Holiday Lights in the Park

Predictably, I hate this. The waste, the light pollution, the cars, the cliches.

And it starts today.

Enjoy it folks, I am sure some of you think it is a grand idea.

And now for something completely different

I had an excellent Thanksgiving.

It started with the Turkey Trot, which I was happy with and ended with an Arlo Guthrie-esque Thanksgiving dinner that couldn't be beat.

Today, as I was running errands around the metro area, (and no, there was no Black Friday Shopping), I was listening to Lifter (especially Big & Tall(MP3)) and realized that even more than usual I was turning into a cliche.

Remember that scene from The Big Chill where Kevin Kline's character says, "There is no other music," in reference to the music from the late '60s? Yeah, that's what I was thinking about this album and then I remembered that this album is fifteen years old.

I am an old, and I will just claim it as a mantle of pride.

Now, I am enjoying a cup of coffee, still listening to Lifter, and thinking about what a joy my son is. @PVH1976 has remarked that he is a little clone of me, and I saw it yesterday...the way he talks to think, but considers the words he uses, the way his stories go on, and how he thinks through problems, rather than rushing right in (rest well, gentle reader, he does share some of my good qualities too) and it made me so proud to be his dad. I do have one fear related to this, and I may share it, but let me just put it this way...my fear is that there is going to be a situation where I put someone's jaw through the back to their skull because of their attitude towards him.

Happy Thanksgiving

This is what I am thankful for...




A child who loves the written word.

I remember being young and being engrossed by books to the point where I would disconnect from everything around me.

And I meant every word

I wrote this the other night...

I may be pathetic, damaged, and a man child, but I am sincere in my words.

I am well aware how this looks, and the further mockery it may engender, but...yeah. That isn't important.

JMFJT,
I love you and I care.
I am sorry that you don't think this is going to work out but...I do.
We have both been burned, we both carry our damage with us, and I think we both want each other.
I will leave you alone until you reach out to me but I will be waiting for you, even if you choose not to wait for me.
You keep mentioning my singledom and that it is what I want, but that is far from the case. I wanted to remain single because I didn't want these difficulties, and I didn't want to be responsible for disappointing other people or causing them pain.
And I met you, and I resisted, not because I didn't want you, but because I didn't want to fail...you & myself...and then have the whole concept of relationships fucked for me forever.
But I fell in love with you; hard, fast & completely.
And...I believe that you love me.
So...if you want me, I am here. If you don't or this is too much work, I understand.
Love you,
A Mistake

Owning my cynicism

I have had this alert in my Google Calendar for years...





What does it say about me?

Recently, my gut has failed me but my trust in the opinions of others, with the exception of technical issues, has not been stellar either.

What is a cynic to do?

Maybe it is remove myself from the discourse entirely.

Some much time, so little sleep

Is this night three or night four? The fact that I have lost count bothers me.



When you have that song running through your head at 4 am, you know you have issues. Mostly stemming from getting LCD Soundsystem stuck in your head or maybe it is something else.

Mine apparently stem from my "pathetic" life that "disgust(s)" people (or person), wait...no. My issues don't stem from that, they are in addition to my issues, as I am psychotic. Whatever.

All I know is that I am going to get out of bed in a couple of hours, do Habitat for Humanity, come home, get up early tomorrow to run the Turkey Troy for Movember (alas, no turkey suit as I did not raise the money) and then I am going to enjoy a Thanksgiving with my family.

And one final word, a mea culpa, if you will: Shauna, I am very sorry and unsurprisingly, you were correct. I have t do this publicly, because...well...I suck. Thank you for remaining my friend.

This bothers me

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Will Be a Movie, Again

Okay, take a cult show that had a devoted following, and remake it for...what?

It would be one thing if they were doing the Season 8 story lines, but they aren't going to as that would require a whole lot of exposition that movies refuse to do.

Speaking of BtVS, has anyone watched the motion comic?

"I am on a horse." "Moo." "Cow."

This made me giggle.

This is a bad idea

DoT considers installing cellphone jammers in cars to prevent distracted driving.

First of all, people using their phones while driving know what they are doing is wrong.

Secondly, DoT should be encouraging sustainable transportation not coming up with amazing ways to irritate me.

Finally, what about passengers? Do I not have the right to use my phone if I am a passenger? What about if I am in a livery car? I am not driving. Like other things, does this mean that PD is going to be exempt from these rules (of course they are)?

Now, I am anti-car but I am also anti-stupid fraking laws that are there to make people feel better about the job that they are doing.

Bad idea, and Barry, fire this guy.

Pocket Media Reviews

Seeing that I don't care enough to commit to writing up something decent for some media that was consumed over the past week or so...I am just going to do it here.


Movies
The Social Network: It was good. It was also 25 minutes too long. The best line is in the first eight minutes of the film. I kept wanting to see Jesse Eisenberg defend himself against zombies.

Due Date: I am never going to get this time back. I can see why Zach Galifianakas would do something like this (he is a one trick pony) but Downey is just wasted. Unfunny, bigoted, and with plot holes that you could drive a stolen Mexican police truck through, it does not bode well for The Hangover 2.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: On the other hand, I was expecting to hate this film. I like it when I am surprised. Now some friends had seen this and loved it (but one of them was the person who suggested the Stonewall documentary) bit I was doubtful. Happily, I was wrong. It was smart and funny, and self-consistent and worth the time.

Resident Evil: Afterlife: I wasn't expecting Kurosawa (or even Dawn of the Dead) but this movie was...how should I say it...a shambling wreck of worm ridden flesh that made me doubt my love of the series and of Milla. Of course I do now own it on DVD.

Music
Because I was relegated to listening to the terror that is commercial radio for a little bit of time (wow, it sucks), I heard John Mayer's Heartbreak Warfare a lot and you know what, I hate the song, and even worse, I hate myself for the ability to instantly get it stuck in my head on a loop.

However, if you are a fan of Elvis Costello, National Ransom is for you. Even if you are not, and I do know that some of you who read this don't like him (*cough*, plebeians), give it a try because it is a great roots rock album.

If you like Jay-Z and Terry Gross but had never thought of them together, Fresh Air took care of that for you. You can listen here.