That's what was listed in my online TV listings. So yeah, I turned over.
A John Denver special.
I really don't have much of an opinion on John Denver. My mom had one of his albums. And I remember that he once hosted The Muppet Show. That's all I got.
So what did I learn from the two minutes that I watched this "Favorite"? Sunshine always makes him high. And that sunshine was at one point on his shoulders.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
The Botany of Desire
KOCE reran The Botany of Desire last night. I didn't rewatch it but I have notes. Notes that I was going to type up when it originally aired but then was distracted by a capella dudes known as Straight, No Chaser. So let's see how much I can decipher and write up into coherent sentences...
The Botany of Desire is based on a book by Michael Pollan. Take a quick peek at his Wikipedia page and at the top, you are greeted with this italicized comment:
This article is about the author and food activist. For the Monty Python actor with a similar name, see Michael Palin.
So really: all you need to know. Most of his books are about food and not Bicycle Repairman. However, to throw you a curve, The Botany of Desire is about plants and how they evolved with humans. The four plants represent four human desires: Apple=Sweet, Tulip=Beauty, Cannabis=Intoxication, and Potato=Control.
I will know begin an extended "What did I learn...?" segment by trying to figure out my handwriting in my notebook. So enjoy some random facts!
Apples: Johnny Appleseed brought Hard Cider to the West. Trees may not be the same as the trees that gave the seeds. Apples came from Kazakhstan. Fruit of Knowledge from The Bible most likely a pomegranate and not an apple. "The problem is that it's boring. Sweetness. If that's all you get." Someone likes their women spicy!
Tulips: A garden in the Netherlands has around 2,300 varieties. Angiosperm means plants that produce flowers (I verified this on Dictionary.com). Wild tulips came up through Central Asia. 1634-1637 was known as "Tulip Mania" in the Netherlands (Disclosure: I can't remember if that was my term or Michael Pollan's). There are places known as "Plant Brothels" where new varieties of tulips are made. I definitely can't take credit for "Plant Brothels".
Cannabis: The only known people who don't have intoxicants are the Inuits because nothing grows in the snow (I find that hard to believe. I'm sure there's some blubber wine or something that they're hiding from us). The female of the cannabis species produces the psychoactive resin. They keep them away from males so that they produce more resin. Yes, growers are keeping their lady plants hot and bothered for our psychoactive pleasure.
Potatoes: Originated in the Andes Mountains. In the wild, potatoes are poisonous if they turn green. The potato helped move people north because it did well in crappy weather and soil. The Irish planted only one kind of potato and then a ship from South America brought a fungus that killed that one variety. Potato Famine! This gives Pollan more ammunition in his anti-monoculture stance. Grow lots of varieties he says. McDonald's not helping with this: they only use Russet Burbank potatoes. Those Monocultural Monsters...
Final The Botany of Desire quotes from Michael Pollan: "Get away from monoculture." "Nature resists our control." "I'm Michael J. Fox's brother-in-law."
OK, he didn't say that last one but according to Wikipedia he's Tracy Pollan's brother. And not, in any way, related to Michael Palin.
Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
The Botany of Desire is based on a book by Michael Pollan. Take a quick peek at his Wikipedia page and at the top, you are greeted with this italicized comment:
This article is about the author and food activist. For the Monty Python actor with a similar name, see Michael Palin.
So really: all you need to know. Most of his books are about food and not Bicycle Repairman. However, to throw you a curve, The Botany of Desire is about plants and how they evolved with humans. The four plants represent four human desires: Apple=Sweet, Tulip=Beauty, Cannabis=Intoxication, and Potato=Control.
I will know begin an extended "What did I learn...?" segment by trying to figure out my handwriting in my notebook. So enjoy some random facts!
Apples: Johnny Appleseed brought Hard Cider to the West. Trees may not be the same as the trees that gave the seeds. Apples came from Kazakhstan. Fruit of Knowledge from The Bible most likely a pomegranate and not an apple. "The problem is that it's boring. Sweetness. If that's all you get." Someone likes their women spicy!
Tulips: A garden in the Netherlands has around 2,300 varieties. Angiosperm means plants that produce flowers (I verified this on Dictionary.com). Wild tulips came up through Central Asia. 1634-1637 was known as "Tulip Mania" in the Netherlands (Disclosure: I can't remember if that was my term or Michael Pollan's). There are places known as "Plant Brothels" where new varieties of tulips are made. I definitely can't take credit for "Plant Brothels".
Cannabis: The only known people who don't have intoxicants are the Inuits because nothing grows in the snow (I find that hard to believe. I'm sure there's some blubber wine or something that they're hiding from us). The female of the cannabis species produces the psychoactive resin. They keep them away from males so that they produce more resin. Yes, growers are keeping their lady plants hot and bothered for our psychoactive pleasure.
Potatoes: Originated in the Andes Mountains. In the wild, potatoes are poisonous if they turn green. The potato helped move people north because it did well in crappy weather and soil. The Irish planted only one kind of potato and then a ship from South America brought a fungus that killed that one variety. Potato Famine! This gives Pollan more ammunition in his anti-monoculture stance. Grow lots of varieties he says. McDonald's not helping with this: they only use Russet Burbank potatoes. Those Monocultural Monsters...
Final The Botany of Desire quotes from Michael Pollan: "Get away from monoculture." "Nature resists our control." "I'm Michael J. Fox's brother-in-law."
OK, he didn't say that last one but according to Wikipedia he's Tracy Pollan's brother. And not, in any way, related to Michael Palin.
Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
Sunday, July 4, 2010
French In Action
It's Sunday morning--I'm sorry, I meant Dimanche matin--and French In Action is on. Turns out I've come across it before but it was always when Le Vieux Professeur was rattling off rapid-fire French to the camera. Now I took French in high school and college (I actually "lettered" in French I and II in high school. And they gave me an actual letter patch like you would sew on a varsity jacket. To which I thought, "Oh. That's what that means." For French II, I got a pin...to pin on the letter, I assume. I wasn't sporty so the whole "letter jacket" concept was all Greek to me. And I spoke French. Ha! Comedy is the universal language...) Anyway, back to Le Vieux Professeur. I could only pick out a few words here and there as I admired his hair (I kept thinking of Bugs Bunny as "Leopold!" the conductor). I then immediately felt that I was a poser to own that letter and pin so I switched the channel. Today, however, I sat and watched.
French In Action is described on the KLCS website as:
"A 52-part telecourse introduces the French language and culture to viewers by way of a romantic comedy, filmed in France."
A romantic comedy! That explains a lot...or not really. Today's episode was Mireille and Robert on a date. And Le Vieux Professeur--that is how he is listed in the credits--was explaining the difference between "entendre" and "attendre". He cupped his hand to his ear for "entendre" (to hear) and sat back and crossed his arms for "attendre" (to wait). Even though I already knew those verbs, I thought, "Hey, I'll be able to follow along." It goes back to Mireille and Robert speaking with the waiter. And during that exchange, it cuts to some little girl and her mother sitting on a sofa. And then it goes back to the date. And then back to Leopold putting a cap on a pen. He then puts on a smaller cap that doesn't fit onto the pen. I don't know what the hell is going on. And to make matters worse, a few seconds later, it cuts to a guy in makeup and a bowler cap laughing at someone with the words "se moquer" underneath. "To make fun of" is what it says. Like, "Ha ha, Mandy, French In Action is mocking you."
Well, two can play that game: Hey, Mireille, I know this is 1987 but France had bras back then. Do you "entend" me?
French In Action is described on the KLCS website as:
"A 52-part telecourse introduces the French language and culture to viewers by way of a romantic comedy, filmed in France."
A romantic comedy! That explains a lot...or not really. Today's episode was Mireille and Robert on a date. And Le Vieux Professeur--that is how he is listed in the credits--was explaining the difference between "entendre" and "attendre". He cupped his hand to his ear for "entendre" (to hear) and sat back and crossed his arms for "attendre" (to wait). Even though I already knew those verbs, I thought, "Hey, I'll be able to follow along." It goes back to Mireille and Robert speaking with the waiter. And during that exchange, it cuts to some little girl and her mother sitting on a sofa. And then it goes back to the date. And then back to Leopold putting a cap on a pen. He then puts on a smaller cap that doesn't fit onto the pen. I don't know what the hell is going on. And to make matters worse, a few seconds later, it cuts to a guy in makeup and a bowler cap laughing at someone with the words "se moquer" underneath. "To make fun of" is what it says. Like, "Ha ha, Mandy, French In Action is mocking you."
Well, two can play that game: Hey, Mireille, I know this is 1987 but France had bras back then. Do you "entend" me?
What did I learn from French In Action? Robert quit university. Mireille teased him about it. Mireille teases her bangs. Some little girl wants to eat lots of "bonbons" but what does that have to do with Mireille and Robert? I have aucune idée.
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