Beltmann

Ditto.

Tempted all the time--although my variation usually involves flipping burgers. Our department also has a running contest to see who can get the most parents to burst into tears.

Ha, I actually had four hours of parent conferences tonight, so now I'm just enjoying some down time at the compy.

The other day I saw a Wilco VW ad, and hearing "You Are My Face" reminded me of the time I saw the band in Madison. Whether I like it or not, that live show has tied itself to the song in my brain, and now I think of the Overture Center and State St. when Wilco plays. This was not the original intent of the band. The music has been muddled to mean something else, and I think it's obvious that bands should no longer play live shows. Frankly, associations--whether a commercial or something else, whether sanctioned by a band or not--are an inevitable part of our relationship with art. The t

I don't think you read my post very carefully. I didn't question Tolstoy's stature as an artist--btw I teach literature in my job, so I know a thing or two about Tolstoy--but rather questioned your use of his opinion as the only possible voice among artists. Again, there are many "true artists" who may not share Tolstoy's stance, and my point was that their voice, not mine, might be equal to Tolstoy's. That was my sole point, and once again you avoided my central question: Is it possible that your presumptions are not facts? I wish I could have your confidence regarding the subject, but my

You presented their opinions as indisputable fact--as if their reputation somehow puts them beyond reproach--and that's the only point I objected to. Truth is, for every quote you trot out about the evils of mixing art with commerce, I can find another one by another famous theorist/artist/writer/musician/take-your-pick who feels differently. Tolstoy's opinion carries no more weight than any other--perhaps even less, since he made those comments in a time that bears little relationship to a modern understanding of how art often commingles freely with commerce. Is Tolstoy right? Does the pr

I think what you meant to say is that "Art is not money, at least according to Tolstoy and Richard Powers, whose definitions of art are debatable and whose opinions may or may not matter."

I thought the guitar-smashing was cringe-worthy, because it was so humorless and so obviously premeditated. I really like Arcade Fire, but that side of them really rubs me the wrong way.

Did you ever catch up with Requiem? I'd love to hear your take. I actually just bought the DVD last week. That scene where Huller goes nuts in the kitchen chilled my spine all over again.

No, he isn't. But the woman who played his wife in Climates was Ebru Ceylan, his real-life wife.

I was just joshin', dude.

Is there a difference?

Yeah, Ceylan is really interesting. Have you seen his earlier Distant? Out of obligation, a professional photographer invites his unrefined country cousin to lodge with him in Istanbul, and we watch, slowly and silently, as these two spinning wheels fail to connect--to each other, to others, to anything beyond their apartment walls. Ceylan maintains a mood of melancholy and loneliness so unrelenting that it's borderline inhospitable; at times, I felt like leaping into a set of jumping jacks. Still, I was engrossed by the way he complements the quotidian with beautiful visual symmetries, espe

No, but I really liked it. As two couples circle around various layers of betrayal, the movie focuses not on adultery itself but on the subtle, bottomless character motivations that accompany indiscretion. It also boasts extraordinary performances from all four leads, and by now everyone must know that Mark Ruffalo is the closest thing to Montgomery Clift the screen has witnessed since, well, Monty himself.

Lots of fun.

I didn't check the timing, but it seemed standard length to me. (I'll second your "top 5 best live Wilco tunes" comment.)

Much more scholarly and sobering than a Moore investigation... and what I liked is how its main gripe isn't with warmongering so much as plain old incompetence.

I don

I've always liked Redford more as a director than as an actor--to these eyes, Quiz Show is one of the richest American movies of the last 15 years--and so was very much looking forward to Lambs. But the trailer did not look promising, and then the reviews started coming in... I'll probably still see it (with an open mind), but it's no longer a top priority.

Many years ago I had no TV signal whatsoever--due largely to unique circumstances, not by choice--and I was surprised to discover that I didn't miss it at all. I did have a VCR hooked up to a TV, so I just ended up programming much more of my own viewing! That situation lasted about six months, and eventually cable was installed.

I laughed out loud at the duct tape. It might not have been a stellar episode, but I thought it had some great stuff in it--especially that last scene.

That sounds awesome. I thought about making some, but then I gave up and just ate a Butterfinger.

This year our school district proposed a $119 million school referendum, the largest in Wisconsin history. Yesterday it was rejected by a nearly 2-1 margin. I live in the most conservative city in the state, so it was always going to be an uphill battle; after all, we weren't just asking for higher taxes, but for money to go to our schools, those evil centers of liberal indoctrination! But budget crunches over the last 20 years have left our school buildings (average age 62 years) in disrepair, energy inefficient, and with literally no room. Some elementary schools are teaching classes in

Stacy and I are still faithful--although we haven't watched last week's yet. Maybe tonight.