tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32844213104548128582012-01-03T07:42:26.344-08:00A blog devoted to discussion of art, books, culture, film, music, our individual creative endeavours, photography, and writing.ThePoliticalCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06561906144646421575noreply@blogger.comBlogger2961100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-44197397466016135322012-01-03T07:41:00.001-08:002012-01-03T07:42:26.394-08:00

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-78572504994762579662012-01-02T22:41:00.000-08:002012-01-02T22:41:14.759-08:00

It's the second day of the new year, you slugs. Get your books out and start reading! Here's my list. I predict I'll make about a third of it by year's-end, if I'm lucky. Also, I hate Barack Obama because I think he reads faster than I do. That is unacceptable. Everything marked with a * is something I'm already reading currently. Blame that crazy Canuck for teaching me bad reading habits.

ThePoliticalCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06561906144646421575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-9706575908808550282012-01-02T00:30:00.000-08:002012-01-02T00:30:08.705-08:00

Photo copyright K. Smokey Cormier It's the first day of 2012, and time for the annual Book Review and Book List. I started off with 189 books on the list, which I thought was ridiculously high, even for a no-longer-painfully-employed person with a gimpy leg requiring lots of icing and elevation. Before the year was out, the list had swelled to 305 books. After Dad and Zingiber both died, I

ThePoliticalCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06561906144646421575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-42290956874688731772011-08-29T20:53:00.000-07:002011-08-29T20:55:08.591-07:00

David "Honeyboy" Edwards died today. He was the last of the great old Mississippi bluesmen, and you haven't heard the Delta blues played like this, ever. Here he is, in his 90s, still giving it his all: This is the kind of blues that sits in your belly like a hungry wolfcub, taking bites straight out of your heart. Blues like showers of rain. Thank you, Mr. Edwards. May your memory and your

ThePoliticalCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06561906144646421575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-13218875868951792732011-04-10T00:25:00.000-07:002011-04-10T00:32:25.868-07:00

photo from the PRX website (http://www.prx.org/pieces/19657)From today's Writer's Almanac ...It's the birthday of the writer Anne Lamott, born in San Francisco (1954). She had already written three novels when she got pregnant and decided to keep the baby, even though the baby's father left when she told him that. Her book Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year (1993) was about

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-61503255148081706592011-04-02T16:23:00.000-07:002011-04-02T16:45:07.578-07:00

I was invited to participate in the "Dogs on Camera" photo exhibit sponsored by the Frank Bette Center for the Arts in Alameda, Ca. We were supposed to go and photograph dogs at the specified dog parks in Alameda during the weekend of February 5 & 6. Then pick one of the photographs to submit and then see if it was selected for the show. We could submit only one photo! I showed the one that I

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-25440828743769632402011-03-27T12:19:00.000-07:002011-03-27T12:23:11.769-07:00

"Please move, you're killing my groove." (c) 2011 K. Smokey CormierWinning entry in the "Dogs on Camera" show sponsored by The Frank Bette Arts Center of Alameda. It was held at the satellite gallery at Urban Island Home Furnishings.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-80883152143254353462011-03-25T23:26:00.000-07:002011-03-25T23:36:51.549-07:00

(April 29, 2009 Photo by Tim Whitby/Getty Images Europe)Actor to watch out for: Anne-Marie Duff. She's really really good. Just finished watching Nowhere Boy. She plays Julia, John Lennon's birth mum.[No one ever calls Aunt Mimi John's adoptive mum ... but that's what she was.]

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-18957868425790315092011-02-11T21:11:00.000-08:002011-02-11T21:13:20.412-08:00

Have you seen the photos from Egypt at the New York Times web site?No!!! Better go now.They will make you weep for joy.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-73817055278976343622011-01-23T00:21:00.000-08:002011-01-23T00:32:39.024-08:00

A while ago my daughters and I went to the Pixar exhibit at the Oakland Museum and now we're watching all the full-length Pixar movies in chronological order. Below is the list -- if you're interested.Tonight we watched Cars. Paul Newman is the voice of Doc in the movie. So, I went poking around on the 'net about Paul Newman and found a photo of him when he was in the Navy -- I posted it in my

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-73266491857254304492011-01-23T00:13:00.001-08:002011-01-23T00:18:51.014-08:00

Photographer: Navy photographer, unknownWhat a beautiful lad!

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-36208765698063947352011-01-18T19:25:00.001-08:002011-01-18T21:18:42.075-08:00

Imagine that! A whole year gone! 2010 really flew by, and all I could manage was 60 books. This year's list is much longer. No time to waste. This is the list for 01/01/2011: Book List 2010A Concise History of Indian Art - Roy C. Craven A History of Cambodia - David Chandler A History of India 1 - Romila Thapar A History of India 2 - Percival Spear A House in Gross Disorder - Cynthia B.

ThePoliticalCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06561906144646421575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-63722131199629702812011-01-14T21:30:00.000-08:002011-01-14T21:34:32.143-08:00

(c) 2010 K. Smokey CormierWhat do you think? Would employers go for this? Young, blond, and you can get her to say what you want?

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-8876537243291499662011-01-14T12:18:00.000-08:002011-01-14T12:18:21.622-08:00

Yes, we actually did read some of the books on that interminable fucking list. So it's not a whole lot. Besides, the excuse is, ve haff bin ketchingk up on ze past six years' backlog of Science News. Srsly. We're all, like, up to 2010 January or something now. So here's the review so far. Book List 2010 A Ceremonial Death***- B.J. Oliphant A Mercy***** - Toni Morrison A Novel Bookstore**

ThePoliticalCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06561906144646421575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-79974208336060177242010-12-15T20:40:00.000-08:002010-12-15T21:00:01.173-08:00

(c) 2010 K. Smokey CormierPaper-white narcissuses, one hundred bulbs in shallow pools of moistened pebbles, their roots exposed, clinging, pale anchors steadying the blooms as they angle toward the sun. The windows are never completely closed because the sweet powdery scent would be unbearable. In those corners where sunlight is an unfulfilled promise, there are bowls of varying sizes holding

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-86383021801180247352010-11-21T22:00:00.000-08:002010-11-22T23:22:12.811-08:00

This is amazing and wonderful ... a valentine to all the young gay men out there ...[If it doesn't stream smoothly, go right here.]Ms. Manitoba has lived through severe homophobia. This video made me sob. I cried for sadness and joy. Sadness for all the young ones who have lost their lives because of homophobia. Joy that we have come at least this far. In my day, Lee Grant couldn't say "pregnant"

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-19060426746832393712010-11-19T07:29:00.000-08:002010-11-22T07:07:12.519-08:00

Photograph by Catherine Mauger.Happy Birthday, Sharon Olds.Sharon Olds is one of my very favorite poets. I fell in love with her poems in the early 80's. This is one of her most beautiful, most devastating poems.I Go Back to May 1937 by Sharon Olds I see them standing at the formal gates of their colleges, I see my father strolling out under the ochre sandstone arch, the

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-16781535225619633832010-11-17T17:54:00.000-08:002010-11-17T18:12:04.404-08:00

I tried to watch Crazy Heart -- I really did. What a lousy unbelievable story! A wet dream for white male sixty-somethings. Here's this 57-yr old, has-been country singer. A terrible drunk. And this barely-30-yr-old woman (Maggie Gyllenhall) falls in love with him. The guy is a wreck!!! And broke! AND ... *she's* got a kid. Maybe there is a woman in this country that would fall in love with this

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-81379384406837549022010-11-17T16:12:00.000-08:002010-11-17T16:19:56.057-08:00

Ms. Manitoba is behind in the news ... but I just heard that these two will be working together on a Dark Shadows feature film. I'm so excited!I was really into Dark Shadows the tv show back in the day. I had a night job (Ms. Manitoba has told you before -- I've had a million jobs!) as a switchboard operator ("one ringy dingy, two ringy dingy" ... to quote another favorite of mine) in New Jersey.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-7318317069626895532010-11-15T23:04:00.001-08:002010-11-15T23:07:48.050-08:00

Michael Pollan says that moths should: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Pants.”[once again Ms. Manitoba's brain strikes]

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-72029938165903483942010-11-14T18:44:00.000-08:002010-11-14T19:23:49.929-08:00

(c) 2007 K. Smokey CormierGerald Durrell wrote a letter to seal in a time capsule, and he said:"The world is to us what the Garden of Eden was supposed to be to Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were banished, but we are banishing ourselves from our Eden. The difference is that Adam and Eve had somewhere else to go. We have nowhere else to go. We hope that by the time you read this you will have at

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-92119667413710690382010-11-11T18:56:00.000-08:002010-11-11T19:15:20.602-08:00

(c) 2010 K. Smokey CormierFrom Yahoo news ...TORONTO (Reuters) – Book lovers seeking a copy of the winner of Canada's premier literary award are out of luck, unless they're ready to settle for an electronic version."The Sentimentalists," a surprise winner of the C$50,000 Scotiabank Giller Prize this week, is trickling only slowly into bookstores as its tiny publisher cranks out copies.The book,

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-19805099692735771272010-10-31T09:14:00.001-07:002010-10-31T09:19:20.051-07:00

(c) 2010 K. Smokey CormierDevil in a blue dress

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-91760451553259897002010-10-26T14:06:00.000-07:002010-10-26T14:06:37.090-07:00

Sadly behind on everything this year, except dealing with medical crises and lawsuits. Wevs, as y'all might say. This is the list for 01/01/2010: Book List 2010A Ceremonial Death - B.J. Oliphant A History of Cambodia - David Chandler A House in Gross Disorder - Cynthia B. Herrup A Journalist, A General, and An Army in Burma - U Thaung A Mercy - Toni Morrison A Novel Bookstore - Laurence

ThePoliticalCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06561906144646421575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-57322802395956079202010-10-26T12:28:00.000-07:002010-10-26T12:28:52.349-07:00

This is it! The final review of books on my reading list for the year. 2009 Final Book Review A VietCong Memoir - Truong Nhu Tang Borrowed? No. Recommended? A very, very interesting look at the VN war from the inside. The writer, who now lives in France, was a member of the "middle" - neither pro-Viet Minh nor pro-American, initially. He describes how his sympathies turned towards the Viet

ThePoliticalCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06561906144646421575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-58638612872360076542010-10-22T22:43:00.000-07:002010-10-22T23:02:43.269-07:00

Here's an excerpt of an interview ... Terry Gross (from Fresh Air) interviewing Jon Stewart back in September at the 92nd Street Y in NYCity ...GROSS: I'm going to read some questions from the audience.Mr. STEWART: Mm-hmm.GROSS: What role does Judaism play in your professional life? How about your personal life?Mr. STEWART: I can't believe that came out of 92nd Street Y.(Soundbite of laughter)Mr.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-81508563959628543702010-10-16T10:45:00.001-07:002010-10-16T11:01:30.636-07:00

(c) 2010 K. Smokey CormierKeeping things in perspective: I'm very unhappy about the recent announcements by the "Justice" Department -- that they're going to appeal the judgement about "Don't ask, don't tell" and that they will, indeed, enforce U.S. law and arrest marijuana users in California -- no matter how we vote. I'm unhappy. So, I'd love the calacas in the blue dresses to bite Obama's neck

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-12637218885202630402010-10-09T10:16:00.000-07:002010-10-09T10:24:13.021-07:00

Happy Birthday.Sending peace and love to his friends and families.We are big John Lennon fans here at TPC-CultureVultures.Thanks Google for that great John Lennon Logo!!!There's a great show devoted to John Lennon at Fresh Air. Check it out: Cynthia Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr remember John in interviews. Historian Jon Weiner talks about the FBI files on Lennon.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-91019835508316464022010-08-13T16:14:00.000-07:002010-08-13T16:40:27.356-07:00

Bill O'Reilly recently attacked Jennifer Aniston for her comments in support of women who use artificial insemination to become mothers. But Jennifer Aniston didn't go quietly into that good night ... she fought back. And with a sense of humor ... which is Ms. Manitoba's preferred method of vengance ... although not achieved as often as she'd like.O'Reilly claimed that her remarks were "

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-27802603039410228542010-08-12T18:18:00.000-07:002010-08-12T21:53:15.511-07:00

All photos by K. Smokey Cormier who holds the copyright thereof ... or some such thingHowdy, folks.If you're visiting San Francisco in the summer and fall of 2010, here are some suggestions. Don't be afraid to explore. It's a great city to explore!Note: Dress in layers. Bring a warm sweatshirt or jacket with you every day… unless the San Francisco Bay Area is having a heat wave, then you don't

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-29377638387933362982010-08-11T23:53:00.001-07:002010-08-12T00:09:06.189-07:00

photo (c) 2010 K. Smokey Cormier[Setting the scene ... a record playing ... very tasty cool jazz is playing ... High Top, saxaphone, fingers snapping ... A man with a very velvety deep voice sing-talking -- "Word Jazz" as he calls it]Wantcha to know that I love my babyAnd my baby loves meShort time ago, we went outtogether, to a place called Far Out -- up in LimboThe rhythm was there.Yeah!

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-78961311382895117952010-08-07T21:42:00.001-07:002010-08-07T22:00:34.704-07:00

Yes. And here's proof.You can catch one at The Lake Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill right on the shores of Lake Merritt.(Okay, maybe I overplayed it saying "the shores of Lake Merritt" as if it were Chicago and Lake Michigan. But I do *love* Lake Merritt.)Mini review of The Lake Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill: The food is quite good. Service excellent. The environment is very special.[Disclaimer: Ms.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-28981759631183185172010-08-04T00:20:00.000-07:002010-08-04T00:25:47.251-07:00

President Obama, you had a wonderful victory followed by a very rough year and a half. I would not like to be walking in your moccasins. I hope you will have some fun today. Forty-nine! You only have this year left in your forties ... use it wisely.From today's Writer's Almanac ...Today is President Barack Obama's 49th birthday. He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on this day in 1961, despite

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-79988582465127461972010-08-03T23:29:00.000-07:002010-08-03T23:38:11.232-07:00

Photo by Rina PrussinRemember just the other day I blogged about this song "Self" by Deep Cotton that I liked very much? 'member, bunkie?[official site for Deep Cotton: go here.]One of the founding members of Deep Cotton and the writer of the song -- he commented on my post ... take a look ...s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-sChuck Lightning has left a new

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-59300911193741131462010-07-31T19:16:00.000-07:002010-07-31T19:17:27.736-07:00

"You really can't be too concerned with what people think of you. You're on your own adventure of growth and discovery. Like Charles Bukowski said, 'People think I'm down on Fifth and Main at the Blarney Stone, throwing back shooters and smoking a cigar, but really I'm up on the top floor of the health club with a towel in my lap, watching Johnny Carson.' So, it's not always good to be where

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-41217393156045491562010-07-28T21:52:00.000-07:002010-07-28T22:41:40.753-07:00

(c) 2006 Rina S. PrussinHere are the song lyrics to a very terrific song ... song called "Self!" by Deep Cotton ... it's the first song on the compilation for this month's edition of the magazine The Believer ... the Music Issue ...* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Getting ridiculous!I'm getting ridiculous!Always feel like I'm ...playing games and I ...losing all

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-10707990912954502822010-07-23T20:26:00.000-07:002010-07-23T20:44:13.601-07:00

After hiking at Lake Laguinitas today, I went to see Anton Chekhov's The Duel. Yes, that's the correct name of the movie. It is based on an Anton Chekhov novella. I'd read Mick Lasalle's review in today's paper and that made me want to see it.Here's my review: It was good but not great. Some of the writing was stilted. The acting was uneven in the three main actors. The cinematography was

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-32210326076431802672010-07-20T11:49:00.000-07:002010-07-20T11:50:41.655-07:00

No, my last review just didn't get it right... there was something missing ... let me try it again:Boys go bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-20061261991723481992010-07-20T08:44:00.000-07:002010-07-20T08:51:06.569-07:00

from today's edition of The Writer's Almanac ... to me this is a very dramatic story ... pay particular attention to the last paragraph ...It was on this day in 1875 that the largest recorded swarm of locusts in American history descended upon the Great Plains. An estimated 3.5 trillion locusts made up the swarm. It was about 1,800 miles long and 110 miles wide, ranging from Canada down to

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-86409654455715488072010-07-19T23:41:00.000-07:002010-07-19T23:42:52.169-07:00

Boys go bang bang bang bang bang bang. Lots of explosions and loud music. Great special effects. But I was bored often.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-37914881507649260822010-07-11T21:40:00.001-07:002010-07-11T21:42:50.810-07:00

The other night I watched When You're Strange -- the documentary about The Doors written and directed by Tom DiCillo. DiCillo wrote and directed one of my favorite films: Living in Oblivion, which I highly recommend. I used to be a big fan of The Doors. Still am but just don't listen to them that often. So, I was really looking forward to this documentary. It also got good reviews. But, folks, I

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-74414684945532724382010-07-07T22:20:00.000-07:002010-07-08T00:04:40.567-07:00

I went to see John Waters’ art exhibition today at the Rena Bransten Gallery on Geary Street in San Francisco. It's called RUSH. The exhibit closes on July 10. Try to go see it. It's worth your while.I’ll talk about my favorite pieces in a minute. Right now I want to focus on several of his pieces which were collages of photos taken from images on TV. I really liked many of them. The show is

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-11847634072684547192010-07-07T00:11:00.000-07:002010-07-07T00:24:36.645-07:00

Collection Alain Weill Ringo Starr in a 1967 portrait by Richard Avedon. Ringo -- thanks for all the fun and music over the years. You made my teenage years much more interesting.Ringo turns 70 today. Yep, 70. Some younguns, smirking just a little, have commented on me wearing my Bob Marley T shirt and I just look them straight in the eyes and tell them that Marley

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-39901891463914314372010-07-06T19:39:00.000-07:002010-07-06T19:57:22.476-07:00

I'm writing this not for the tweens and teens that will be going to see this but the poor adults that will schlep into the theater with them because they read the reviews saying that this installment was so so so much better. It is not. The writing is abominable. And, if the writing's bad ... it's really hard to act well under those conditions, so the acting is pretty bad too. My adult friend and

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-78503378652253906502010-06-26T18:06:00.000-07:002010-06-26T18:15:37.192-07:00

If I were reporting on the World Cup, I'd call my column "Vuvuzela Monologues."

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-10899370043189621642010-06-26T10:06:00.000-07:002010-06-26T10:12:53.875-07:00

Damn it! I just read that Ford has decided to drop the Lincoln Town Car!!!!Why haven't I won SuperLotto already?My fantasy for years was this:I'd win the SuperLotto. Quit my job IMMEDIATELY (is there a word that conveys something faster than "immediately"?). Take a break. Then buy a Lincoln Town Car. Have someone install a REALLY GOOD sound system in it. Then, by word of mouth, let people know

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-66908940739571236372010-06-24T07:45:00.000-07:002010-06-24T07:55:26.611-07:00

une photographie d'une peinture murale au Ville de Québéca photograph of a mural in Québéc CityMs. Manitoba says ... To my fellow countrymen and women -- Jour heureux de Jean-Baptist!This is all the way from Oakland, California -- to the French-Canadian/Québécois diaspora!Have a fun time today ... I'll be thinking of you. Je t'embrasse.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-71768024801237098752010-06-23T16:47:00.000-07:002010-06-23T17:02:32.572-07:00

From today's Writer's Almanac ...Tonight is Midsummer Night's Eve, also called St. John's Eve. St. John is the patron saint of beekeepers. It's a time when the hives are full of honey. The full moon that occurs this month was called the Mead Moon, because honey was fermented to make mead. That's where the word "honeymoon" comes from, because it's also a time for lovers. An old Swedish proverb

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-29037334490149895732010-05-27T21:33:00.001-07:002010-05-27T21:45:43.501-07:00

John Waters. He is one weird dude. Fabulous storyteller. Very funny. And I do love the kinks even when they make me shake my head to clear those stuffy cobwebs that lurk there in my brain ... leftovers from my bygone Catholic era.His take on the Tea Bag Party: “Well, they started rioting when President Obama tried to pass his healthcare bill. I really don’t blame them. I love rioting. I used to

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-19090699749727133612010-05-26T09:05:00.000-07:002010-05-26T10:03:37.820-07:00

A friend at work recommended a hike at Bon Tempe Lake in the Marin Watershed. So last Saturday, my oldest daughter and I went "exploring" there ... she's 17 and I dare not use the word "hiking." Exploring means you can stop and look at tadpoles or see if there are any lizards in the tall grasses. I love to hike but I'm not a type A. If I'm with my daughters, I can adapt to their quirks.A friend

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-76973045419117543232010-05-23T18:49:00.000-07:002010-05-23T18:56:19.321-07:00

At one time, Ms. Manitoba was called an alien ... "legal alien." She was sponsored by her Irish uncles living in Queens. "Alien" sticks to you whether there is a "legal" or "illegal" in front of it. Ms. Manitoba abhors the use of legal alien or illegal alien. It's a manipulation by the Money Men.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-44807250095004278642010-05-19T20:30:00.000-07:002010-05-19T20:31:39.922-07:00

from Lapham's Quarterly, Spring 20101954: Washington, D.C.GUIDELINES1. Crimes shall never be presented in such away as to create sympathy with the criminal,to promote distrust of the forces of law andjustice, or to inspire others with a desire toimitate criminals.2. In every instance, good shall triumph overevil, and the criminal shall be punished forhis misdeeds.3. The letters of the word "crime

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-83593025967219743082010-05-17T08:36:00.000-07:002010-05-17T08:38:11.738-07:00

Do you know about R. Sikoryak? He takes well-known comic book characters and places them in classic literature stories. For example, Little Lulu in The Scarlet Letter. Here's the cover (I'll describe in words) for Action Camus ... Lois Lane and Superman are in bed ...Lois Lane: Do you love me?Superman (turning to look at her): Well, it's a meaningless question, but I suppose not.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-25996836999744843752010-05-17T08:34:00.000-07:002010-05-17T08:47:46.812-07:00

Here's an excerpt from an interview with Bogdanovich in yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle .. Pink Pages ...Q: You directed another singing diva, Cher, in "Mask."Bogdanovich: Cher was not so much fun. [earlier he talked about Barbra Streisand being fun to work with] It was like pulling teeth. I had to resort to long close-ups, because she couldn't sustain a scene for more than a few moments ...

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-978028722026155452010-05-04T08:08:00.000-07:002010-05-04T08:23:18.998-07:00

(c) 2006 K. Smokey CormierMay DayIn memory of Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer, and William Schroeder at Kent State May 4, 1970.In memory of Phillip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green at Jackson State College May 15, 1970.May 1970New Haven, ConnecticutI had gone to high school hereknew all the little side streetsbut this time I sneaked into townstayed overnightin one of the Yale

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-35221006753025546502010-04-30T21:32:00.001-07:002010-04-30T22:38:27.689-07:00

all photographs (c) 2010 K. Smokey CormierLast night I went to the grand opening of the Oakland Museum of California. It was exciting and the museum, which has undergone major renovation, is gorgeous. A delicious orange color pulls the museum’s ensemble together beautifully. It starts with the exterior signs -- beautiful against the sky.The art gallery is so much bigger. It feels good walking

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-28872924739206974002010-04-28T09:35:00.000-07:002010-04-28T09:58:11.164-07:00

I received this several years ago in email from one of my friends. So, I've pulled it from my archives because it still makes me laugh. Of course, I probably get more enjoyment from it than most "Americans" because I'm from that giant peaceful neighbor up north -- Canada.------------------------------------------------------------The questions below about Australia, are from potential visitors.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-73018193645063620522010-04-21T10:40:00.000-07:002010-07-06T21:10:46.343-07:00

(c) 2010 K Smokey Cormier I placed the book there but not the mouse ... or Willy Billy ButtonOn Monday night I went to City Arts & Lectures to see Anne Lamott. There was a podium and she mostly stood there and talked to us about what her life had been like lately. (An exception about standing at the podium: She left the podium once to hand a cough drop to a member of the audience who had been

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-7066138260843447972010-04-11T17:36:00.000-07:002010-04-11T17:53:42.387-07:00

(c) 2005 K Smokey CormierIf you're a real environmentalist, you'll cover yourself with mulch right up to your neck and then shoot yourself in the head.- T.C. Boyle... from an interview with Michael Krasny ... I'm reading Krasny's book OFF MIKE: A Memoir of Talk Radio and Literary Life

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-30828767598315898232010-04-07T09:56:00.000-07:002010-04-07T10:15:08.924-07:00

Photograph taken by K Smokey Cormier at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C, May 2005We mourn the loss of Wilma Mankiller. We loved her. We didn’t know her but we loved her. We loved her for her perseverance. Perseverance is a very underrated quality. And, what is it that makes the most difference in your daily life ... and in the lives of much of humanity? Perseverance.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-31442346189179972082010-03-25T23:29:00.000-07:002010-03-26T00:03:16.183-07:00

unknown photographerHere in Oakland, California it's still March 25 so I can wish Flannery O'Connor a blessed birthday.Today's short biography from A Writer's Almanac ... another good chicken story too ...It's the birthday of Flannery O'Connor, born 85 years ago today in Savannah, Georgia (1925), who wrote two novels and 32 short stories and who said: "I come from a family where the only emotion

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-28825974210032896862010-03-17T10:23:00.000-07:002010-03-17T10:31:21.097-07:00

irish mei need irishingit's that time of yearbut i don't want leprechauns promising pots of gold shiny shamrocks kiss me pins green beerin my bloodboth ancient and newthe bodhrán beatstell me aboutthe Picts, Gaels, and DruidsBridget, the Book of Kells, and the Tara Broochthe Viking tyranny fought by Mahon and Brian Boruand, from the time of the Normans,tell me about Gaelic

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-43864467619369384642010-03-14T18:26:00.000-07:002010-03-14T19:11:06.189-07:00

Chickens at the Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, California(c) 2006 K. Smokey CormierI want to share an excerpt from Our Life in Gardens by Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd. They are a queer couple and have written a couple of books about their experiences with their farm and nursery in Vermont. The excerpt is about chickens.(Also, there's a wonderful piece in the NYTimes that you might want to read.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-88517611358667382092010-03-04T23:05:00.001-08:002010-03-04T23:35:48.267-08:00

San Francisco Bay, looking North from Berkeleyall photos (c) 2010 K. Smokey CormierLast Saturday around 5:30pm I was at the intersection of Gilman St. and Buchanan in Berkeley ... right near the Eastshore Freeway. Near the Gilman St. turf fields. My oldest daughter was playing rugby.The sky was beautiful. I had to take out my trusty camera and shoot. I just love the sky when it's like this. C.L.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-27367413597534675182010-02-28T14:07:00.000-08:002010-02-28T14:33:32.113-08:00

My daughters and I have gotten into the habit of watching horror movies for our Saturday night family-movie night. Some selections were horror lite like Ghost Cat (starring pre-Juno Ellen Page) which was not scary at all. But the horror genre is wide-ranging in flavors. Last night we watched Zombieland -- which we all enjoyed very much. It stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg (who I loved in

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-12915525755199047392010-02-20T22:16:00.000-08:002010-02-20T22:24:11.327-08:00

photographer unknownI just heard ... just now ... of Lucille Clifton's passing. She passes on to the ancients. Bless her. We earthlings will miss her most intelligent and musical voice.One of her poems ...Homage to My Hipsthese hips are big hips.they need space tomove around in.they don't fit into littlepetty places. these hipsare free hips.they don't like to be held back.these hips have never

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-86799575395485549112010-02-14T21:06:00.000-08:002010-02-14T22:26:19.790-08:00

Everybody's doin' it, doin' it, doin' it ... I must have read fifty goddamn best of lists so far. Best movies of the decade. Best movies of Hollywood. Best movies of the 21st century. Best movies from countries where they don't speak English. Best movies you can enjoy while masturbating.Well, whatFUCKINGEVER, y'all. I don't give a shit. I'm gonna put up my OWN list of best movies. These are the

ThePoliticalCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06561906144646421575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-49273274727573945792010-02-13T20:03:00.000-08:002010-02-13T20:05:40.158-08:00

"heart 2010" (c) 2010 k smokey cormier

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-28955218103089112912010-02-09T20:27:00.000-08:002010-02-09T20:29:55.996-08:00

Check this out .. time lapse of snowfall in Washington, D.C.www.youtube.comTime lapse video of the Feruary 5-6 snowfall in DC. Nikon D200 set to make an exposure every 5 minutes. 328 frames at 12 fps.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-59283310171774562412010-02-05T20:43:00.000-08:002010-02-05T20:47:31.083-08:00

This is so good. Patti's voice is sooooo good in this video. I hate to be superficial (oh, yeah?) but she's lookin' good too. Sit back, relax ...I saw her at Herbst Theater in San Francisco last week. Go here.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-48909516115782040022010-01-31T22:40:00.000-08:002010-01-31T22:44:19.845-08:00

Okay, folks, this is my list for January 1 to end of December this year. Notice the many fiction to the few non-fiction. I'm not kidding myself. Right now it seems that I am mostly drawn to fiction. Escapism? Not sure. I do feel a lot when I read fiction so I'm not sure I'm escaping anything. Cathartic, then? I'll just have to ponder that one.I wish you a great reading year!Hey -- and please,

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-58042566236171090722010-01-29T21:09:00.000-08:002010-01-29T21:11:11.540-08:00

Adrienne Biggs is sure that the new iPad was named by a man.(from Leah Garchik's column on sfgate.com)

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-21092390704823472492010-01-27T23:14:00.000-08:002010-01-27T23:22:59.387-08:00

photographer unknown, found this photo at untossedcoin.wordpress.com/.../Yes. I just saw Patti Smith tonight. She was at Herbst Theater in San Francisco as part of the Arts and Politics series for City Arts & Lectures.She was really wonderful. She's touring for her new book Just Kids which is about her and Robert Mapplethorpe when they were young and starting out in New York. She told lots of

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-20551664437973899442010-01-25T21:43:00.000-08:002010-01-25T22:03:44.690-08:00

On Saturday evening my 17 year old and I went out to the movies. She had been studying all afternoon and I promised her, if she worked hard, I'd take her out. She wanted to see The Book of Eli ... if truth be told, so did I. I *love* Denzel Washington. I went to see him in Julius Caeser when I was in New York for vacation in 2005. A lesbian loves Denzel Washington, you say. Yep. What's not to

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-37449021789155953642010-01-23T16:24:00.000-08:002010-01-23T16:47:38.125-08:00

Looking back, it’s been a good year for me concerning books and reading. I’ve read some very good books in 2009 and enjoyed the time spent reading. I had total knee replacement in Dec 2008, so reading was a frequent activity for me in the first months of 2009.The Queen’s Gambit - Walter TevisI didn’t know someone could write a book about someone obsessed with playing chess and that I could get

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-46163861821347378662010-01-19T13:50:00.000-08:002010-01-20T20:37:15.559-08:00

Kate and Anna McGarrigle speak to reporters after a news conference in Montreal on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2004.(Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)Condolences to the McGarrigles and Wainwrights. We loved the McGarrigles ... their music ... their compassionate hearts, their quirky personalities (of what we know by just being a fan).Martha Wainwright, Kate McGarrigle, and Rufus Wainwright, photographed at

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-55515584463349902862010-01-14T22:33:00.000-08:002010-01-14T22:53:08.687-08:00

[Wanna know more about this graphic? Go here.]Ms. Manitoba has read in several places how older folks are going with Jay Leno ... but those tech savvy young folks are going with Conan O'Brien.Where dem bloggers atWhere dem bloggers at Where they at, where they at, where they at?Stop that stereotyping ... 'kay?Ms. Manitoba has recently stepped into her sixties and she is for Coco!!I watched Leno's

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-82899445382541339412009-12-29T21:22:00.000-08:002009-12-29T21:34:03.876-08:00

devil duck gone fishin'blood orange webrina's birthday present to herself****************All photos copyright 2009 K. Smokey Cormier****************

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-6453588675865063332009-12-18T16:14:00.000-08:002009-12-18T16:35:23.894-08:00

(c) 1990 Ross AndecmanSometime in the mid to late 1980's, I took a class at UC Berkeley Extension. It was all about how to become a better Black & White darkroom printer. It was taught by the photographer Larry Sultan. He was a wonderful teacher -- smart, patient, good at explaining things, playful ... and so generous with his time. I learned a lot from him and became a much better photographer

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-40500115753054075452009-12-17T23:08:00.000-08:002009-12-17T23:46:12.775-08:00

What have I been listening to in the past week? A Lovely Way To Spend Christmas by Kristin Chenoweth. And it's great!Ms. Manitoba has a complicated relationship with Christmas. I was raised Roman Catholic and I was sincerely, deeply religious. Lots of thinking and feeling and observing and reading ... over time ... and I began to really resent the commercialization of the birth of the holiest. I

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-31041551958644045542009-12-11T23:09:00.000-08:002009-12-11T23:10:42.023-08:00

Check out these sayings from the artist Jenny Holzer.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-20458047879774756932009-12-06T14:06:00.000-08:002009-12-06T14:07:58.182-08:00

This is what the list looks like now:Book List 2009A History of Cambodia - David ChandlerA House in Gross Disorder - Cynthia B. Herrup A Journalist, A General, and An Army in Burma - U ThaungA Point of Light - Zhou Mei A Spy's Revenge - Richard V. HallAgnes Smedley - J.R. & S.R. MacKinnon Armed Communist Movements in Southeast Asia - Lim Joo Jock, Vani S., Eds. Beating the Blues - Thase & Lang

ThePoliticalCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06561906144646421575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-5957543611640630402009-12-06T14:05:00.000-08:002009-12-06T14:06:39.626-08:00

OK. This represents the books read between August 16th and November 16th of this year. I'll publish the updated (and very much added to, dammit!) book list soon. For the original book list (at the start of the year), go here. For previous book reviews, go here, and here.A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Marina LewyckaBorrowed? Courtesy of Brian.Recommended? Highly. This is a first novel

ThePoliticalCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06561906144646421575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-66551306432704019212009-11-30T20:33:00.000-08:002009-11-30T20:45:24.778-08:00

Have you seen Away We Go yet? I just watched it (twice!) on DVD. I really liked it. The writing is very smart and warm ... and funny. The acting is very nearly perfect. It’s good, really good. I recommend it.It was written by Dave Eggers and & Vendela Vida. Local writers.Directed by Sam Mendes.Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski are so very good in the main roles. But there are others who are

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-15261119618693496082009-11-28T17:01:00.001-08:002009-11-28T17:03:31.185-08:00

Ms. Manitoba is a woman of the *real* woods.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-74137668483007316332009-11-28T05:56:00.000-08:002009-11-28T06:03:27.991-08:00

photographer unknownJon Stewart is one of our favorites here at TPC-CultureVultures. Have a great day, Jon!!!From today's The Writer's Almanac (http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/) ...It's the birthday of the comedian who has interviewed Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Jimmy Carter, John McCain, Tom Cruise, and Tom Hanks, and on whose show Senator John Edwards announced that he

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-72527940804339210962009-11-19T08:05:00.001-08:002009-11-19T08:09:27.535-08:00

unknown photographerMs. Manitoba has just learned of the passing of journalist Andrea Lewis. She was respected and admired by so many people. It is a great loss.To read an obituary in the San Francisco Chronicle, go here.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-74600751705894321092009-11-08T11:48:00.000-08:002009-11-08T11:55:10.400-08:00

I'm reading this great book right now. Reichl is a good storyteller and this book is a memoir about part of her time with the NYTimes as a restaurant critic. Very interesting. Plus, she supplies recipes! What's not to like?Want to know more about Ruth Reichl? Go here, oh compliant one.Note: Ms. Manitoba has no affiliation with Ruth Reichl, her publisher, or the NYTimes. This is just a sincere

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-20713673580765704582009-10-24T08:56:00.000-07:002009-10-24T09:14:04.395-07:00

Yes, Ms. Manitoba has a fondness for Soupy Sales. He was damn funny! He was quirky and his show was very low budget. Yes, it was a children's show and I was a teenager... back then in the 60's ... but I'd watch it because he would throw out these zingers and he was so unpredictable. I like that in entertainers.[We do Harold Pinter in one post, Soupy Sales in the next: we, too, are unpredictable.]

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-50575883593174683442009-10-10T07:59:00.000-07:002009-10-10T08:05:19.431-07:00

From today's Writers Almanac ...It's the birthday of playwright Harold Pinter, (books by this author) born on this day in 1930 in London. He is the author of The Birthday Party (1957), The Caretaker (1959), and Betrayal (1978). He once described the subject of his plays as "the weasel under the cocktail cabinet." He won the Nobel Prize in literature in 2005, and he died last December at the age

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-46546787748360962692009-10-03T08:15:00.000-07:002009-10-03T08:30:12.414-07:00

photographer unknownI want to work in revelations, not just spin silly tales for money. I want to fish as deep down as possible into my own subconscious in the belief that once that far down, everyone will understand, because they are the same as me that far down.-- Jack Kerouac

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-16016742036402288602009-09-30T16:57:00.000-07:002009-09-30T17:21:04.218-07:00

Copyright April McDonaldOakland artist April McDonald has kindly allowed this blog to post a virtual exhibit of her found art. It's not everybody who can turn out something so beautiful, political, powerful, and communicative with bits and pieces rescued from those who don't possess the wherewithal to see art in everyday things.Copyright April McDonaldSo much for Gertrude Stein's message about

ThePoliticalCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06561906144646421575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-40263958542912862552009-09-30T16:35:00.000-07:002009-09-30T17:25:09.606-07:00

Tree in Henry W. Coe State Park, copyright Cynthia LeederIf you didn't already know, PBS is running Ken Burns' documentary on the National Parks system in the USA this week, titled The National Parks: America's Best Idea. You can see video clips from the documentary right here.Wildflowers along the road, Henry W. Coe State Park, copyright Cynthia LeederFellow-blogger FoTPC, who often writes a

ThePoliticalCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06561906144646421575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-12375601753828225662009-09-19T00:27:00.001-07:002009-09-19T00:32:15.998-07:00

(c) 2009 K. Smokey CormierMs. Manitoba wishes all of you a good and sweet year!!! May we all have more peace in our lives.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-39581085542709989902009-09-18T12:25:00.000-07:002009-09-18T12:35:02.258-07:00

You might say the denizens of La Casa de Los Gatos are mightily fond of the delicate plucking of stringed instruments. Lutes, sarod, pi-pa, shamisen. We love them all. Combined with the delicate breathing of some dulcet wind instrument, say, a flute, and bringing life to a creation of Renaissance/prog rock, one achieves The Amazing Blondel.Here in part, Fantasia Lindum:Swifts and Swains, Leafy

ThePoliticalCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06561906144646421575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-35870131090560043272009-09-07T22:09:00.000-07:002009-09-07T22:17:01.292-07:00

(c) 2007 K. Smokey CormierTaken at the Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, Ca.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-90066972829335422112009-09-01T11:07:00.000-07:002009-09-01T11:16:30.109-07:00

ANIMAL LOVERS ... Fresh Air is a public radio -- radio program hosted by the fabulous Terry Gross. This week Terry is interviewing people about animals -- all week.To get to the Fresh Air website so that you can listen to the shows on your computer, go here.

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-55986770625711890762009-08-29T19:20:00.000-07:002009-08-30T02:24:56.924-07:00

The Eat Real Food Festival is happening in Oakland this weekend. For those of you who live close by, I hope you go. There's some really good food there and other good stuff.Here are some photos from the festival ...All photos (c) 2009 K. Smokey CormierDisclaimer: I have no affiliation with any of the businesses or with Eat Real Food Festival. I'm just a loyal citizen in Oakland.The folks at

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-39127746712750153512009-08-22T22:06:00.000-07:002009-08-22T22:43:22.084-07:00

Ms. Manitoba loves Santa Cruz. I take my daughters there every year before school starts and we have a wonderful time. We go with a long-time friend who is an auntie to my daughters.This year we wondered if we should go -- there's a forest fire north of Santa Cruz and two of us have asthma. But we decided to head there and leave if it was smokey.Our tradition is to ride the Haunted Castle

Ms. Manitobahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692419691138754029noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3284421310454812858.post-18475216141517342592009-08-16T22:06:00.000-07:002009-08-16T22:11:29.019-07:00

Photograph copyright K. Smokey CormierThis is what the list looks like now:Book List 2009A History of Cambodia - David ChandlerA House in Gross Disorder - Cynthia B. Herrup A Point of Light - Zhou Mei A Spy's Revenge - Richard V. HallA Will For Freedom - Romen Bose Agnes Smedley - J.R. & S.R. MacKinnon Apache Sunrise - Jerome BoyleArmed Communist Movements in Southeast Asia - Lim Joo Jock, Vani S

ThePoliticalCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06561906144646421575noreply@blogger.com0