Haines His Way
Archives => Archive 2 => Topic started by: bk on July 17, 2004, 12:00:38 AM
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Well, you've read the notes, you've inhaled the notes, you've smelled the notes, which smell a damn sight better than my shoes, and now it is time to post until the smelly cows come home.
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Ewwwww!
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Hmmm... Now I got that song that Phoebe sings on "Friends" going through my head...
"Smelly cat... Smelly cat..."
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DR Noel - Unfortunately, as I've been reminded of on many occasions, there are no Bank of America locations in New York City - which is indeed very strange.
However, I've found that some of the hotel money exchange desks will advance you money from your credit/debit/ATM card with the proper identification. *And I know that you can request a cash advance (Visa/MC/Disc) in person at any bank branch, since I had to do that one time in a pinch. But, again, finding a bank open on Saturdays in Manhattan... OH! You can also check with any other money exchange "stores" in NYC.
*Oops, just re-read your "original" post... the card is not rectangular... However, I know what you're talking about... Some Bank of America branches certify each customer as they come up to the window by having them swipe their card - or the special BofA "card" - in the reader placed at the window. *It actually makes the teller's job easier since the bank account information is actually "entered" by the customer via the card-swipe rather than the teller. *And, in a nod to security, it also allows the bank branch to set up those bullet-proof partitions. Ah, well...
-Is the "rectangular card" that your mother-in-law has not the same size as a regular credit card? If it isn't, hmm.... If it is, it should still be able to be used at an ATM, I would think. Just as long as the strip is in the correct place on the back of the card. *And if it's a matter of getting into one of ATM locations, any card you put in the slot will open the door - I accidentally put my grocery store savings card in one, and it worked! *And I've grown very fond of Washington Mutual's no-fee ATMs around Times Square. -Your bank may still charge an access fee, but Washington Mutual does not.
OK...
Did I tell you that I had some Coconut Cream Pie from The House of Pies tonight? ;)
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If the thought of smelly feet doesn't make you feel ill, here's an ad I just read and will reprint without comment:
Marlon Brando Letter
Handwritten by Mr. Brando in 1946, with 3 cent stamp & envelope displayed. Letter sent to his agent who framed it & gave it to me. Letter contains authentic spelling errors. Price, $10,000.[/i]
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Having just seen "Bowling for Columbine" I guess that would be one the best I have seen. Fahrenheit 9/11 is released this week.
Have not seen it yet but "Touching the Void" has had excellent reviews here and is doing well box office wisw Sort of a fuzzy line between documentary and recreation of events I guess.
Other topic: I loathe dressings. Lemon juice with a touch of olive oil is a far as I will go. I tend not to like anything that is vinegar based.
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I should go to bed... But my favorite documentary film maker in terms of a body of work is the late Donald Brittain who did some extraordinary films for the National Film Board of Canada. I love documentaries, so I have a long list. I'll start with BEST BOY; DON'T LOOK BACK; WHEN WE WERE KINGS; KINDERTRANSPORT (INTO THE ARMS OF STRANGERS); JAZZ ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON. Okay, that's it for now. But there are lots of others I want to include... Tomorrow.
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Oh my - well be sure to get the Capezio Dance Sneakers. I have found them comfortable and non aromatic under all circumstances!
Documentaries...well.... ;D
A couple of Pennebaker films to begin with:
COMPANY: THE MAKING OF THE CAST ALBUM - the DVD with commentary.
MOON OVER BROADWAY - the DVD with commentary.
KINDERTRANSPORT - mentioned by DR PANNI, I believe.
THE MAKING OF 'A NIGHT TO REMEMBER' - on the ANTR DVD, producer William MacQuitty and author Walter Lord are interviewed extensively.
I will some others to the other DR's.
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My favorite documentaries:
THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK
ANNE FRANK REMEMBERED
COMMON THREADS: VOICES FROM THE QUILT
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!
I hope to get out to see FAHRENHEIT 9/11 this week before heading off to NYC.
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A left out another couple of wonderful gay-oriented documentaries:
THE CELLULOID CLOSET
WORD IS OUT
That last one was the first gay-themed documentary I ever saw, must have been in my early 20s, and it had such a profound effect on me, these people from all walks of life standing up and announcing who they were despite hostile receptions from those around them. I could not be out being a public school teacher in the South at that time, so this documentary affected me very deeply.
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Documentaries: Um..... Hmm.....
Salads: I like the spring field greens or red leaf lettuce.
The family went on vacation without me last night. Let the "spring cleaning" begin! (Even if I'm a few months late.)
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All time favorite documentaries are the THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT TRILOGY. Recent favorites are BROADWAY: THE GOLDEN YEARS and the Michael Moore trilogy (Roger/Bowling/Faherenheit).
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I have seen "Capturing the Friedmans" and I did reallly enjoy it, if one can really enjoy a documentary on that topic. The ending certainly left a "what is the truth?" feeling inside me. The mother/father relationship is certainly dysfunctional at best and the (some may consider this a spoiler, but I don't think so) fact that one son is now a rental party clown is just crazy at best. I did not watch the bonus material.
I also really enjoyed "Spellbound" the spelling bee documentary; it made me really feel a different emotion for each participant. One family (ie mother) really cracked me up and if you see it, I think you will know who I mean. I also recommend "Winged Migration" a beautiful film that I sort of dreaded sitting through, but in the end came out really glad that I did. Nature really is a wonderment.
I have seen Farenheit 9/11 and I think some of it's best moments are towards the end when Michael Moore pulls back and just lets the mother from Flint tell her story and at that point Michael's not preachy or yelling and it's a nice relief.
I just finished watching 8 1/2 and now I'm going back to listen to some of the commentary to make more sense of the whole thing. The reality and the (what I call) "dreams" are very interchangable to me, which I guess was part of the whole point. How well does this movie represent Fellini's style? I saw "Nights of Caberia" a few years ago and I don't remember it being so stylized, but time may just have allowed to me forget.
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Someone thought I should look into this song they heard. They said it was by Ivan Novello, but I googled that name and I think they misheard and that they really meant Ivor Novello. Anway, it's a song about this guy going on dates with this girl and her mother always comes along. I'm googling (who would have thought that would ever have been a verb) for a song list of his, but so far have turned up nothing. If anyone just happens to have any title, please let me know. Meanwhile, I'm going to keep searching.
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Please ignore that last post - I found it - "And Her Mother Came Too" is the title.
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Someone thought I should look into this song they heard. They said it was by Ivan Novello, but I googled that name and I think they misheard and that they really meant Ivor Novello. Anway, it's a song about this guy going on dates with this girl and her mother always comes along. I'm googling (who would have thought that would ever have been a verb) for a song list of his, but so far have turned up nothing. If anyone just happens to have any title, please let me know. Meanwhile, I'm going to keep searching.
"And Her Mother Came Too" is the title, I believe.
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Well, if it's Ivor or Flanders & Swann, I might have it in a vocal collection. Isn't "And Her Mother Came Too" sung by Jeremy Northam in GOSLING PARK? I haven't seen the film since its release, so my memory's vague.
TOD: THE LINE KING: AL HIRSCHFIELD
THE CELLULOID CLOSET
(I knew both of these late great gentlemen, Hirschfield and Vito Russo, but never thought I'd see their names in the same sentence!))
All of Ken Burns' looonnnggg documentaries, esp THE CIVIL WAR and the one on jazz; I've only seen portions of the New York history)
COMMON THREADS
ORIGINAL CAST ALBUM: COMANY
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Many of my favorite documentaries have already been mentioned. One interesting and fun documentary cum thrill ride is "Soaring Over California" at Disney's California Adventure theme park, across the way from Disneyland.
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Didn't we just talk about salads? I recall casting a vote not too long ago for Insalata Caprese. I'll also put in a good word for authentic Caesar salad. No tomatoes, no olives, no other extraneous ingredients. Romaine lettuce with freshly made dressing, with coddled egg, freshly shaved parmesano, fresh croutons and, yes, smashed anchovies.
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Jeremy Northam sings "And Her Mother Came, Too" and other Ivor Novello tunes in GOSFORD PARK, Robert Altman's stylish and fun murder mystery. I bought the soundtrack album of the film just to get his vocal tracks which are terrific. (Many of the songs get interrupted during the film or other scenes play over them; on the soundtrack, you get the entire, uninterrupted gems.)
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Don't want to forget about Disney's True-Life Adventures either. THE LIVING DESERT, JUNGLE CAT, THE VANISHING PRAIRIE, WHITE WILDERNESS, THE AFRICAN LION are all amazingly entertaining. Can't wait for that Disney tin to come out (holidays of 2004?) that will have these wonderful films on them. I often play the videotapes. Some of the two reel True-Life Adventures can be found already. "Water Birds," for example, is on the DVD of THE RESCUERS.
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Starting with LA DOLCE VITA, Fellini started going more and more into the surreal during his movies. CABIRIA and LA STRADA are more straightforward stories.
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Add to the list of documentaries a film by Peter W. Kunhardt, Philip B. Kunhardt III, and Philip B. Kunhardt, Jr.: Lincoln (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0104732/). Very "in the style of" Ken Burns, with Jason Robards reading excerpts from Abraham Lincoln's speeches (and a "cast of thousands" reading from everyone else's writings), and original music by Alan Menken.
This is something the television networks don't seem to do very often any more, if at all. I can recall when their documentaries were considered gems in their programming; now, the gems are reality shows, which have nothing to do with reality and everything to do with show and tell.
Think of this: of the five shows nominated for an Emmy for nonfiction special (http://www.emmys.com/webcast/awards/nonfiction.php) this year, only ONE was broadcast on one of the traditional networks, and that was one of the AFI's entertainment list shows. Everything else was shown on either PBS or cable. As for nonfiction series, ALL of the nominees are PBS or cable.
Very sad.
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Who can remember if we talked about salads. It just popped into my head and one simply can't talk about salads enough anyway. And might I just ask where in tarnation IS everyone? And might I just clarify for a very confused dear reader, that my feet NEVER smell, only my smelly shoes smell. My feet, as stated in the notes, smell lovelier than springtime.
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An addition to the backyard menagerie here... I came back from my walk this morning and my landlord was excitedly holding up what I thought was one of those stone garden tortoise decorations -- until the feet moved. It was a rather large LIVE turtle. Apparently, having appeared one day out of nowhere, he'd been happily living in the yard here for many years -- his name being Pete -- and then, almost two years ago he disappeared. The landlord was heartbroken as Pete was his special pet. And today - magically, there he was! He's quite elderly and wonderful. Here is a photo of PETE THE MAGIC TURTLE...
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Oh, could somebody on the left coast make sure DR Jose has access to the Food Network on Wednesday night? Our own favorite nonfiction television host/director, Alton Brown, is putting up a new episode of his show, Good Eats, this time an expose on "The Circle of Life."
That's right. Donuts!
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The networks have mostly thrown miniseries and made-for-TV movies to the cable channels, too. They seem now to concentrate on scripted shows and (sadly and increasingly) reality TV.
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Don't want to forget about Disney's True-Life Adventures either. THE LIVING DESERT, JUNGLE CAT, THE VANISHING PRAIRIE, WHITE WILDERNESS, THE AFRICAN LION are all amazingly entertaining. Can't wait for that Disney tin to come out (holidays of 2004?) that will have these wonderful films on them. I often play the videotapes. Some of the two reel True-Life Adventures can be found already. "Water Birds," for example, is on the DVD of THE RESCUERS.
DRMattH's Disney update posed a question: what's the story on the DVD of CINDERELLA? Isn't it the one major Disney animated film besides BAMBI to never be released?
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Hi, all--it's the weekend and I actually have some time, which now it seems I must use to catch up on a week's worth of posts. Oy.
We are very busy here--Betsy has started her new job, the kids are taking swimming lessons and WE HAVE A NEW DOG (see below). BeeGee (for Black Gold) is a beautiful Golden Retriever/Cinnamon Newfie mixed breed who is a lovely one year old who was unaccountably abandoned in Corvallis and ended up at Golden Bond rescue. He has a few "manners" issues which we are dealing with, but he is a gentle giant and a very sweet addition to our family. You can't really tell from this photo, but his coloring is outrageously beautiful--his top coat is kind of chocolatly (mmm...chocolate) while his undercoat is perfectly golden. He absolutely shimmers in the light. He does not, however (at least as of yet), retrieve anything. He stares at us with a "So what? You go get it if you want it" look, so Zach calls him our Golden non-retriever.
I bring exciting news (well, to some of us) from Leonard Maltin--he has completely rewritten his biography of Frances Farmer on the IMDb, correcting many errors and removing any mention of the l-word (no, the other one). :)
And, in perhaps related word (I promised not to spill too many beans), there may indeed be a DVD release of Song of the South in our lifetimes!
I guess for completely selfish reasons my favorite documentary would have to be Frances Farmer: Paradise Lost, as seen on the A&E Biography series. JR and I both contributed material to it, and I was an interview subject--they even flew up here to Portland to utilize my collection and do the interview, which was kind of fun.
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Didn't we just talk about salads? I recall casting a vote not too long ago for Insalata Caprese. I'll also put in a good word for authentic Caesar salad. No tomatoes, no olives, no other extraneous ingredients. Romaine lettuce with freshly made dressing, with coddled egg, freshly shaved parmesano, fresh croutons and, yes, smashed anchovies.
Smashed Anchovies?
There's a bit of debate about this ingredient. Some say smashed anchovies are part of the dressing, and others say that the dressing includes three dashes of Worcestershire Sauce, which contains anchovy.
Bleh to bottled Caesar dressing, by the way. Nasty stuff.
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A New Dog. That could be a musical companion piece to A New Brain. Soon I'll have A New Shoe.
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And now we've got A New Page.
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Once again, we set the trends for a nation. And where has Charles Pogue gone to?
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...WE HAVE A NEW DOG (see below). BeeGee (for Black Gold) is a beautiful Golden Retriever/Cinnamon Newfie mixed breed who is a lovely one year old who was unaccountably abandoned in Corvallis and ended up at Golden Bond rescue. He has a few "manners" issues which we are dealing with, but he is a gentle giant and a very sweet addition to our family. You can't really tell from this photo, but his coloring is outrageously beautiful--his top coat is kind of chocolatly (mmm...chocolate) while his undercoat is perfectly golden. He absolutely shimmers in the light. He does not, however (at least as of yet), retrieve anything. He stares at us with a "So what? You go get it if you want it" look, so Zach calls him our Golden non-retriever....
How wonderful for BeeGee and your family! I hope you have many years together!
Speaking of undercoats, don't forget to give BeeGee a regular brushing. Marty has a bit of undercoat, but Buster has quite a lot (his sister Bonnie and Mikey have none). Marty and Buster just love geting brushed, particularly now during the summer when the brushing helps them cool off. They love the attention, and it just plain feels good.
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Although it doesn't matter - and the "now" people will disagree - there was NO NEED for a remake of THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. This film will be released on July 30. :P
Mrs. Iselin now has a first name, something she didn't have in the first movie OR the novel by Richard Condon. In fact she is no longer Mrs. Iselin - she is Mrs. Eleanor Shaw? Why has her husband disappeared? Because her plot now is to put her son in as the Vice-Presidential candidate.
Oh and guess what, we are now confronted not with a political enemy, but The Manchurian Corporation (whose board includes ex-presidents and ex-kings) and who want to get their candidate into the White House.
But in the original - and in the book - Raymond was being used to kill the Presidential nominee at the convention....how can he now be used? What is the point of the brain-washing? It seems now to be business related - corporations control the government.
I am at once fascinated and repelled by the hubris in not only re-making this film, but in its re-working of the original material. Had they taken their story and made AN original film, they might have had something. It's not THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, why pretend it is? Most who remember the original movie will only ridicule their efforts.
I don't know why....it just seems so unnecessary...except as a conceit for director Jonathan Demme, screenwriters Daniel Pyne and Dean Georgaris, and ESPECIALLY stars Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep. :-\
Vera Farmiga is Jocelyn Jordon. Among other actors is this film are Dean Stockwell, Zeljko Ivanek, and Miguel Ferrer.
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And might I just clarify for a very confused dear reader, that my feet NEVER smell, only my smelly shoes smell. My feet, as stated in the notes, smell lovelier than springtime.
Needless to say, we all appreciate that clarification.
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Dawn Upshaw's on the radio right now, singing "Glitter and Be Gay." I think I shall.
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A New Dog. That could be a musical companion piece to A New Brain. Soon I'll have A New Shoe.
And Arthur Schwartz' New Broom.
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DR JMK, I almost chose the A/E Frances Farmer bio myself, but I thought I would leave it to you. Of course, having my NAME in the credits of said production was quite exciting! My face was not in it....but my name was. And thanks for recommending me to the producer!
Beautiful dog.
A show about shoes...would no doubt have to be called:
Shoe Show....Shoe Show (a Thoroughly Modern Millie reference).
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Dawn Upshaw's on the radio right now, singing "Glitter and Be Gay." I think I shall.
I thought, DRJay, that you already did.
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It seems I owe our fearless leader an apology.
Earlier in the day (acutally, late last night) I made reference to "smelly feet" in a post. I have no excuse but to say that I was bleary-eyed and tired when reading the Notes, coupled with the fact that I was so overcome with the nauseating thought of smelly shoes (I am incredibly sensitive to smell) that my feeble mind simply jumped over the sentence in which bk SPECIFICALLY stated that his toes were daisy fresh. I shall quote the sentence here as a form of penance: "Since I always have impeccably clean and beautifully fragrant-smelling feet, just where do these smelly shoes get off being smelly shoes..."
Yes, Dear Readers, I was wrong, and I am woman enough to admit it. bk, I humbly beg your pardon and the pardon of your sweet-smelling lower digits.
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Does Grand Canyon, the Academy Award winning short-subject film that accompanied the release of Disney's Sleeping Beauty (and is included on the DVD) considered a documentary, or is it just an art piece?
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If they were Jewish/Chinese shoes, it could be Shoe Chem (obscure flopola reference).
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Smashed Anchovies?
There's a bit of debate about this ingredient. Some say smashed anchovies are part of the dressing, and others say that the dressing includes three dashes of Worcestershire Sauce, which contains anchovy.
Bleh to bottled Caesar dressing, by the way. Nasty stuff.
Worcestershire Sauce (also known in my household as What's-dis-here Sauce) certainly is an ingredient in the dressing, along with the oil and vinegar. And egg and cheese. I recently read that in the ur-Caesar salad, the anchovies were in the form of a paste, and spread on the croutons.
I agree with you on the bottled dressing comment.
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Great mutt, JMK!
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Although it doesn't matter - and the "now" people will disagree - there was NO NEED for a remake of THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. This film will be released on July 30. :P
Is there ever a NEED for any film to be made?
I'm interested in the remake, myself. It was a good, strong story originally, and is still relevant now. And I'm glad to hear the story isn't being copied exactly, but with appropriate changes.
So I guess I'm one of the "now" people. What would be the alternative, to live in the past? (Sorry, cheap shot, but so is the "now people" label.)
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...acutally...
The definition of which, Dear Reader Panni, I so do hope you share with us.
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Everybody SING!
It's a treat to beat your feet/
In the Mississippi mud!/
It's a treat to beat your feet/
In the Mississippi mud!
;D
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...acutally...
Does it mean "Michele, as compared to Ruta?"
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The definition of which, Dear Reader Panni, I so do hope you share with us.
Writing "acutally" was actually a brilliant (if I do say so myself, and I do) way of demonstrating how blurred my vision was last night - causing me to miss the explanation of non-smelly toes.
I did it on purpose, DR Jay. On purpose, do you hear me? On purpose.
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What? Nobody has one thing to say about the turtle? I go out in the blazing heat to take a picture of this fershluganah beast for your mental delectation, and no one even says, "Nice turtle."...? Huh? Is a "Nice turtle" too much to ask?
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Nice turtle, Panni. I had a pet turtle (small) named Elmer when I was a child. Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind.
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Hello, all. Sorry I've been E&T, but I've been busy.
Things have been going well, I suppose. I met a very nice guy through Craigslist.com's "Strictly Platonic" personals section and we've been talking and emailing and emailing and talking like crazy. We're getting together again tomorrow afternoon to explore some parts of Brooklyn that I haven't seen yet. Then we may go to a movie.
Speaking of movies, "Capturing the Friedmans" is probably my favorite documentary. "Bowling for Columbine" was fascinating and scary, but I have no interest in seeing "Farenheit 9/11" whatsoever.
And I love Ranch dressing. Boring, I know, but there it is.
MTI is screwing me over. First off, I was supposed to have started my full-time, permanent reception/asst. to the CEO job on Monday, meaning I'd have been put on payroll and my benefits would have started. Well, they have now decided, without consulting me, that I will be a licensing agent (granting permission and issuing contracts for production rights), which means more money, so I'm thinking GREAT! Well, they're jerking me around and not telling me when I start that position. In the meantime, they've put me up front full-time at the reception desk while the old receptionist trains for his new position, but they're not putting me on payroll! I'm doing his job right now--including duties for the CEO--and they're going to continue to pay me my measley untaxed $10/hr.! When I do work for the CEO, I'm supposed to be making $25/hr! And then, to add insult to injury, they decided in the interest of safety and due to travel concerns into and out of the city during the Republican Nat'l Convention that they're going to close the office for that entire week. Everyone gets paid for that week--except the temps. Well, temp. Me. I'll be the only one around by that time. Since I won't be on payroll they don't have to pay me for that week, and when I talked to them about it, the VP of the company just said, "well, you'll just have that week off," and the director of business affairs said, "that's part of being a temp. Sorry." So now I'm out an entire week's pay and they don't give a shit. Pardon my French. So what am I supposed to do?? I'm not completely broke, but I'm also not in a position to be able to lose out on an entire week's pay! Our office manager was out of the office Thursday and Friday, so I'm going to talk to him about it on Monday, but he really is my last hope of getting anywhere. The worst part is, I have to play nice or they may not hire me full-time like they said they would, and I need this job. Maybe this is a sign to find a new job. They're doing a lot of other poopy stuff to me and others, and I'm not so sure I want to work for a company that's so shady...
Where's Wonder Woman when you need her?
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What? Nobody has one thing to say about the turtle? I go out in the blazing heat to take a picture of this fershluganah beast for your mental delectation, and no one even says, "Nice turtle."...? Huh? Is a "Nice turtle" too much to ask?
All right! It's the cutest turtle, or is it a terrapin?, I've seen in a month of Sundays!
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LOL...I am not against "now"....but why change "then" when it was so good?
Make a "now" original....unless you can't.
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DR PANNI...that's a hell of shell!
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Oh, yeah...I'm seeing THE FROGS tonight. We're hoping Roger Bart will be in tonight. I love him. I've seen him in five or six shows now...the first one being the Nat'l Tour of THE SECRET GARDEN. I wish I'd gotten to see him in CHARLIE BROWN.
Also, I joined the TDF mailing list, which really excites me. Basically, you pay $25 to join, prove that you making your living doing something related to the perfoming arts (or that you're a teacher, non-profit organization, clergyman, student, blah blah blah...) and you get the most incredible discounts on theatre tickets. I saw FORBIDDEN B'WAY: SUMMER SHOCK on Tuesday for $20 and next Friday, Jason and I are seeing CAROLINE, OR CHANGE for $29 each. You never know what shows will be offered, so you really have to check the website every day, but it's SUCH a good deal. I'm getting my money's worth out of it just by buying my tickets to CAROLINE. I mean, I got 2 tickets to a Broadway show for less than $60, plus the $25 membership fee--that's $85, which is less than the cost of one good seat to that show. I have no idea where we'll be sitting, but who cares! Anything that will make live theatre more affordable is a good thing in my book.
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Panni, pick up some Panalog from your vet. We always keep some handy. To bad I just can’t let you have some of ours. It always expires before we use it up.
Bruce, what a relief the music finally arrived. It is not a pleasant feeling when things are lost in the system.
Jose, you seem to have run into more people you know in one short visit than our combined visits, and we are from L.A.
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OK, nice turtle.
But I'm not that familiar with turtles. How does one tell a nice turtle from a rude one?
Can turtles be rude at all?
If one were to take a motion picture of a rude turtle, and speed up the film during projection, would the rude turtle be even ruder?
Or is a rude turtle even ruder, still?
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Darling daughter should have been here by now, but presumably she'll be here soon.
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And one for Mahler.
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A watched pot never boils.
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What are you, Into the Woods all of a sudden?
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Gee, gosh and golly thanks for all the turtle compliments. Pete thanks you, too.
Jane - I'll get Panalog.
Jason - Sorry about your work woes. Good that you've met a friend. And one whose name you'll never forget. Years ago I went to a small dinner party where two of the guest - who happened to be partners - were named "Tom." The mother of one of them was visiting from out of town, so they brought her along. I've always thought of that evening as dinner with Tom, Tom and Mom.
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Darling daughter just called - they got a flat tire (because some numbnuts threw something idiotic out of their car which daughter and husband ran over). They're going to get a replacement car (rental) and then come in an hour.
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Fav docs:
Harlan County, USA
Salesman
Sherman's March
Bowling for Columbine
Fahrenheit 9/11
Ken Burns' Baseball & The Civil War
The Men Who Made The Movies
Brownlow's Hollywood series
Crumb (about artist R. Crumb)
Broadway: The Golden Age (Speaking of which: LA Weekly has small profile on Myles Kreuger mentioned here a few days ago)
I really don't consider the That's Entertainment films documentaries so much as compilation films.
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A flat tire is only flat on one side.
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Pete is cute.
Bruce have a wonderful time with the darling daughter.
JMK BeeGee is beautiful. I love his coloring and can imagine it is spectacular in the light. I guess the Newfie in him doesn’t want to retrieve. But what is a Cinnamon Newfie? I thought Newfie is short for Newfoundland and they are black.
Unlike Marty and Buster, Echo does not like to be brushed. Bogie on the other hand races to the brush if you go anywhere near it.
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I have been the victim of a very hungry mosquito. I believe it happened on Thursday night when I attended an outdoor concert. I have five bites on my left foot, seven on my right, and two on my right calf. I woke up at 6 am because the itching was too much to sleep through. I have now put some ointment on them, and taken some Benadryl. The Benadryl helps the itch, but it's also making very drowsy.
I'm putting it down on this here site so I have to stick to it...today I will clean my apartment. It's been a while, and things need to be tidied up and cleaned. Now you all know, now I've gotta actually do it...:)
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Pogue has been having difficulties with his computer, hence his absences.
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Very uncomfortable, DRANN. Sometimes sleep IS the answer.
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Jane, Cinnamon Newfies are "two-toned"--black and kind of golden/brown, hence the Cinnamon nomenclature.
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If the shoes were smelly enough to kill, and their owner thereby became a celebrity, the show could be
Shoecago.
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I would say the smelliest shoes are The Shoes of the Fisherman.
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Jason, sadly I don’t believe your job problem is all that uncommon. I agree you need to play nice. You could always think about job hunting the week you are off with out pay. I do hope things will work out for you on Monday. You will let us know.
Ann spray the bites with Benadryl. Icing them first can help.
JMK I found some photos of brown Newfies, now I remember.
Check out this site for some really cute dog pics.
http://www.newfies.com/
JRand- :D
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It must be pet day here at HHW! Nice turtle and nice doggie!
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BK I feel your pain re: having to get new shoes.
I am known to complete DESTROY any shoe that is in my posession for very long. I must walk funny, or particular hard because my shoes - no matter how expensive or guaranteed they may be - always end up looking tattered and worn away after a maximum of six months of wear. So instead of shelling out money for so-called "good" shoes, I now just buy exclusively cheappie ones from Payless or other stores. At least when those ones fall apart on me, they'll only have cost me less than $30.
My strappy all-purpose skirt sandals (bought in May) are now almost completely destroyed - so I've been hunting around for a new pair online. What do you all think of these:
(http://www.payless.com/Images/beauty/034101_beauty.gif)
(http://www.payless.com/Images/beauty/034557_beauty.gif)
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right now, the bottom one is winning...
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I vote for the top shoe, DR EMILY!
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My sister is coming to Toronto Tomorrow to go to a Tea Party Concert! I think it's Toronto.
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Pet day? ;D
I love Pet Day!
We need to see a new picture of Freddy the cat, MBARNUM.
Here is Autumn Memory - who had a short life. She spent a lot of time at the vet, but she was the smartest dog we ever had. Our first Shar-Pei... :'(
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Jennifer are you having a good day?
Emily I agree with JRand, but neither shoes looks like it has much support. I believe in shoes that don’t ruin your feet or body.
Autumn Memory is a pretty name. I would name a brown (cinnamon) Newfoundland that.
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I apologize if this picture disgusts anyone...this is my little Shy who died this last January. He was a good little pet, even though he was a rat. Sweet and intelligent, even knew his own name.
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Back to docus - An old friend whom I haven't seen for years did a documentary for the CBC and PBS - which went on to win the Oscar. It was called JUST ANOTHER MISSING KID, and was really excellent. (They made a dramatic movie of the docu with the same title, but it was not nearly as good as the real thing.)
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Cute rat!
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Cleaning update - I have vaccumed and spot-scrubbed the whole carpet. It looks a lot better. Now I'm taking a break.
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Ann I for one am very happy you finally posted a picture of Shy. Oh, he was sooo cute.
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I don’t have a favorite documentary. Unfortunately we don’t seem too many anymore. We thought INTO THE VOID was great, but it was part documentary, part docudrama.
Last night I had a Caesar salad. It is Keith’s favorite salad and once in awhile I get in the mood for one.
My favorite salad is a creation of my older son’s. It has a yummy Miso dressing made with fresh ginger. Amongst other goodies, the salad also has fried won ton wrappers in it.
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Keith is home which means I can leave (we are waiting for someone to come to the house). Echo and I have not been to visit our friends at the nursing home for a month and I would hate for another week to go by. I hesitated to go as I still have my cold. I’m sure I’m not contagious but my resistance to catching something is probably down. I won’t stay long. There are a few people there I know who have been missing her.
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Shy has pretty eyes!
Off to work the box office and do a closing night performance of FATHER OF THE BRIDE!!!
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Right, CINDERELLA and BAMBI are the last two of the Disney classics not yet on DVD (ALADDIN comes out this fall). When Disney started into the DVD business, they gave a release date for each of their Platinum titles. Seems like CINDERELLA was the last of the bunch, but they may have moved up their releases somewhat. I'm not sure. Thankfully, I have them both on laserdisc, so I'm not drooling at the thoughts of them. The stuff from their vaults like the World War II tin were things I prized getting much more. I never dreamed we'd see those films.
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I certainly enjoyed revisiting SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT on that smashing Criterion DVD. What a rapturous transfer! It was a great, great pleasure watching such a classic in such a pristine package.
Afterwards, I put in "The Abbey Grange" from the RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES package I recently received.
I have no idea what's on tap for tonight.
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I certainly enjoyed revisiting SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT on that smashing Criterion DVD. What a rapturous transfer! It was a great, great pleasure watching such a classic in such a pristine package.
At the beginning of last month, I ordered this from deepdiscountdvd.com. My account was charged but I never received the item. After a few weeks, the money was put back into my account! There was no explanation, no e-mail saying anything! I haven't reordered it, and I know that I'm not going to try to get it from them again. Maybe some other movies, but not that one. I was quite disappointed. :(
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What? Nobody has one thing to say about the turtle? I go out in the blazing heat to take a picture of this fershluganah beast for your mental delectation, and no one even says, "Nice turtle."...? Huh? Is a "Nice turtle" too much to ask?
Those are all great pet pics! Especially the turtle! When I lived in Germany (between the ages of four and six...my dad was in the Army), my sister and I had a pet turtle. His name was Herman. We fed him dandelion leaves and lettuce (as far as I can remember). I don’t remember how long we had him, but we had to give him up when we moved back to the States. I miss Herman but I don’t know if I’d ever get another turtle. Actually, even at age 38, I don't think I'm mature enough for any pet. I have a tendency to kill plants. That's not a good sign. I am a very good pet-sitter, though!
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The few documentaries that I've seen and really like include:
Company: The Making of the Cast Album
Fahrenheit 9/11
Dear, Jesse (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0150290/)
Silverlake Life: The View from Here (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108138/)
As for salads and dressings:
Ranch and French are my most favored.
Applebee's had a low-fat Blackened Chicken salad that was really good...one of my favorites. The regular (non-low-fat) is okay, but I don't like regular honey-mustard. :P
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Salads - Chinese Chicken Salad (sometimes! If done blandly then forget it.). And boring as it may seem, a good Cobb Salad can be yummy.
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...And I like the grilled salmon salad at the Cheese Cake Factory.
Favorite dressing - depends on my mood - blue cheese, ranch, honey-mustard, but nothing with too much vinegar.
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I'm hungry! For PIE.
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I want pie too...it sounds yummy. And I'm now thinking about walking down to DQ and getting one of their grilled chicken salads...they are rather yummy, and I just don't feel like cooking...
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George--try giving DDDVD a call on their 800 number. Their customer service is *usually* excellent. We just went bonkers during their 20% sale (where I bought just about every Criterion I didn't have), and everything but one title (Rules of the Game) came, over time (it takes a while with them). Anyway, I called them last week about Rules of the Game, and they said if it hadn't come by Monday, to call again and they'd reship. (My copy of Smiles came as part of this order, for less than $17!!).
The only time I was disappointed in their CS was when they lowered the price on the 20th Century Fox Studio Classics, and because I had pre-ordered some of them, it was over 30 days since I had ordered and they wouldn't honor the new lower price.
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Visit with darling daughter is done. We went to Du-Par's and had a spot of lunch. The only problem was the air conditioning had broken and it was hot in there. In any case, here is a photo of said darling daughter with darling husband.
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Just caught up on all today's posts. I always love to see the photos of pets etc (so much more interesting than babies). Thank you photos all and one.
Will Jose be telling us he has been eating shoe fly pie and noticed a familiarity in it's smell. What do they do with Dead Shoes in LA? Do dead gum shoes have an after life? It's breakfast time here in OZ. If I were in England I might well be eating sole for breakfast. I shall of course be having vegemite.
As mentioned to a few DRs, today I shall be attending a "Christmas In July" function. - with gifts!
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...And I like the grilled salmon salad at the Cheese Cake Factory.
I will remember that. I have had their Chinese Chicken Salad, when on it is excellent. The last few times it wasn't very good. If you are wondering, I kind of pick out most of the chicken.
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George--try giving DDDVD a call on their 800 number. Their customer service is *usually* excellent. We just went bonkers during their 20% sale (where I bought just about every Criterion I didn't have), and everything but one title (Rules of the Game) came, over time (it takes a while with them). Anyway, I called them last week about Rules of the Game, and they said if it hadn't come by Monday, to call again and they'd reship. (My copy of Smiles came as part of this order, for less than $17!!).
The only time I was disappointed in their CS was when they lowered the price on the 20th Century Fox Studio Classics, and because I had pre-ordered some of them, it was over 30 days since I had ordered and they wouldn't honor the new lower price.
I didn't think about calling them, but at this moment (now that the money was put back into my account), I'll have to wait until next month's paycheck to try and reorder...maybe from them again. We'll see. But thanks for the info!
I shall now depart these here HHW parts. I'm going to the Seattle Storm women's basketball game with a co-worker (and a cute one, at that ;)...but no, I'm not his type ::)). Anyway, I'll be gone for the rest of the evening.
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As far as I know, I'm not his type...one can always hope, though! ;) Actually, he's just a great guy to be around...even as "just a friend." Later!
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Bruce that looks like a clean plate in front of the darling daughter, what was she eating? It looks as if she was having fun. :)
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I usually read the obituaries before I go to the nursing home. I really should have done so this time. When I arrived there was a memorial service going on for one of our friends. I also found out Echo’s best friend there moved. She was very upset he wasn’t there. At least I know he only moved. If I had known I would have left Echo at home and gone to the service.
I’m now feeling sad.
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Sorry about your friends, Jane.
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So sorry to hear about your friends, Jane.
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Thank you DearReaderLaura and Panni. I knew I would have days like this when I began volunteering there. Still it is hard. I keep saying I’m not going to go back but then I do.
When we lived in Michigan and I began visiting nursing homes with Echo it was different. I met at the homes with a group and we would have between ten and twenty dogs with us. It was great fun and not overly personal. There were a few people I would always make sure to visit but I didn’t get to know them as well as I have here.
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Sorry to hear you news Jane. I am still in contact with the Nursing Home where my Mother spent her last few years. I still feel I am losing friends when I hear of another resident's passing. The wife of one the residents called me last night - still a connection to my Mother after a few years. A good feeling.
My Mother used to love it when people brought in animals to visit.
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DR Jane, I am doing fine. But sadly the lost email never arrived.
DR Emily, I like the look of the bottom shoe better. But the heel does not look good.
I have bought a few new pairs of summer shoes in the last few weeks. But I really try to find deals. I got a really cute pair of white open toed sandals for $9.97.
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DR Jane feel better.
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Tomovoz I like that you are still in touch with the nursing home. Your story made me feel better.
Jennifer maybe the mail will arrive by Monday but at least you are fine. :) I will be there soon. The chocolate I just ate is helping.
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As the magnet on our freezer says - Earth will never be destroyed - it is the only planet with chocolate.
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:) :) :D
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Re: the email, no I don't think it was sent. But it's not worth getting upset over.
I am hungry. Now what to eat? Going to watch "Along Came Polly".
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I'm also trying to figure out what to eat. It's so hot. All I really want is ice cream. And PIE.
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Jennifer let me know how the movie is.
I had coffee and vanilla ice cream, before the chocolate.
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Wow I have been gone for an hour and no one has posted. I feel as if I’m talking to myself. It is nice to know that eventually someone will come along and hear what I have to say.
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I'm hearing what you have to say, Jane. I just got back from grocery shopping. That's about all I have to say for you to hear.
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And one for the turtle!
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Now I'm going to eat something, so you're on your own again.
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Well, here's today's laugh for those of you who may love both Brasilian music and Broadway musicals (and who doesn't? ;D). I was perusing the credits for Bebel Gilberto's new CD (she's the daughter of Joao Gilberto and second wife Miucha, who is Chico Buarque's sister--got that?)--and the synthesizer programming is by Alexis Smith. Things that make me go "hmmmmm...."
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Speaking of documentaries, WHAT THE #$*! DO WE KNOW? (I have read it is a documentary but the description of the movie doesn’t sound as if it is one.) is at our local theater, but at the odd time of 3:30. We prefer matinees so we haven’t gone.
SUPER-SIZE is now showing in town at a more reasonable time. Hopefully we will catch it, especially since our son said we should see it.
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JMK-overdue email on it's way.
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Ann how does your head feel now? Better I hope.
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I have had a most boring but productive day. And my head feels better.
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Tomovoz how was your Christmas in July?
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I went to the market and bought anything that seemed good, even if it made a bizarre meal. So I just had grilled vegetables and vegetarian sushi for supper.
My landlord hosed down the turtle and was pleased that he ate all the grapes and lettuce put out for him. He actually moves pretty fast (the turtle, that is).
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DR Jane, re: Along Came Polly.
It was cute, but not as good as 50 First Dates (with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore). I found that movie to be funnier, and sadder, and much better.
I think Adam Sandler is hilarious. Ben Stiller is funny, but he can sometimes be annoying. And Jennifer Aniston is comedic and sweet, but not a fantastic actress in this movie.
And it was so short. On my dvd player it said 1 hr 24, and I think that was with the previews.
But it was good for a few laughs.
I was thinking of taking out a few other movies. One was the Neve Campbell ballet movie (something with Company in the title, is it In the Company?). I also wanted to see the teen flick Chasing Liberty. Big Fish. Calendar Girls. The Girl with the Pearl Earring. And I know there are more new ones than that.
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As it's pet day, here's a photo I just took of Abie resting on my bed.
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Evening all! What a day! What a DAY!
It's been raining or near rain almost all of last night and today. Top that off with the old HP finely making it's last gasp. Yes, I woke up to a dead computer. It's been tell me for over a year that the hard drive was ready to crash and this morning it crashed, rolled and burned. Well, at least one of those things. :)
So we all know what that means! I had to get a new computer. There was no way I was going to spend the money on getting the old one fixed. I hated it to much.
Between shopping for the new computer and doing all the other shopping I need to do, I have just only just had the time to set the new computer up and give it the first "test" drive. Of course the first place I had to go was here.
Well, I made it. And to prove it, I'm here.
The print is horribly small. I'l have to fix that but other than that, it's looking good!
I also found $16.00 today. It was sittng by the van when I came out of Best Buy. I had to buy a head cleaner for my video camera. I should be able to hook the video camera up to the new computer and burn my own DVD's. I can't wait to transfer some of my tapes over. I have a couple that are on shakey ground. I hate that about tapes. When I make some DVD's I'll make 2 so I can put one back.
Well, I hate to post and run but I need to set the rest of this thing up. It might take me a day or so to get everything back up to speed. I need to get my PDA hooked up so I can sync my address book to the mail program.
At least I now know I can get on the net and I can post. Hoo and Ray!
Laters!
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DR George, I got my SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT from Deep Discount during their 20% off sale, so I'm sorry they left you down on that. It had to have been a fluke. Hope you can eventually get a copy. It's WELL worth owning.
Watched S.W.A.T. in HBO-HD tonight. What a predictable, mundane action movie. Samuel Jackson and Colin Farrell, both very capable actors, wasting their time on such rubbish.
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Boy, I'm so tired I keep dozing off. Just had a meeting with our set designer, who's terrific, and we're on the same page and we'll have a simple, yet elegant black-box set that will do some interesting things.
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Seems like a very quiet night all over the internet tonight. I guess I'll log off and head for bed. Hope everyone has a good rest of the evening.
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I should go to bed... But my favorite documentary film maker in terms of a body of work is the late Donald Brittain who did some extraordinary films for the National Film Board of Canada. I love documentaries, so I have a long list. I'll start with BEST BOY; DON'T LOOK BACK; WHEN WE WERE KINGS; KINDERTRANSPORT (INTO THE ARMS OF STRANGERS); JAZZ ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON. Okay, that's it for now. But there are lots of others I want to include... Tomorrow.
The NFBC did some extraordinary documentaries when the US was producing ones on the lines of Disney True Life Adventures.
There were some amazing documentaries I had the good fortune to see over the years. One I remember was Norman Jewison Filmaker. Made while he was shooting Fiddler On the Roof. It gave me (at the time) an interesting look at filmmaking. There are many others I have seen and no longer remember their titles. They were informative, thought provoking and entertaining. Unfortunatly I don't think there is a place for the NFB style of filmmaking any more.
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Oh my - well be sure to get the Capezio Dance Sneakers. I have found them comfortable and non aromatic under all circumstances!
Documentaries...well.... ;D
A couple of Pennebaker films to begin with:
COMPANY: THE MAKING OF THE CAST ALBUM - the DVD with commentary.
MOON OVER BROADWAY - the DVD with commentary.
KINDERTRANSPORT - mentioned by DR PANNI, I believe.
THE MAKING OF 'A NIGHT TO REMEMBER' - on the ANTR DVD, producer William MacQuitty and author Walter Lord are interviewed extensively.
I will some others to the other DR's.
Company was the first and best of its kind. All the others since have been nothing been 60 minute commercials. They rarely show the flaws, egos and bad moments.
Moon Over Broadway. I thought it was terrible how they treated Carol Burnett and I wonder if she knew how the writer and the director really felt about here. It was interesting to see how a mediocre playwright and director worked to get a cast to opening night on Broadway with a cast that was too good for the material. People who thought James Kirkwood memoir on Legends with Channing and Martin was farfetched would enjoy this film because it still happens!
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Abie is too cute there. Keep up the turtle stories, I’m enjoying them. Your landlords sound like very nice people.
Thanks Jennifer. Now I will know what to expect when I get around to watching it.
Danise a new computer is always nice-and you can burn DVD’s. That is great.
Keith is waiting for me. Goodnight.
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Good Evening!
-Just taking a break from my work today...
So far, so good. And I'm actually further along than I thought I would be at this time. I basically just have one and a half songs to finish transcribing, and then it's just a bunch of "little things".
I ended up sleeping in today - unexpectedly. I guess the week caught up with me. But even with my late start, I seem to be on track.
Well, I need to get some dinner... Hmm.. Maybe another walk down to The House of Pies is in order... Hmmm...
Well, I'll check back in later...
Laters...
Oh, DR SWW - Thanks for the "Good Eats" reminder. -Thankfully, I have TiVo here! :)
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I've been part of two documentaries. One that was eventually released by National Film Board of Canada and one by the Canadian Broadcasting Coproration. The NFB film I was lead actor and narrator for Hypothalamus: The Anatomy of Desire. I played a doctor who talks about the Hypothalamus gland determining ones sexuality. The director ran out of money and went to the film board for financing they agreed to help him out but he had to scrap all the "fictiona" portions of the film as it was too close in style to another documentary they did on Lesbian Pulp Fiction Novels. (Which is a lot of fun BTW) So my only lead in the film was cut out.
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Michael Shayne - A few of of Don Brittain's outstanding docus:
Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry (narrated by Richard Burton); Buster Keaton Rides Again; Memorandum; Paperland.
And this from the Internet:
Donald Brittain is well-known for his National Film Board documentaries, all of them shown on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). In the 1980s Donald Brittain directed his first dramatic film, Running Man, an early exploration of homosexuality, in the CBC's topical anthology For the Record.
(Written by guess who?)
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The CBC documentary used clips from the a play I wrote and directed. At the end I found out that I was acknowledge as the writer of those segments. The Writers Guild of Canada went to bat for me and got a written promise that all the other showings will credit me and my partner as writers and creators of the play that was shown in the documentary.
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Michael Shayne - A few of of Don Brittain's outstanding docus:
Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry (narrated by Richard Burton); Buster Keaton Rides Again; Memorandum; Paperland.
And this from the Internet:
Donald Brittain is well-known for his National Film Board documentaries, all of them shown on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). In the 1980s Donald Brittain directed his first dramatic film, Running Man, an early exploration of homosexuality, in the CBC's topical anthology For the Record.
(Written by guess who?)
An interesting companion piece to the Buster Keaton documentary is the Railroader which was the short film he was doing for the NFB while the documentary was being filmed
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"I played a doctor who talks about the Hypothalamus gland determining ones sexuality."
...Ben Casey?
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Michael Shayne - A few of of Don Brittain's outstanding docus:
Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry (narrated by Richard Burton); Buster Keaton Rides Again; Memorandum; Paperland.
And this from the Internet:
Donald Brittain is well-known for his National Film Board documentaries, all of them shown on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). In the 1980s Donald Brittain directed his first dramatic film, Running Man, an early exploration of homosexuality, in the CBC's topical anthology For the Record.
(Written by guess who?)
\
The Running Man that was the Arnold Schwartenager sci fi film right? ;D
(http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/01/34/36m.jpg)
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I saw the Keaton NFB film years ago. Really good, as I recall.
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The Running Man that was the Arnold Schwartenager sci fi film right? ;D
(http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/01/34/36m.jpg)
You'd be surprised how many people think it is! Especially because the posters and many of the ads said THE Running Man, when I kept telling them there was no "THE"...
You should have seen the hate mail for the film. I still have some of the letters. We were condemned in Parliament.
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You'd be surprised how many people think it is! Especially because the posters and many of the ads said THE Running Man, when I kept telling them there was no "THE"...
You should have seen the hate mail for the film. I still have some of the letters. We were condemned in Parliament.
The X BTW was the Arnold film poster of THE Running Man that didn't show up.
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The 198l season opened .... followed, as did Running Man, which starred Charles Shamata in Anna Sandor's story of a middle-aged man discovering his own homosexuality, which was the first dramatic film directed by documentarian Donald Brittain.
I remember seeing this on TV. I had remember seeing Chuck Shamata in play at the Lennoxville Theater Festival. I enjoyed his work and he proved to be a wonderful actor with this part
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Tomovoz how was your Christmas in July?
Yes, Tom, how was your Christmas in July?
(There was oodles of snow in Blackheath, allowing Mr. Monty to wallow in the white stuff). ;)
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You'd be surprised how many people think it is! Especially because the posters and many of the ads said THE Running Man, when I kept telling them there was no "THE"...
You should have seen the hate mail for the film. I still have some of the letters. We were condemned in Parliament.
Hate surprises me no longer. And at least you know why I don't use that word flippantly.
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Page 6 dance
(http://acvault.ign.com/features/unlaidentales/images/back_in_holtburg.gif)
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I cooked Chinese-style tonight. Rice, a shrimp stir-fry, and a chicken braise. More Chinese because of ingredients than anything else, I guess.
Still, it's nice to have a good fishmonger's just five minutes away from where I work, which is where I got the shrimp. I think I surprised Richard, the fishmonger, who didn't know that I worked right around the corner from his shop. (And hopefully he'll be dropping by when he needs equipment, or something!)
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Panni, do my eyes deceive me, or did a film you wrote get condemned in Parliament?
The Canadian one?
There must be quite a story behind that.
For a moment I thought that Schwartenegger was the middle-aged man discovering his homosexuality, but my eyes DID deceive me on that one
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Panni, do my eyes deceive me, or did a film you wrote get condemned in Parliament?
The Canadian one?
There must be quite a story behind that.
Yes, the Canadian Parliament. It's not that much of a story. This was in the 80's and Canada was fairly conservative (still is, really). The CBC like the BBC is a run by tax dollars. So to present - shudder - a story about a married man, a school teacher at that, coming to terms with his homosexuality, was controversial, to say the least. Many people said that their tax dollars should not pay for "garbage" like this. Statements were read by certain members of parliament and put on record. The world continued turning. I was very young and naive and had no idea that what I was writing would cause problems.
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Just finished watching Die Mommy Die, about which more later, other than to say it is a very confused film that absolutely does not know what it wants to be - they try to sell it as one thing, they have something totally other in their heads and then all we get on screen is a mish-mash.
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Quick! Gotta get my official post-shabbat post in!
Sorry for your loss, Jane... may you only know happiness in the future.
One of my fave recent documentaries was a piece called Word Wars, which followed four top Scrabble players on their quest for the national championship. If you liked Spellbound, then you gotta see this one. I'm a bit biased, since I'm working on my own game (colleague of mine is a former champion-caliber player, and has gotten me and the missus hooked), but it's extremely well done.
Dressing? I personally believe in naked salads, but I whip up a couple of mean "balsamic" - based dressings (the quotes are there because there's really no authentic kosher balsamic vinegar that I know of... just the caramel-flavored wine vinegar stuff)
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Just finished watching Die Mommy Die, about which more later, other than to say it is a very confused film that absolutely does not know what it wants to be - they try to sell it as one thing, they have something totally other in their heads and then all we get on screen is a mish-mash.
Look at Girls Will Be Girls, which was released at around the same time and was intended, too, to be an homage en travesti of sorts and you'd think Die Mommy Die was Citizen Kane.
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heartfelt condolences, Jane. . .from you know who.
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I caught up with Super Size Me this afternoon. Although I am somewhat leery of the trend of documentarians placing themselves squarely at the center of their films, as is the case with this one, I give it a thumbs up.
The conceit of Super Size Me, for those Dear Readers who have not seen the film, is that the filmmaker goes on a diet of nothing but McDonald's food for thirty days. That's three meals a day at Mickey D's, ingesting only what can legitimately be purchased at McDonald's restaurants. Parallel to this questionable culinary adventure, the filmmaker documents the changes that occur to his body. He also provides a considerable amount of information about the preponderance of fast food and fast food marketing in our environment, and the societal and physical ills--with obesity at the top of the list--that have resulted.
There's a lot of tongue in cheek humor and a couple of gross-out scenes, but the film is highly engaging and, once you've seen it, it will likely lead you to avoid eating at McDonald's for some measurable period of time.
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DIE MOMMY DIE was that production company's follow-up to MY LOUISIANA SKY. Why not, eh? On that note, I'm shutting off the computer for tonight. It's driving me nuts. Maybe the computer elves will fix everything overnight.
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Then this evening I did something soooooooo civilized you'll probably puke (vomit on the ground, in Kritzer lingo) when I tell you about it.
There is a local chamber music society called Southwest Chamber Music. Each summer, they hold a series of concerts at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, which is all of three miles, if that, from my house.
The concerts are held on a loggia adjoining what once was Mr. Huntington's home, and a fancy beaux arts mansion it is, now used to display his considerable collection of art and antiques. (The best known piece in the collection is Gainsborough's "Blue Boy.")
There is seating for about 250 people on the loggia, which is surrounded on three sides by 32 classic Greek columns, which support a coffered ceiling. Through the columns one can see the elaborate lawns and gardens of the estate and, as the concert begins, the dwindling daylight that transforms itself to dusk. There is a real sense of this being a salon concert, as if the 250 guests had just finished dining with Mr. and Mrs. Huntington and we all moved from the dining room to the loggia for the evening's entertainment. Adding to this sense is that the lighting is provided by antique-style floor lamps that one might find in an elegantly decorated home.
The Huntington has just opened a small but rich exhibit on Christopher Isherwood, in celebration of his centenary next month. (The Huntington acquired Isherwood's papers, letters and other ephemera last year from Don Bachardy, Isherwood's longtime partner.) In recognition of the exhibit and centenary, Southwest Chamber Music is programming music in each of its four concerts this summer that tie in some way to Isherwood.
Tonight the Isherwood-related piece was the Suite from "The Soldier's Tale," by Igor Stravinsky, who was a close friend of Isherwood's. The second half of the program was comprised of Mozart's Divertimento No. 17 in D, K. 334.
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I caught up with Super Size Me this afternoon. Although I am somewhat leery of the trend of documentarians placing themselves squarely at the center of their films, as is the case with this one, I give it a thumbs up.
The conceit of Super Size Me, for those Dear Readers who have not seen the film, is that the filmmaker goes on a diet of nothing but McDonald's food for thirty days. That's three meals a day at Mickey D's, ingesting only what can legitimately be purchased at McDonald's restaurants. Parallel to this questionable culinary adventure, the filmmaker documents the changes that occur to his body. He also provides a considerable amount of information about the preponderance of fast food and fast food marketing in our environment, and the societal and physical ills--with obesity at the top of the list--that have resulted.
There's a lot of tongue in cheek humor and a couple of gross-out scenes, but the film is highly engaging and, once you've seen it, it will likely lead you to avoid eating at McDonald's for some measurable period of time.
"For some measurable period of time??" My niece saw this movie and has vowed NEVER to eat fast food again! Especially since she also read the book "Fast Food Nation (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060938455/qid=1090133662/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/103-4358801-4536629?v=glance&s=books&n=507846[/url)" by Eric Schlosser. I guess those two are enought to give anyone nightmares!