The Queen's Opinion2007-10-16T05:25:05Ztag:www.queenbeth.com,2007://2Movable TypeCopyright (c) 2007, bethdethCheck It Out2007-10-16T05:25:05Z2007-10-16T00:25:05-06:00tag:www.queenbeth.com,2007://2.912007-10-16T05:25:05ZI downloaded the new album from Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings today. I'm embarrassed that I didn't realize it was out. I love classic R&B and this band is right up there with the greats from the 60s. I...bethdethbethdethlef@hotmail.comMusic
I also didn't learn until today that the Dap Kings were the backing band on Amy Winehouse's album. I should have recognized those horns...
Read about the band in the NY Times ]]>
Trip pics2007-06-25T23:21:31Z2007-06-25T18:21:31-06:00tag:www.queenbeth.com,2007://2.902007-06-25T23:21:31ZI posted my pics from Utah and last weekend's beach trip to Port Aransas with the fam. Utah: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2AcOGzNm2csXUw Beach: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2AcOGzNm2csXQg...bethdethbethdethlef@hotmail.comRandom
Utah: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2AcOGzNm2csXUw
]]>
You Could Die Out Here2007-05-16T00:24:39Z2007-05-15T19:24:39-06:00tag:www.queenbeth.com,2007://2.892007-05-16T00:24:39ZI just got back from my vacation in southern Utah. It was fantastic. I did my first ever overnight backpacking trip and rafted on the Colorado River. Plus, it was HOT outside. Perfect. As you know, southern Utah is mostly...bethdethbethdethlef@hotmail.comRandom
As you know, southern Utah is mostly desert, and it is important to take care to always travel with survival essentials such as water (as I realized when the rental car overheated in the middle of Arches National Park). But this sign helpfully provided by our federal government sums it up more succintly:
I have an even better one from Yellowstone. I'll see if I can dig it out of storage.]]>
Some quick hits...2007-05-01T14:21:19Z2007-05-01T09:21:19-06:00tag:www.queenbeth.com,2007://2.882007-05-01T14:21:19ZAvec - Try the chorizo stuffed dates with bacon Hot Fuzz - The build up is a little long, but the last 30 minutes give new meaning to the word awesome Blood Diamond - Better than I expected. It's Hollywood...bethdethbethdethlef@hotmail.comRandom
Avec - Try the chorizo stuffed dates with bacon
Hot Fuzz - The build up is a little long, but the last 30 minutes give new meaning to the word awesome
Blood Diamond - Better than I expected. It's Hollywood enough to be engrossing but not enough to be preachy (ahem, Paul Haggis)
Canyon Voyages Rafting Trips - What I'll be doing next week]]>
Shiner Comes to Chicago2007-05-01T14:14:24Z2007-05-01T09:14:24-06:00tag:www.queenbeth.com,2007://2.872007-05-01T14:14:24ZA few weeks ago I was riding to work on the bus, still half asleep, and then I saw it. "hi chicago" it read cheerfully in brown script across a yellow background. Was it really? Could it be? I practically...bethdethbethdethlef@hotmail.comRandom
www.shinerchicago.com into my web browser before I had finished sitting in my chair. Shiner Bock in Chicago! Heck, yeah!
And yet, I'm bummed. I was going to take a photo of the billboard that has been making my mornings bearble with my new Canon. But they replaced it with a traditional Shiner Bock billboard on Monday. I figured some other web-savvy transplant would have posted it on a blog somewhere, but so far a google image search has yielded nothing.
Still, I can now ease my pain with a Shiner!]]>
I'm Baaaaaack2007-04-25T23:39:38Z2007-04-25T18:39:38-06:00tag:www.queenbeth.com,2007://2.862007-04-25T23:39:38ZSo, I feel myself becoming disassociated from everyone I know so I'm going to do something about it. No, I'm not going to call or email each of you directly, but I am going to update my blog. My boyfriend...bethdethbethdethlef@hotmail.comRandom
Ah, but that means I have to write about something. Well, since I live in Chicago, there's always the weather. Currently, it's 45, very windy, and raining. I have a vague memory of warmth from last year but I think it was just a dream.
In (perhaps) more interesting news, I got a big chunk of my hair cut off today. It's now in a bob, just reaching my neck in the back, and a little longer in the front. Because the front is longer, it feels normal if I run my hands through it until I get to the back of my head, when I get a big shock. I can't wait to get the reaction at work tomorrow. But I like it, and it'll be great for the summer.
Going back to Chicago-oriented news, I went to a super-cool jazz club called the Green Mill. I ended up sharing a table with a regular who told me all about the trap doors and secret exits that Al Capone used back in the day. Good times.]]>
This entry is for Katherine2007-02-06T15:15:09Z2007-02-06T09:15:09-06:00tag:www.queenbeth.com,2007://2.852007-02-06T15:15:09ZI'm playing a game of Chicken with Chicago winter. My alarm is set to NPR, and every morning I wake up to the weather forecast. Each day in the last week it's been 5 degrees colder. First it was 20,...bethdethbethdethlef@hotmail.com
Last night, I left work on time for once, excited about spending a nice, quiet evening in my apartment with a home-cooked meal. I walked into my building and checked my mail, then hit the elevator button. As I was waiting, the doorman said, as if commenting on the weather, "Oh, the power is out in some of the apartments in the building. But the water is back on."
So, of course, my apartment is one of the ones without power. I did have heat, thankfully, due to the radiators, and the light from my downtown view was helpful, but it wasn't quite the evening I had in mind.
Turns out someone was renovating an apartment to sell and one of the workers left a window open. (WHY???) The water in the toilet froze, the toilet broke, and the resulting flood knocked out a transformer.
The electricity came back on around 10:00pm. I thought maybe this morning I'd get a break. And I did - it was above 0! 3 whole degrees!
And snowing. AHH!]]>
Holiday Mix 20062007-01-17T23:49:55Z2007-01-17T17:49:55-06:00tag:www.queenbeth.com,2007://2.842007-01-17T23:49:55Z1. Dixie Chicks, The Long Way Around Loud outspoken women? They must be from Texas! I consider this my theme song for 2006. 2. Neko Case, John Saw that Number No Texas mention in this one, but I put her...bethdethbethdethlef@hotmail.com
1. Dixie Chicks, The Long Way Around
Loud outspoken women? They must be from Texas! I consider this my theme song for 2006.
2. Neko Case, John Saw that Number
No Texas mention in this one, but I put her work into my self-defined category called “Desert Music”. AKA “Music Beth listens to when homesick.”
3. Calexico, Cruel
More Desert music and one of my all-time favorite bands. I saw them play at Austin City Limits at high noon in 100+ degree heat, and their music perfectly fit the weather. I recommend listening while driving through Big Bend.
4. Madonna, I Love New York
Isn’t that where they golf?
5. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, How Do I Let a Good Man Down?
No Texas reference; it’s just a good song.
6. Beck, Lord Only Knows
I used to live in Houston, but I never did the Hot Dog dance.
7. The Little Willies, Love Me
Any band that names itself after Willie Nelson is okay with me…
8. Willie Nelson, Graceland
…obviously.
9. Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins, Handle With Care
Mostly, I’m having fun with cover songs, but if pressed I could say that the original version included Roy Orbison, who was from Texas.
10. Stevie Ray Vaughn, Mary Had a Little Lamb
Essential.
11. Cat Power, Living Proof
I like old school soul music (see track 5), and she made this album with soul music legends. Yeah, so there’s no Texas reference here.
12. Emmylou Harris, Waltz Across Texas Tonight
Another desert album.
13. Dixie Chicks, Lullaby
And I bring it back around. Sweet dreams and Happy Holidays (a little late).
]]>
Food Notes2006-08-28T01:01:25Z2006-08-27T20:01:25-06:00tag:www.queenbeth.com,2006://2.832006-08-28T01:01:25ZNow that I'm getting paid again, I've been able to try a few more Chicago restaurants. I'm still not blown away, but I've had a few good moments: Hai Yen - After living in Houston for six years, I seriously...bethdethbethdethlef@hotmail.comRestaurants Hai Yen - After living in Houston for six years, I seriously crave good Vietnamese food. I tried this place up on Argyle street after reading some online recommendations. However, I was not blown away. The Vietnamese egg rolls were dripping with grease and didn't come with lettuce in which to wrap them. My entree, beef wrapped in rice crepes, was good, but when I ordered Vietnamese iced coffee, they brought it out already prepared rather than bringing the french press out to the table. Half the fun of Vietnamese coffee is watching it brew, stirring in the condensed milk, and pouring it over ice. I'll be trying a different place next.
Blue Water Grill - This seafood restaurant was good, if a bit pricey. The waiter was attentive and great at helping me choose oysters from the raw bar.
Sushi Wabi - I've heard great things about the sushi here and I wasn't disappointed. I'm not sure how I feel about the constant thumping techno in the background, however. Also, I ordered the Ecuador roll, which included jalapeno, and it was possibly the hottest pepper I've ever eaten. I couldn't finish the roll. As a Texan, it hurts me to say that. The rest of the sushi was excellent, though. I will definitely go back.
? - Tonight I ate at a new Mexican place in the South Loop. I can't remember the name, which should indicate what I thought of it. It was completely bland. No spices. When your ethnicity's food is based on rice, corn, and beans, spices are kind of important.
I'm still not that impressed with the food scene. Is Houston the only city in the US where great food can be found at mid-range prices?]]>
City View2006-08-22T00:10:53Z2006-08-21T19:10:53-06:00tag:www.queenbeth.com,2006://2.812006-08-22T00:10:53ZIt's very strange to live in a place where there are seasons. For the first time in my life, August seems like the end of summer, rather than a month that even Satan would find uncomfortably hot. I wore white...bethdethbethdethlef@hotmail.comRandom
So, I find myself trying to cram as much outdoor time in as I can on the weekends before the unknown experiences called "Fall" and "Winter" appear. On Sunday, I went kayaking on the Chicago River. I paddled right through the city down to Navy Pier. It was too cool. The sky was clear, the water was blue, and the skyscrapers were sparkling. To add an extra touch, planes from the Chicago Air and Water show were looping and diving overhead.
I recommend.]]>
Lol*la*pa*loo*za2006-08-08T00:37:25Z2006-08-07T19:37:25-06:00tag:www.queenbeth.com,2006://2.822006-08-08T00:37:25ZFriday, 6:00 pm. I’ve only been at Lollapalooza for thirty minutes, and I’ve already had my first Beatle Bob sighting. Is it good or bad that we have the same taste in music? I don’t really care, because The Secret...bethdethbethdethlef@hotmail.comMusic
Beatle Bob sighting. Is it good or bad that we have the same taste in music? I don’t really care, because The Secret Machines rock. Who knew that three guys could make so much noise? (Other than Jack White…he can do it with two.)
Or, in the case of The Raconteurs, four. I try to run over to the food court between The Secret Machines and Raconteurs set to grab a slice of pizza. Of course, this being Chicago, the line at the pizza booth is twice as long as at any other booth. On being told that the pizza has run out and new slices won’t be ready for another 15 minutes, I say, “Screw that,” and run back to catch The Raconteurs. Good thing, or I might have missed their cover of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.” Genius.
At 7:30, I have the choice of either the Violent Femmes or Sleater-Kinney. I decide to check out the Violent Femmes in honor of their appearance at the first Lollapalooza that I attended way back in 1991… which was 15 years ago. Christ, I’m old. This feeling is not helped by the fact that the Violent Femmes look like suburban dads who’ve stepped away from the grill for a few minutes to sing about drugs and sex. However, when they launch into “Blister in the Sun,” the entire crowd, young and not-so-young, sing along with the band. I feel better
At 8:30, I make my way over to the other side of the park to see Death Cab for Cutie…along with every other person at Lollapalooza. I still can’t decide if I like Death Cab. They seem like sensitive ponytail guys without the ponytails. I watch for about 30 minutes – just long enough to hear the singles I like from Plans – and then I decide to call it a night.
Saturday, 1:50. I get to the park in time to catch most of Feist’s set. I’ve been wondering how she’s going to adapt her quiet music to the outdoor festival stage. She amps it up with some well placed electric guitar. From 2:30-3:30, I wander, catching a little bit of Built to Spill, Coheed and Cambria, and the beginning of Lyrics Born. Then it’s back to the first stage to watch Calexico.
Calexico opens their set with my favorite song off the new album (Roka), and it gets better from there. I start cursing myself for not going to their full show when they came through town a few weeks back. On the other hand, this is the fifth (or sixth?) time I’ve seen them, so it’s not like I haven’t shown my support.
After the Calexico set, I trek to the other side of the park to check out Gnarls Barkley. I get the same feeling from their set as I do from sampling the album – “Crazy” is the song of the summer but the rest of their stuff doesn’t do it for me. Still, I stick around for the whole set. I had planned to head back across to check out Sonic Youth, but I’m too lazy to get up off the blanket and walk back across the park. I know I’m going to regret that later.
5:30. After watching the Smoking Popes for 5 minutes, I decide that now is time to brave the food line, so that I’m done before the Flaming Lips start at 6:30. 45 minutes later, I have my gyro platter, which unfortunately does not taste as good as it looks. I head over to the Flaming Lips show, which is easy to spot due to the multiple large blow-up dolls decorating the back of the stage. I can’t decide if the Santa Claus doll or the alien doll is my favorite. Wayne Coone starts talking about being at Lollapalooza back in 1994. Wait, I went to that one too! This is turning out to be quite the reunion. I also saw the 1992 show headlined by the Chili Peppers who are doing a repeat gig this year. However, they were so awful in 1992 that I’m not sticking around to see them again.
At 7:15, I head over to the Thievery Corporation stage so I can get a good spot. Fifteen minutes later, Perry Farrell comes out to introduce the band! I look around and realize that no one else knows that the guy in the large fedora hat is the founder of this festival and former frontman of Jane’s Addiction. Of course, that was back in 1991 when half the ticketholders were in Kindergarten. I start to feel depressed again until I realize that Farrell will return to the stage to sing his track off the latest Thievery Corporation album. Cool.
Thievery is great as usual, even though this set can’t compare to my front-row spot at last year’s Stubb’s show. I finish up the night by trekking across the part to watch five minutes of Kanye West. Since he’s not singing “Golddigger”, I decide to call it a night. Us old folks have to get to bed early.]]>
Constantly Disappointed2006-08-07T23:13:49Z2006-08-07T18:13:49-06:00tag:www.queenbeth.com,2006://2.802006-08-07T23:13:49ZApologies to my sister, but I'm about to go on another rant about how good the restaurants were in Houston. When I moved to Austin in 2003, "The restaurants in Houston were so much better" was my constant refrain. Austin...bethdethbethdethlef@hotmail.comRestaurants
really expensive food didn't usually live up to its hype).
However, Austin was 1/8 the size of Houston, so I could generally cut it some slack. But now I'm in Chicago -- the big city -- and with the exception of one restaurant, I have been consistently and thoroughly underwhelmed.
Tonight was yet another case in point. The apartment I was going to rent fell through, and I spent all day running around town looking for something else. At 6:30, tired and annoyed, I decided to stop on my walk home and treat myself to a meal. I was going to stop at the cheap sushi place (yes, it's underwhelming, but it's also cheap), but on a whim, I decided to do Indian at Hema's Kitchen, a restaurant that I had read good things about.
I was impressed by the ambience when I walked in - it wasn't anything fancy, but was attractive and pleasant. (In fact, it was painted the exact color of orange that my last two yoga studios were painted - is this a special Indian hue? And if so, where do I get it, because it would go great with my living room furniture.)
Unfortunately, it went downhill from there. Three people stopped to take my order, leaving me confused as to who my server actually was. I started by giving one my order for masala tea and drank it while I looked over the rest of the menu. The tea was refreshing, but a little light on the masala.
I wanted a meat dish, so I decided to go with the lamb, as it is more typically "Indian" than chicken, and ordered the aloo along with some naan. The entree was $12, which seemed a little pricey given my surroundings, but I figured I'd have enough to take home for tomorrow's lunch. I opened my book, and waited for my food to arrive.
And waited. And waited. 60 pages later (okay, I'm a fast reader, but still), the lamb came out -- in a pathetically small dish. The naan, however, was huge, so I rolled with it, until I tasted my food. The cut of meat was cheap and poorly cooked. The bread was dry. The only thing that held the meal together (literally) was the aloo gravy, and even that wasn't so great.
Once I was served my food, no one checked on me again until I flagged down a server and asked for the check...which was added up incorrectly, so I had to wait while it was fixed.
Sigh, another restaurant to mark off the list. Not too many restaurants are on the list. Granted, I've been unemployed most of the time that I've been in Chicago, so my budget is limited. But that's exactly what was so perfect about Houston -- you could get great food there without spending a lot of money. Is Houston the only city where that's the case? Or do I just need a better guide to Chicago restaurants?]]>
Catching up2006-07-11T02:25:27Z2006-07-10T21:25:27-06:00tag:www.queenbeth.com,2006://2.792006-07-11T02:25:27ZI've been interviewing in the last few weeks, so I haven't had much time for updating the site. I had an entire review for The Devil Wears Prada written in my head, and you're going to have to trust me...bethdethbethdethlef@hotmail.comMovies
The Devil Wears Prada written in my head, and you're going to have to trust me that it was brilliant, because you aren't likely to see it written here. Short take is that I didn't like the way it toned down the pure evil of Miranda Priestley's character from the novel, but I'm happy that it made tons of money so that critics will stop using "chick flick" as an insult.
I also saw Pirates of the Caribbean along with the rest of America this weekend, and I was pleasantly surprised. The movie takes a while to get rolling (no pun, well, maybe some pun intended) but the last hour was completely enjoyable. I liked that so many of the characters from the first were brought back (especially the one who appears at the end), and I'll definitely be in line for the third one.]]>
French Action Rules!2006-06-19T13:34:45Z2006-06-19T08:34:45-06:00tag:www.queenbeth.com,2006://2.782006-06-19T13:34:45ZAfter going to see the new Luc Besson-produced movie District B-13, I tried to remember the last American action movie I saw that didn't suck. The first one that popped into my mind was Terminator 2, but that's because I...bethdethbethdethlef@hotmail.comMovies
District B-13, I tried to remember the last American action movie I saw that didn't suck. The first one that popped into my mind was Terminator 2, but that's because I saw it the day after I saw Luc Besson's amazing La Femme Nikita, in what was possibly the best movie-going weekend of my life.
The Matrix, of course, comes to mind, but its reputation is tarnished by the subsequent 2 Matrix films. Spiderman 2 also merits a mention, but it's not a straight up action movie. Die Hard? Predator? Those are even older. What has happened to the American action film?
Now, I don't want to make District B-13 seem better than it is. It's no masterpiece. The plot, about a neutron bomb that has been captured by a group of thugs inside of one of Paris's most dangerous ghettos (The B-13 of the title), is barely adequate to contain the action. But what is more than adequate - in fact, downright awesome - is the action.
To answer my earlier question, one of the problems with the American action film is its over-reliance on CGI. For example, take the scene in The Matrix Reloaded, where Neo fights the hundreds of Agent Smiths. When the actors in the scene look like real people, it's a spectacular fight. But when the CGI takes over towards the end of the scene, it falls apart. Why? Because there's nothing breathtaking about watching pixels fight. The core of a great action sequence is that it looks like it's happening to real people.
District B-13 gets it. Early in the movie, Leito, one of the film's heroes, is running from a group of bad guys, jumping from roof to roof, and flipping across stairwells with breathtaking grace...literally. (In one moment, he slid through a narrow window above a doorway and the entire audience gasped in awe). And it doesn't let up. Director Pierre Morel keeps the right distance from the action, keeping our attention focused on the actors' mad fight skills without distracting editing or cuts (another thing that American directors haven't figured out how to do yet). Later in the film, when Leito and the cop Damien team up to stop the bomb and rescue Leito's kidnapped sister, their perfectly synchronized punches and kicks are exhilarating to watch.
I would never have guessed that the French would be the ones to figure out how to incorporate Hong Kong style into the Western action genre. But maybe I shouldn't be surprised. When I think a little harder about the last action movie I saw that didn't suck, it's not an American one that comes to mind, but another French one - Brotherhood of the Wolf. Maybe American filmmakers should start paying attention.]]>
Current Movies2006-06-14T15:48:56Z2006-06-14T10:48:56-06:00tag:www.queenbeth.com,2006://2.772006-06-14T15:48:56ZI saw Prairie Home Companion last night. I've never been a big fan of the show. I find it mildly amusing, but not particularly brilliant or witty. I was expecting more from the movie since I am a fan of...bethdethbethdethlef@hotmail.comMovies
Prairie Home Companion last night. I've never been a big fan of the show. I find it mildly amusing, but not particularly brilliant or witty. I was expecting more from the movie since I am a fan of director Robert Altman. But, the movie experience was about the same as the radio...mildly amusing.
A few things did stand out. Meryl Streep was amazing. Yeah, yeah, she's always amazing, right? But here, I thought she was particularly amazing. Every gesture, move, word, or glance added to her character. I think she is incredibly beautiful, particularly since she hasn't scarred herself with botox, collagen or plastic surgery.
In fact, most of the actors were really fun to watch. Kevin Kline was a perfect "Guy Noir", one of the few characters from the radio show that I enjoy. Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly performed a great number called "Bad Jokes", and Tommy Lee Jones was perfect as the "Axeman" from Texas who is responsible for ending the radio show. In fact, Texas was ripped up one side and down the other. I'm sure Keillor enjoyed doing that, and I tried not to hold it too much against him.
But there were long stretches of the movie where I was looking at my watch. If you're not a fan of the radio show, I don't know that I would recommend it.
Last week, I saw The Break-Up. During the long publicity build-up to the movie's opening weekend, I had absolutely no interest in it. I don't particularly like Jennifer Aniston, and I've never watched Friends. (I guess you can put me in Team Jolie). And yet, I decided to go see it a few days after it opened, and I'm glad I did.
The movie wasn't perfect by any means. It's not really a comedy at all, but intersperses comedic scenes throughout the main story of the couple's break-up. The constant shift in tone doesn't quite work. But what does work is the break-up story and Vince Vaughn's performance. The opening scene, where the two characters have a big blow-up leading to the break-up, is painfully realistic. And that was the strength of the movie -- anyone who's ever seen a relationship end can relate to what's happening.
Plus, Vince Vaughn is spot on as the clueless guy who realizes too late that his benign neglect has caused him to lose someone he really values. I was impressed. The other element that I enjoyed was the movie's setting in Chicago. It was fun to see the characters walking along Lake Michigan in the exact spot where I walked last weekend.]]>
