Nova Scotia Balsam. Model #2011.

Last year's Christmas tree (after I tossed her outside) didn't start turning brown until May. Really. I love real trees. It's Celtic, primative...and she smells good.

Separated at Birth? Dominic Cooper & any pug.

Saw Dominic Cooper in My Week with Marilyn. The pug? Well, it's a pug.

Tullamore Dew. Drink up, laddies!

And lasses. My friend, Marisa, graces one of Tullamore's print ads in their latest advertising campaign. You can read more about it here. I'm jealous - if you know me well than you know of my affinity for anything Irish.

That's Marisa and I at the Los Angeles ShortsFest in July for the film I wrote. See...I told you it's her mug in that ad. DRINK TULLAMORE DEW WHISKEY!

DeSean Jackson's a dick. Part Deux.

I blogged about this douche bag back in 2009. Some people don't change their stripes. Watch this video from last week's game against the Giants. He INT'd the ball and ran 50 yards - not sure if he was tackled or scored a TD - only to have his run negated because he was called for taunting.

He's done this before (read the blog link from 2009). He's been in trouble with his coach for recently missing meetings. He's a bad seed. I hope he rips his Achilles tendon for good. The NFL doesn't need assholes like him.

Mission rocker.

Scored this mofo from an antique dealer in Marion, Iowa. Could be a Stickley but no identifying tags or stickers. It's Arts and Crafts, that's for sure and I'm guessing at least 70-years-old. Anyone know an antique appraiser? I've been looking for one for a while. $179. Then I hemmed and hawed about whether it would fit in my car and she took another $20 off.

And - and even if it was a reproduction (which it isn't), you couldn't purchase it for what I paid.

Things found in a Cemetery #4.

TGIF! presents...."A Christmas Carol" @ Theatre Cedar Rapids!

Heading to Cedar Rapids for opening night of one my favorite stories - maybe my most favorite story of all time. Check out this preview.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Be thankful. There's always someone or something who has it worse...like this turkey.

"Show It at the Beach".

For those of you who think Shel Silverstein wrote only for children.

SHOW IT AT THE BEACH

Oh, they won't let us show it at the beach.

No, they won't let us sho it at the beach.

They think we're gonna grab it if it gets within our reach.

And they won't let us show it at the beach.

But you... can show it in your parlor to most anyone you choose.

You can show it at a party with your second shot of booze.

You can show it on the corner wearin' overcoat and shoes,

But they won't let us show it at the beach.

No... they won't let us show it at the beach, friends.

Ah... they won't let us show it at the beach.

Oh, they're sure we're gonna grab it if it gets within our reach.

So they won't let us show it at the beach.

But you can show it at the movies on the cineramic screen.

You can show it in the most sophisticated magazine.

You can show it while you're bouncing on the high school trampoline,

But they won't let us show it at the beach.

But if you've got a gun, it's legal to display it on your hip.

You can show your butcher knives to any interested kid.

But if it's made for lovin', then you'd better keep it hid.

And they won't let us show it at the beach.

;)

I think Natalie Wood's sister was the better looking one...

They love PASS THE SALT, PLEASE in St. Louey!

...It was the last short and the crowd loved it. Lots of laughter and smiling faces as folks exited.


- Brian Spath, Operations Supervisor, Cinema St. Louis

If everyone reading this would give me $5....

...I could produce one of my plays.

Well....if Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales can ask for money, why not me?

Happy Birthday, Gordo!

Gordon Lightfoot turned 73 on Thursday. One of the greatest singer/songwriter/poets of our time. Here's a favorite Gordo tune I'm sure you've heard.

Driver disses old pal Favre? Really?

In a recent interview, Green Bay Packer WR Donald Driver extolled the virtues of working with QB Aaron Rodgers - while slighting former GB QB Brett Favre.

I've played with two quarterbacks. One just went out there and did what he did, and he wasn't patient at all. But Aaron takes what the defense gives him, and that's the type of guy you want. - Donald Driver.

Driver is correct in stating that Favre wasn't as patient at Rodgers, let's say. You know, the gunslinger type. But why is a reporter pimping Driver by asking him this question now? Favre's long gone as a Packer. Talk about beating a dead horse. And Packer fans want me to "let it go"? Wonder why no journalists asked Driver this question when the Packers went 6-10 the season immediately after Favre's departure from Green Bay?

Funny...Driver never complained about Favre's style those 9 years when Brett was tossing DD the ball, mounting up all those TD's and catches, was he? Check here for Driver's stats. All 3 years Driver was selected to the Pro Bowl while playing with Favre, he never complained once about Favre's style back then. No siree.

Hmmmm...must be that Super Bowl ring. Sure it is...

TGIF! presents....The Beach Boys Acapella!

Mauston. 2011.

The Ircink's are a family - and an extended family - of bow hunters. My dad, brother, myself, my dad's brother - Uncle Fran - and 1st cousin, Gerry, family friends Dave & Bruce Hranicka, Gary Schmidt, Dave's son, Lucas, has hunted with us a few times, Rick Nowak - my Uncle Bob's brother, Gary's son, Matty, my theater buddy, Jim Keller. Family and friends.

My brother started hunting in 1980, not yet in high school. I started after him in 1981, a senior at the time. I don't think I missed a season from 1981 thru the fall of 1997. Then I moved to Cali for 12 years. That's my brother (above) with Kenny Koepsel...the "Kahuna" - the man who's been leading bowhunts up here since the 1950's. Time is a grim reminder that "the good ole days" are fleeting. Kenny doesn't walk like he used to. Neither does my dad. The old guard is either dying off or is too old and has given hunting up. There were times when we'd have 25 guys hunting over a week in November. For three days it was just the seven of us. Jas and I made most of the drives for the rest of the hunters - all 65+ in years. I miss the old days. The old times we had. If I could go back for just a day...

The weather was pretty nice. We kicked out quite a few deer, just the seven of us. Even a couple bucks. Some guys got shooting. Some didn't. I never even saw a deer. It didn't matter. I was with my family of bow hunters....in Nature.

Click on READ MORE and follow me as I walk through the woods.

Me on a stand.

Can you spot my brother?

Left to right: The Kahuna - Kenny K., Teddy & Kathy, Bill Doody, Dad and Jason.

Backside (above) and front side (below) of a fungi.

Me.

Fall cauliflower.

Come on....grow ya little bastages.

I quit.

TGIF! presents...Benny Benassi's "Satisfaction"

St. Loueyyyyyy Blues! PASS THE SALT headin' to St. Louis!

The St. Louis Film Festival might be the last festival for PASS THE SALT, PLEASE this year. I'm not sure how many more film fests we've submitted to - 15, 20. We'll start to hear back on those after January 1. Sponsored by Stella Artois, click here for our shorts program. We screen at the Tivoli Theatre, Wednesday, November 16 @ 9:15 pm.

Retro. College ID card.

Not sure what year this was. 1982-86. Much of it's a blur.

TGIF! presents...The Beach Boys' "SMiLE Sessions"!

Here are a few quotes from some friends of mine on the release (yesterday) of The Beach Boys' "SMiLE Sessions"...

Brian and his great band recorded new tracks and vocals for the previous release (2004) - yesterday's release uses the original Beach Boys' tracks and vocals from the '60s plus lots of alternate versions and also includes bonus material...

- Billy Hinsche, Utah, back-up musician and singer for The Beach Boys

The SMILE collection that was just released is the original tracks from the Beach Boys... Our 2004 recording was Brian and Van Dyke Parks' version (Brian's band playing and singing) 40 years later. Both cool in my eyes. :)

- Taylor Mills, Austin, TX, back-up singer for Brian Wilson

Hey Jeff, in a nutshell the SMiLE that was released in 2004 was Brian Wilson presents SMiLE. Brian, Darian, Van Dyke got together and basically completed the 1966/67 SMiLE. The 2004 versions contains Brian's amazing backing band. So... the SMiLE sessions that has just been released is The Beach Boys 1966 that was never completed in its original form. Original track listing and running order never was decided upon until 2004. Over the many years there have been many bootlegs and fan versions of the original based on Brian's 2004 version(many call it a blueprint). So now we have the original album art and booklet that was to have been released back in 66/67 with many outtakes, studio banter plus the SMiLE album by The Beach Boys based on the 2004 track listing...phew.. Trust me a lot of us fans are very very relieved and very excited. The mythical SMiLE album is here.

- Paul McPherson, Australia, FB friend and Beach Boys nut, like me

Check out these reviews in Rolling Stone and the Los Angeles Times.

Congratulations Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys!

Ginkgo leaf.

First time I ever heard of this leaf - and the tree - was at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, my alma mater.