Diss Amis

{No Comments}January 13th, 2011 » Groovy Books & Film

martinamisMartin Amis is the finest working essayist in English. Given the frequent prolixity of many modern novelists working in the language as compared, to, say, French or Farsi, this makes him the finest living essayist, period. (Need more substantiation?.)

Sad, then that the essay is an art form that is so grossly unappreciated in this age of groking and groping for online attention. While, of course, it would make Amis the finest living grokker as well (olde’ world for online opining) a writer of his stature simply does not need to blog.

And we wish he would.

Then he may write fewer novels.

The very qualities that make him a great essayist tend to lessen the power of his verbal pyrotechnics during lengthier prose. While storyline and character development may seem a bit mundane to the lovers of the post modern novelist (of which Amis is not) or even to the bad boys of British Lit., we think they still matter when it comes to spending a long spell of time with a book.

Or a Nook.

Something just seems, well, amiss.

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Rush made me do it.

{No Comments}January 11th, 2011 » Politics and Pure Evil

new-pictureUm, is that what it’s all coming down to? Frankly, if you wanted to disable the right you could a find crazy person and coach them to say this when apprehended after a “mock” shooting. Hopefully you unload the chamber before the sicko starts the rampage. 

Sick?

How is is this any sicker that a talk show host exploiting the zeitgeist. As a wise person told us today, don’t be surprised if Mr. Limbaugh floats the idea hissssssss-elf. 

Prescient? Perturbed?

So why can’t anyone stop talking about this?

(The anonimity and prized unpopularity of groovyman.com assures our safety.)

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Newsweak

{No Comments}January 5th, 2011 » Groovy Athletics, Groovy Books & Film

tina-vs-ariana1We have been following the recent appointment of Tina Brown at Newsweek with great interest. So far, we have nothing of substance to report, which, apparently, is what her goal happens to be–to comment and opine instead of report. While this may eventually produce an editorial vehicle that is slim on news, it may allow her to accent current events with her sassy ‘tude. If we ran this sorry newsmagazine, however, we would change the name to newsbeast and regulate it to the print extension of The Daily Beast–which has been successful online.

Another option might be to try make Newsweek a vehicle for reportage’. The lovely little Truman Capote conceived of In Cold Blood in this very manner and never had to work again. Tina Brown has the chops to locate a new liliiputian with a lilting voice that collects dolls, worships pink slippers and writes like an angel.

We strongly recommend that she does.

Before that devil Ariana beats her to it.

(Hot or Hot or Not and Not?)

Buy me stuff

{No Comments}December 25th, 2010 » Groovy Books & Film

santa-pickWe wonder if Jesus had not lived whether another individual would have taken his place in the American pantheon. Christ-mas, which literally means “a mass for Christ”, has been perverted beyond recognition. That is the real reason you should offer others a ”holiday greeting” instead using the sacred word “Chistmas. While we love capitalism, we hate its influence on today. Better to shift December 25 to to February 28 in Minnesota, when hell usually blows across the street.

Two word parenting

{No Comments}December 15th, 2010 » Groovy Books & Film

Yes, never.

(no comment?)

One Word Parenting

{No Comments}December 15th, 2010 » Groovy Books & Film

No.

(comments?)

Gonzo Meets Geek

{No Comments}December 8th, 2010 » Groovy Books & Film, Politics and Pure Evil

untitled1The recent barrage of breathless updates surrounding Julian A. make us pine for the days of Hunter Thompson. It seems the cutting edge of journalism today is based soley on the quality of code that is written to expose flabby governments and (hopefully) the pernury of banks. While we applaud this unvarnished presentation of the facts, we miss the electricity of the pen. We also believe that Julian the, um, rapist?, would be effectively beaten to a pulp by the typical Gonzo interviewee. What consitutes a sex crime in Sweden anyway? Should we ask Sonny Barger?  

Modern (Violent) Family

{No Comments}December 3rd, 2010 » Groovy Arts and Tunes

shapeimage_2This evening I was sent by my spouse to return a copy of the HBO series Breaking Bad for a copy of something else. As I looked at the HBO section in Blockbuster, I found my choices to be serial killing (Dexter) pornography, sexual addiction, euthansia, perverted nurses and a cocktail of series on chemical addictions.

Oh, and Breaking Bad, of course, features a hero that manufactures meth. After all, he has a family to feed, a few months to live and a degree in Chemistry from Caltech.

On a completely separate note, our favorite family series happens to be The Walking Dead (extremely graphic gore with zombies). Thus it would appear that the next formula for Hollywood success might be a remake of Leave It To Beaver.

What.

Quit looking at me.

Television before tosh.O

{No Comments}December 3rd, 2010 » Groovy Books & Film

In the early days of television there were no retakes; it all ran live. This commercial ran in the Bay Area only once but the salesman rode his way into legend. The ad libbing is nearly flawless. Insert Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley or Columbia Funds for the name of the car dealer being touted and the commerical works for today. Daniel Tosh is not required.

Croak and Dagger and Auslander. Read.

{No Comments}December 2nd, 2010 » Groovy Books & Film

If you haven’t read Shalom Auslander, or heard him on This American Life, you’re missing out. We have curated the story below for comic relief from the holidays. It just might make you laugh out loud about the Holocaust. Seriously. Croak and Dagger – by Shalom Auslander > Tablet Magazine – A New Read on Jewish Life.

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