Bloglander

Cheers to the grandmother who has her grandchildren and adult children turn
over all their electronic devices when they come over to visit.

I know it's been a rocky uphill in the rain climb, but we keep getting to
the next level and that's what's important. I love the way our eyes meet
and know exactly what the other ones thinking and feeling. I am so glad to
have you in my life and I will forever honor and respect what we have.
Thank you for being there for me during some really tough tough times. I
can't believe I have found my soulmate this late in life and I am so in
love with you baby! Each day gets better and better which is the opposite
of the normal. I love waking up to you each and every morning and knowing
that you will be there when I get home. Thank you for loving and accepting
my children, they really love you very much. You are an amazing woman and I
love how you take care of us. I am so in love with you baby... cant wait to
get home to you.

I love you, you sexy thing, and I love the way you love me

You make me feel comfortable, and I feel that I can be myself around you
and I hope that you feel the same way! Love your smile, caring attitude,
gentleness and I feel that you are honest and don't lie to me...Love it!
All men should be like you! I wish that I could do something special for
you this Christmas, but unfortunately it will have to wait until next
year...sorry and I hope that 2012 will be a GREAT year! Yours, Cougar

I had had trouble with my '84 Caddie earlier in the day, I called the AAA
driver, he said I should be able to drive home on Nevada, well when I
turned onto Francis, my dear car died. Then out of the blue two men and a
girl came and tried to push, no luck, then another man parked his truck and
the 4 pushed me off Francis. Thank you all, as I say you were sent from
Heaven.

TONIGHT!

When a band has been around as long as Charlie Butts and the Filter Tips, you’d think they would get tired of playing the same songs over and over again. But after 18 years in the Inland Northwest, the band performs with a fresh, youthful excitement. Tonight they’ll release their latest CD, More Peas. Check them out at 9 pm at Bluz at the Bend. $3. Gotta be 21.

The first of TWO nights of Brian Setzer's Rockabilly Riot starts tonight out at Northern Quest Casino. It's a tour, which has already been seen by huge crowds all over Europe and Japan. The show tonight is at 7:30 pm, and costs $70-$80. Tomorrow, the price goes up to $150. Gotta be 21.

TOMORROW! NEW YEAR'S!

Tired of sitting home alone on New Year’s Eve, watching the folks in Times Square have fun? Then get off your butt and head to A Club for a night of food, drinks and the Go-Go’s … well Go Man Go's, that is. The all-male Go-Go’s cover band (yes, you read that right) perform classic songs like “Vacation” and “Our Lips Are Sealed” with as much, if not more spunk, than the original group. Local favorites Whiskey Dick Mountain, rock-and-rollers the Camaros, surf rockers BBBBandits and party-starting extraordinaire DJ Jorgens. The $25-$30 tickets include access to a dessert bar, hors d’oeuvres and champagne. Gotta be 21.

Soul Proprietor, Spokane's nine-piece horn band will be rockin' on New Year's Eve from 9 pm-1 am. Doors open at 8. Full dinner available, and free champagne at midnight. Tickets: $25. The Luxury Box, 1512 E. Sprague Ave.

Head on down to Mootsy's for a show with locals Bandit Train, Summer in Siberia, Old Bear Mountain, the Soul and the Machine and DJ Bandit Bear. $10. Gotta be 21.

Last week HBO cancelled How to Make it in America,Bored to Death, and Hung. This is surprising, not because the shows had decent ratings or much of any critical respect, but because HBO is not known for canceling anything.

HBO, supposedly, is known for being premium, for producing the kind of quality programming worth paying for. The subscription base could allow HBO to escape commercial pressures and create shows that CBS and ABC audiences were too plebian to get.

And, in drama, often, HBO succeeded. It produced The Sopranos, The Wire, andTreme — all shows that, in some ways, broke ground (let’s ignore True Bloodfor now.)

But comedy, for the most part, has been pretty dismal at HBO. The days of developing shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm or The Larry Sanders Show appeared to be over (though Curb continues to exist.)

Entourage ran entirely on smirk, and Hung ran entirely on smug. Neither were fueled by jokes or creativity or guts. The reviews ofBored to Death were mixed – but few were talking about how brave, innovative, or particularly clever it was. The praise for How to Make it In America (also from Entourage’s executive producer, Mark Wahlberg) mainly focused on its credit sequence.

In fact, the best comedy that fits HBO’s supposed brand of risk and quality is Louie, and that airs on FX.

But now HBO has cleaned house. It’s spared Enlightened, the new HBO comedy about a woman who, after a nervous breakdown leads to a New Age conversion, returns to her corporate job. Enlightened’s made several end-of-the-year best-of lists, and for good reason. It treats every character with the right degree of respect and mockery for a comedy, and the portrayal of corporate hell feels almost Office Space-worthy.

All this bodes well for HBO. With comedy, it appears to have suddenly remembered that quality matters, that lazy shows like Hung andEntourage damage their brand and shows like Enlightened help. But I’d like to see the network go further: Adopt the Louie model,adopt the model of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Give visionary showrunners and passionate comedians a small budget and total creative control. And see what happens.

The power of pay-cable is the power to take insane risks. Mark Wahlberg won’t take advantage of that. But there are many who could.

If you were never shown The Sound of Music in choir or band class, now's your chance to get in on all the Von Trapp action. The classic story, based on the Rodger's and Hammerstein musical of the same name, has been transformed into a sing-along experience that both first-timers and long-time fans can enjoy.

No worries if you weren't Julie Andrews in another life; during the live portion of the show, the host will lead the audience through a vocal warm-up. There will also be a fancy dress competition with prizes for those brave enough to strut their stuff on-stage. Costumers are not required, though they do add to the fun. The host will also show everyone how to use their complimentary goody bag of props during the movie. Think Rocky Horror Picture Show but more family-friendly.

After the live portion of the show, the 1965 movie is played in Technicolor, and it's the audience's time to shine. Don't worry if you're a little rusty on the lyrics; songs like "My Favorite Things" and "Sixteen Going On Seventeen" will be accompanied by lyrics on-screen so you can belt your heart out.

The Sound of Music Sing-A-Long is tonight, Friday, Dec. 30 at 7 pm at the INB Performing Arts Center, located at 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. Tickets are $20-$30. Go to inbpac.com or call 279-7000 for more information.

Get ready for the show by watching "Do-Re-Mi" below.

David Condon was sworn in as Spokane's 44th mayor this morning in front of the clock tower in Riverfront Park. Condon spoke broadly of challenges and prosperity but didn't specifically reference any of Spokane's ills or solutions. We tweeted it, and here's the tweet round-up. (And spoiler alert: The man with the ukulele did not play.)