotten who she was speaking to.
If you want to attend a class where the students have the deer-in-the-headlights look on their faces, this is the class to visit.
Oh, BTW, the prof said today that's she's 25. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose, but I'd wished for a better instructor. At this rate, I can't imagine enjoying a single minute of her class, so I'm out of there...
Yesterday we sat through a "lecture" that was on of the most disjointed things I've had the pain of sitting through. Today was worse.
She started by telling us that she was going to participate in a Mexican/Indian dance this weekend at UW and that if we showed up we'd get extra credit. For what!? Just showing up? How does that warrant any extra credit.
We then sat through a 40-minute rehash of yesterday's presentation, including a bunch of "new" info, some of which consisted of her telling us the most recent Anthro book she read, with a summary of said book. This all done via PowerPoint, mind you. The next few slides consisted of photos of her current professors at the U, along with quotes pertaining to the work they've done. How the hell is this relevant to what we're doing?!
The slide deck she used today was rife with typos, misspellings, and even an incomplete thought. The material is obviously not been prepared with the care that it needs.
She also wanted to thank the student who yesterday asked her to explain what Anthropology was. She explained that she usually teaches to grad students and had forgotten who she was speaking to.
If you want to attend a class where the students have the deer-in-the-headlights look on their faces, this is the class to visit.
Oh, BTW, the prof said today that's she's 25. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose, but I'd wished for a better instructor. At this rate, I can't imagine enjoying a single minute of her class, so I'm out of there...
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Salma Hayek teaches my Anthro class
Ok, not really, but my new teacher is the next best thing.
Yesterday was the first day of the new quarter. I got there early for my first class and waited for the students from the previous class to file out before finding a spot. There in the front of the class was a student standing, for what I couldn't tell. Finally, the teacher about to vacate the room introduced the "student" as the teacher of my class. Hubba Hubba.
Turns out she's Mexican/Indian mix and what a nice combo the two make. It turns out she is a student, just not at the school I'm attending. She's a post-grad student at UW, and I'm taking the second class she's taught. If I were to guess her age, I'd say she's somewhere along the lines of 27ish. She still seems a little nervous and the curriculum seems a bit vague, but I'm sure it's not easy putting all this stuff together. Still, I wish it was a little better defined.
She dressed more like a student than a teacher. She wore a mid-thigh skirt, boots, and a white sweater over a low-cut yellow top that showed more cleavage than you'd expect to see at a plumbers convention.
This could be an interesting quarter.
Yesterday was the first day of the new quarter. I got there early for my first class and waited for the students from the previous class to file out before finding a spot. There in the front of the class was a student standing, for what I couldn't tell. Finally, the teacher about to vacate the room introduced the "student" as the teacher of my class. Hubba Hubba.
Turns out she's Mexican/Indian mix and what a nice combo the two make. It turns out she is a student, just not at the school I'm attending. She's a post-grad student at UW, and I'm taking the second class she's taught. If I were to guess her age, I'd say she's somewhere along the lines of 27ish. She still seems a little nervous and the curriculum seems a bit vague, but I'm sure it's not easy putting all this stuff together. Still, I wish it was a little better defined.
She dressed more like a student than a teacher. She wore a mid-thigh skirt, boots, and a white sweater over a low-cut yellow top that showed more cleavage than you'd expect to see at a plumbers convention.
This could be an interesting quarter.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
It's a new year...
and it's been pretty uneventful. That's another way of saying I'm bored out of my mind.
My wife had a childhood friend stay with us these last 4 or 5 days, and "The Thing That Would Not Leave" finally left today. We've done absolutley nothing, or the closest thing next to it, in all that time. I think we're both suffering cabin fever, but too drained to do anything about it.
Hopefully, we'll get out of the house and do something tomorrow. We're thinking of maybe getting out and hitting the Lucy Exhibit at the Seattle Center.
Then, if my life couldn't get any more exciting, my wife has some friends swinging through town on the way home to California. We'll probably get together for dinner. I like her friends (all of them), but it's usually like this for the holidays, at it gets to be a bit much.
As I type this, I realize it could be a lot worse. We are lucky to have the many friends we do, as opposed to those who have no friends, so I'll stop bitching here, and head back upstairs to finish beating my wife at rummy...
Have a great new year.
My wife had a childhood friend stay with us these last 4 or 5 days, and "The Thing That Would Not Leave" finally left today. We've done absolutley nothing, or the closest thing next to it, in all that time. I think we're both suffering cabin fever, but too drained to do anything about it.
Hopefully, we'll get out of the house and do something tomorrow. We're thinking of maybe getting out and hitting the Lucy Exhibit at the Seattle Center.
Then, if my life couldn't get any more exciting, my wife has some friends swinging through town on the way home to California. We'll probably get together for dinner. I like her friends (all of them), but it's usually like this for the holidays, at it gets to be a bit much.
As I type this, I realize it could be a lot worse. We are lucky to have the many friends we do, as opposed to those who have no friends, so I'll stop bitching here, and head back upstairs to finish beating my wife at rummy...
Have a great new year.
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