R.I.P. The Black Donnellys

I liked the concept. Dug the use of music (especially the Snow Patrol joint in the above clip from the Pilot's climax). And thought the cast was mad authentic--in appearance, manner and portrayal.

But I always felt like the element of redemption was almost impossible to believe. Like, how can you really care about these characters when all you see of them is thuggery? Perhaps the moment when the brothers suffered the ultimate wound to their collective humanity (the death of their father, I presume) was the Season 2 reveal. But now that the original 13-episode order has aired, we'll probably never know.

*Pours a glass of scotch*

"Here's to ya, Irish. It was good while it lasted."

La Causa

Sometimes, there is a cause--a movement, if you will--that stirs up the passions in all of us and conjures the most profound hope for the deepest beauty of which the human race is capable.

When that cause makes itself known, every man, woman and child is compelled to join in. To say, "Yes, I believe. And I will do all that is within my power to make it so."

And when every living person (and even some of the dead ones) rise up together to make such a glorious dream come true, the earth sighs blissfully and the heavens smile widely. And we all (I mean all of us) are so much happier, wiser and at peace for having done so.

Ladies and gentlemen, a cause like that compels us today. It is our birthright. It is our duty as patriots. And it is a magnificent truth that will set each and every one of us free.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: www.getgarnett.com.

Join this cause, won't you? The fate of our fair civilization depends on it. And we simply cannot let ourselves down. Thank you.

One Word: Rage

A couple of weeks have passed since Rage Against the Machine reunited at Coachella.

I wasn't there. But a lot of other people were. Like Adam Morrison. And, thankfully, some of those people brought back the best souvenirs anyone could ask for: video!


The intro. So simple. So eloquent. So powerful. I got goosebumps.

S/he got really close.

I know her. And she had an ingenious way of getting her camera in.

I'd guess that this is how most people saw the show.

And this is either extremely hopeful or wildly depressing. But it's probably as close as you or I will get to stepping back into that moment.

That Guy Who Invented the Post-It

Really.

For serious.

Here's his story.

The Fight

History really does repeat.

"As the fight unfolded there was a feeling that an epic battle would erupt at any moment in the middle of the ring. Unfortunately, the bout never came close to achieving that climatic peak that fans were so anxiously anticipating."

These guys wrote that about a fight that happened in '99. And it was just as true of De La Hoya-Mayweather I as it was of De La Hoya-Trinidad.

This morning, I watched this and mourned for Oscar just a little bit.



The old Oscar was all head and no heart. That's why he couldn't beat Tito. The Oscar I saw last night showed heart. And was his typical heady self. But he still couldn't beat Mayweather. As if it's all too little, too late. The boxer finally became a fighter, but when he did, there wasn't enough boxer left in him to claim his place in history.

Or maybe Oscar was just outmatched. But not by much. 'Cause Floyd, Jr. didn't have enough boxer or fighter in him to overwhelm Oscar and scratch his name alongside Ali, Sugar Ray and Roy. Leaving us with a mediocre, split-decision of a fight.

Which, naturally, left me rather underwhelmed. And now that I'm $60 lighter, I really miss Roy Jones, Jr. 'Cause even when his matches were merely a spectacle, I always felt like I got my money's worth.

Last night, not so much.

Next time, maybe so. As long as that history doesn't repeat.

The Professional

Earlier this week, I spent two days at this conference. It was the second time in the last month I attended a work-related conference. Third time this year. Which is three times more than last year. Three more than the year before that. And equal to the total number of conferences from the three years prior to that.

The point (though not altogether obvious): somehow, my professional life has been decidedly unprofessional.

I'm nearly 10 years removed from the campus of Duquesne University. Did a year on the first job. Left the legit work force for a few months while relocating to the West Coast. Did a few odd jobs before landing a full-time gig with a small publishing firm. Stayed with that one for five years. Left the workforce again for another year or so while trying to make this movie. Then hopped back into office life in early 2006. Been at the same job ever since.

And in all that time, I never heard of the Delphi Method. It came up at this week's conference. I gathered that I was the only person in the room without a clue. And wondered what else I didn't know about.



Having been to a handful of conferences now, I find the way people merge into temporary tribes to be mad interesting. And I've struggled thus far to figure out how best to behave. Wouldn't say that I'm socially awkward, but I'm definitely situationally awkward. And there seem to be a good deal of professional situations - whether its at a conference or in the office - that I just don't know how to navigate.

Maybe other people feel this same way. Working a room full of strangers isn't exactly a lay-up line. Maybe I'm overanalyzing things. I can break a little ice. And I'm usually nice with the business card exchange. Guess the only trouble I really have is the nagging feeling like I don't have the same body of experience - or knowledge - as everyone else. Then again, maybe that's why we all gather together. And maybe I'm missing the point.

In any case, the summer schedule of classes for NOVA came in the mail yesterday. Maybe it's time to get caught up. Become a real "professional" for once.