The Riches

I caught the pilot episode of the Riches starring Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver and was left feeling a bit underwhelemed.

I like Izzard immensly, and Driver quite a bit, but the show as a whole doesn't really work in the first episode. I don't require every show be Nip/Tuck or the Shield in pacing, but it really doesn't help your show in your first episode when you rely on a chance encounter with a cop to supply most of your expository dialogue on a setting that might not be familiar with many viewers.

Irish Travellers might not be familiar to all viewers, and relying on two minutes of dialogue to set the stage doesn't really help. If somebody tuned in late they'd probably just assume the clan at their camp were just having a redneck family reunion.

It's interesting that FX keeps greenlighting shows where foreign actors play Americans, which isn't always bad such as in Nip/Tuck, but here some of the accents area bit dodgy and it's a bit hard to buy some of the characters.

I want to like this show, and I think that it can get better, but I don't know if the ratings will hold up if a show that was sortof billed as a bit of a comedy (Izzard in the promos only) keeps such a somber and slow pace.

About 15 minutes should have been cut from the pilot. As in professional wrestling more time to tell story is not necessarily going to be time well spent telling the story.

Shortest Reunion Ever

So i guess that Eddie Van Halen figured out between issues of Rolling Stone that Diamond Dave is still Diamond Dave. It's just too damn bad that there don't seem to be any Van Halens that can sing.

They should either just bury the hatchett with Sammy (He'd come back in a heartbeat I think), or Wolfgang or Eddie just need to marry some singer (Linda Perry or Axl Rose maybe).

I wonder if this time in rehab Eddie will be confronted with the fact that it is, in fact, him that is the unreasonable one in the band.

Jake the Snake

Went to see the wrasslers at the comic store with the other wrasslin fans today. Saw the local fellers (not pictured). Saw the Lance "Dallas" Hoyt from TNA. Saw the Jake the Snake. Got the autographs. Wife got picture with Jake.

Good day.

R.A.W. R.I.P.

On January 11 at 4.50 a.m. Bob Wilson died.

I haven't mentioned it before here, not because I didn't notice. Or because it didn't mean anything to me, rather because I've been trying to put it out of my head.

I want to be joyous and happy for his passing from pain, and I am happy that he is in no more pain. I am not happy that he is gone.

His writings which came to me at the proper time in my life and guided me well are still here. My impression of him and the Bob that I imagine he was still lives on, but I am saddened that I will not see Cosmic Trigger vol. 4 and after. I am saddened that I will never be present for one of his speaking gigs and that I will never meet him in person.

I am saddened that the world has lost a sage.

I can only hope to attempt to continue making each moment a bigger and happier reality tunnel and remember the things he taught me.

fnord.

Briar Rabbit in the Cemeteries *Updated*

One of my friends, D.C. Stewart, has just published a guide to McMinn County's cemeteries called Briar Rabbit in the Cemeteries: A Special Map Guide to McMinn County, Tennessee Burial Grounds.

It's a book of maps that He spent over two years compiling that point the way to pretty much every cemetery in McMinn County, especially the hard to find ones. It's hard bound, a little over 400 pages and has about 200 hand drawn maps so that you can find the spot you're looking for. There are also photos from every cemetery included.

Also, I contributed the cover illustration (Roxanne did the lettering on the tombstone), but that really isn't that much of a contribution.

This really is a nice looking book, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of local history, really needs some maps to local cemeteries, or just would like to have a good looking book full of maps and pictures.

The book isn't really on sale just yet, but Dennis is planning on holding a book signing at PostNet in Athens (they did the binding and printing) on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 3 p.m.

It'll also be available for purchase at Village Bookshop in Athens. The price will be somewhere in the neighborhood of $35

* UPDATE *
Dennis will be holding his signing at PostNet in Athens on Monday, February 12 at 3 p.m. If you are even halfway interested in picking up the book I'd urge you to come out and meet Dennis and support his work.