Bogdanovitch picked “Red River”. Discuss

But then, again, too few to mention:

We have baloney in our slacks

I’ve been a little late posting this week, but not for any particular reason other than “meh”.

I don’t do much and I don’t think much of anyone still reads this stuff who doesn’t already know what I’m doing.

So, “meh”.

Not this year

I just finished reading Franzen’s “Freedom” and reading it is like being in one of the clingy and dysfunctional relationships he portrays between his many characters, all of whom seem to take hostages as opposed to entering real relationships. At first, you’re kinda flattered and stumble along with their absorbing interest in you, then you get a little bit creeped out as you find out a little more and, at the last, you’re struggling with your options when they threaten suicide if you leave them. When I finished the read, I was glad it was dead and good riddance but I couldn’t help but ride the dump truck all the way to the inevitable landfill end.

I feel much the same way about many of Franzen’s contemporaries: David Eggers, Chuck Pahlinuk and Brent Easton Ellis, for example. They all kind of give me a literary feeling of cottonmouth. My thirst for a good read isn’t quite slaked. I have no real criticism of them in the sense that the books are well crafted and make salient points about the human condition, but … (and, for some reason, I can’t really think of any female contemporaries other than the chick who wrote that diary book).

So, next I’m catching up with the rest of the world by opening up “Infinite Jest” by the late David Foster Wallace.

Being in my present condition, a fireplace, a window, some music and a good book while it’s below freezing out seems like my best play.

Speaking of best plays, I watched the Auburn/Oregon BCS championship bowl on my little computer screen and couldn’t help but think of my Alabama ex-wife, who was always an Auburn fan. Bet she was screaming “War Eagle” the whole game. Since she’s lived here for so long and became a rabid Sooners fan, I’m betting there was discussion of the onsides kick recovery that wasn’t. It was a decent game, I thought, even though I didn’t have a lot of emotion involved one way or another. Sure seems like the SEC has solidified their claims to being the top conference considering their bowl record this season and that the Big 10 will just have to shut the hell up. Oklahoma University wound up No. 6 in the final polls and that’s better than I thought they would be just a few weeks ago when I expected OSU to win at home in the regular season final game. OSU won it’s bowl and an 11 win season is great for them and both teams’ fans have good reason to be proud.

I’ve been cooking for myself lately with the highlights being beans and ham last week and a pot roast this immediate past weekend. In fact, I’m warming over some of the pot roast for tonight’s dinner.

The power steering went out on the pickemup truck last week and it took $180 to have the pulley and fan belt replaced. That’s pretty much my eating out and going out budget for the month, so (along with the cold) don’t expect to see me this month unless you want to go to an AA meeting.

Bundle up buddies

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Hey, MCARP! Me, too.

The male figure in this presentation is a real Pollyanna, always looking for the silver lining. In real life it’s not a silver lining, it’s a lead balloon. Kids, don’t go to law school. Don’t practice law. It’s not like that TV show, Law and Order. Not at all. Go straight to Starbucks and get a job as a barista and you’ll be better off than the law school grad you work with because you won’t have $120,000 in student loans and you won’t be plagued by your classmates. I know you won’t listen. You’ve been brainwashed into believing that law school leads to big money and high prestige. Watch this and learn:

I’m oddly serene today. Serene for me, if not for the meditative zen MCARP.
I feel as if this new year is a fresh start for me; as if there were very little in my past. I have few debts, having just taken bankruptcy. I’m cancer free. I’m not in a romantic relationship and I’ve somehow reached a point where that’s not grinding on me or any kind of special circumstance — it just is what it is.
I’m retired, although I have some details to tie up in the next couple of weeks.
I sleep when I’m tired and wake up with no alarm at no particular time. I eat when I’m hungry. The cat snuggles me when it’s cold and doesn’t when he’s got other things to do. I enjoy both behaviors by Sinatra.
I’ve been watching a lot of movies and lately I’ve been watching what I’ll call “gems”. Ultimate Fastpipe and I were discussing this when he was in town the other day to retrieve his Mac mini. These are films that are neither “big” nor “important”, but they are wonderful films with great storytelling power. “Sideways”, “Lost in Translation”, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, “Little Miss Sunshine” … it’s easier to give examples than to try to define the category, but generally it’s films that rely on emotionally resonate plots and characters both of which spark some intellectual involvement.
I enjoy these movies intensely. I like watching them alone so I can stop and get something to drink and go to the bathroom whenever I want without explanation or apology. No one talks to me during the dialog and no one asks me what that means or what’s going on or how does it end.
The masters of this imaginary category of mine are the Coen Brothers and their film, “Fargo”, is the ultimate example. It’s got no big movie stars, only actors. No CGI or effects. Everything’s spot on and engrossing from beginning to end. The “worst” on my list is “Don Juan DeMarco” with Johnny Depp and the perfectly wasted star power of Brando and Faye Dunaway and I think almost any two competent actors could and should have taken their place. It’s a charming story, however, and it’s on my “gem” list, if by its fingernails.
I can’t imagine that anyone would really be interested in my New Year’s Eve night, but I went to a party sponsored by my AA club alone, returned home shortly after midnight alone and had a reasonably good time. A kiss on the cheek and I was done.
I have no resolutions this year. None. That seems a little odd to me, but that’s just the way it is.
Despite football, I’ve spent much of my New Year’s Day in remembrance of good friends and old times past and my memories are fond, gentle and amusing in the main.
God bless and keep you this whole year.
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