Sun

14

Feb

2010

The Year Of Blogging Dangerously
Written by Pat Fortunato   
dreamstime_12435794.jpgDear Reader:

Guess what? Today is not just Valentine's day —  it's the first anniversary of this blog!

A year ago today I launched something truly dangerous: A blog that wasn't about cats, politics, economics, celebrities, or the political economics of cats owned by celebrities.

Whoa! I have nothing against cats. I like them! They like me.

But I felt there was a place on the blogosphere for essays on a wide range of subjects linked only by the inescapable fact that I seem to see things in a manner somewhat askew. Rather like that sentence, if you get my drift.

oliviapic.jpgOne of the first blogs, and still a favorite, is: I'VE LOST IT! about how the detectives of Law & Order should come to my apartment to find all those things that are missing, because these cops can toss a crib and find anything. Besides, who doesn't love Olivia?

Another was: OH, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TOSS COINS! about losing my thong.jpgunderwear near the Trevi Fountain in Rome. No, really.

Readers also liked IT'S CURTAINS FOR ME about my decorating disasters, and grown women wept over WITH A THONG IN MY HEART, about the heartbreak of buying a bathing suit.

Soon, comments started rolling in . . .

                                                          (Go to READ MORE)

 

Susan S asked: Why are you doing this? I answered: God only knows. Because I can?

wed_19.jpgSharon saw the wedding photo and wrote: "Great shoes!" Readers like Debbie, Gary, Caroline, Nancy, Joe, Patty, Ruth, Elf (Yes, Elf), Giuseppe, Richard, Louise, Biana, Mercedes, Marissa, Victoria, David and Suzan With a Z said things like: Love your blog. It's cute, great, terrific, inspired, clever, and best of all, funny.

Better yet, Cindy said, "Funny is not the word, it's hilarious."

Connie said I was "Everywoman." She's so literary, that Connie.

Mike said that I "represent the best in taking life as it comes and making the best of it." H'mmm. Arvid, on the other hand, thought it was pretty predictable that a publisher would start a blog. I told him not to be such a curmudgeon.

Marsha thought "I was up to no good again," what with the weddings and pole dancers and all. Sara said, "The posts are funny and pertinent to my way of thinking, even though I didn't know that until I read them!"

S.Bednaric of Deutshe Poste wrote: Ich bin am Montag.
I guess she was Outen Das Office.

Elaine says that when she reads the blog she hears my voice, which makes her miss me. Ditto Silvia, who's living in Florence. Susan K said it was "cool and snazzy." Charlene told me it would be "very popular." Popular is good. Stacey got a good laugh. Jenna was glad I finally got it together. The blog, that is. Bluzdude thought that THE LETTER YOU CAN'T REFUSE was inspired. My kind of dude.

The great Marc Nadel said it was "Very New York," even reminiscent of the New Yorker humor he loves. Be still my heart!

Kim loved the blog, but likes shorter posts, so I do that now. Except for this special anniversary edition. Diana, who is my greatest fan, said, "Keep writing.playbillgodofcarnage.jpg"
So I kept writing.

At some point, I added play reviews. Hey, why not. Bob & Claire and John & Alice (I made that up) love them. Especially GOD OF CARNAGE.

And how about YOU KNOW YOU LOVE GOSSIP GIRL ? Posts about that show were supposed to be tongue in check, about how ridiculous it is that a grown woman could be so enamored of a series meant for teens. Well, it seems that the whole country either has arrested development (it does) and/or the show is that good (it is), but you can't pick up a magazine or paper without hearing about Blake, Leighton, Chace, Ed or the rest of the gang. So was it satire I was writing, or a Reality Blog? Your call.

My favorite piece so far is MY NIGHT AT THE PUSSY CAT LOUNGE, which was dangerous pole_dancer.jpgin that it was pretty personal. Cris, my husband's daughter, asked whether he knew about this. Hell, he not only knew about it, he edited it. And loved it. Why not? He's the hero of the piece. (Lisleman, who I follow on BlogCatalog, liked the crack about scotch.)

Nice story for Valentine's Day, by the way. 

Recently, we had NAME THAT PUPPY contest. That wasn't living dangerously at all: naming dogs is one of the most popular activities on the blogosphere. Great scout.jpgsuggestions s for that one. If you click the link and go to the last comment, you'll find out what the puppy was eventually named by Faye, AKA, The Puppy Mama.

And then . . . a few weeks ago, THE CLOSET CLEANER COMETH, in dreamstime_1274813.jpgto create order out of chaos. I'm still marveling at the newfound order, and have shown my newly organized drawers shamelessly to anyone who walks in, even my loyal reader, Lenny! And yes, yes, Puja, I will post an "AFTER" photo of the cleaned-up closet. SOON.

Anyway, thanks for all your support.
And if you want to make me really happy, leave a comment on our new, state-of- the-art system.

Bloggily yours,
Pat Fortunato

 

 

 


 
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Comments  

 
0 # diana 2010-02-15 04:19
Pat
Congrats on your one year anniversary for your electronic blog "I can't believe..." It's ironic that the traditional gift for one year is PAPER. Go figure.
Keep your ideas coming. We all need them; it's been a long, cold winter.
xoxox
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0 # Pat Fortunato 2010-02-15 04:36
Paper is so last century! But then, so are most of us. I will keep the ideas ? and hopefully, the laughs ? coming: The Winter Of Our Discontent is a long way from over . . .
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0 # LCG 2010-02-15 05:12
Keep on bloggin!
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0 # Mike B 2010-02-15 07:01
Congrats on your first year. Wish you the best Pat.
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0 # lisleman 2010-02-15 07:19
Very interesting recap. That must of taking some time to sort through the comments. I don't know if you have seen Unknown Mami blog (it's on my blogroll and button collection) but she does a comment theme post every week. check it out and add this yours to it.
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0 # Susan Schuander 2010-02-15 10:47
Come to Florida and blog about the "f" ing cold weather here. Have worn out my knee-high black boots that were tucked away for my April return. Had to have them in Oct, but at least got use. Love the "bitter patter" and look forward to hearing about NY and the "issues"! Congratulations on a year.
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0 # bluzdude 2010-02-15 12:51
Happy Blogiversary!
It's funny though... we both started our blogs on the same day. (Except I didn't tell anyone about mine for a couple weeks, so that I could build some content.)
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0 # Pat Fortunato 2010-02-15 13:39
Hi, Bluzdude. So Happy Blogiversary to you as well!
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0 # Cris 2010-02-15 13:54
Wow Pat a whole year of blogging already? That flew!! Looking forward to many more posts, and yes, we all love your sense of humor and creative ways of looking at ordinary things like closets, so keep it up!! Can't wait to see what you'll come up with next!
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0 # Gary Poole 2010-02-16 13:42
Time flies when you're writing good stuff! Keep going. It's nice to have you near...just a blog away. I love how your mind works. But, then I've known that for years. Onward and upward kindred spirit!
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0 # Pat 2010-02-17 08:02
And what kind of silliness are YOU up to these days, oh kindred spirit of mine?
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0 # Gary Poole 2010-02-18 05:29
My silliness is my upcoming Comic Art exhibit at the Chapman Cultural Center Art Museum here. Lots of Gold Key comic art that I collected over the years,
plus an original Peanuts strip by Schultz (worth a fortune now!) and some of my own cartoons. The exhibit will run from March 2nd until May 8th. Okay,
Lady Phantom, you and hubby are invited! (I know, you'd rather go to Italy!)
Can't say as I blame you. Hugs to you.
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0 # Pat Fortunato 2010-02-18 05:36
You were so smart to collect all that Gold Key stuff. I'm lucky if I can find the Girl Phantom comics I wrote. They're in here somewhere . . .
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0 # KChis 2010-02-16 14:11
Pat, wow a whole year, fabulous job! Now that you have conquered blogging...what's next? I know you working on something.
Keep it going it is hysterical....
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0 # Pat 2010-02-17 08:00
Conquered? I haven't even figured out how to figured out how add my link on Facebook! And I can't begin to understand Google Analytics. But thanks for the comment, and the complimen. I love the writing part.
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0 # Sara coe 2010-02-16 16:18
Happy one year anniversary. I've enjoyed the blog and would love to celebrate with you and Lou . Rob and I will call to set this up!!!
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0 # Pat 2010-02-17 08:02
Any excuse to celebrate! Thanks for your comment, Sara.
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0 # Deborah 2010-02-18 03:49
congrats Pat! Blogging is a labor of love- so thanks for sharing!
xoxo
d
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0 # Pat Fortunato 2010-02-18 03:56
You're so right: it's both labor and love! And you should know: your blog, at Grapes and Greens.blogspots.com, is really well done, no pun intended. Thanks for the comment.
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0 # Charles Rinehart 2010-02-19 05:19
Great blog and great work. All the best.
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0 # Pat Fortunato 2010-02-19 07:36
Hey, Charles. Thanks for the compliment: it warms the cockles (whatever that means) of a blogger's heart.
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That's what's being reported
to those of us at:

A DEVOUT COWARD 
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Have you seen The Artist? Seeing it mentioned at
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I actually got that 

LITTLE BLACK DRESS!

How hard was it?
Click on the link above
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I also got my iPhone.
It's great.
Thank you Steve Jobs
Wherever you are.

  Just as I posted I WAS THE GIRL PHANTOM, I found a website called The Ghost Who Blogs about The Phantom comics:

http://falkonthewildside.blogspot.com

Writing Comics. . .
Was a small but wonderful part of my checkered career, and doing a post about it  brought back a lot of great memories. If you know any other women in NYC who wrote — or are writing — comics, tell me how to get in touch with them. 

I'm on a watching-old-movies kick these days.
Great way to lose yourself.
If you're lucky, you'll never be found. 

REVIEWS TO PERUSE

I'm All Right, Jack:
"Jack" is not just all right, it's totally delightful and fresh as a daisy after all these years (made in 1959), with Sellers, although not technically the lead, giving the brilliant performance that launched him as an international star. He plays an all-too-zealous union leader and father of a blonde bombshell who falls for Stanley, the British Upper Class Twit played, also to perfection, by Ian Carmichael, who you might remember from the Lord Peter Wimsey series. The makeout scenes between the the Twit and the Bombshell are priceless. But what is Stanley doing in this working class atmosphere anyway? Working. And too well at that. Forced by financial circumstances too dreary to discuss, he gets a job in his uncle's factory and messes things up for the other workers by, well, working, and thus making his fellow employees look bad. The film takes a big shot at unions — but also at management: they are manipulating white-collar thieves who'll do anything for a buck. Or a pound. Except for the ones, like Major Hitchcock, played by Terry Thomas, who are just plain lazy and inept. Needless to say, Stanley foils everybody's plans, labor and management alike, to my great joy and delight. Oh, and on top of everything else, Margaret Rutherford plays dotty dowager Aunt Dolly. Delicious!

 The Big Lebowski:
What can you say that hasn't been said before: brilliant, inspired, with some of the most memorable lines ever to come out of a movie, the most quoted being "The Dude abides." Oh yes. For anyone who hasn't yet seen the film, and it's now out in a special Blu-Ray edition if that floats your bowling ball. The Dude in question,  played to perfection by Jeff Bridges, is an out-of-work pothead who is roughed up and has his rug destroyed by some thugs mistaking him for another, bigger, Lebowski. The Dude is really upset about this because, man, "that rug really tied the room together," which The Dude says with all seriousness and not a trace of irony, a great comic touch considering the condition his condition is in.  Oh, and besides "Just Dropped In," all the music is perfect for the film. The plot, according to Wikipedia, which has been known to be wrong, is "loosely based on Raymond chandler's novel, The Big Sleep." Could be. But who cares. It involves a bowling competition, "the occasional acid flashback," a trophy wife, a group of German nihilists, a kidnapping gone awry, a mad millionaire and his lackey, in another great performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Actually, they're all great performances. Never a fan of John Goodman before or since, he is brilliant in this film. And so are John Turturro, overacting his little heart out, Steve Buscemi in a nerdy, needy role that makes you marvel at his star turn in Boardwalk Empire, and even the actors in the smaller parts, especially Julianne Moore and Sam Elliott. Elliott plays The Stranger (God? Everyman? The part of us that roots for the bad boy?) who elicits from Bridges the immortal words, "The Dude abides." Which prompts The Stranger to comment to the audience: "Don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh. I sure hope he makes the finals." We'll never know about the bowling trophy because there's never been a sequel to this 1998 film by the great Coen Brothers, and I hope there never will be. It just abides, as all great films do.

Prince of the City:
Okay, the criticisms of this movie are not totally unfounded: it's too long, and Treat Williams may have overacted a bit, although I found him so deliciously charming I couldn't care less, and there's one part concerning the Jerry Orbach character I just didn't understand. But get over it, The New Yorker, this is one powerful movie. And yes, Dog Day Afternoon it isn't, but what it? The DVD has a great special feature with Williams (I so want to call him Treat) and Sidney (what the hell: I once made a meatloaf sandwich for the man) that explains a lot about filmmaking in general and this movie in particular. Also, Sidney's views on good and evil, and how things are not so black and white as you think. I loved it.

Bad Day At Black Rock:
Recommended on TCM by Robert Osbourne as a film he originally had no interest in seeing, then loved it, and by Alex Baldwin, who pointed out the great actors in the cast, including Lee Marvin, Ernest Brognine and Dean Jagger. Well, after all that, I had to like it, right?  I did. A lot. It was a Good Day On My Couch.
Behind the Scenes Stuff: Spencer Tracey was off drinking and wouldn't commit to the film until the producers (who wanted him desperately) told him that they had Alan Ladd, at which point Tracey grabbed it.  He was perfect for the part, wearing a dark suit and tie the entire time in a western setting,  pulling it off perfectly. Other than that "fashion statement," the film makes a strong case against racism: the hatred of the Japanese during WW2. See it.

Song of The Thin Man:
I usually like these frothy, silly, suave, utter unrealistic films from the 30s and 40s, with William Powell and Myrna Loy as the couple we'd all like to be — if only we had the looks, brains, money, a huge capacity for drinking and a dog like Asta. But this one was a stinker, rather than a stinger, or maybe a sinker, because  it turned out to be the last, not to mention the least, in the series. Watch any of the others four sequels, but not this one: Even the pooch jumped the shark.

The Children's Hour:
It had its moments, and just looking at Audrey Hepburn makes life worth living, but mostly I kept thinking that the play, by Lillian Hellman, was so much better. It's about two young women runing a school for girls, who are accused by a hateful little brat of being (GASP!) lesbians. And although the closest we get in this 1961 production to using that actual term is the word "unnatural," it's enough to ruin their lives.  A young Shirley McClaine is worth seeing in this, and James Garner, and Audrey Hepburn is, well, Audrey Hepburn. The rumor of the love that dare not speak its name is totally untrue — or is it? And I'll say no more, because you should see the movie for yourself, imperfect as it may be, as is Life Itself.

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