A Quick Idea?

Chloe from the Dove Foundation (not the chocolate company) called me to prepare another call from Feature Films for Families or something like that. She wanted to know if I agreed that movie ratings are becoming to lax. I said that there is a double standard between ratings for sex and ratings for violence, in that more violence is allowed for lower ratings while sex will immediately increase the rating. I think part of it is the categorization of violence: slap stick violence, fantasy violence and so on. In discussing the mission of Feature Films for Families (who has already contributed over 100 million to produce "family friendly" films), she tried to say how Hollywood doesn't make films that match the values of the rest of the country. I pointed out that they want to make money and that they wouldn't be able to make those films unless Americans went to see them, so the problem isn't Hollywood, but America's debased moral values.

What do you think? Because those folks at FFF will be calling me for money, and I need to have some quality thoughts for them, not just some spur of the moment ideas. (What kinda bugged me, but is understandable, is that Chloe asked for the lady of the house first, then, after she didn't exist, asked for the man of the house. Don't men care about the corruption of their children?)

PS I vacate now, wedding and then camping on the Missouri River, I'll be back the evening of the 9th at the latest.

The Cuckoo Clock

"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock. So long Holly." Orson Welles as Harry Lime in The Third Man.

While The Third Man was written by Graham Greene (not of Bonanza fame), the previous quote was actually written and inserted by Welles. After an obligatory viewing of Casablanca and now seeing what many others consider one of the great film noirs, The Third Man beats that hands down. Better cinematography, better soundtrack (you've gotta love the zither), better script, better acting, and it is all brought together by Carol Reed. What is even better for me, after seeing another noir type by Hitchcock with Jimmy Stewart--The Man Who Knew Too Much, is that Stewart was wanted for the role of Holly Martins, but lost out to the producer's contract with Joseph Cotten. I really can't see Stewart in that role at all, and his drawl would have made it all the worse.

Erasmo Alindogan

An Even Better Twelve Hours. Seriously.

So the last twelve hours were really great. They started around 4 when Karen finally brought over what turned out to be her most delicious veggie lasagna. We (Karen, Ellen, Scott, and I) had a first course of the lasagna, my Sierra Gold Creamy Mashed Potatoes, and Texas Cheese Toast. The second course was watermelon. Third course a bean bag beat down of Team P-Hartman; fourth course Ellen's Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie (judiciously juicy) a la mode chocolat. The fifth course was two more whoopings with a side of left-handed (sinister) smackdown of the aphorementioned Phartman.

Then Wendy arrived, and she and I went to the Saltdogs game. We were so close to the field (second row) by the on deck circle that I could (and did) personally query the St. Joe Blacksnakes on their ages. SS Jimmy Mojica is 21. CF Scooter Jordan is 24, but his team bio says otherwise.

The first Saltdogs game I went to this season, with Karen, a player and a coach were ejected from the other team. The second game I attended, with Wendy and Kyle, went extra innings with a Saltdogs loss. Third game, with Karen, Ellen, and Thomas Trumble, was in section 104. So this fourth game was a combo of all the previous. We sat in section 104, and after the manager and the catcher (Mikaela "Mischa" Dworken) and the starting pitcher (Mark Nussbeck), who was no longer pitching, were ejected from the game in the bottom of the 9th, we went to extra innings, in which the Saltdogs proceeded to concede the contest. So I'm hooked. Wendy and I will be in the self-same seats about twelve hours from now.

But if you were following along, we are not yet done with our twelve hours. The Saltdogs game ended at 10:30. Wendy and I went to Cracker (cuz it's so white) Barrel (cuz it's that much fun) for apple cakes with a side of hashbrowns and Wild Maine Blueberry Pancakes with a side o' grits. After picking up Mus and dropping me off, my time with Wendy endy(?).

Earlier in the day, I was autotuning the start of The Venture Bros. second season and happened across Chuck Norris Karate Kommandos at 4:00 am. So with Chuck Norris being all the rage, I autotuned that one too, not figuring I'd be awake, but preparing for the occasion. So happens, after I went to bed at 12:30, I woke up with a start at 3:51. So my preparation paid off. The episode begins with a "live-action" Norris pausing from his workout on the Total Gym and waning philosophic on the importance of recognizing and admitting your mistakes so that you will never repeat them. "This was the lesson we learned when we went to The Island of the Walking Dead." I also liked when he split the group up and said, "Kimo, Tabe, come with me." So Lone Ranger.

So ends our latest installment of what seems to be hourly recountings of my weekend/life. The next hours hold a viewing of The Third Man, An Inconvenient Truth (I'll tell you what's inconvenient--having to spell it.), and The Venture Bros., the Saltdogs, some shopping, some reading, and some web logging of it all. See you on the side that has been flipt.

Best 18 Hours EVER!!!

So yesterday I went with Karen and Ellen to The Sitar, because I had a gift certificate. We arrived about 6:30ish. We received our food promptly at 8:00. The Taj Mahal was a bit too hoppy for me, but at least it committed to a taste. The vegetable samosas were the best I've had, and the sambar soup (a thick lentil soup with mixed vegetables from Southern India) was pretty good and a nice change up from what would have been a too salty mulligatawny (ask the ladies 'bout that). I was very pleased with my lamb koorma too. The kheer was probably the worst I've had. It was like cottage cheese in sweet cream, not a rice pudding with cardamom accents like it should be.

Then we hit the "boats" in Council Bluffs, Horseshoe Casino ("Where It's Always Been About the Gambler") to be exact. But before we rushed into the casino to give them our money, I locked my keys in the car, with it running. Yes, yes, I know I'm a genius. An hour later, thanks to Ellen's AAA, a pert fellow ope'd (ln 14) the car for us. With this magnificent stroke of luck, I hit the slots, or should I say they hit me. Oh well, what is ten dollars on a memorable evening such as that.

So that is just the first six hours. There were four signs, two on each side of the street in front of our apartment, that said there was no parking allowed at 6 am Saturday by order of the Lincoln City Roads Department (or something like that). Do you see where this is going?

So when I went outside at 10:40 there were no cars on the section of the street where I'd parked. D'oh. I wish the signs had been more explicit about the entire side of the street or that they had put more signs up for each spot.

Now we wait for Karen and her lasagna; Ellen has already made a beautiful strawberry-rhubarb pie, and I have made some mashed potatoes and am ready to put Alton Brown's Chocolate Ice Cream recipe to the test, adding some melted peanut butter for the flavor. There's also a watermelon, that Mother Nature brought to the table.

Then tonight Wendy and I partake of the "Sodium Pups."

A New Bedtime Story

Michael recommended A. Graham Maxwell to me a while ago. I finally tracked him down, and I really liked what I read, so I got a couple of his books. Until I read those, here is a pdf of an interview that I found refreshing in its perspective on Christ's death. If you don't wanna read the whole thing, which is a shame, it becomes more pertinent around page six and really juicy at page eight.

For me, Maxwell takes a few principles about God and his nature, like freedom and truth and intolerance for sin, and follows them to their conclusions for this question, but also applies them so easily to many others. I love this approach; it is how I play Othello. This is why my wavering on the cross led me to the origin of the necessity for blood sacrifice. I couldn't answer my question until the foundations were understood. That is why even though it doesn't specifically apply to why Jesus had to die. Maxwell's discussion of justice is germane. Amen.

Tonight I saw a Ford Escape. I also noticed it was a Limited edition. I find irony in the existence of a Limited Escape. A bit like the Dodge Ram.

(sidenote: In Arrested Development, George Sr. who has escaped from prison using the stair car is at a car dealership looking at the new models. He is told by the dealer that they don't have the Bronco anymore because they are trying to get way from the fugitive mystique. The dealer then proceeds to show George Sr. the Escape.)

Donde es(ta) Daniel?

The search begins here and ends toward the end of Alison Fike's (Nurse Kratchet) slide show on "Her"Space.

Thank you Buffy.

Happy Father's Day.

So dim the confidence of man.

75th Day

So today is the 75th day since I last shaved my face. I got a clippers today so Tuesday, the 77th day, I have decided to trim the sides leaving a Van Dyke. I had been wondering what would happen if I let my "beard" go, and Mr. Mean's kind words pushed me over the edge.

Mauger Dauterive

25th Hour

It has been over a week since last I posted on this weji (web journal). I really couldn't pass the opportunity to document this symbolic day (06.06.06). [I find the meaning behind 666 to be more of a falling short of the perfect holy number of 7. The sin of incomplete.] As AFI's album Decemberunderground and The Omen release today, I take the opportunity to point out that Julia Stiles, mother in The Omen, and I have the exact same birthday.

I've been grumpy and bitter for over a month. However, the last three weekends (These have all included Thursday night bean bags and rhubarb. Coincidence? I don't think so.), I've been climbing back into the "fair to middling" range. And as I reflect on the last 25 hours, I'm officially past middling. The pork shoulder is in sight.

In the aforementioned time frame, I have: flossed, done a load of dishes and laundry, watched two episodes of Arrested Development and American Dreamz (with a Z), done my budget for the month, woken and gotten out of bed at 7 with no snooze (also with a z), spent time leisurely with my favorite married couple before they leave later today, made my super duper bowl of oatmeal for the morning, and not least of all put in more than eight hours of work with a lunch (as opposed to putting in less than eight with no lunch).

Afore the aforementioned time frame, I went to Becca Lund and Randy Reinke's wedding. Becca was most kind to invite me, and I enjoyed myself bordering on satiety. It does not diminish my attendance that I got the garter (take that Amy). I must say that while I've caught a few in my day, all the nuptials are still binding (and not like silk boxers): Dustin and Danielle Opitz, Nathan and Andrea Blake, Brad and Susie Kahler, Jason and Sherri Dawn Healy, Kyle and Cassie Martsching (mini-garter received upon request), and now Mr. and Mrs. Randall Reinke.

I know that tradition holds that I'm the next to be married. Well, I'm not. But whenever that might happen (knock on wood), I plan on bequeathing all my garters with my wife's. Hopefully, the lucky bachelor is a Latter-Day Saint. Okay, I'm done now. The 25th Hour is over.

The soundtrack for the writing of this weji: Jackson Browne - The Pretender; Metric - Raw Sugar; Joel Myers - Wishlist, Soda, Battery; Feist - Mushaboom; Imogene Heap - Goodnight and Go; Fiona Apple - Waltz, Oh Sailor, Not About Love; Stephen Stills - Treetop Flyer, Singin; Mason Jennings - Be Here Now; Sufjan Stevens - Great Godbird, To Be Alone With You; Ben Lee - Catch My Disease, No Right Angles; Death Cab for Cutie - I'll Follow You Into the Dark; and Gnarls Barkley - Crazy, also my favorite new video.