Look: I like the ProJo. I agree with many (not all) of the editorials and like most (not all) of the writers. I’d love to see more ProJo writers cover local stories, as they’re good at what they do. It’s a decent publication. But it’s driving me nuts.

We recently received a “guess what!” postcard from the ProJo, informing us that we’d be receiving the “ProJo Express.” There was no phone number/email address to opt out of this.

Now, every Thursday, unseen carriers toss a copy of this 8-page redux into local driveways and walkways. Except for a couple “the beat” items for the upcoming weekend, the Express consists of recycles of random entertainment/real estate/sports stories from earlier in the week. For fun, the Express contains random surprises folded inside. Last Thursday it was a leftover copy of a Sunday Parade magazine. Today it was flyers for CVS and Cardi’s.

The Express could be a nice way to give non-subscribers a taste, showcasing a little local flavor without outside syndication. But let’s be straight: not everyone needs or wants this. I feel for the ProJo, which is likely trying innovative new ideas to increase circulation. But it appears the spouse and I are among the minority who will pick up and recycle the plastic bag and its contents. Take a look at how our immediate neighbors are enjoying their ProJo Express:
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This Friday marks the 15th anniversary of the original airing of the “Lisa’s Wedding” episode of The Simpsons. This anniversary is notable as the episode takes place 15 years in the future — in 2010. For me, it doesn’t seem nearly so long ago that the episode aired, but it’s funny to look back now that we’re living in the year of that imagined future.

While a lot of the episode’s future jokes are backwards-looking, it does seem to get it right at many levels. The Rolling Stones “Steel Wheelchair Tour 2010” hits home, and the consolidation of ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN into one network seems appropriate, even if it’s not totally accurate. The “40 Classic Films Starring Jim Carrey” joke is even more interesting in light of somewhat recent critical opinion.

Having made it to 2010, we’re starting to hit the prime time of these sorts of run-ins with past future-based fictions. Marty McFly and co. are just around the corner in 2015.

Hulu clips plus more after the jump.
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Director of Ocean State Action, Peter Asen, brings this to our attention. Director Ron Howard and the Funny or Die people have brought together the old SNL crew of presidential impersonators to bring attention to some urgently needed legislation.

Hollywood isn’t generally known for precisely timed or well-defined campaigns aimed at specific legislative language as bills move through Congress. But the clip, directed by Ron Howard and written by Adam McKay and Al Jean, was produced in coordination with Americans for Financial Reform, a major pro-reform coalition based in Washington, and it hits just as Senate negotiators work toward a compromise on the CFPA in the Banking Committee.

This “compromise”, or castration, backed by Senate Republicans as well as nominal Democrat Connecticut Senator Dodd (who seems determined to end his career in complete ignominy), would fold the agency tasked with regulation into the Federal Reserve. Senator Barney Frank thinks this is “crazy” as The Fed already has regulatory powers but seems loath to use them. For more and to view clip go to HuffPo. (You would think Obama, or at least Michelle, would be getting tired of everyone talking about his balls all the time. We know you have ‘em B.)

Rhode Islanders should call Senator Reed and let him know that this banker-supported compromise is unacceptable. The regulatory agency must be independent.

Call Senator Jack Reed at 866.544.7573 and urge him to support the Consumer Financial Protection Agency.

Attention nerds, geeks, and sci-fi freaks; this one’s for you! Tickets always go fast for this annual production, a fundraising event to benefit Perishable Theatre Arts School. This year’s theme — A Space Odyssey — promises “holiday cheer from across the Milky Way and beyond!” How about an homage to Barbarella performed by Miss BettySioux Tailor? Or Blitzen Von Schtupp’s interpretation of Dr. Who? This is gonna be good. In the past, the ‘Belles and Balls’ revues have been a crazy amalgam of naughty and goofy, and while you can’t see everything, it’s pretty risqué. The holiday theme just makes it weirder (Miss Honey Pot does an alien Blue Christmas this year) with stripping Santas and such. It is staged just like a classic burlesque show, the strip tease acts interspersed with some real dopey comedy bits, and last year there was a little something for the ladies.

Tickets for the ‘Santa Claus Gala Celebration’ on Friday, December 11th (two shows; 7pm and 9:30pm) are still available but space is limited. Your $50 ticket also gets you into The Starlight Lounge for the Risqué Raffle, a cool T-shirt and swag bag and the cash bar.

‘General Elf Shows’ will run at 7pm and 9:30pm on December 12th and 13th — tickets $20.

Perishable Theatre, 95 Empire Street, 401.331.2695 X103. Complete schedule go here.

Arr, and if it don’t be the Nineteenth of September, the end of the season of gales, arrr. What be the relevance of this date, say ye? Why, it be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, of course, ye lilly-livered landlubber, ye. Why, I’s t’ crack open yer noggin t’ be askin’ sitch foolishness, not the least in public, like the damn fool ye are. Er, I mean AARRR!!

Well, what kin ye do then what t’ celebrate correct-like? I mean, besi’es the obvious, reet?

Well, fer starters, ye kin put yer boots on ‘n’ do somethin’ t’ he’p keep the tides pretty, by joinin’ one of WRWC’s river cleanin’ up thingers. (See fer details below decks, er, a post ‘r two down, I reckon; look fer the picture of the pretty flying fish down ther. ‘N’ if’n ye find y’self too far rubbed by the burn of the rum ye had at the benefit at Blackstone last night (ye did go ‘n’ do yer bit o’ good there, reet? no? well, shame on ye! but ye kin still go t’night after WaterFire be over, arr), or if y’r done cleanin’ the river, and find y’self burnin’ to do more, give ol’ Bruce Hook a call ther, an’ see if he’s got a fish fer ye to fly also still.

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Yes, there are Italians in Federal Hill, with good food and festivals. Yet when they lack something—like, say, drunk men in costume running across an axle-greased telephone pole above the ocean in order to win glory by grabbing a flag–then I’m forced to travel up to Massachusetts for my fix.  I don’t expect many Rhode Islanders to join me in Gloucester this weekend (90 whole miles away! Where doughboys are called fried dough and the frozen lemonade isn’t Del’s!  What am I, trying to kill you with shock?).  But those with the stomach to read on will be rewarded with a unique video. more »

Tonight at AS220 catch ‘Terms of Psychic Warfare’ described as “a screening of bizarre advertisements, educational films and home movies all projected on glorious 16mm and 8mm film.” Given the format, I’m assuming this is old stuff from the 50’s. Old television ads are wild, and maybe there will be one of those mental hygiene shorts like they used to show on Mystery Science Theater 3000. Medical footage is also on the agenda. Good grief. And if Mike can score an air popper there will be popcorn. It’s free so check it out.

Free, Thursday, 10pm, AS220, 115 Empire Street, 831.9327

I should have used this to brush up on th’ auld Irish before the Dead-In last night.  Ah well, next year…

Re:Will’s post from a few minutes ago.

I love videos about coal!

…Even if it’s cut off from this video.  The wish-it-was-longer song, written on the spot by Jim’s Big Ego during a recent performance at a hipstery Pennsylvania coffeehouse, apparently began,

“Is he a dilettante or just a whiny bitch? Will anyone here shed a tear for Blagojovich?”

It’s funny because it’s true.  For more utterly sublime lyrics like this, head out of town tonight to see the band declared Boston’s worst from 1989 to 1994, Mente.  Guitarist, Edward van Mente is Providence’s own Ted Widmer, former Clinton speech writer, head of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University, and former member of the Upper Crust (discussed earlier in this space).  If Mr. Widmer had hoped to keep his secret life hidden from his fellow academics and the old-money benefactors that support his liberry… too bad.  He’s just too damned interesting. Oh, almost forgot, he also wrote a biography of Martin Van Buren.  Just think about this guy’s résumé. He’s kind of my hero. (Listen to some tunes after the jump. These guys actually rock pretty hard.)

Tuesday night, New Years Party, The Plough and Stars, 912 Mass Ave. Cambridge

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I know you’ll all be partying tomorrow night, so I’m getting this out of the way now.

It’s my favorite video of the week of things we’ll miss and things we *really* won’t miss from 2008. It’s set to the song “New Lang Syne (Thank God It’s Over)” by Jim’s Big Ego and was created by a group that stirred some controversy a few years ago with a Bush/Cheney montage set to JBE’s song “Asshole” (at least when a teacher showed it to his classroom of what I think were maybe 8th graders).

As of yesterday, Al Franken was 48 votes ahead in the Minnesota Senate race. Jewish Minnesotans (both of them) are still on shpilkes. Gentiles are quoted as saying “Enough already.”

While we all wait for “Frost/Nixon” to arrive (and by the way, where the hell is it) may I suggest you go rent “Dick”, a very fine 1999 film that also covers the infamous Watergate scandal, this time with Dan Hedaya in the title role.  This is the real story of how it all went down — from the tape on the door lock to those missing 18 minutes — all will be explained. Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams play a pair of giggly teens living in Washington, DC. The rave review in The New York Times gives the set-up.

When we first encounter these squealing bundles of mischief in Arlene’s bedroom in the Watergate apartment complex, they are breathlessly composing a love letter to Arlene’s dream date, the pop star Bobby Sherman, on a fateful June night in 1972. Rushing to meet the mail deadline for a ”Win a Date With Bobby Sherman” contest in Tiger Beat magazine, the pair literally stumble into G. Gordon Liddy (Harry Shearer) lurking in a stairwell.

Harry Shearer was born to play G. Gordon Liddy. The rest of the cast is great, with Will Ferrell and Bruce McCulloch (Kids in the Hall) playing Woodward and Bernstein as a pair of preening, squabbling, pretty boys.  Pair this with “All the Presidents Men” and you’ve got a pretty good double-feature. (And Mark Felt was so not the real Deep Throat.)

The Serpent and later when they got to Lemuria, Eves were given positions of superiority they were what was called the Beloved. And

There is a dismal comedy formula hardening in the studios of Hollywood whereby directors who are happy to cash a paycheck suddenly realize that they must somehow breathe life into an imbecilic script using an over-paid comedy hack. How to polish the turd? Go shopping for talent in Britain! It doesn’t work of course, the movies are still horrible. Some examples.

*Adam Sandler + Russell Brand = Bedtime Stories

How does Adam Sandler have a career? The clip he’s showing on the talk-show circuit shows him throwing french fries at Russell Brand’s head, which is presumably the funniest thing in the movie. more »