The Good and Bad of the Office

One of my co-workers knows me well enough that during a recent shopping trip she spots an aisle filled with Count Chocula and Frankenberry and not only thinks of me, but buys a box of each so that I can have cereal at the office.

But that is offset by the approval cycle for a marketing piece that is spanning three time zones, thousands of miles, two designers, one ghost of a departed designer, and one company owner is proving to be a pain in the butt. Communication has suffered.

The Good and Bad of the Broncos

At 7-5, the Broncos still have a good AFC record, a not-impossible schedule, Champ Bailey having one of his best years as a pro, and Tatum Bell back to make the running threat viable.

Unfortunately, they also have a rookie quarterback who looked pretty vulnerable last week, a defense that has been seriously banged up by injuries throughout the season, Cecil Sapp on injured reserve, and a head coach whose play calling was nothing less than mystifying last week. This is, I believe, only the third or fourth time that Shanahan has coached a team to a three game losing streak since he joined the Broncos in 1995 and the schedule doesn’t take a turn for the better next weekend in San Diego.

The Good and Bad of Rocky

In preparation for Rocky VI: The Fogey Strikes Back, I’ve been watching all of the old Rocky flicks. A study in good- and badness, really.

Rocky. Not just good, but great. Rocky, the character, is an irritating, not-so bright, but compelling character. It isn’t glorious, it isn’t pretty, but it has grit and soul to spare. It was well deserving of the Academy Award.

Rocky II. Pretty good. A continuing character study of a pretty limited man, a rematch with Apollo Creed, and packing meat with Pauly. Which isn’t nearly as naughty as it sounds. The first two Rocky flicks are the heart of the series; frankly, we could have done without the rest.

Rocky III. Just the wrong side of bad. Here is where it starts to get a little goofy. Mr. T is a fun bad guy, Mickey’s death still rings a little tear from the eye, but the movie (and, especially Rocky) starts descending into cartoon territory.

Rocky IV. Just plain bad. The only real fun to be had in this movie, which almost seems to be a bad parody of Rocky movies, is the Cold War fought in Hollywood style: the good, fiery American v/ the evil, machine, Drago. That’s it. Seriously.

Rocky V. Almost good. In a nearly-successful attempt to return the series to something less cartoonish, Rocky V instead gives us melodrama. The story of Rocky’s riches-to-rags journey, his problems with his family, and his ultimate betrayal by the fighter he takes under his wing (Tommy Morrison playing Tommy Gunn) is all a bit contrived, but almost works. Unfortunately, performances are uneven, the script is heavy-handed, and there is something less-than-satisfying in the final fight scene between Tommy and Rocky. A noble attempt at returning to Rocky’s roots, but not quite right.

Which leaves me wondering if Rocky VI can manage to pull the franchise back into “good” territory. It would be gratifying to send Rocky out on a high note, and the trailers have me hooked. Of course, that could just be wishful thinking on my part.

The Good and Bad of ResurrectionSong

I still like having a platform from which to launch my thoughts out into the world.

But damned if I can find the time to take proper care of the site. I think Obama is right: good minds tend to surprise you (and I would add that great minds tend to challenge you) and I doubt that there is much surprising about this site over the last year. Which, I would consider, a failure in the writing and the ideas that feed the little guy--that is, entirely my fault. Fixing that problem, though, is proving to be difficult.

None of which explains why we haven’t taken measures to protect little old ladies from the evils of the Mean Streets of America. Really, now that the Republicans are waning in power and influence, I fully expect the Democrats to take care of this national embarassment. (Erm, joking aside, I do hope she’s okay.)