Comments on Rule Of Thumb

Comment on Recent Viewing: Films

Greg — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:25:38 -0400

Leviathan was fantastic! I'm glad that people are watching it.

Comment on Don't Feed Me Onions

outside catering ni — Fri, 10 May 2013 10:42:27 -0400

Im exactly the same with beans and my mums the same with garlic :)

Comment on Just Like Old Times

G. Marshall — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:53:37 -0400

Shitake growing seems to be the fad in NH too! Just like in the old days. I'll have to admit I was tempted to go to the class until I learned the cost.
Growing mushrooms is primal. Learning how to grown them should be free. I'm going to google!

Comment on My Favorite Albums

sarafoss — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:07:04 -0400

You will have to tell me more about Astrud Gliberto/Walter Wanderley - I've never heard of them.

Certainly I feel a little silly about putting together a favorite album list and leaving off the Beatles. Sgt. Pepper's probably would make my top 20.

Comment on My Favorite Albums

Steve — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:41:08 -0400

I love arguing about these types of lists! Everytime I see an article about �top 10 this� or �top 10 that� I can�t help but read it. I have spent countless hours debating these sorts of lists with friends (about music, sports, everything). The list I�ve been working to cultivate most recently is the list of top 5 performers you would want from the history of show-biz in a comedy improv group. After you check off the one obvious (Peter Sellers) it gets interesting!

Anyway, I liked your list, as far as I know the music on it. If you rank the Replacements that highly I�ll have to check them out- I really don�t know much about music when it comes down to it. Funny about putting the Mighty Mighty Bosstones album on there- I remember enjoying it when it came out, but I never would have considered it for this list. However, I can understand�

Anyway, when I compiled my own list I thought it would end up being pretty original, but in the end for the most part I just couldn�t exclude the big names. Here is my list:

1. Beatles- Help!
2. Kinks- The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society
3. Beach Boys- Pet Sounds
4. Don McLean- American Pie
5. Bob Dylan- Blood on the Tracks
6. The Modern Lovers- The Modern Lovers
7. Violent Femmes- Violent Femmes
8. They Might Be Giants- John Henry
9. Astrud Gilberto/Walter Wanderley- A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness
10. The Grateful Dead- American Beauty

Comment on Cutting the Cord

G. Marshall — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:56:44 -0400

You got rid of the cable now get rid of the tube and you will find out what real living is! Congratulations! You're 33% there!

Comment on Watching "Oz the Great and Powerful"

Steve — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 08:07:12 -0400

I couldn't read the whole article because of the spoiler alert. However, I'll say that I was turned off by the lackluster reviews, but now there are two people whose views on these matters I trust who told me that it actually is worth seeing. Will have to try it!

Comment on Movie Theater Etiquette, Part II

sarafoss — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:14:11 -0400

Kids are hardly ever the problem, at least in my experience. And if they're acting bad, it's really not their fault. It's the fault of the parent who either 1. brought them to a movie they weren't ready for or that wasn't appropriate for them or 2. are derelict in their responsibility to teach kids how to behave properly at public events.
I know some people recommend just talking to management, but I prefer to confront the people directly, and then go to management if they don't knock it off. For one thing, I really don't want to leave the theater and miss even more of the movie than I'm already missing. I also feel that this sort of direct action can actually be pretty effective, and maybe inspire other moviegoers to be more proactive, rather than just ignoring annoying people. Personally, I wish theaters would start addressing this problem a little better - maybe have an usher inside a theater during the first 10 or 15 minutes of the movie, and have them approach filmgoers who are talking or using their phones.

Comment on Movie Theater Etiquette, Part II

Eric — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 21:53:45 -0400

90% of the movies I've seen the theaters in the past 3 years have been kids' movies to which I've taken my children. The crazy thing? Most kids sit completely rapt during a movie. Once in a while you'll get a kid who's frightened or who whispers, but the adults are by far the worst offenders. I took my kids to a Loony Tunes marathon a few weeks ago and the middle aged people behind me (who had no kids with them) yapped through the whole thing while the kids in the audience were incredibly well-behaved. I think the key is to complain to the theater, not the people. "Cool" theaters enforce no talking/no cell phone policies and boot people out who don't comply. I don't think it should be up to the paying customers to enforce a theater's policies.

Comment on Baby Swim Time

Eric — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 22:58:29 -0500

Pro-tip from a dad who's had two kids go through swimming lessons with a third on the way: Don't take too long a break from the lessons! We started both my kids with lessons at 8 months and both started off great. But we took a 3-4 month break with my oldest when he was about 1 and a half and during that time period he lost ALL confidence in the water. It took years before he had any sort of confidence in the water again. He's now six and he's a reasonably strong swimmer, but my 3.5-year-old daughter--who didn't get a break in the lessons--is almost as good as he is and never lost her confidence. Of course, part of that is certainly their difference personalities, but I think keeping them exposed to swimming during the toddler years is pretty key to how quickly they will learn to actually swim.

Comment on Revisiting "Titanic"

Steve — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:21:44 -0500

I've actually wondered within the past couple of months what I would think about Titanic if I saw it again now. Apparently at some time I'll have to give it a shot! Good review!

Comment on Recent Viewing: Films

Ed — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 19:26:49 -0500

No you did not just give holy mountain four stars. I'm sure you meant 2.

Comment on The 11-Year-Old Criminal Mastermind

eva — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 11:39:36 -0500

This story prompted me to reflect upon the bad things also - a useful post for those to have majestic Criminal Mastermind)

Comment on My Jam Band Problem

Eric — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:12:13 -0500

I love this thread because I pretty much hold the same opinion of Jam Bands (for lack of a better term) and have similarly been a bit vexed in explaining, to others but also myself, exactly why I find them so annoying.

But a couple things to clarify the debate: I'd bet Brian (original poster) would agree that there are always exceptions to every rule; which means that one can have a problem with the general "genre" of Jam (er, Bands) while finding the occasional song here or there that they like. I'd even extend that to entire bands, or at least large parts of those bands body of work. I guess I'd find a middle ground btw Brian and Tony where I can acknowledge that Phish, and to a less frequent but notable extent, the Dead have produced some really great inventive music.

And this totally fits with the general defining rule of Jam Bands - that they're lazy. In other words: Phish and the Dead are composed of extremely talented musicians who are capable of some truly impressive improvisation, which, I think, is the main thing JB Fans (JBFs!) dig about this type of music.

OK so here's the thing. We gotta make some distinctions. No argument can be productive unless you carefully define what you're criticizing/defending.

So here's a thought, or maybe a QUESTION that might help distinguish the "Jam" genre that I think many folks implicitly dislike (which, by the way, I subjectively define as "bands that don't realize the Allman Brothers already did that thing you just did.... forty years ago")from other music that also features long, stem-winding songs that can go in any number of directions depending on the night/mood/etc...

Is Yo La Tengo a "Jam" band? And if not, how do they differ from the "typical" Jam Band, and is that difference the same with what I might nominate as the best Jam Band (Phish)?

Comment on Watching "Les Miserables"

Betty — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 13:08:09 -0500

Hi Sara!
I have not seen "Les Miz" but am hoping to do so very soon. Reading your comments has peaked my interest once again, so I am determined to set a date and go to see it. Thanks!