Mystic River
I just got back from seeing the new Clint Eastwood directed movie Mystic River.
If you haven't read any reviews then I won't spoil the plot like most reviews. I'll just say that it has Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon giving just fucking amazing performances. I just looked at a segment of a review from the New Yorker that likens it to a Greek Tragedy and that sums it up perfectly.
Like his classic flick Unforgiven there are no good guys or bad guys in this movie. The characters are flawed, real and worthy of empathy.
There is a great night shot where the camera is moving over water towards a building where light is leaking out through a door or a window. I almost felt the chill coming off the water.
It's pacing was unhurried like Shawshank Redemption and the story unfolds with a good natural feel. There wasn't a single chase scene or explosion. It's not a movie I will see again for a long time becaus it was disturbing but it's one I'm glad I saw.
Sunday, November 02, 2003
Friday, October 31, 2003
Tour de Charlotte
Yesterday my bike and I took a trip to a car repair shop located about a mile northeast of downtown. It's owned by a fella that used to date my mom and he not only repairs cars, he also sells them. I have recently found myself walking through the parking lot of the Harris Teeter near where I work and longing after the cars of others. Recently there was a show at the Double Door I wanted to see and I didn't go because the club is not near a convenient bus line. At least I think it's not. I haven't really checked. I need a car. I don't really want one but I gots to have one.
I got off the bus downtown and pedaled the 1 1/2 miles to the shop. The owner, Ahmed, is not there. His second mechanic is a Spanish speaking gentleman that I do not know. I try to ask him when Ahmed will be back. He says "Uhhh...I no speak Ingles." I try again and he says, "Uhhhh...back in five minutes." I have the suspicion that he would have said that if Ahmed had been due back next week.
I give Ahmed a half an hour. I read a bit and get bored and hop on my bike and head back downtown to catch the bus home. When I get downtown I decide to do something that I have been considering for a while, I just keep riding. I figured I could get home in about an hour.
It was fun. I spent a few minutes downtown trying to avoid the watery trail of a street cleaner. I stopped at two music stores. I helped a lady with a motorized wheelchair get into her car. I paused to watch a lady fish at the pond at Freedom Park and scared her when I coughed. At the second music store I bought a used copy of Madden 2004 for my Xbox. I Chatted with the middleasterner at Mikes Discount Beverages. He thinks Charlotte drivers suck. I also went to bed fairly early last night. Excercise makes for good sleeping.
Yesterday my bike and I took a trip to a car repair shop located about a mile northeast of downtown. It's owned by a fella that used to date my mom and he not only repairs cars, he also sells them. I have recently found myself walking through the parking lot of the Harris Teeter near where I work and longing after the cars of others. Recently there was a show at the Double Door I wanted to see and I didn't go because the club is not near a convenient bus line. At least I think it's not. I haven't really checked. I need a car. I don't really want one but I gots to have one.
I got off the bus downtown and pedaled the 1 1/2 miles to the shop. The owner, Ahmed, is not there. His second mechanic is a Spanish speaking gentleman that I do not know. I try to ask him when Ahmed will be back. He says "Uhhh...I no speak Ingles." I try again and he says, "Uhhhh...back in five minutes." I have the suspicion that he would have said that if Ahmed had been due back next week.
I give Ahmed a half an hour. I read a bit and get bored and hop on my bike and head back downtown to catch the bus home. When I get downtown I decide to do something that I have been considering for a while, I just keep riding. I figured I could get home in about an hour.
It was fun. I spent a few minutes downtown trying to avoid the watery trail of a street cleaner. I stopped at two music stores. I helped a lady with a motorized wheelchair get into her car. I paused to watch a lady fish at the pond at Freedom Park and scared her when I coughed. At the second music store I bought a used copy of Madden 2004 for my Xbox. I Chatted with the middleasterner at Mikes Discount Beverages. He thinks Charlotte drivers suck. I also went to bed fairly early last night. Excercise makes for good sleeping.
Thursday, October 30, 2003
Boo Yah!
Let's keep the props for Margaret going!
" This is some Old Testament kind of judgment coming down on people, as in the case of Rush Limbaugh. I keep wondering if Rush is having some type of awakening in rehab, as he probably has at least a week clean now. What if he becomes a total liberal huggy bear, invests a large sum of his earnings as a conservative icon in Ben and Jerry's, so much they name a flavor after him "Recalcitrant Rush""
OK, one more
"I don't even know what the new drugs are these days, and I don't want to appear like I am doing anything for the first time." -- Cho
Let's keep the props for Margaret going!
" This is some Old Testament kind of judgment coming down on people, as in the case of Rush Limbaugh. I keep wondering if Rush is having some type of awakening in rehab, as he probably has at least a week clean now. What if he becomes a total liberal huggy bear, invests a large sum of his earnings as a conservative icon in Ben and Jerry's, so much they name a flavor after him "Recalcitrant Rush""
OK, one more
"I don't even know what the new drugs are these days, and I don't want to appear like I am doing anything for the first time." -- Cho
My big laugh of the day
I've always thought Margaret Cho was dang funny (who can forget the bowling bowl bearthing commercial on Comedy Central?) but this is fucking genius: "She is Cunta Kinte."
Thanks to James for the link.
I know we both linked to the same entry but we had different favorite quotes so I think I'm in the clear.
I've always thought Margaret Cho was dang funny (who can forget the bowling bowl bearthing commercial on Comedy Central?) but this is fucking genius: "She is Cunta Kinte."
Thanks to James for the link.
I know we both linked to the same entry but we had different favorite quotes so I think I'm in the clear.
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
Christopher Moore quote
From the book "Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story."
"Everywhere they looked there were quotes carefully written in magic marker tacked on the walls; there were books, pens, and typing paper; there were poster-sized photos of authors. Ernest Hemingway stared down at them with a gleaming gaze that seemed to say, "You fuckers should have gone fishing."
From the book "Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story."
"Everywhere they looked there were quotes carefully written in magic marker tacked on the walls; there were books, pens, and typing paper; there were poster-sized photos of authors. Ernest Hemingway stared down at them with a gleaming gaze that seemed to say, "You fuckers should have gone fishing."
Sunday, October 26, 2003
Last of days
This is my last day in telephone reference. As I prepare to turn off the phone in a few minutes I am sad to report that I didn't get one last call from Evil Antique Lady this weekend.
Here's to you Evil Antique Lady! Your ignorance has unknowable depths, your rudeness is confusing and your stupidity shakes me to my soul.
This is my last day in telephone reference. As I prepare to turn off the phone in a few minutes I am sad to report that I didn't get one last call from Evil Antique Lady this weekend.
Here's to you Evil Antique Lady! Your ignorance has unknowable depths, your rudeness is confusing and your stupidity shakes me to my soul.
When it all comes together
It's no secret that Chris, Wendell and I love to see Lenny play at the Comet Grill. We've been doing it for years now. In fact, the Comet Grill just had their seventh anniversary. Last Saturday was a special night at the Comet. Wendell had gone out there earlier and I was going to stay home and watch some of the World Series and mess around on the Xbox a little bit.
Somewhere between nine and ten Jill calls and says she is going out to the Comet to see Lenny (Jill and Lenny are married and I live on the route she takes to the bar). My evening home alone had grown boring and I accepted Jill's offer of a ride to the show.
That night Lenny was playing his acoustic guitar which he hooked into a synthesizer. It allows him to create all kinds of useful sounds like the pan flute and the harmonica. At one point during the night we were looking the harmonica player but it was just Lenny on the guitar. Pretty cool stuff.
Playing his Fender Stratocaster with the fretboard with all the varnish worn off was Bobby Donaldson. Bobby is an amazing and incredibly accomplished player. John, who runs the place along with his wife, was playing drums and adding background vocals.
Around 11 Chris shows. We're all surprised and gave him a rousing cheer. Around midnight the band takes a break and a few of us go outside to cool off and chat. We come back and the bar has emptied out and there are less than ten people left. The place had been pretty packed earlier.
After midnight at the Comet is the best time to see Lenny and the guys play. The show is over and he just plays for himself and for us. He no longer has to worry about bad requests for Jimmy Buffet and he knows whatever he plays we'll listen to. We also know that he is going to experiment and jam and take us for a ride and that it will always be familiar but never the same.
I can't say enough how much of a privilege it is to be able to have experiences like last Saturday every few weeks or so. Lenny has started playing every Friday now at the Comet. There is an open invitation to anyone who reads this blog to join us there.
It's no secret that Chris, Wendell and I love to see Lenny play at the Comet Grill. We've been doing it for years now. In fact, the Comet Grill just had their seventh anniversary. Last Saturday was a special night at the Comet. Wendell had gone out there earlier and I was going to stay home and watch some of the World Series and mess around on the Xbox a little bit.
Somewhere between nine and ten Jill calls and says she is going out to the Comet to see Lenny (Jill and Lenny are married and I live on the route she takes to the bar). My evening home alone had grown boring and I accepted Jill's offer of a ride to the show.
That night Lenny was playing his acoustic guitar which he hooked into a synthesizer. It allows him to create all kinds of useful sounds like the pan flute and the harmonica. At one point during the night we were looking the harmonica player but it was just Lenny on the guitar. Pretty cool stuff.
Playing his Fender Stratocaster with the fretboard with all the varnish worn off was Bobby Donaldson. Bobby is an amazing and incredibly accomplished player. John, who runs the place along with his wife, was playing drums and adding background vocals.
Around 11 Chris shows. We're all surprised and gave him a rousing cheer. Around midnight the band takes a break and a few of us go outside to cool off and chat. We come back and the bar has emptied out and there are less than ten people left. The place had been pretty packed earlier.
After midnight at the Comet is the best time to see Lenny and the guys play. The show is over and he just plays for himself and for us. He no longer has to worry about bad requests for Jimmy Buffet and he knows whatever he plays we'll listen to. We also know that he is going to experiment and jam and take us for a ride and that it will always be familiar but never the same.
I can't say enough how much of a privilege it is to be able to have experiences like last Saturday every few weeks or so. Lenny has started playing every Friday now at the Comet. There is an open invitation to anyone who reads this blog to join us there.
Saturday, October 25, 2003
A Dutch response
My response to the challenge by Dutch is that I am a good person because I have not flamed by email or insulted on the phone or in person the many friends and family that have forwarded to me those horrible emails about friendship and Jeebus.
My response to the challenge by Dutch is that I am a good person because I have not flamed by email or insulted on the phone or in person the many friends and family that have forwarded to me those horrible emails about friendship and Jeebus.
Today's telephone reference question of the day
"Hello, I hurt my knee and am having trouble moving around can you do my job search on the internet over the phone for me , please?"
A general rule of telephone reference work is that when someone mentions a physical ailment they are expecting you to do all their thinking and leg work for them. How does a sore knee exclude you from having to use that big fucking brain god gave you, lady?
"Hello, I hurt my knee and am having trouble moving around can you do my job search on the internet over the phone for me , please?"
A general rule of telephone reference work is that when someone mentions a physical ailment they are expecting you to do all their thinking and leg work for them. How does a sore knee exclude you from having to use that big fucking brain god gave you, lady?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)