Game of Thrones Cast and Their Famous Doppelgangers

Ygritte (Rose Leslie)

Caroline Kennedy

Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa)

Dave Navarro of
The Red Hot Chili Peppers

Happy Spring Equinox!

Snow Squall seen from my office.

Saw 2 bluebirds today from the office. Probably wondering if they lost their minds and came back to this frigid place. V cold, windchills into the single digits and continual snow squalls was how Michigan celebrated the equinox. Big snows in the UP-better them than us. My crocus are buried and anything else that poked it's head up as well. I feel like my Swedish ancestor who got the hell outta dodge sometime in the 18th Century and moved to sunny Slovakia. Sick of the cold and snow, all the fish (have you seen creamed herring??) and most likely, a woman was involved. 

The Bashful Comet

Early last week, the comet Pan-Starr was said to at its brightest and finally high enough in the evening twilight to not be obliterated by the sun's glare. We drove out to the country armed with binocs but unfortunately, for the first time on a clear day, hazy clouds drew up on the horizon. No dice. A couple of days later it was said to appear by a new crescent moon. This time we stayed home-it was supposed to be higher in the sky and we have a few spots in the neighborhood (like the middle of the street) with a good view. Sky and Telescope magazine gave fairly good instructions as to where to find it and when. Perfect viewing weather: very clear.....because it was very cold. With a nasty breeze. So, I told C-let me go out and take a look and I'll come and get you if I have luck. Nope. I moved around the neighborhood, crossed out back to the street there where there are even fewer obstructions. Nope. The wind actually picked up as dusk deepened and I figure the windchill was in single digits. I froze my tuchus and I never found it. I read the next day that the comet is a tad elusive. Not quite a naked eye object-the cool pix I saw of it most likely were made with time exposures through a telescope. And-while getting higher in the sky, it is getting fainter. Bummer. But stay tuned. Comet Ison is expected to appear either late November or early December and has the potential to be spectacular. 

editor's note: Comet Ison was totally a bust. Evidently when it swung around the sun, the heat melted Ison's ice hence no tail. It became just another chunk of rock floating through space.

Mo' Music

 

Something for Suzy and Sam, slow dancing tonight

on the beach at Moonrise Kingdom.

Two Guys Talkin'

J-Cold one.

B-Sure is.

J-Yeah, I’m sick of it.

B-Me too. Tired of being inside. Don’t get me wrong, I love having a nice warm home but I miss going on patrol. Especially all night.

J-Just as well-it’s too cold out there, man. Mom and I worry.

B-Sigh, you guys worry too much. I have fur.

J-Still.

J-How was the Diner? You’re all wet. Geez.

B-Of course I am wet. It’s snowing like mad out there. Whiner. The Diner was good.

J-Why go out there in the snow and cold-we have food here. Gawd, do I look like a towel?

B-Like I said, I miss going out. Habit (stretching) like your coffee in the morning. And, I like Benny-he saved me when I was homeless and I honor him by eating his food now. A cat never forgets a friend with food. Our species' neuroses: you never know when you next meal will be so eat when it’s there.

J-Speaking of food-what was up with the Friskies salmon? I’ve never seen you guys turn up your nose.

B-Hmm salmon is pretty rich and just too much to have it all day long. You would turn your nose up at chocolate cake with mocha butter cream frosting if you had it for every meal. You’d also weigh 300 pounds.

J-Yeah I would. Well, sorry about that. I won’t get it again.

B-No worries-how would you know? I can’t write it down on the whiteboard, lol.

J-Thanks for sending a thank you to Sue. That was such a fun surprise that she sent you something.

B-You’re welcome. I am sorry I was late getting it out and yes, it was quite a surprise. I am worried though, that I may be taken as rude with my comments about the obese cat in Houston. People can be so thin-skinned sometimes.

J-Now who’s worrying?

B-Certainly due to hanging out with you, no doubt.

J-True that. Naw-Sue won’t take it that way. I think she will enjoy the fact that you replied and get into the spirit in which it was meant. No worries.

B-Well, good. What was up with the signature initials: BWKP?

J-One part how I sign off with J and one part a riff on the Indianesque nature of your name. Certainly, you have seen Indian names where the first and middle names due to their length are initialized. Like C. K. Ammanpour.

B-Sure. How did you come up with that name anyway?

J-Mom and I have told you.

B-Remind me. Sometimes when I look like I am sleeping, I really am.

J-OK, when we first met you the summer we moved in, you had a wound in the middle of your forehead. It was from a botfly.
 

B-What!!!!!????

J-Yes. We told you.

B-Holy Mother of Us All-I don’t remember this!!! Oh man. Oh man.

J-Calm yourself and your claws. It’s ok. It happens. We took care of it. Goes with living on the street, I guess.

B-Oh man. I really was in a bad way. Insect laying worms in my head. Oh Oh Oh.

J-You’re hyperventilating, man. Settle your tail down. It’s like a furry metronome in my face.

B-A really bad way.

J-Yes, you were. We thought you were a young cat with your size and compared to Minn. Turns out you were older than the girls-6 or 7. Just not getting enough food.

B-I don’t remember this on my face. I was hungry a lot and having daily battles with Mean White. That bastard.

J-He can’t help it. His people abandoned him too.

B-At least he has his front claws. Bastards.

J-I know. I am real sorry about that. Silly people and their furniture. I feel worse about this than your lack of knackers.

B-You lose your knackers and get back to me on that one. Bastards.

J-Anyway……

J-So, with the mark-it reminded me of a Bindi-the forehead mark on Indian females that denote class and marital status. The rest kinda came organically.

B-You mean with some organically grown red wine? lol

J-Nooooooooo…I mean it just grew. Bindiwan like Obi-Wan from Star Wars. Katterpie was Mom’s contribution I think.

B-Well, it’s a mouthful.

J-And later, I discover that it also means the Third Eye or 6th Chakra in Tibetan Buddhism. Came across this in a shop in Ann Arbor that sells goods from Tibet. Pretty cool, eh?

B-Sure.

J-You don’t like your name?

B-It’s fine. I’m glad you and Mom like it. It’s better than what the Abandoners named me: Beemer. WTF-oh, I get it-black cat black car white trash lifestyles of the rich and famous dreams. Idiots.

J-Not a fan of Robin Leach, I see. Do you have a name? How are you known to other cats? Do cats have names?

B-Yes, I do have a name, we all do -but it’s unpronounceable in your language. I wouldn’t even try to tell you. Too many trills and nuances. Besides, we all crack up when you and Mom talk “cat”. It’s hilarious. Even gets a smirk out of the Calico and you know she has no sense of humor.

J-I didn’t know cats had a sense of humor.

B-Sure, we do. It’s more internally expressed than with humans. We don’t laugh, of course. Never a guffaw. I guess in your terms, an inward smile.

J-Do you have jokes? Like, a guy walks into a bar with a penguin and an umbrella…

B-No, nothing like that. We’re not creative in that way. We do appreciate funny events or circumstances. Here’s a good one: hearing the Calico’s claws clicking as she slides out of control across the kitchen linoleum during one of her “cat crazies” as you call it. That’s funny.

J-Why is that funny-to get into humor theory with you a minute? Is it a sight/sound gag?

B-Somewhat. More like the fact that when I hear this, I know that the control freaky, stick up the ass Calico is out of control and is feeling humiliated. Humiliation is something we all hate. And for the Calico-like a dagger to her black heart. Sigh, wonderful.

J-So, in this case, you find humor in another’s pain.

B-Yep. Especially when it involves that crazy beotch.

J-Sorry you two don’t get along. Mom and I love you both.

B-And, really-is there nothing funnier than a dog? They’re sooo stupid. Shiteaters.

J-Wow, tell us how you really feel, man.

B-Shrug-it’s the truth. C’mon, they ARE shiteaters. No one but them eats shit. They’re idiots. Ever see a beagle run straight into a tree? Fabulous!

J-Well, aren’t we Mr. High and Mighty? So you’re on top of the heap are ye?

B-Ohhhhhhh this from the species who feels they are appointed by some theoretical, invisible power to lord over us all? Eff you man. Yeah, you can build skyscrapers. You got the thumbs. You got this and you got that. Yeah and you’ve been killing each other and everyone else at an appalling rate for centuries. And helluva fine job at ruining the planet. There’s others who live here too, dammit!

J-Whoa! Dude! Claws! Owwww, Jesus H. Christ-I’m bleeding.

B-I oughta give you more than that. And why the hell are you invoking the Nazareth Prophet’s name? You’re a self-proclaimed non-believer. Hypocrite.

J- Damn that hurts. Dude, it’s just an expression.

B-Well, I JUST expressed myself there, pal.

J-Man, c’mon-I’m sorry, I was just kidding.

B-You people piss me off. And don’t trot out the “you need anger management” stuff.

J-Sigh. I’m sorry Bin. C’mon, let me give you a scritch. You know you love it.

J-Bin?

J-Bindiwan?

J-Binderoo?

J-Senor Gato, Gato Negro?

B-You ok? Want me to lick it?

J-No thanks, it’s ok. I’ll put some anti-biotic salve on it.

B-Sorry, man.

J-Mom will be unhappy with your language. She doesn’t like that, you know.

B-I know. Sorry Mom. I get upset.

J-I know, me too. Along the ears? How’s that.

B-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sooooooo good.

J- Buds?

B-Buds.

J-Want some Mariner’s Delight?

B-Sure. Yum. Any chocs left for you?

J-Yep. You guessed.

B-Food is always good after a fight.

Movie Review:Moonrise Kingdom

Another trademark Wes Anderson film-offbeat yet engaging and visually interesting. Bottom of the pecking order Khaki scout Sam resigns from the organization to run off with his soul mate Suzy. They met the summer before when Sam was at an scout camp located on a New England island where Suzy is a year-round resident. They have been pen pals for the past year and decide they have had enough of their miserable lives and want new ones:they are in their early teens, it's 1965 and they live on a very small island. Both are messed up in the ordinary manner that kids are when entering puberty but Sam and Suzy have extra baggage. Sam's is obvious-dead parents with natural abandonment issues (matters aren't helped by the fact that his current foster parents have decided to send him back, like an unwanted puppy). Part of his coping mechanism manifests in a direct, socially clueless know-it-all-ness (the kid is smart) that annoys the shit out most around him. Suzy's seems more of the age she is at made worse by nutty rather self-absorbed parents. I suspect she is quite smart and bored with an unchallenging school. Having 3 younger brothers doesn't help either.

They meet in a meadow-Sam decked out in full scout regalia and camping gear; Suzy in a dress and Sunday church shoes, with her kitten in a wicker carrier, her brother's record player, her fav 78s and a bag full of “borrowed” library books. It doesn't take long for the adults to find out and soon Suzy's parents, the sole police officer on the island, and the rest of the scout troop search for the young,non-consummated lovers.

Being a small island, the kids are on the lam for only a short time but no matter- those are days of heaven. Moonrise Kingdom is the name they give to the sheltered cove where they camp. First chaste kisses are exchanged (she then demands French), permission to touch breasts is given (with apologies and promise of future growth). They share a sleeping bag although I don't think the actual act is contemplated. They give little consideration to their chances of escaping-it doesn't matter-being together is paramount. Meanwhile a storm of the century hurricane is bearing down on the island. They are found but re-escape with the help of Sam's fellow scouts, who through a newfound sense of esprit de corps,decide they must aid the couple as the weather worsens. Ultimately, the hurricane brings all together and lives are sorted out with some pretty positive results.

Ensemble cast:
Bill Murray and Frances McDormand as Suzy's weird lawyer parents (Mom communicates with the kids in their sprawling beach house via bullhorn). Murray continues his standard drollness. 

Bruce Willis plays against his Die Hard cop franchise: he is quiet, sad and nuanced as the island policeman.

Edward Norton is a goofy hoot as the nerdy and neurotic, cigarette smoking scout leader.

Harvey Keitel has a cameo as Norton's gruff scout superior who reenacts the opening sequence to the TV western Branded (which premiered in 1965. You don't remember this? Look it up on YouTube. With former Rifleman, Chuck Connors).

Tilda Swinton makes the most of a small role and gives a funny, over the top performance as the dreaded, insanely bureaucratic Social Service lady who goes by no other name than Social Service. Pretty Pythonish.

The young leads, Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward do a credible job-he has the right amount of nerdy forthrightness (yet insightful and kind); she easily pulls off a snappy and intelligent wit, matches Sam's directness and readily displays a maternal side her mother seems to lack (reading out loud to Sam and later, the scout troop).

Anderson is well known for his long tracking shots and these are quite cool here where he continuously flows from room to room in the houses as if photographing a doll house with the exterior walls missing. I'm sure there is a metaphor here. His colors are saturated like the color film of the time giving a sense of hyper-reality and nostalgia.

A sweet tale with no big meanings. It's a Kodachrome snapshot of a past time, of summer, of childhood segueing into adulthood and all that goes with that hyper-sensed and passionate time of life: your first love-where in spite of having only a vague idea of what you are doing, all things seem possible.

Follow-up: the slippery slope

Well,the administration had to respond to Rand Paul's challenge-after all, they are continually chastising Syria's President Assad for killing his own people-kinda hard to have any moral credibility if they have the authority to do the same in America on the books. So, in typical White House non-answer answer:

".....the administration directly answered the question at the heart of Mr. Paul’s filibuster. No, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said in a letter Thursday to Mr. Paul, the president does not have the authority to use a drone to kill a United States citizen on American soil who is not engaged in combat.

Mr. Holder did not say how the president would determine who is an enemy combatant. And he did not back off his statement on Wednesday that the president has the authority to pursue military action inside the United States in extraordinary circumstances, an assertion that helped set off Mr. Paul’s filibuster." New York Times, March 8.

The door is still open. 

Uncle Jeff Hollers:The Slippery Slope

June 5th. This drone strike on I-96 near the Brighton exit

killed James Leon Smith, 49 of South Lyon. Mr. Smith was 

known to be in a leadership position in the People For Peace

or PFP movement. In recent months, the PFP has launched 

several massive demonstrations in major US cities 

protesting the President's intervention in North Africa. The

Pentagon had no comment on the attack but 

sources have indicated that the government now considers

the PFP to be a threat to national security. This was the

first death of a PFP leader. Mr. Smith was married and 

had 3 children.

You think this can't happen here? Well, listen up and pay attention: the current attorney general went to great lengths to squirm around intensive questioning by congress today: neither he, the President nor anyone else in the Administration will say in plain English, that the government of the United States WILL NOT use drone strikes or other military LETHAL force against NON-COMBATANT AMERICAN CIVILIANS INSIDE THE UNITED STATES. 

They're leaving the door open, my friends. Just in case. Maybe not in the next few years but down the road-well, they want to leave their options open. 

Remember, our laws are based on precedent. Of course,  interpretation of what the precedent means depends on how many oily Scalias and Roberts we have the misfortune to be on the Supreme court. But here it is folks. What if down the road ,things go south in this country. And, what rears its ugly head but another Nixon or Mitchell or Hoover or Cheney? You can bet that if there were drones back in the day, Nixon would have droned the Weather Underground, the Black Panthers and anyone else who disagreed with him back into the Stone Age. National Security. Along with plenty of collateral damage and countless innocents who were at the wrong 
place or knew the wrong people or said the wrong thing.

This cannot be allowed to happen. Our employees in Washington must be told that this is unacceptable. They can already track us with  satellites,  security cams,  cell phones. Who knows how many gigabytes of info they have on all of us. Everything we buy, everything we watch, every time we log on, every word we email and, yes, blog. To allow the government the option to kill us for whatever happens to be the nebulous National Security crisis of the moment is something we cannot do. We have to think about future use, future consequences. 

Homework for the following weeks: see how the media covers this. Check out NPR, the New York Times. What does Rush say? How about the Tea Party who are so concerned about us becoming slaves of the bad,bad government. Are your friends talking about it? Make a mental list. See if it's time to be really, really scared.

Get out on a limb and add data to your file. Get a special file made just for you in some little known shadowy government agency because you sent an email to your legislator or the president denouncing the lethal option. 

Shameless emotion tug- do you want your grandchildren when they are grown to have this experience: sitting at home watching the tube and the house 4 doors down explodes. Oh, they say, musta been a drone. Yeah, I heard they were involved in something. Guess they were. 

Mo' Music

Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch cover a classic.

Mo' Movies Review: Skyfall

Another Zombie Tale

In the beginning of this 23rd installment of the Bond franchise, James Bond (Daniel Craig) is killed off. Yet in another nod to Hollywood's Zombie fad, he still lives. Ok, not as a Zombie but frankly, he'd be better off dead. Bond is getting more than a little long in the tooth. So is his boss M (Judy Dench). They're weary, drab and joyless as this film plods along checking off the franchise obligations: an evil villain, a scolding M, a romantic fling, an exotic locale, a few jokes, Q whining about 007 destroying his toys, a casino, a martini shaken and not stirred.

Today's villain is an ex-agent, Raul Silva (played with campy gusto by Javier Bardem) who is bent on revenge upon M who spent him as an expendable asset but he managed to live through it. Dude, didn't you read the fine print in your contract? You ARE expendable. The film's showdown between 007, M and Silva takes place at Skyfall, the Bond estate in Scotland. Keeping with the tone of this movie, this place is as dour as anything or anyone you might associate with the Land of the Lochs. You can see why whisky was created.

While somewhat entertaining, as a Bond piece Skyfall is no fun at all. And that was the whole point of the escapism that Bond gave us guys. Fun.  A cool, suave guy in great clothes we could never afford, going to cool places we'd only heard of, driving great cars we would never have a chance getting into, bedding class A babes who wouldn't think of LOOKING at us. Oh yeah, he kills people, too. Who wouldn't want to off your obnoxious, power-mad, control freak boss with a lethal Bic? Craig's taciturn reading of Bond is killing the character and at this point, gives no future. This Bond cannot shoot straight, is addicted to alcohol and pain meds and his trademark wit is at best a laconic one liner delivered with such dead-pan, one might as well not have bothered. The only one having fun here is Silva but even his psychosis is weary. As he says to Bond late in the film "all this rushing around, sigh, it's sooo tiring". No vision for world domination with this guy. It's too much effort. Just kill M and call it a day. Retire in the sun.

Perhaps it is time for Bond to do the same. Change the lead for crying out loud if you don't want to kill the cash cow. Compare Craig with the last, best Bond -Pierce Brosnan. Sure, he is more in the Connery mold but he's a whole lot more fun that this post-modern Bond and his world-weariness. For my money, there's enough to be weary of in reality-I'd rather it not come along when I want to escape for a couple of hours.

J-What did you think?

B-Craig perpetually looks like he is sucking on a sour tooth. His reading of Bond is thuggish, more working class than his predecessors. No charm or flair. What was up with the lack of chicks? I  guess there was a Bond girl but they killed her off in a hurry. 

J-Yeah, just a hook-up in the shower and before you know it, bam. Not much chemistry there. 

And I am getting fed up with Ebert who described this as "a full-blooded, joyous, intelligent celebration of a beloved cultural icon". Did we see the same movie??

B-Sorry? I had to scratch. Oh, Ebert. Shrug.

J-Ok verdict? Marginally recommended. Use of alcohol while watching will only make things worse?

B-Works for me. BTW, is it pate time?

Two Guys Talkin'

Bindiwankatterpi
with the death-ray eyes
Bwaaaaa I WILL DESTROY YOU!

Jeff
with a whole lotta bull behind him.
Many think that as well.

TWO

GUYS

TALKIN'

J-You comfy?

B-Yep.

J-Mind the claws. They're down by the family jewels.

B-At least you STILL have yours!    

J-Oh please, let's not get started on THIS again.

B-BASTARDS TOOK MY KNACKERS!!!

J-Settle down, will you? I am sorry about your knackers. But give it up, bud. They're gone. 

B-bastards.

J-Look, can we get started? And get your snout out of my coffee.

B-Smells good, I sense Irish Coffee Creamer in this morning's cup.

J-That's right but it's not for you. You think everything is for you.

B-Why not? You and Mom are always giving me stuff. How am I to know?

J-Oh, let's not get into the “I'm just a poor kitty-kat” routine.

B-You say “Oh” a lot don't you?

J-What?? Can you get your tail out of my face, I can't see the keyboard.

B-Mmm, can't touch type can you?

J-Not at this time of the morning, no. Will you stop squirming around?

B-Mom makes a nice lap.

J-Sigh, yes she does. Can we get to work?

B-What is up with you humans and the “W” word? More naps and less work and you all would be a lot happier.

J-Thank you O'Bindiwan. How did you want to do this? A more formal exchange? Friendly banter like we are doing now? Simply movie reviews? Or a hodge-podge of reviews, pictures, music from You Tube? Do we want to share personal stuff such as you just did about your long-gone knackers? That's a bit TMI, bud.

B-Shrug-it's the truth and no need to be sarcastic. You're the one who named me. Personally, I like this format. Gives me a forum. And I like the hodge-podge. Gives you a forum. Win-win.   J-Cool. You gonna watch movies with me? You generally sleep through most of them. 

B-I can catch up while you are at work or when you are sleeping. Besides, when you and Mom watch, you have a fire going and it's soooo nice and cozy. Just perfect for a snooze.   J-Sigh, you know how to use the DVD player as well? And the remotes?
B-Yep.

J-Not too shabby for a walnut brain without opposable thumbs.

B-Oh this again! The brain size and your precious thumbs. Who is doing the telepathy here?

J-CLAWS DUDE!!!

B-Sorry man, but this gets on my nerves.

J-Sorry, just kidding around. I was being ironic. 

B-Ba-lon-ey.

J-Geez, you're sensitive today. The calico giving you grief again?

B-When is the Parisian psychopath NOT giving me grief or a fist to the grill?

J-Sigh. I'm sorry, man. Someday, she'll accept you. How about some pate?

B-You bet! (jumping down) Thought you'd never ask.

J-I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for some pate today.

B-Follow the tail!