If you like stories about horrible things happening to good people…well then you have problems. Or an amazing sense of humor. I certainly will not be continuing this book but I have flipped thru to see if she lightens up.
Nope.
This book is a Kafka-esque excercise in injustice, a subject I already know plenty about and hopefully will never have to learn much more.
COURTNEY TAYLOR-TAYLOR
If you dug the miniseries ROME then I highly recommend you find this book.
The First Man in Rome focuses mainly on the rival factions of the Roman senate during the republican years (circa 100bc) and the meteoric rise of Gaius Marcus who was repeatedly named “The First Man in Rome” due to his success as a general during the African revolt and then for defending Rome against the German hoarde.
There’s plenty of “common man” soap opera to keep it, well, common, but damn Colleen McCulloch really did her homework. You’ll learn a lot about how Rome worked as well as how they could eventually bungle it so badly that even an uncouth tribe of filth from the backwaters of europe could finally bring down the eternal city.
But that’s a story for another book…
COURTNEY TAYLOR-TAYLOR
It’s Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum meets John Grisham. This writer has the voice and timbre of all those New York Times bestseller dudes, and boy did I just love it. I think I read about 400 pages in the first sitting. Damn. This book is a great ride so, um… Well If you’ve been dreaming of a vacation in, lets say Mississippi, but only have around fifteen bucks….
COURTNEY TAYLOR-TAYLOR
Oh, my old, old friend, my twenty-ten, pull me to your cold cheek again.
I think the big whoop-ti-do over in North Portland on New Years with Brainer and the Upsidedowns and the Sixers was a big success. I didn’t go, I only attend white-tie masquerades now. But my Facebook is flooded with pics of the party, like this one I just stole form Upsidedown Jsun.
Courtney Taylor-Taylor, the leader of this outfit, has a couple of new movie reviews on his page, Pork Chop Hill and Arsenic and Old Lace.
I only saw one movie in theaters over the break, Broken Embraces, and it was great. I now have a free ticket, because the Regal Club Card has to pay off sometime, and I was going to use it to see, Nine, but I guess everyone says it’s terrible, so now I don’t know what to see. (Not Avatar.) Someone let me know if that Clooney flick with the girl from Rocket Science is any good.
SPECIAL NOTE: If you are in Portland this Thursday night, don’t go to some movie show, check out Logan Lynn at Doug Fir. He’s the coolest.
Later, twenty-tenners.
GOTHMAN
If you’re like me, I’m so sorry. No, if you’re like me you have an affinity for New Years, like one-hundred times stronger than with The Christmas. (Sacrilege.) Because no matter what, I’m always saying to myself “well, that was the worst year ever,” and for once I can just maybe look forward to something not so terrible. And hey, I’m looking forward to people saying “Twenty-ten” – the thought of not having to hear “two-thousand-and-blah” ad infinitum, I’m pretty damned giddy about that. Maybe I will even leave the Gothman Estate, go out and venture into the cloud of irresponsible drunkards one more time in observance of this turning of the decade. Wouldn’t that be something?
Well, if there was any show that would bring out a zombie shut-in, the one cooked up for 31 DEC 09 would be it.
Rick Bain and the Genius Position
The Upsidedown
1776
DJs Rescue & Grassman
Give me a break. The World Famous Kenton Club in North Portland will be packed. Don’t dress like a bum, and maybe take it easy with the sauce.
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.
GOTHMAN
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(2008) It’s like “Snatch”and “Being There” meets “A Man For All Seasons” and boy is it ever smart as hell. |
COURTNEY TAYLOR-TAYLOR
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(2009) Not only fugging amazing but this is also the most important movie you could possibly make right now. |
COURTNEY TAYLOR-TAYLOR
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(2008) I just loved this movie and Clint is amazing but then again I’d be grumpy too if I was surrounded by such bad actors all the time. |
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(2008) Ham-fisted made-for-tv production makes this not only unwatchable but also makes these sometimes great actors seem like ten year olds who just got handed their first script. |
COURTNEY TAYLOR-TAYLOR
THE DANDY WARHOLS
Dandy Cocktails. Drink specials from the Wonder Ballroom show 12 Dec 2009, Portland, Ore.
GOTHMAN
