Title song for Joan Crawford's 1956 film.
Sunday, December 30, 2018
"Nature Boy" (Nat King Cole, 1950)
There was a boy
A very strange enchanted boy
They say he wandered very far
Very far
Over land and sea
A little shy and sad of eye
But very wise was he
And then one day
A magic day he passed my way
And while we spoke of many things
Fools and kings
This he said to me
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return"
A very strange enchanted boy
They say he wandered very far
Very far
Over land and sea
A little shy and sad of eye
But very wise was he
And then one day
A magic day he passed my way
And while we spoke of many things
Fools and kings
This he said to me
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return"
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Annie Lennox - A Whiter Shade of Pale (1995)
This song now makes me nauseous. Beautiful in 1995, when I was in the midst of constant angst and hurt; today, emotionally disgusting and threatening (a la attempting to listen to Pink Floyd's "The Wall" or Depeche Mode's "Violator" or Amy Winehouse---brilliant odes to sickness---how to escape and move beyond while still honoring...)
Eurythmics - I Need A Man
More than 15 years ago, I saw a show on cable about a female bounty
hunter. One thing I remembered was her statement re the job, "I just
need men for the physical part of it." She explained that she could do
all of the brain-work herself as a bounty hunter re finding the
fugitives, but, when it came down to it, she needed men on her team to
actually physically get the fugitives in custody.
That's probably indicative in many, many ways.
In my particular way today: I've got a new TV and Blu-ray player. Only... I can't figure out how to get them set up to coordinate with my current Spectrum cable box. I COULD possibly, but the idea of even trying makes me extremely tired and depressed, and I prefer not to. I need a man.
That's probably indicative in many, many ways.
In my particular way today: I've got a new TV and Blu-ray player. Only... I can't figure out how to get them set up to coordinate with my current Spectrum cable box. I COULD possibly, but the idea of even trying makes me extremely tired and depressed, and I prefer not to. I need a man.
Hooper
Back in the late '70s when I was a teen, Burt Reynolds and Jan Michael Vincent were both constantly touted in the media, even teen media like "Tiger Beat" and "16," as major hunks.
Burt Reynolds was clearly too old for me to "appreciate" --- by '76, he was already 40, and I was way too young to ever have seen any of his big movies like "Deliverance" ('72), "Smokey and the Bandit" ('77), or "Hooper" ('78).
I saw "Hooper" last night, though, on TCM, as part of a tribute evening to Reynolds. He was a charming rogue, a then-modern-day Clark Gable type. I liked him onscreen, and I liked the movie in a general way. But I couldn't help but edit as I watched.
Reynolds was an aging Hollywood stuntman, Sonny Hooper, still nominally at the top of his game but nonetheless feeling creaky and having constant doctor's appointments and knowing he was on the way out. Girlfriend was Sally Field, daughter of an even older, retired stuntman (Brian Keith)---a Hooper mentor who also couldn't quite give up his former glory days. The film focuses on Hooper on the set of an action film directed by a charmless, aggressive young director intent only on getting the best shot, regardless of the safety of the stunt crew. Newcomer Jan-Michael Vincent is the new hotshot stunt guy on the scene that Hooper realizes is the younger, more daring version of himself who could possibly replace him.
All of the above sounds like it could be a great, emotionally resonant film within all of the action shots. I had no idea what the movie was going to turn out to be, so watched innocently, and with some anticipation...
(1) The initial joke of Adam West (TV's "Batman") playing the star of the film that Hooper was doing the stunts for was interesting. West's character "Adam" was constantly walking around the set with multiple women draped around him and constantly thanking Hooper for making him look good.
(2) The girlfriend also having a stuntman for a father, and her concerns for both her father and lover, was interesting. Except that Sally Field's character was sorely generic: Either the girlfriend was eager for sex after Hooper's long day at work (most likely a stuntman wouldn't feel like having sex after such a day and his girlfriend would know that and have to deal with it), or, near the end of the film, she suddenly gave an ultimatum that she wouldn't be there when he got back... a brief scene based on nothing thus far in the film---thus far, she'd been nothing but supportive and sex-offering. Such a girlfriend would probably be tired of living a non-sexual life despite her boyfriend's overt public sexual image; she would have issues with her father's current physical detriments and her knowledge of her current boyfriend's path down the same road, etc. Not likely that she would all of a sudden threaten to break up without warning.
(3) The new young stuntman on the scene was interesting, of course, because his presence could have led to Hooper's reflections of his past (in contrast to the now-decrepit Brian Keith character --- obviously Hooper's future). Plus the new guy was clearly a present threat to Hooper's livelihood: He was young and fresh and willing to do the stunts on the film that Hooper was hesitant about doing (for both physical and moral reasons). Although, in this film's case, the new guy was immediately a sycophant of Hooper's, grinning and drinking with him --- no threat at all, as he should have been.
A buildup in the film was a spectacularly dangerous stunt that the obnoxious director insisted be done for the sake of his "art," regardless of the danger to the stuntmen. Hooper agonized over whether or not he should do it --- at first deciding against it, then agreeing once his salary was raised. Much better yet would have been the young guy glibly deciding to do the stunt once Hooper had gotten fired for refusing. Having not seen the film, I thought that's what would happen: The young guy would attempt it and get killed. Hooper would then chasten and/or punch the director and then walk away into the sunset with his girlfriend...
As it happened, Hooper accepted the money on behalf of himself and the new guy for the dangerous stunt. The two rode in a car together and whooped it up as they made the big jump successfully. Hooper did punch the director afterward, and he/girlfriend/her father/young sidekick then marched onward arm-and-arm, grinning. Cute. But I wanted the movie to be so much better.
Burt Reynolds was clearly too old for me to "appreciate" --- by '76, he was already 40, and I was way too young to ever have seen any of his big movies like "Deliverance" ('72), "Smokey and the Bandit" ('77), or "Hooper" ('78).
I saw "Hooper" last night, though, on TCM, as part of a tribute evening to Reynolds. He was a charming rogue, a then-modern-day Clark Gable type. I liked him onscreen, and I liked the movie in a general way. But I couldn't help but edit as I watched.
Reynolds was an aging Hollywood stuntman, Sonny Hooper, still nominally at the top of his game but nonetheless feeling creaky and having constant doctor's appointments and knowing he was on the way out. Girlfriend was Sally Field, daughter of an even older, retired stuntman (Brian Keith)---a Hooper mentor who also couldn't quite give up his former glory days. The film focuses on Hooper on the set of an action film directed by a charmless, aggressive young director intent only on getting the best shot, regardless of the safety of the stunt crew. Newcomer Jan-Michael Vincent is the new hotshot stunt guy on the scene that Hooper realizes is the younger, more daring version of himself who could possibly replace him.
All of the above sounds like it could be a great, emotionally resonant film within all of the action shots. I had no idea what the movie was going to turn out to be, so watched innocently, and with some anticipation...
(1) The initial joke of Adam West (TV's "Batman") playing the star of the film that Hooper was doing the stunts for was interesting. West's character "Adam" was constantly walking around the set with multiple women draped around him and constantly thanking Hooper for making him look good.
(2) The girlfriend also having a stuntman for a father, and her concerns for both her father and lover, was interesting. Except that Sally Field's character was sorely generic: Either the girlfriend was eager for sex after Hooper's long day at work (most likely a stuntman wouldn't feel like having sex after such a day and his girlfriend would know that and have to deal with it), or, near the end of the film, she suddenly gave an ultimatum that she wouldn't be there when he got back... a brief scene based on nothing thus far in the film---thus far, she'd been nothing but supportive and sex-offering. Such a girlfriend would probably be tired of living a non-sexual life despite her boyfriend's overt public sexual image; she would have issues with her father's current physical detriments and her knowledge of her current boyfriend's path down the same road, etc. Not likely that she would all of a sudden threaten to break up without warning.
(3) The new young stuntman on the scene was interesting, of course, because his presence could have led to Hooper's reflections of his past (in contrast to the now-decrepit Brian Keith character --- obviously Hooper's future). Plus the new guy was clearly a present threat to Hooper's livelihood: He was young and fresh and willing to do the stunts on the film that Hooper was hesitant about doing (for both physical and moral reasons). Although, in this film's case, the new guy was immediately a sycophant of Hooper's, grinning and drinking with him --- no threat at all, as he should have been.
A buildup in the film was a spectacularly dangerous stunt that the obnoxious director insisted be done for the sake of his "art," regardless of the danger to the stuntmen. Hooper agonized over whether or not he should do it --- at first deciding against it, then agreeing once his salary was raised. Much better yet would have been the young guy glibly deciding to do the stunt once Hooper had gotten fired for refusing. Having not seen the film, I thought that's what would happen: The young guy would attempt it and get killed. Hooper would then chasten and/or punch the director and then walk away into the sunset with his girlfriend...
As it happened, Hooper accepted the money on behalf of himself and the new guy for the dangerous stunt. The two rode in a car together and whooped it up as they made the big jump successfully. Hooper did punch the director afterward, and he/girlfriend/her father/young sidekick then marched onward arm-and-arm, grinning. Cute. But I wanted the movie to be so much better.
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Derek & the Dominos - Bell Bottom Blues (1970)
Did I share this here already? It's great again and again and again...
Winter Break Progress
Saturday, December 22: Got all of my grocery shopping done for the next 2 weeks. Went in to work for a freelance project.
Sunday, December 23: Got all of my laundry done for the next 3 weeks, including changing out the sheets of my bed in anticipation of actually sleeping in my bed for the first time in months, since I now have a new TV to watch in my bedroom.
Monday, December 24: Hangover. Did nothing but lie on the couch and watch TV.
Tuesday, December 25: Went in to work for a freelance project.
Tomorrow: How to figure out the new TV, new Blu-ray, new Roku stick...
Sunday, December 23: Got all of my laundry done for the next 3 weeks, including changing out the sheets of my bed in anticipation of actually sleeping in my bed for the first time in months, since I now have a new TV to watch in my bedroom.
Monday, December 24: Hangover. Did nothing but lie on the couch and watch TV.
Tuesday, December 25: Went in to work for a freelance project.
Tomorrow: How to figure out the new TV, new Blu-ray, new Roku stick...
I made a hundred bucks today.
Not trying to be all sassy re not spending Christmas with family, as you're supposed to do, but... I spent Christmas at the office putting in 4 hours toward a freelance project, a book about African women's naked protests against the hierarchy. Made a hundred dollars.
Did I miss my family on Christmas? Actually, no.
My mother has always provided a great Christmas since I was a kid. Warm and nice. I miss that.
Lately, though... Christmas has been trying to coordinate with my brother's wife's family. They're nice enough. But I don't care about coordinating with them. They don't mean "Christmas" to me at all.
I haven't spent Christmas with my mother and brother/family for the past 3 years. 2016 was the first year apart, when I arrived at my mother's house with my bag o' presents and she immediately went on: "Where's your car? Where's your car? Where's your car?" (My new as-of-July 2016 car was parked down the street; when I said, "It's parked down the street," my mother still couldn't figure that out: "Where's your car? Where's your car? Where's your car?" I couldn't stand it for a second longer and left.)
2017 and 2018? Apart because my mother made the mistake last year of telling me that I wasn't going to be left 50% of her will (only 25%), which flashed me back to every shitty thing she'd ever done to me.
Truth is, though, my mother and brother haven't been very caring toward me... EVER. I don't miss them during the holidays at all. I do miss the nice Christmas atmosphere that my mother created all during my childhood, though.
Oh well. I made a hundred bucks today. And the lack of traffic in Austin on Christmas was very nice to drive around in. I appreciate "different sensations." And since I'm going nowhere, Austin during Christmas and Spring Break and Summer Break are apparently what I now have to look forward to each year. Oh, and new TVs.
Did I miss my family on Christmas? Actually, no.
My mother has always provided a great Christmas since I was a kid. Warm and nice. I miss that.
Lately, though... Christmas has been trying to coordinate with my brother's wife's family. They're nice enough. But I don't care about coordinating with them. They don't mean "Christmas" to me at all.
I haven't spent Christmas with my mother and brother/family for the past 3 years. 2016 was the first year apart, when I arrived at my mother's house with my bag o' presents and she immediately went on: "Where's your car? Where's your car? Where's your car?" (My new as-of-July 2016 car was parked down the street; when I said, "It's parked down the street," my mother still couldn't figure that out: "Where's your car? Where's your car? Where's your car?" I couldn't stand it for a second longer and left.)
2017 and 2018? Apart because my mother made the mistake last year of telling me that I wasn't going to be left 50% of her will (only 25%), which flashed me back to every shitty thing she'd ever done to me.
Truth is, though, my mother and brother haven't been very caring toward me... EVER. I don't miss them during the holidays at all. I do miss the nice Christmas atmosphere that my mother created all during my childhood, though.
Oh well. I made a hundred bucks today. And the lack of traffic in Austin on Christmas was very nice to drive around in. I appreciate "different sensations." And since I'm going nowhere, Austin during Christmas and Spring Break and Summer Break are apparently what I now have to look forward to each year. Oh, and new TVs.
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Monday, December 24, 2018
I got called "ma'am" twice today.
I've got 11 days off work for Christmas, with a bunch of stuff to do.
Day One: Did grocery shopping for the next two weeks, including cigs for two weeks and champagne for New Year's.
Day Two: Did not just regular laundry but also sheets from a bed that has not been properly slept in for 6 months. I washed every single thing in my house that needed washing.
Today (Day Two), around 9am, I was out in my backyard beating my comforter, when a 20-something guy walked by with his dog. I said "Good morning." The guy said back, "Morning, ma'am."
An hour or so later, I was in the process of doing my 4 loads of laundry in the laundry room. As I entered, there was one guy there. I said "Good morning," and then saw a debit card sitting on one of the laundry machines. I asked the guy if the card was his: "Yes, ma'am."
I wasn't dressed in a muu-muu or anything. I appreciate the politeness of these young men, but...I used to think I was cute.
Now that I know I'm no longer cute... Perhaps best to "work it" when it comes to apartment living. When I want to criticize the next-door neighbors for their loud music, all I need to do is show up at their door with my glasses and sweatpants and they'll then feel bad for inconveniencing their elders.
Day One: Did grocery shopping for the next two weeks, including cigs for two weeks and champagne for New Year's.
Day Two: Did not just regular laundry but also sheets from a bed that has not been properly slept in for 6 months. I washed every single thing in my house that needed washing.
Today (Day Two), around 9am, I was out in my backyard beating my comforter, when a 20-something guy walked by with his dog. I said "Good morning." The guy said back, "Morning, ma'am."
An hour or so later, I was in the process of doing my 4 loads of laundry in the laundry room. As I entered, there was one guy there. I said "Good morning," and then saw a debit card sitting on one of the laundry machines. I asked the guy if the card was his: "Yes, ma'am."
I wasn't dressed in a muu-muu or anything. I appreciate the politeness of these young men, but...I used to think I was cute.
Now that I know I'm no longer cute... Perhaps best to "work it" when it comes to apartment living. When I want to criticize the next-door neighbors for their loud music, all I need to do is show up at their door with my glasses and sweatpants and they'll then feel bad for inconveniencing their elders.
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Merry Christmas to me!
After initially feeling woebegone about not being around my family
this Christmas, a week or so ago I decided to use my own income to buy
myself some stuff for my own Christmas: A 43-inch TV, a Blu-ray player,
and a Roku stick.
Family can be depressing, but buying yourself things is not. For example: Just a couple of years ago, my brother and I were at my mom's house during Thanksgiving and she asked both of us what we wanted for Christmas. I mentioned an electric toothbrush, but worried aloud to her that it might be too expensive.
Family can be depressing, but buying yourself things is not. For example: Just a couple of years ago, my brother and I were at my mom's house during Thanksgiving and she asked both of us what we wanted for Christmas. I mentioned an electric toothbrush, but worried aloud to her that it might be too expensive.
As the day wore on, I later accidentally came upon my mother and my
brother in her study, discussing the bookshelves she was going to buy
him for Christmas... ($30 toothbrush versus $800 shelves--and to think
that I was initially worried about the cost of the toothbrush, which my
mother did not assuage while she was planning for my brother's fancy
bookshelves!)
This shitty scene also flashed me back to one of the last times I talked to my father, over 10 years ago, during which he mentioned pride in his niece Jeanie for having married a lawyer. (No concern for his daughter with a Master's degree at that time living in a 400-sq-ft apartment, no pride in his daughter's previous achievements, no desire to help her out of her current rut...just pride in someone who'd married well.)
I remain constantly shocked by such blatant disregard for me as a person. This year, though, I move on in a small way: I can buy whatever I need myself. I don't have to ask anyone for a toothbrush or for anything. This year I've given myself a 43-inch TV and a new Blu-ray player and a Roku stick. Merry Christmas to me!
This shitty scene also flashed me back to one of the last times I talked to my father, over 10 years ago, during which he mentioned pride in his niece Jeanie for having married a lawyer. (No concern for his daughter with a Master's degree at that time living in a 400-sq-ft apartment, no pride in his daughter's previous achievements, no desire to help her out of her current rut...just pride in someone who'd married well.)
I remain constantly shocked by such blatant disregard for me as a person. This year, though, I move on in a small way: I can buy whatever I need myself. I don't have to ask anyone for a toothbrush or for anything. This year I've given myself a 43-inch TV and a new Blu-ray player and a Roku stick. Merry Christmas to me!
Friday, December 21, 2018
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Circa 1976. Me-maw and grandkids.
(I'm half-hidden behind cousin Randy Jean, who's in the blue halter top. My brother Thomas is up front.)
One of the Original 12 Minerals on Earth
Working around geologists, I just recently discovered that at the beginning of Earth's formation, there were only 12 minerals: "The earliest interstellar material, including diamond, graphite,
corundum [ruby, sapphire], and olivine [peridot]—a total of just 12
minerals."
http://earthdate.org/node/102
Today on Earth, there are over 4,000 minerals. Apparently, the minerals evolve and reproduce!
I was surprised to learn that one of the original 12, olivine, was currently available for purchase online. (How would something so rare be so available?) I bought some rough versions, for around $9 apiece. In their polished forms, they're "peridot," my August Leo birthstone. But I'm much more interested in knowing that, in whatever form, olivine was one of the first minerals, EVER, on Earth. The chunks, pictured below, that I bought for $9 apiece are over 4 million years old. I got a bargain!
http://earthdate.org/node/102
Today on Earth, there are over 4,000 minerals. Apparently, the minerals evolve and reproduce!
I was surprised to learn that one of the original 12, olivine, was currently available for purchase online. (How would something so rare be so available?) I bought some rough versions, for around $9 apiece. In their polished forms, they're "peridot," my August Leo birthstone. But I'm much more interested in knowing that, in whatever form, olivine was one of the first minerals, EVER, on Earth. The chunks, pictured below, that I bought for $9 apiece are over 4 million years old. I got a bargain!
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
1945: "Children of Paradise"
As I was going to sleep Monday night, checked on TCM, which was showing the French "Children of Paradise" from 1am to 5am. Four hours! I'd never heard of it, and thought a 4-hour-long film was odd, but tried to stay up as long as I could... As I initially started watching, I had the sound turned down on my TV and had on Disc 2 of the "Complete Eric Clapton" and, oddly, the songs seemed to mesh perfectly with the film, as if it were a Silent...
I had no clue what was going on onscreen, the visuals were so strange. I had to make a note to myself of the name of the film to look up the next day, because whatever was happening seemed significant. (It seemed more like an early silent film than a film from 1945.)
I was only able to watch 45 minutes or so before falling asleep. And here is my looking up the next day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_Paradise
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