Viewing: "Empire Records" -- has John Hughes started again under an assumed name? Rory Cochrane suggested a young, more obtuse
Rowan Atkinson, but Ethan Randall was thoroughly annoying. All told, a film I'm glad I didn't spend money on.
June 8
Happiness on a late spring afternoon: tooling down a back road with your daughters
singing along with Tori Amos.
June 7
*Another survey of yard sales and the weekly library run yields among other things an as-yet
unread Junie B. Jones book. LW proposes we four concoct our own Junie-type book as
a summer project. No publisher's advances, of course, but might be good, relatively clean
fun.
*Viewing: "Total Recall" -- OK, I spent the evening with Ah-nald. So kill me. Question,
though: Why couldn't at least a few of these folks die relatively cleanly, i.e., without
the odd limbs being shorn off? Or is that too naive a question?
June 6
Stirring personal achievement: At annual company picnic, am tabbed as
Mr. Congeniality of the Office. Goes right up on the mantel next to
Kibologist of the Week Runner-Up Award from January.
June 4
*More cause for parental pride: OD ably performs as part of the Mr. Applegate
Chorus in "Damn Yankees," the climax of school's "Sportstacular." It's gratifying
to see kids have _fun_ with song and dance.
*Recent recording purchased: The Polkemmet Grurod Pipe Band. Yeah, it really rolls off
the tongue, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Excellent choice of tunes ("Easy Street,"
"Andy Fenwick's Ferret," "Itchy Fingers," e.g.) and effective arrangements, especially
those augmented by keyboards and bouzouki.
June 2
Viewing: "Zabriskie Point" -- The more I think about it, the more it seems that this
movie was made in the wrong decade. The basic plot device -- troubled but earnest loner
and impressionable young woman share brief passionate encounter in the middle of nowhere --
could easily have touched down in the '80s or '90s, and the anti-materialism stuff would've
been just about as relevant; the slo-mo armageddon-like conflagration at the end would've
worked well, too.
June 1
Parental Nerves of Steel Test no. 286: taking three kids to an exhibition of doll-house
miniatures. But they all did well, and I found a lot to enjoy, too. Never did find a
miniature ceilidh scene, though...
May 31
Viewings: "Quadrophenia" -- much more successful adaptation of a Who album, although I was
disappointed I couldn't make out the Cockneyspeak a little better. The riot scene in Brighton is
equal parts horror and exhilaration (reminded me of that English writer who studied, and came to
nearly identify with soccer hooligans). Great aerial shot near end at the cliffs.
"The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz" -- what a great little masterpiece. Hard not to root
for Duddy (especially with Richard Dreyfuss in the role), but definitely evokes the morally ambigious
hero well before the concept became popular. Yvette's character is heart-breaking.
May 30
Thoughts while visiting the post office: Is it really appropriate use those stamps
with cute cherubs and "LOVE" to send utilities and mortgage payments? After all,
I don't necessarily hold any great affection for the recipients of these letters. Wouldn't an image of
a prostrated man and "RESIGNATION" be more fitting?
May 29
Book completed: "Dreadnought," by Robert Massie -- as something like "The Great War" helps
spotlight the non-American side of WW1, this is very helpful for explaining how
it got to that point. Excruciating process. Terribly ironic that the "modern" world could
be plunged into such madness under that most ancient of entities, an extended monarchy.
May 25
How wonderfully satisfying it is when it's raining out and the whole
family has every justification to do _nothing_ all day long.
May 24
Another weekend, another dance-out: The First Greater Boston Ale-ias. Don't think
I've ever danced this much in one morris season as this year.
May 23
Songs nearly learned:
*"Wall of Death" (Les Barker) -- nice work by June Tabor in marrying
the words to "Bidh Clann Ulaidh"; it's a challenge to get all those nuances.
*"So Far From Home," by Tim Brook -- doesn't seem the same without three border
morris dancers in front of it, but if I can come up with a decent guitar rhythm maybe
it'll be OK.
May 22
*Public, er, Relations Campaign of the Week (from Morris Dance Discussion List):
Prostitutes in the Belgian port of Antwerp will hold an open day Saturday to break down barriers
with the public and prove the red light district is safe, the
organizing committee said Wednesday. Among other things, prostitutes will offer
"coffee and other drinks," said a spokesman, and bands and acrobats will perform
during the day, which would give people a chance to "see the rooms where it all
happens."
*Book completed: "Love Invents Us," by Amy Bloom. "Unlikely" seems to be the operative word
here. An unlikely title (sounds more like a self-help, psychobabble tome) and unlikely
heroine's unlikely development (in all senses of the word). Ironically, for all the references
to deep emotional longing "love" summons up, there's a curiously perfunctory narrative tone.
*Viewing: "Scent of Green Papaya" -- a Vietnamese version of "Tree of the Wooden Clogs," perhaps --
with its intimate chronicling of the daily household routine. Enjoyable, but there seemed to be
more than a few loose ends one would've liked to see: the old man eternally taken with the grandmother
of the household, the roguishly flatulent younger son...
May 19
Recent recordings purchased:
*"Tempted and Tried," Steeleye Span. The spark is still there, like on "Shaking of the Sheets"
and "Padstow May Song." But Bob Johnson's attempts at redoing trad. folk songs just aren't very
successful, though Peter Knight's are somewhat better.
*"Aqaba," June Tabor. It's not as if I'm particularly put off by Tabor's gradual metamorphosis to
a remote, low-key style. Still, it'd be nice to hear some of the spark and flash on,
for example, "A Cut Above." But the title cut, her rendition of "Verdi Cries" and "King
of Rome" are lovely.
May 18
Lilac Sunday event provides example of morris parenting in the '90s: you drop your kid off
at her team's morris stand, then you have to go on to yours. Still, a fine day...
May 17
The First Greater Boston Ginger Ale, with Banbury Cross, Hopbrook Morris and unnamed rapper team. Shining
beacon of hope for the future of morris.
May 15
Consumer advocacy in the news:
*Florida's attorney general sued 10 paper companies Tuesday, alleging they conspired to fix prices for toilet paper, tissues, paper towels, paper toilet seat covers and other sanitary products sold to institutional buyers, hotels, restaurants and other large-scale purchasers.
*Mass. Board of Higher Education chief James Carlin has proposed high schools return state funds if too many of their grads have to take remedial courses in public colleges.
May 12
POV magazine reports that among the list of professions projected to offer less opportunities for employment and development for the forseeable future is coal mining. Perhaps a recruitment campaign featuring Ewan MacColl and Jack Elliot songs is in order.
May 10
Viewing: "Georgia."
May 8
One reason why CDs are inferior to LPs: You can't play them backwards to hear all the satanic messages.
May 5
Viewing: "Romance With A Double Bass."
May 4
Morris gig at Brandeis Renaissance Faire. Slightly reticent Green Man pursues fair maidens, but not minors, apparently, as YD complained: "He won't chase us! He only chases women!"
May 2
Parental pride indulgence: YD scores triumph in stage debut, as house component and police officer in "Fractured Fairy Tales." All captured lovingly on video, including her curtain-call boogie with the rest of her mates.
April 27
A weekend at NEFFA! Great weather, great dancing, great time for everyone, thank goodness. Nice to be able to let the kids run wild throughout the festival grounds, and not regret it. Don't think I've danced as much in one weekend like this for a longgggg time. I think I'm beginning to develop a possibly fatal interest in border morris. Picked up live album by Milladoiro, and it more than fulfilled expectations.
April 23
Historical quote of my day (from "Dreadnought" by Robert Massie):
A woman once desired by an eccentric Russian diplomat was asked if she ever regretted spurning him. "Every day I regret it. But every night, I congratulate myself."
April 22
Opportunity amidst the rubble, as seen on rec.arts.tv--"We are currently selling all the wardrobe and props from the TV series 'Martin'. Lots of designer clothes available at 40%-60% below retail."
April 20
Viewing: "It Happens Every Spring."
April 18
Book completed: "Feet of Clay" by Terry Pratchett.
April 14-16
Viewings: "Interview with the Vampire" and "The Go-Between."
April 13
Kid creations:
*YD, upon hearing Joe Cocker's version of "With A Little Help From My Friends," opines that it sounds like "Need a little help with my pants." *OD's new product idea: Tushy-Up Barbie. Don't ask.
April 10
OK, people used to, and still do say the "New York Football Giants." So before the Great Westward Movement, did people also say "New York _Baseball_ Giants"?
April 2-9
*Viewings: "Strawberry and Chocolate," "Pennies From Heaven," "Schindler's List" and "Awakenings."
*Book completed: "Snow Falling on Cedars," by David Guterson.
April 1
Thoughts from an April Fool's Day blizzard:
*Definition of "knife-edge": watching a snow-laden tree limb massaging a main power line across the street from you.
*I suppose it's a good thing we don't have a dog right now. When I went out to get a paper earlier, when it was still snowy and windy, about the only people I saw around were those who had to walk their dogs. The others were all joggers. Or loons like me who wanted to see what was going on.
*Let's see--two days ago, I was out bicycling in my short sleeves and playing hoops with precocious 12-year-olds. Today, I'm trudging through knee and thigh-deep mounds and sledding down the local hill. And in three weeks I'm supposed to be out morris dancing in Natick.
March 31
Why I Love Usenet:
(from rec.arts.tv)
Title: Request from an artist
"Can anyone out there think of films, books commercials or just about anything that has occured in front of wood panelling? Or do you know of places with wood panelling in the area where you live?"
(From rec.arts.movies.misc)
Title: Please help w/college paper!
"I'm looking for a list of all the movies that show a woman kicking a man in the groin. If you can help, please send as many as you can remember"...
March 22
LW's belated birthday party, replete with lobsters, broc. and cake -- and two viewings of "Harriet the Spy" and "Welcome to the Dollhouse."
March 18
Happy birthday, honey! ...Satisfied and tickled, too
Baby, don't you know that I love you...
March 17
Great Careers, no. 327 in a series: Writing capsule descriptions for TV movie listings-- "A man's phone-sex relationship with a champion woman skier is the only proof he didn't murder his wife." ("Alibi")
from the Boston Sunday Globe
