March 26, 2010
by Geoff Shannon
Comments Off on Everything is Shiny, Always Gold…
I’ve been studying the two videos for Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness” (accompanied by MGMT & Ratatat) like the Zapruder film. The song itself is haunting, but the videos are a master class in the weight imagery and music work together. One song can be a party-down number one moment, and a confrontation with a personal demons the next.
March 22, 2010
by Geoff Shannon
Comments Off on What I Read: Clint Eastwood, Chicago’s Daley, Nola’s Treme
“Out of the West“, Clint Eastwoods Shifting Landscape, The New Yorker
Clint Eastwood is a certified member of our “Man-Acting” legends, and this article does a great job at understanding what makes The Man With No Name a solid-to-great director. A child of the 40s and 50s, Eastwood has deconstructed several mythological storytelling idioms of his day. Westerns (Unforgiven), Depression-era style Boxing stories (Million Dollar Baby) and especially WWII (Flags of Our Fathers and Sands of Iwo Jima), which needed to be humanized after the ‘Greatest Generation” lovefest that sainted a complex group of people. Continue Reading →
March 13, 2010
by Geoff Shannon
Comments Off on Hunter S. Thompson: On Sportswriters
“Sportswriters are a kind of rude and brainless subculture of fascist drunks whose only real function is to publicize & sell whatever the sports editor sends them out to cover…
Which is a nice way to make a living, because it keeps a man busy and requires no thought at all. The two keys to success as a sportswriter are 1) a blind willingness to believe anything you’re told by the coaches, flacks, hustlers and other “official spokesmen” for the team-owners who provide the free booze… and: 2) a Roget’s Thesaurus, in order to avoid using the same verbs and adjectives twice in the same paragraph.”
March 13, 2010
by Geoff Shannon
Comments Off on What I Read: Roger Ebert, Manny Pacquiao, Gamblers and Fear & Loathing
I spent two hours at”Common Ground coffee shop in Hampden, nestled down with a medium roast Zeke’s coffee and a stack of printed articles, magazines and local newspapers that I’ve been meaning to mow through but haven’t had the time or energy. Continue Reading →
March 11, 2010
by Geoff Shannon
Comments Off on Whiskey and Snobbery
“I’m made of Tennessee sipping whiskey and creative snobbery myself.” — Geoff Shannon
March 5, 2010
by Geoff Shannon
Comments Off on Writing in the 21st Century: A Manifesto
I recently wrote a 2,500 word article for the March issue of Inside Lacrosse concerning the NLL franchise Minnesota Swarm, and their owners, former medical CEOs John and Andy Arlotta. The father/son pair purchased the organization from the Minnesota Wild prior to the 2009 season, and have since implemented a business plan that will hopefully succeed at one of the most daunting business initiatives in the U.S, building a successful (and profitable) sports franchise. Genuine guys, goofy but electric atmosphere at the Hive (Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul’s) plus a nice January trip to Minnesota, complete with an overlook of a frozen Mississippi River. Continue Reading →
March 4, 2010
by Geoff Shannon
Comments Off on Natty Boh Bottle Cap Game: No. 54
Okay, so this one’s a little hard so extra points for the first answer.
First to comment on the blog post will have their name immortalized on this post and in InPraiseOf’s soon to be published Mr. Boh Cap Game Hall of Fame (we’re wrapping up the first five games so HOF’mers look for your honor soon), plus word spread throughout the Facebook/Twitter world. Have a cap that you would like to mail for me for inclusion in the game? Shoot an email toinpraiseof@hotmail.com.
March 1, 2010
by Geoff Shannon
3 Comments
So, its back. Time for another round of the Natty Boh Bottle Cap Game!
As always, first to comment on the blog post will have their name immortalized on this post and in InPraiseOf’s soon to be published Mr. Boh Cap Game Hall of Fame (honors coming soon), plus word spread throughout the Facebook/Twitter world. Have a cap that you would like to mail for me for inclusion in the game? Shoot an email to inpraiseof@hotmail.com.
February 7, 2010
by Geoff Shannon
Comments Off on Defend New Orleans
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9v6-dnHtAE&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
Bless Nola
January 30, 2010
by Geoff Shannon
Comments Off on Dead Heroes – ‘Wild’ Bill Hagy
Apparently the Baltimore Orioles FanFest was last weekend, reportedly drawing over 12,000 fans. Though widely scorned by the bulk of ticket-buying fans in the Mid-Atlantic region, the Birds are still part of the fabric of the local Baltimoron community. My friend Kevin runs a blog about Orioles jersey number history. Dozens of other blogs still exist.
I loved the Orioles at one time, listening to John Miller’s play-by-play on WBAL via my clock radio (I’m going to tell that tale to my grandchildren one day and they’ll just laugh at the grumpy old man I’m sure). These days, its a great excuse to get hammered at Pickle’s Pub outside the stadium before stumbling toward Federal Hill to get my boogie on.
But, there was a time when a man could enjoy himself thoroughly and organically at an Orioles game, part of a horde of superfans who bounced through a haze of cheap beer and marijuana and beards and bleacher seats to cheer their championship Birds on.
And Wild Bill Hagy was their leader.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVoSYXQ1EEM&hl=en&fs=1&]