Snow Day

The snow finally arrived. The dog and I, joined by the alpha’s mate, went for a walk in the park. Both the dog and the alpha’s mate love the snow. It’s too bad that 4 inches of the stuff shuts everything down, but who doesn’t love a snow day!
I picked up a LeMonde RevMaster stationary bike and have been logging some miles in the cave, in front of the tube, in an effort to make good on my New Year’s imagilutions. The dog’s smart enough to embrace her imperfections and accept her lot in life. She is at peace with the world while I continue to rage against the dying of the light, refusing to go gently into that good night.
The woodstove is cranked. The prodigy just finished filling the wood box. The dog and I are rotating through the artists listed below along with whatever else suits us on this wintery day as we putter around in the kitchen making pizza dough, sauce and prepping toppings.
One for the Deadheads; I just picked up a copy of The Grateful Dead’s complete European Tour from 1972, all 22 shows which include eleven versions of Dark Star. The dog loves Dark Star

In the Headphones
All We Are Saying… Bill Frisell
Frisell masterfully creates instrumental versions of John Lennon tunes.
Dennis Coffey - Dennis Coffey
The funkiest, most soulful R&B guitarist and band leader that you've never heard of.
El Camino – The Black Keys
Down and dirty, the boys from Akron do it again.
I’m With You - Red Hot Chili Peppers
The first Chili Peppers studio release since the Dead Sea was sick.
Hurry Up We’re Dreaming - M83
French combo's been around for a decade. This is their double disc release of mostly techno music. Very nice.
The Other Side of Midnight – Galactic
Galactic gets every musician in NOLA to show up on this live release. It's getting a lot of rotations on my playlist.
The Singing Mailman Delivers – John Prine
John Prine was an FM radio staple in the seventies sharing simple songs with simple lyrics telling simple stories. This release features some of his earliest live shows. Americana at it's best.

Visuals
Big Screen
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Loved the original, but this version seems to do a more complete job of telling the story.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
The first was the best, but this is a close second.

On the Player
Beginners
A sad story of life beginning at 72.
Ides of March
Some people will do anything to win.
Moneyball
Loved the book, loved the movie and Phillip Seymour Hoffman is a god!
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
A dark and gory, very humorous take on the teen slasher movie.

Tube
Justified: Season 2
Rayland Givens, a local boy turned FBI agent, attempts to thwart crime in rural Kentucky and he's not too particular about how he does it.
Boardwalk Empire: Season 1
Prohibition-era Atlantic City

On the Night Stand
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Why didn’t any of my history teachers tell me that our 16th president was a skilled and successful dispatcher off the undead?
Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
Hope’s aunt cooks and Hope waitresses, after losing their café in Brooklyn they head to Wisconsin. Newbery winner and ALA Notable Book.
In the Garden of the Beasts by Erik Larson
William Dodd’s experience as Ambassador to Germany in the 30s.
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
Eli and Charlie Sisters are hired guns with a code. However, the code does not involve a social contract with any other human on the planet. A good, old-fashioned western.