Friday, August 29, 2008

For some reason...

I can't seem to stop playing "Lord, I'm Discouraged" from The Hold Steady's latest, "Stay Positive". Perhaps its just very...er...relateable now.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

I'm impressed...

Hillary managed to fall on her sword tonight...well, somebody's sword anyway. At this point I can't determining exactly whose it was.

BTW, what's the chance of an old Republican getting away with calling Obama that "black boy"? Apparently Jimmy Carter can.

But back to the issue at hand. Joe Biden? Are you fucking kidding me? This guy is as crusty as McCain and is a complete credit card company whore. "Change I can believe in?" Please. Oh wait, I forgot about those hair transplants. Lookin' good brother. But you knew it was coming didn't you? All that talk about being outside of the D.C. mainstream and what not, you knew it was all bloody nonsense didn't you? I know what your thinking. Your thinking about all those lame-ass excuses you're going to have to make to anyone with common sense about how your still pimping Barack. He's not McCain...he wants to "change" America...he's about the "future"...and "progress". Mmhmm. I understand, you already ordered all those bumper-stickers. And really it'd be a waste not to decorate with them.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Can I still like Indy?

I could use this question to answer all things Indianapolis/Indiana. But that would be pretty short, since the answer is just plain "no". You've probably figured out that I'm referring to Indiana Jones in some fashion. I still have yet to see whatever this new one is called that came out this summer. I guess I have a hard time justifying paying full-price for movies these days. And even though the 4th installment hasn't made box-office for crap in a month, it still isn't in the cheap seats. So after perusing the walls of Hollywood Video for something decent that my bottom-of-the-barrel MVP program would allow, I hit the library section and went back and got "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Okay, I got Nightmare on Elm St. 2, but that's another story.

I remember liking ROTLA and TOD a lot. Not so much for the Last Crusade. And I meant to buy the box set on dvd if it was ever on sale for something decent. Nothing working there either. So, after probably a decade-plus, I thought I'd see how much I could still have with Raiders. And well...after watching them again, I'm not sure if they hold-up to anything that could be described as classic status. The dialogue/jokes at times are...lame. The action sequences are okay, but often so fantastical that it goes beyond "well, it's supposed to be ridiculous" territory. And the acting is...eh...Harrison Ford no doubt carries both of these and Karen Allen and Cate Capeshaw are definitely respectable with what they have to work with, but the rest of the casts? Jonathan Rhys-Myers as Sallah is decent, but the rest of them I can't tell if they just can't act or the scripts are just blah and the characters are so stereotypical (you know, especially the bad guys). And the jingoism? I'll stop there. Oh wait, there is the endless repetition of the theme song that made me wanted to carve my ears off with a knife by the end of TOD.

Are they still fun? Yeah, to a point. Let's just say after renting them on the Hollywood MVP plan, my previous desire to buy the dvd-box set has definitely been quelled. In another 5 years I'll check these out again and see if my stance has lightened. Don't hate me if you still think they are beyond reproach classics.

Monday, August 18, 2008

That kind of thing "is above my pay grade"

Are you serious? You knew he was going to ask you this and that was the best you could come up with? I'm surprised he didn't tell you that was a "homerun" as well, lol. Sorry, Rick Warren is a bitch.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

A few selections to remember the day my life ended (8/16/87)

Well it's been ten years and a thousand tears
And look at the mess I'm in
A broken nose and a broken heart,
An empty bottle of gin
Well I sit and I pray
In my broken down Chevrolet
While I'm singin' to myself
There's got to be another way

[Chorus:]
Take away, take away
Take away this ball and chain
I'm lonely and I'm tired
And I can't take any more pain
Take away, take away
Never to return again
Take away, take away
Take away this ball and chain

Well I've searched and I've searched
To find the perfect life-
A brand new car and a brand new suit
I even got me a little wife-
But wherever I have gone
I was sure to find myself there-
You can run all your life
But not go anywhere

[Chorus]

Well I'll pass the bar on the way
To my dingy hotel room-
I spent all my money
Been drinkin' since half past noon-
I'll wake there in the mornin'
Or maybe in the county jail-
Times are hard getting harder
I'm born to lose and destined to fail-

-- Social Distortion, "Ball and Chain"



I see lives crash like waves on the shore again and again
In an endless cycle of join and pain
Inside one day your whole life can change innocence torn away
Trust gives way to a thicker skin
A shield from pain? or a trap that keeps it all in.
They tried to break me down - i had to break away
I woke up from that night mare to start another day

I wanna be a simple man with a little peace of mind
Live a simple life, in a place thats kind

I see lives crash like waves on the shore again and again.
No poetry, No symmetry, nothing left inside of me
What happened to that feeling of invincibility?
Broken up caught under the load
Broken down by the side of the road
They tried to break me down i had to break away
I woke up from that nightmare to start another day....

-- Bouncing Souls, "Simple Man"

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

I know I should...

write something, but I feel completely uninspired. That and the fact that there is a 21st anniversary of the worst moment in my life (and a moment that has fucked-up my life for those 21 years) pending on Saturday. Not looking forward to that.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

So...back again for the last time?

I'm probably only here for one reason. Dawna. That somebody actually gave me the encouragement to write again, even though I suck at it (or so I think). Yes, I do have a B.A. in English Lit, though I'm not sure why anyone has ever equated that with the ability to be eloquent. I'm not. I tend to write what I feel. Though I will try to leave the very personal behind here, as that has been a problem in the past. Or at least leave it to another blog.

Thankfully, I do at least tend to be short, as in not lacking in brevity (though occasionally I can ramble on). Something I can't say for some other people. I mean, do you really think that people want to read paragraph after paragraph after paragraph of your review? Doubtful. The best thing that Dr. Doughty taught me was to say your piece and then shut up.

So...maybe I'll fill-in little details here and there. But I promise nothing. Promises are easy to break. Anyway, enough of that.