esrosedotblog

We have had our plastic pumpkin up for awhile. Lit with a little bulb inside.

Tonight is the grand finale.

We do not get trick or treaters as a rule but I am ready if we do. The big thing is that I can eat the leftovers with only moderate guilt.

Halloween is "the gay's" Mardi Gras. Costumes, Drag outfits. Wigs. Spangles.

There is a big party here which went on Saturday and I had to listen to all the stuff about it this morning.

I just smile and sit it out.

My costume days are over. John and I went as Hershey Kisses one year. That was the highest mark. We didn't win so fuck it. Never again. It is a lot of trouble.

We always have the light on but there is a gate and it is not easy to get into the complex. There are no kids here. None.

It will be over soon.

I have put in my time at this.

When our kids were little we went up and down the streets with them year after year. I had fun with it. Then they got too big for it and so we passed a milestone. Another change. Like the end of Santa Claus.

I am not at all nostalgic about it. I am glad we did it and I am glad it is over.

I threw out all my drag equipment which actually was more clown drag than the real thing. I have never understood this compulsion to dress up as a woman. I probably should turn in my gay card.

Labels: halloween, holidays

There are plays about bars and plays about bar pwoplw. An entire genré.

Eugene O'Neill maxed the idea with the Iceman. Since then everyone has tried to get a free drink out of it.

The latest is today's film:

Losing Ground )2005)

Originally an off Broadway play transferred to the screen.

They did not "open it up" which probably was impossible anyway. A bar is a bar.

I have spent a lot of time in bars. What this film has right is that nothing happens, nothing has happened and nothing is going to happen.

Nihilism in a bottle.

I have already talked enough about this. I quit half way through. Maybe earlier.

A 1 out of Netflix5.

I am on a bad run lately.

Labels: films

I went through a short period this morning wherein I actually thought the election would be this week.

And it would all be over.

But I realized that this is a result of some cosmic trick or treat prank and there is one more week to endure the exposés and contentious bullshit.

Some people think this is the most war-like General Election.

Well, I am old enough to remember Truman Dewey as well as World War Two.

This is nothing to that time.

Then, we had "communists" lurking in the corridors of Congress and the State Department. Then there was the "Fifth Column" which was the spy machine supposedly set down in our Country, Land of the Free.

We had Henry Wallace. We had George Wallace. Same last name, opposite sides of the field. Both pretty much assholes as far as I can tell.

The thing is that after the election, the waters will recede and we will all go back to the normal American debate. Land of the Free. Home of the Brave.

Do you realize how lucky we are to be born here? Sure there are Trumps and even some minor jerks on our side. But it is nothing to what goes down elsewhere. And don't talk to me about Great Britain. Or fucking Finland. No where is easy.

We have to show up.

I already voted. I am ready to sit and watch the results. I am also willing to accept the will of all the people.

I might complain a bit no matter who wins. But that is my prerogative of being born here. A basic right. I think it is even in the Bill Of Rights. Let's go look.

Labels: 2016 General Election

For some reason, our refrigerator-freezer developed a lot of ice in the lower freezer compartment.

Can't have that.

So this morning, I spent time, off and on, taking all the frozens out and putting some hot water in to melt the glacier.

It was not actually back breaking work but it was wet and slow.

This is not supposed to happen but like a lot of things that are not supposed to, it did.

I will try to be vigilant around this issue in the future. Close the bottom drawer tight, monitor the temperature, don't put warm stuff into it.

I suppose no refrigerator is truly frostless. I have never had one.

I am proud of the fact that the last time this happened we paid some guy to come do the same thing. He had a hot air blower. I just let Mother Nature do the job.

Now it is ramping back up to what it is supposed to be. It is very tempting to open the door and check on the current readings. But I have only done this once.

I would not normally report on anything so mundane but since it took up a lot of my day's time so far, it is something to be noted.

Perhaps it is a good warning for you to go check your machine and see how it is doing. Or not. It will let you know eventually when you cannot close the drawer because of the ice.

Labels: appliances

Today, a Danish film about a "pro forma marriage".

One of those where a citizen marries an immigrant to create citizenship for the alien.

This is now illegal most places or, at least, inconvenient. They made this happen a while ago before the doors shut entirely.

Kinamand / Chinaman (2005)

A simple guy has a Chinese friend who has a deal for him. Marry his Chinese cousin and get paid for it. It would only be pro forma, that is no one expects consummation or anything else. Cohabitation is a must but beyond that no.

So our hero accepts because he needs the money, find out for yourself why.

This is a pretty good movie with a wry approach to a difficult problem.

There is a twist or two in the plot which will defy predictability.

I liked it. Once is enough but good enough. A 3 out of Netflix5.

Labels: films

Every once in awhile I dip into the heterosexual sexploitation genré to see what is going on.

The men are usually pretty good looking and there is even a story sometimes.

I don't know why I watched

8mm 2 (2005)

but that must have been it. Idle curiosity.

There is a lot of sex in this film. It is a generic spy thriller with a lot of stops for all out sex scenes. James Bond has nothing on this stuff.

This is a sequel to an earlier film titled, guess what, 8mm.

The men are handsome, the women are beautiful and they are more than willing to "x" out all the boxes on the sexual versatility charts.

But no homo for the men. Just the usual hetero fascination with lesbians.

In the meantime, a tawdry story of spies in the bedrooms of famous men and secret pictures (blackmail) add up to an old formula which was done much more brightly in the film noir Thirties.

It is said that the sex is real in this film. OK. If so, they were bored too. Not much zip.

I had to FF because I could not take any more of it and so it is a 1 out of Netflix5.

But what do I know. The "straights" might really like it. Maybe. But I doubt it. No one likes to watch a sex downer.

Labels: films

In another life, I worked for the famous cranberry company, my second job.

It was a great emancipation from my first job with a large chain store company in its "engineering" department. I had a good time but they really didn't need me there. I did a lot of sitting. My boss wanted an MIT guy in his department and that is what I was. They had no idea what to do with me.

So I left to work with the cranberry company in Hanson Massachusetts. A down-home cooperative housed in old factory buildings with makeshift furnishings and dilapidated equipment. I loved it.

I stayed there five years and learned to love the unlovable cranberry.

A fruit so tart and nasty to eat that people constantly felt that it had to be healthful.

At that time, it was all about urinary health. It was claimed and proven that cranberry juice was good for the bladder and helped you to pee.

A health claim is very hard to get approval for. They finally got it and medical journals lauded the fruit. Never mind that the strengths required for the berry to work its magic were almost impossible to ingest in 24 hours. And it always tasted too sour. Hence, a huge amount of corn and cane sugars added. So much for health.

But they are still chasing the health benefits. Just in, this: The Cure for UTIs? It’s Not Cranberries

Oops. No. Another miss. But gee, something that tastes so bad has to be good, right? Guess not.

I left the barn a long time ago, many years. But I always watched the results of the marketing attempts with interest. Fruit blends, dried "craisins" and the like.

The co-op had a fractious grower membership who could rarely agree on anything. This led to the ability of a strong management, brought in as "saviors", to run the brands around the course to see if they could win the marketing race on the grocery shelf. Or something.

Every fall, the harvest leads to a secondary harvest of news items. This year is no exception.

I still like the sauce. I bought a can of the whole berry the other day. It felt like home in my hand.

Labels: history

I have always believed that Elizabeth Warren was a pain in the ass.

A moralistic finger pointer who resides in a white castle high above our heads. A harridan without portfolio.

Now that she has gotten herself elected as a Senator from Massachusetts she has grown more shrill.

Now it seems she thinks of herself as the Executive Branch enforcer.

She reminds me of an irritating schoolmarm.

The Problem With Elizabeth Warren

Here, Roger Lowenstein takes he to task. In fact a kind of take-down.

It is good to see.

People of the Warren stripe have a bit too much fake humility for my taste.

I would like to see where and how she gets campaign contributions.

I just hate the "holier than thou" crowd.

They usually have something to hide.

Someday the people with torches and pitchforks might come for this whiner and provoker.

Boy she pisses me off. The ultimate scold.

Labels: democratic whack jobs

When I saw Peter Greeaway's name in the credits, I knew.

Eisenstein in Guanajuato (2016)

is a self indulgent mess.

Over the top with split screens and in rather vivid color, the great Russian director is shown as a bohemian crackpot.

Not much of a homage if that was intended.

I did not finish it. That makes it a 1 out of Netflix5.

I didn't know that Eisenstein was queer but he didn't either until he is seduced. The graphic deflowering is everything every man fears about homosex. In living color.

Blah. Bushwaugh. Baloney.

I have not seen much about Eisenstein films. I couldn't get through Potemkin. So I am not a film buff from that perspective.

Greenaway is a guy who is not reliable about facts and he always has some kind of sex kink up his sleeves. He loves to watch people undress. Not a bad thing but kind of boring.

Apparently Lenin had no orthodoxy about gay sex or maybe when you were out of the country it was OK. The film is confused on this point. A major miss I think. And so on. I couldn't finish the film. A 1 out of Netflix5.

Labels: films

One of the fears of old age is the worry about dementia.

From time to time some event will occur which keys me off. One category of these involves forgetfulness.

Now, I have not yet forgotten how to get home although that did happen once when I got lost in downtime Palm Springs. That was a few years ago. Nothing since.

As a rule I do not forget where my stuff is. My glasses for example. This is because I put them all over the house. When I have only one of something then the worry about forgetting is keener.

Other than that, not so much, although my husband will get on me about it. A hint to the helpers, badgering is not helpful.

Here is a snatch of logic about it.

Forgetfulness: Knowing When to Ask for Help

There are a lot more symptoms of old age which are worrisome but I forget what they are.

Now, where was I?

Oh yes. The actual data on the subject suggests that while forgetfulness is a symptom of dementia, forgetfulness is not a warning of oncoming dementia.

I stay in touch with the latest research.

My parents were keen until the end into their eighties. No one in my greater family had the disease.

In my experience, the more prevalent symptom of aging is impatience with others and a tendency to read other people's beads.

Part of this comes from experience. When you see someone walking off a cliff one should say something. But most of it is just an opinion and an outlook. A wariness with life that younger people, including me, just do not have.

Full speed ahead is not so much on the menu any more. Besides, I would rather sit and read or do the blog or something else. Water the garden.

I guess dementia is like insanity. People who have it don't know they do. A more or less blissful state I suppose. But please god don't let me get to pissing myself or walking into things. Especially not walking around with a fried egg on my head.

I predicted this.

And no, it is not about the election. It is about after. But starting now.

Losing the election is just the start of Trump's inevitable wave of future failures

I spent a few years working with marketing brands and how to promote them. The people who do this are dead serious. The brand is everything.

But the brand has to be protected. Hence so many lawsuits applied to companies that try to use "near names" to sell their similar merchandise.

For example. I do not hesitate to buy something from Lands End. Period. No discussion. If it has that label on that web site then I just order the stuff. Anything else, I am willing to try to get one piece to see.

An example in the same business is The Gap. A fallen brand. I recently bought a few white polos to wear with my lounging pants. El Cheapo. OK for the intended purpose but so thin I would not wear them outside the house. A brand killed by corporate predators who missed the point of the brand they were buying.

So it is with Trump. His family is going to be left with a burned battle field. The brand is already slipping. It will slip even more.

And his supporters, the white trash, the knuckle draggers and the religionists, are not going to go to a Trump casino or hotel. Trump Tower will no longer be a prestige address.

Sad. But he deserves every bit of the bitter aftermath.

There is more in this article about his inevitable losses. His social prestige, his continued legal woes and his family.

Labels: Donald Trump

Five sisters all about to get married off in the traditional Turkish way.

Orphaned, they live with their uncle whose desire to get rid of them is palpable.

There are many sweet moments in

Mustang (2016)

I teared at the end and during.

The traditional marriage customs leave no room for choice. Families, mostly the fathers, decide.

These kids are right on the cusp of radical change. Without being radical.

I loved this movie and would be willing to see it again just to catch the banter and interplay between the young women.

In actual fact, the grooms chosen for three of them ain't bad either. But that is not the point.

Labels: films

I am going to quit writing about the election.

Not so much because I am tired of it. I am. But because it is not very interesting.

The differences between Clinton and Trump could not be more stark.

And Trump ends up with all the negatives. Just like the polls are now finding.

I suppose that there is some danger that something could go wrong and he would end up being elected. But I would put that down somewhere next to the next sighting of Big Foot as a probability.

The biggest foot here is Trumps foot in his own mouth. Foot in mouth disease.

How about wrong footed?

There are a lot of "foot" sayings.

Another lady has materialized, this one a porn star. Not that there is anything wrong with that. But it is a bit unseemly for a married man (three times even) who already has a record of lady friends who saw the whole package.

No one has yet report on whether it is true that his endowment is a bit below the average.

What a sordid mess.

Here I am doing gutter talk. See? I am better off treating it as a foregone conclusion and if I am wrong I will move to Canada with my other friends.

Or just tough it out and write nasty shit about the man for four years.

Labels: Donald Trump

Today. another holocaust movie.

Actually, the prison camps are featured here and the obsession to find a guard who abused the prisoners.

Remember (2016)

Christopher Plummer and an amazing Martin Landau who does not look like Martin at all. I suppose I don't look like the old me either but Martin has not aged well.

Nevertheless for a couple of geezers Plummer and Landau do a great job of trying to clean the slate of all the surviving prison guards from the camps. The jew killers.

I was not born when this started for the world and I was eight when it was over. So it is all stories for me. Except my Dad who was on a ship in the North Atlantic and then the Pacific. Very personal. We knew nothing of the prison camps. Or if we did no one talked about it.

As a drama, this film is first rate. It is suspenseful. The acting is totally focused. We are in the nursing home where these people now reside and then we are out there with our hero getting his revenge.

As I now know, being 80ish and all, there is a certain age where one does not give a shit about consequences and this is the case here.

I would not mind seeing it again just to watch the faces. A 4 out of Netflix5.

Labels: films

We have rain today.

Holy jumping jeezuz.

Thunder and lightning. Actually more of that than real rain.

Well, they said thundershowers and that is exactly what they are.

Showers. Punctuated by rumbles from the sky.

I remember our first thunder here. It is different. It doesn't just BOOM. It reverberates in the mountains. Boom, boom, etc.

In the old days, our dog would be cowering. Not our Marcus. He is not partial to the showers but the thunder is of no consequence whatsoever.

The air has that newly wet smell. Ozone.

So rare in the desert. So refreshing to have.

The trees and bushes like it. Where irrigation does not reach.

Boom boom boom.

Labels: weather

Today's film is about a victim who has returned to the scene of the crime.

Only the crime has not happened yet.

A bit convoluted but still a very good film.

Phoenix (2015)

This is in German with subtitles. Just for the record.

A survivor of the concentration camps is burnt and gets a new face. It is assumed that she was dead or missing. It is the end of WWII, everything is in turmoil.

She decides to return to her husband and friends with the knowledge that he was arrested the day before she was and released the day after her capture as a Jew.

Odd coincidence that.

So with a new face, sort of, she goes back to look into things.

This film never loses its way which is good as the double identity could be very confusing. She is herself looking for herself.

This is a thriller. Or a suspense tale.

One of the good things about it is the music. All kinds of variations on a Cole Porter song. Which has a big payoff in the end as part of the plot.

Oh boy.

I would happily see this again. Not to help unravel it as it does that job very well but just to see the looks on people's faces when she is with them. They sort of know her but really do not. Subtle. Very good.

A 4 out of Netflix5.

Labels: films

I am not too interested in either Bob Dylan or the Nobel Prizes.

But it is fun to watch the little dance that is being done over Dylan's prize for "literature" this year.

Bob Dylan’s Silence on Nobel Prize Is Called ‘Impolite and Arrogant’ by Academy Member

It is a stretch. There is no doubt that Bob Dylan has cut a wide swath in our culture.

But for me, it is a furrow that misses me entirely.

I never liked his music or his "poetry" and I do not like them/it now.

As a personality he is repellant to me. A snotty disrespectful kid who has made a silk purse out of sows ear. The wanderings of his mind now fetch up into "poetry".

Have I pissed you off yet?

No?

I will keep going.

To me he is a narcissist who wants attention but then cuts you off with a head butt to the nuts.

I know people like this. If they didn't make hit records they are called assholes like anyone else.

Dylan's preciousness is so irritating.

What the hell?

Mom's in the basement? Come on.

Anther thing. He had a lot of help from The Band. Another ego driven outfit who over stayed their time. Their brief hour on the stage. But at least they were musical.

Now, the Nobel Prize. Always a weird award by culturally aloof Scandinavians drooped around the neck of the rest of the world.

Even Obama is still embarrassed by getting the Peace Prize and still shudders when he is asked about it. Too much too soon.

In Dylan's case it is too much too late. He is way past his prime and that was not much for me.

I had a close friend who idolized Dylan. We lived together for awhile. I had to listen to a lot of the music. I still think it is balderdash.

I have gone far enough here. Nobel Bob. I call bullshit.

Money talks and bullshit walks.

An old saying I grew up with.

I am not quite sure of the meaning actually. It is a bit garbled. I looked it up.

And so it goes for the supposed billionaire Donald Trump.

I say supposed because more and more it seems he may nat really have all that cash everyone thinks he has. But that is another story.

I am talking here about the campaign for President of the United States.

Outside Money Favors Hillary Clinton at a 2-to-1 Rate Over Donald Trump.

Now I suppose I should be bothered by this. But the Supreme Court held in the Citizens United case that "outside money" was OK. That organizations outside the actual campaigns could raise as much money as they could for particular candidates.

At the time this was thought to be a Republican initiative to pad the expenses of costly campaigns. If so, it has backfired.

The Trumps have about half the outside money that Clinton does. And right or wrong that is going to make a big difference in this campaign. I guess the GOoPers that wanted outside money got what they wanted. Be careful what you ask for.

Labels: Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump

Trying to channel the founder of his Party, Trump made an ass of himself again today on hallowed ground.

Donald Trump Pledges to ‘Heal Divisions’ (and Sue His Accusers)

A master of the mixed message, Trumpf fumbled his way across the quiet fields to make another asshole statement about his beliefs and promises. Pretty fucking shallow that.

I should quit reading. I already voted. It is moot with me. But for a guy who likes to throw the word "disgraceful" around, he sure manages to model the behaviors. A dick.

Did I say that before?

Probably.

Donald Dick.

Quack quack.

Labels: Donald Trump, republican whack jobs, Trumpf

Gay rights have taken us very far.

So far that now we can have our own vampire movies with real naked mens getting all bloody and doing stuff to one another.

A step too far.

Drink Me (2015)

This is a really lousy movie.

It is film hackery from beginning to end.

Even the end to end naked bodies being eaten or bloodied or having gory sex together do not redeem it. Gore porn.

I shouldn't even be writing about it.

As for the sexy parts, they are not. The guys are kind of hairy slim Jims. The vampire in contrast is blond and beautifully cut and hunky.

Why am I writing this? It is not likely you will want to ever see this especially after I give it a 1 out of Netflix5.

In fact, a tipoff, only four critics bothered to write about it.

Too bad. There are still possibilities in gay vampires. Lestat was gay. This is nothing near Ann Rice. An embarrassment. I did not wait until the end but I stayed for all but five minutes. I couldn't face the inevitable transition of the rather homely victims. Pale limp gay Brits.

Labels: gay films

We sent in our ballots.

So this one is history for us.

Except for waiting out the results.

There is enough that has been unpredictable about this General Election that I am drawing no previous conclusions.

I think we can all agree that, whatever the outcome, we are relieved to have it done.

Of course if Trump wins it will not be over. The battle will continue. I am a little like him in that regard. I "might not" accept the outcome.

No that is not true. He is a dick plain and simple and all that about accepting the results was a typical dick move. Spoiled brat stuff. His tony nose in the air waving his little hands.

OK. I am done. Really.

With Clinton? Well it will be interesting.

I never was a fan of Hillary Clinton but I had no data really.

What I have seen from her on this campaign tells me that I should have taken her seriously long ago. She is a strong determined and talented woman who is eminently qualified for this job.

No others need apply.

When I lived in Boston, back in the Fifties, it was hard to walk down the street without getting invited to buy a book and come to supper at the Scientology Center

I never went.

I often wondered what happened when people did.

Over the years I heard about the "church" and drew a pretty strong conclusion that it was a hype perpetrated by a con man and run by prisoners of their own culpability.

Today's film doesn't do much to dispel this original impression. But it is pretty good even if it will not change anyone's mind.

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015)

This is a pretty good documentary but it is mostly old stuff. I would have liked it to plow some new ground but the later years of the "church" are filled with difficult times and there is not much new ground to plow.

Paul Haggis of the movies is the main guy in this. He is a member of 35 years who finally got that he didn't get it. Except for the hosing.

I sort of get how mind control works. It is less clear in this film about how people stayed years and years despite abuse at the hands of their little dictator Miscavige. But then this is the old conundrum about victims and how they cooperate in their own slavery.

I will give this a 3 out of Netflix5.

I would have liked a bit more exposé especially of that giant dickhead, the pillar of the "church" Tom Cruise.

I will have to wait.

Labels: films, scams

The bonds between two friends when one is straight and the other is gay are very interesting to explore.

I have had some success in maintaining such relationships and also some complete flops.

When I came out to some long time best friends they freaked out and we did not see much of each other again.

Some stayed.

It is not easy to navigate the rapids in such a change in friendship.

The other thing is that very often the straight friend sees "designs" by the gay one. Threats. This is too bad but can't be helped. There is not justifying either self hatred or innate or learned homophobia.

And so on. So boring to still be talking about this shit all these years later.

But here we are with a wonderfully sweet German film where just this kind of thing happens. Two friends who have met at school get together again and enjoy a road trip through Germany. All is well. Then they pick up a hitchhiker who upsets the apple cart.

In a way, this is a play on the old idea that "three is a crowd". But when gay feelings are bouncing around it makes it even more crowded.

With a deft hand and a sweet sensibility this film explores the situation and draws few conclusions. We are left to form our own.

You and I (2016)

This DVD is not widely distributed and it has not appeared anywhere but the festival circuit. Good reasons, for one, is that it is not a long film. 70 plus minutes. It is also not set up for popular appreciation. A limited taste or sensibility.

I can say you will not be disappointed. The biggest threat is that you might be bored if you do not identify with the situation. As a "straight" man who got into confused friendships with straight men continually it is not boring at all. It is me.

The DVD from Breaking Glass is subtitled in English.

A hidden gem.

Labels: gay films

Republican operatives had hoped that Trump would not burn the rest of the ticket as he went down in flames.

So much for that.

He has ignited an explosion of reaction to his comment about a rigged election.

Given the opportunity to back it up and try again he refused to do so in last night's debate.

Trump creates new headaches for Republicans in final debate

He refused to commit to the electoral process.

The idea that this could be fixed is absurd. The American election system is anything but monolithic. Not only do we not vote for the President directly, the Electoral College, but we also vote with elections that are managed by each State and even County in their own special way.

The idea that any attempt to fix the outcome is absurd.

But then so is Trump. He is like Lear. Blustering off the stage in clouds of resentment and entitlement. A boy in man's clothing. A fat boy. He has gained a lot of weight on the campaign circuit. Too many bacon cheeseburgers. Yeh. A cheap shot. Why not? He is a clown still but a very very dangerous one.

Some of my best friends are Canadian.

Doesn't that sound patronizing? No. Not really as it is true.

It is a little embarrassing for me, still, to hear a Canadian call me an American as I regard all of us as Americans. But I will take it. This is just one of so many examples of Canadian graceful and beautiful manners.

So, it is with a great deal of pleasure that I saw this tape. They do like us. I want to make one with us saying the same about them.

Can you even grasp the Canadian/American miracle?

The border between us is real but it is one of the least contentious borders in the world. Like us, the biggest and bestest.

There was nothing in the debate last night about Canadians creeping into our country or causing us problems.

One might say that is because Canadians are just like us but that is not really true. They are not like us. They are Canadian. And the difference does not take long to notice. It is a nice difference. Sweet. We are like brothers and sisters in a good family. Actually, that is what we have become.

Oh Canada!

Labels: canada

I have returned to the lists.

I took my time off and spent it well. Old DVDs and relaxed afternoons.

And the time off helped.

I am fired up and ready to go.

What did I miss while I was gone?

I made some notes.

For one thing, I saw Michelle Obama make the speech of a lifetime on behalf of Hillary Clinton. And also on behalf of the Obama legacy. Outstanding.

Out of the blue, Bob Dylan won a Nobel Prize for Literature. Poetry.

I bet my long-ago friend Peter is happy as hell about this. Me? I was never a fan of the obscure rattlings of the Dylan soul. But I was glad to see him get it anyway. It did not prompt me to go and listen to one side of any of his work. Yeh. I know he is a genius. I just cannot stand to hear him sing.

Some more campaigning went on. Grinding my gears here and there. Nothing special until last night's debate.

What a blowout.

Clinton was at her best. Trump at his worst.

He is fond of saying that "she has no energy" but this is his pointing the finger to others when it is his problem totally. He started big then flagged. Bloated and slow like a punch drunk fighter, he lost his mo about thirty minutes in and it never came back.

What message he had became a mess in his hands in the second half.

I do not know that the debates change any minds. Someone said "move the dial". But they sure can steel one's resolve.

I would now more like to see his ass kicked than at any other time in the campaign.

The press today is brutal.

His failure to state his commitment to the results of the election is unpatriotic. Astounding. Un-American.

He is s spoiled sore loser and a potential menace to the country.

If for no other reason, I hope for a landslide to put this whiner to rest once and for all.

A rant, huh. I guess I am ready to return.

Oh.

One more thing. Do you notice? The woman in the white suit, the man in the black. Just like the westerns. The good and bad guys.

Labels: 2016 General Election, Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump

I am watching old movies that I love.

I am taking my time to savor the embarrassment of the GOP at their unnnominated nominee and I just generally taking a break.

When the blog feels like a burden it is time to lay back for awhile.

So, here I go. I am taking at least a week long breather.

If anything comes up that cannot wait, maybe sooner. But probably not.

Labels: blogging

I am about to make this a Trump free zone—Trumpf.

Trumpf Trumpf Trumpf.

And that is the end of it for me.

The guy is such a monumental asshole that I do not want him in here.

The debate last night was a "disaster".

His generalizations and outright lies tell us more about who he is than anything else he could do.

He is talking down to us.

Schooling us in the language of racism and xenophobia.

The no-nothings will stick by him I feel sorry for them because sooner or later they will realize he does not care about them. It is about his ego.

And so on. Don't get me started.

Fuck you Donald Trump and the horse you rode in on.

Labels: 2016 General Election

A second viewing for today's movie.

Premium Rush (2012)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a bike messenger and has a package to deliver.

The delightfully wicked Michael Shannon is after the envelope our messenger is carrying.

This is one of those movies that are filled with stunts, one on top of another, sometimes literally. There is not a lot of room for error on New York City streets.

I have seen this at least once before and it is as fresh and exciting as the last time. There is no real question about how it will turn out, in a general way, but there are side stories that lie outside memory to relish along the way. It is basically a western on bikes but the westerns are popular for a reason. Excitement, villains, a hero.

The photography enhances the stunts. Low camera--high bike, slow motion falls, flying through the air.

Since I did see it again it is a 4 out of Netflix5.

Labels: films

It is a quadrennial event.

Something or someone gets into the gears of a Presidential campaign and screws the machine up.

Such a thing just happened.

Billy Bush Says He’s Ashamed by Lewd Talk With Donald Trump

Now there is nothing wrong with lewd talk. I am a practitioner and proud of it. But there is a time and place.

It is hard to resist the expression "he got his dick caught in the wringer".

Now, precisely, what is wrong with this. All Presidents have had a wild mouth in private although Republican ones seem more vulnerable.

But restraint of tongue is necessary in a guy who is President.

Whether he is a womanizer or not, he has a braggart and a bully which usually hides a fragile ego.

Labels: Donald Trump

I am having bad movie luck.

Today, a star weighted version of the famous Michael Frayne play

Noises Off! (1992)

Very heavy handed. Over the top with the voices. Non British actors pretending to be British.

A mess.

I quit before it was done. A 1 out of Netflix5.

Comedy is a delicate art. It does not do well with hammer blows.

Labels: films

I tried to watch two films today.

One because it was gay themed. Not a good reason.

When I ejected that one, I went to the Ryan Gosling / Russell Crow film The Nice Guys.

It sucked.

The first half is pretty good and a lot of the lines and action remind of Abbot and Costello. But midway it becomes way too much and I had to quit.

I am so pissed at these movies I will not bother to rate them.

My only recourse for revenge.

No pictures either. Fuck them.

Labels: films

We watched the Veep debate last night.

The human versus the robot.

A lot of pundits this morning call it a draw or a small edge to Pence.

Frank Bruni differs and so do I.

Mike Pence's Galling Amnesia

Not amnesia, really. Outright denial of his running mates public statements and positions.

I found it very frustrating to watch. And once again, a moderator who took no strong action to harness the yakking.

The Commission that puts this on has to find a better way to run the show.

So the frustration led to trouble getting to sleep. A sort of adrenaline buzz that wouldn't go away.

The tight lipped Pence is one of those morality players who want everyone else to tow a line which only he dictates.

No surprise that Gay Rights did not enter the picture. Pence has already shown his colors on that and it would do no good for further discussion on the Democrat side.

I do not know why people think this debate was unimportant. I can agree that it was in no way decisive.

To be honest, both VP candidates are new to the national scene. Neither has a depth of experience to give confidence and clarity to their positions. That was also evident last night. They are coming up in the ranks and have a future in both their parties.

If Trump loses, as I expect he will, I hope, Pence has positioned himself as a good starter in 2020. Kaine of course will be Vice President and that is the best platform of all.

But it is pretty well understood that the VP people get lost when the next time comes around. Joe Biden for example. Too old, too exposed.

But I am ahead of myself. We have to get through this one first.

Labels: 2016 General Election

Today's film is a take on high school rumor mongering and adolescent cruelty.

And it is very funny.

With a deft light hand Will Gluck writes and directs

Easy A (2010)

with Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson.

I got to see this again because I saw a clip from it on line somewhere/.

It is a very funny scene with Tucci and Clarkson in their kitchen when they tell the little black kid he is adopted. All present react with astonishment.

There are a lot of good jokes and Badgely is as studly as ever and I had a good time. Technically this would be a 5 as I saw it a second time but I didn't know I would the first time so it doesn't really qualify but I might actually see it a third time in which case that makes it a 4.

Here is my favorite scene, the one that got me back to see this movie.

Labels: films

I had a great morning at the Hospital.

I was sent to their lab to do some tests but it turned out there was no such thing as simple.

I have an infected ankle, long story, but they were going to be sure that was all and that it didn't mean something else.

Now let me say at the outset that I am not complaining. What I expected and what I got were two different things.

The put me on a series of testing procedures, machines, X-rays. and the lot, to see if this could be a result of lung problems or some other distant condition.

Short answer, no. It was just a skin infection. Cellulitis.

The surprising thing and, in a way, the best thing was that once I was put in jonny gown I was taken to many stations where every fucking organ in my upper body was probed. Very little about the ankle as it was plainly obviously in need of treatment.

I suppose this is what they mean when they talk about escalating medical costs. Well, I agree. It is over the top.

But when it is me that is under the gun I am more than happy to have it done particularly since they did not find one thing wrong in my upper body. Not lungs, kidneys and the rest of it.

I do have some kidney function problems but the kidney is well and in good kidney shape—I suppose like a kidney shaped swimming pool.

And me? It is like the way when we got a "no fault" audit from IRS when our company and the owners (me) were audited.

Whew.

But my good god there are a lot of machines and people. It is swarming with people. And, as it turns out several of them were friends or friends of friends who found out I was there and stopped by.

Palm Springs is not a small town until it is. People become right sized and take the time to care and kibbitz.

I walked out with a prescription for two antibiotics. Said to be killers. Good.

So I am free of worry for awhile. Not that I worry that much. I am almost 80 and it has been great so far.

And what is more, I might live long enough to vote for Hillary Clinton's second term.

Labels: health, medical

// posted by esrose @ 4:02 PM (0) comments

Today's film was a surfer movie.

Point Break (1991)

I have seen this before. I got it because it has Keanu Reeves in it and I needed a fix.

He is a very handsome guy in this. Younger, buffer. I like the offedness of his playing. Is that a word? It fits Keanu.

And we have a handsome villain, Patrick Swayze.

I have seen this before and it did not pale as a result.

There is some silliness with "the girl" but we have to wade through that.

The surfing photography is superb including a monster storm sea at the end. A Fifty Year Storm. They say.

It is a solid 3 out of Netflix5. I probably will not want to see it again but who knows. I might need a Keanu fix and this is a good one. He is coming out with Wick II a sequel. I do not do those but I will see his.

Labels: films

Today's film is a gay thriller.

But not so much. It is gay but not too thrilling.

No Night Is Too Long (2002)

Based on a Ruth Rendell novel, well another pen name but still Miss Ruth, there is turmoil and more as a young man falls in love with two people at the same time. The usual adolescent conflict when one of those persons is a man and the other is a woman.

Of course, as someone points out, it is not really love that is involved here but teen age angst and Freudian roiling of the emotions.

And so on.

Move on, nothing to see here.

Of course, I am rooting for the gay side to win out but it is hard to sustain interest in someone as callow as the hero. The guy he falls for is sort of fucked up but at least he knows who he is.

Until the late middle, the story is conventional then it veers into a thriller. One of those where we are torn between our wanting the guy to get away with it and wishing he would get caught.

This is old fashioned manipulation and is sometimes OK but here it is just annoying. I wanted both of the guys punished for being wimps and dicks respectively.

I quit during an ocean storm and will not go back.

Incidentally, there is some nice footage of Anchorage Alaska where I have been and I can attest to the dismal, foggy weather. It is beautiful but impossible to enjoy because it is a constant fight with the elements. It is the only place I have seen board walks on the sidewalks to elevate over the runoff going down underfoot. All the time.

But there I go. After a thriller about two good looking boys I am reminiscing about the atmospherics.

A 1 out of Netflix5 because I could not finish it. Done. Over. Finis.

Labels: films, gay films

There is something really off base about Trump's late night dates with Twitter.

Why Donald Trump tweets late at night (and very early in the morning)

Great photo incidentally in the WaPo article.

Someone has noted that his Tweet rantings all occur in the middle of the night. Evidently he gets up and lets go.

Can't they stop him?

I do not wish him well but, really, he is out of control. The impetuousness of his actions are right there to see. Can't the trophy wife take it out of his hands. Probably not as she is in her own cocoon. I do not know.

It must drive his handlers nuts.

But for the rest of us it amounts to an entertainment. A look into the psyche of the man who would be king. Not that we see anything good about it.

The Tweets (do I capitalize that?) run to resentments and obsessions about the people who have done him wrong.

But not the big stuff. The little stuff.

He can not let go of that beauty contestant or the way Lester Holt was unfair.

It is an illumination that will do him in. We cannot have a President who would do this kind of thing. Actually, we did. That was Richard Nixon. Imagine what Tricky Dick would have wrought had he had an Android or iPhone.

Oh. I should admit that the Tweets shown here are the fake ones which you can read at #Trump Hates God

The thing is that it is almost, almost possible to believe he would do this. And, yes, they have one for Clinton too but you can find your own.

Labels: Donald Trump