Music is the resurrection and the life

June 24th left Matt a very sad Matt. The car he loved was gone, and the CD/MP3 receiver that had kept him sane through Nevada on the “Loneliest Highway” was homeless. In a daring and moderately bold move he’d snagged the CD player from the wrecked car while it was at the auto salvage place when the insurance adjuster wasn’t looking. Technically it was part of the value of the car. Matt knew he loved it in a way no one else ever would and so theft was okay.

Fear, Hate and Violence

Last night I saw War Photographer a documentary about James Nachtwey one of the best in the business. The crew used these special micro cameras attached to Nachtwey’s cameras so you can see what he sees when he shoots. They also followed him as best they could with their own camera. They had footage of him in Kosovo, Rwanda, Indonesia, South Africa, Israel and New York City. How he maintains an optimistic view of humanity through all that violence and suffering is a marvel in and of itself.

Holy shit that was Mia Sara!

Tivo grabbed Birds of Prey the new live action Batman spinoff. In the typical WB vein it features scantily clad, sexy young women using super powers to save the world. Yeah, I said super powers, what kind of crap is that? That’s for the Marvel universe, not DC! Remember Joker’s sidekick Harley Quinn? She is very well written, and clever in the animated series. In fact, the episode where she and Poison Ivy tear up the town is one of the highlights of the Batman oeuvre. She’s in this and she’s played by a very, very hot Mia Sara. I have never seen a psychologist who dressed like her though. Although it’s not quite as good as her evil dress in Legend, but I digress. To be honest the show is sort of awful. Acting, dialogue, costumes and set design all came from the WB “How to make a hit show” corporate flowchart rather than a creative team.

Let the ass whooping begin

It would be nice if this was just the beginning of nice things to come in what has been a kinda crappy year.

Jandek

Home alone nursing allergies and thinking through a Benadryl buzz I’m listening to music by Jandek. Jandek has been putting albums out since 1978 and has released 28. They are put out by “Corwood Industries” and consist mainly of two to four minute songs. You acquire them by sending a letter to a PO Box in Houston. In my case, Chrissy gave me one of her duplicates.

A primer of sorts called Mystery Man: Jandek is available online. Here’s a clip:

The National Organization to Shoot Bill O'Reilly Into the Sun

I get back from traveling and came across this gem. The Internet is really great sometimes.

NOSBOIS has a simple organizational goal: Put Bill O’Reilly on a rocket ship headed for the sun. As part of their goal they’ve been sending him multiple letters every month for almost two years trying to convince he should be flown into the sun. You can read the letters. via

Bill Clinton is the Energizer Bunny, he never stops...

Salon has a recent speech Bill Clinton gave. Check out the editor’s notes:

Former President Bill Clinton delivered the following remarks before the Labor Party Conference in Blackpool, England, on Wednesday. The speech, which ranged from Africa to Iraq to his differences with Bush conservatism, was hailed in the Guardian as the work “of a true political master … At times, it was as if Mr. Clinton was calling on Mr. Blair to rescue America from Bushism … What a speech. What a pro. And what a loss to the leadership of America and the world.” The Mirror was even more exuberant: “It was a magnificent speech from a man who is rapidly becoming the greatest figure in world politics, second only, perhaps, to Nelson Mandela.”

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You just won the Super Bowl what are you doing next? I'm going to Huntsville!

Preston Brown who was drafted in the sixth round by the New England Patriots and went on to play for the Browns and Jets did the financial paperwork on the car I bought today. I asked him if Huntsville has any other ex-NFL players besides hall of famerJohn Stallworth. He cryptically responded Huntsville is one of the best kept secrets in the country.

Today as I'm packing to

Today as I’m packing to leave I feel like this is the end of it all. I’m going to leave and nothing will ever be the same again. I’m scared of that new world too. Will my existence be even more marginal than it already is? Why am I so determined to till blighted soil and not seek out greener pastures? Each day feels like a struggle to find a purpose or reason for my existence. I wasn’t defined by Leia or the people in dfwblogs but their collective loss has left me reeling. I don’t know why. They never felt that important to me, certainly they weren’t a hegemony over my existence. I can only conclude that it is the weight of every loss in the course of my life that has collapsed on top of me. I look back, and like anyone who is 28, a mesh of souls both living and dead have alighted briefly along my path. Each one giving and taking according to their need or generosity. However, today it feels as though it’s all been about leading me to this crossroad in my life.

About Schmidt

Tonight I saw About Schmidt at the Angelika since they are having a critic’s screening tomorrow. Before a critic’s screening the Angelika crew watch the movie to make sure it’s ready. This is the first time I’ve gotten to be part of that. It was neat to have the whole building to our small group (10 people or so) and see a movie even before the critics. Shawn even let us fill up on the beverages and popcorn for free.