esrosedotblog

Labels: holidays

Today's film has gotten a big play on the Festival circuit.

So I figured I would see for myself, an eye witness, eyeball the film and eye-dentify what is going on.

Lazy Eye (2015)

It is a reunion picture. Two ex-lovers meet in Joshua Tree National Park, in an isolated cabin, after 15 years with a lot of life in between.

There is a lot of talk. And when they are done talking about the past they talk about the near present and then they talk about the past again.

They are good looking, healthy gay males of the latest, I believe jaded, generation.

No gay lib wounds or other interesting side effects.

I found the whole enterprise boring and would not want to spend another minute with them.

They do deserve each other.

One is in a long time relationship but obviously the husband, they are married, is not there.

OK. It is filmed in Joshua Tree National Forest, quite nearby. We have been to a lot of the locations that are used. There is a lot of amusement in that. But not enough.

I bought the film sight unseen. And I figure that for me it will remain that way from here on out.

Did I say that I hope they stay together because they deserve one another?

In all fairness, I should mention that the last 20 minutes of the DVD were screwed up. They deserve a re-hearing with the new disc I am getting.

Labels: films, gay films

I am a reader of obituaries.

Always, since I was a kid.

It is not a morbid curiosity. Rather, it is a way of reading biographies that will otherwise never see daylight or be printed.

I do have to admit that these days, I sneak a peek at the ages that people let go of the mortal coil. Or it let go of them.

I like to see the pictures when they were young. And old. Our local paper is notorious for publishing age old photos. An 80 year old (me?) who lives again in full youthful bloom.

For famous people, you may know that news organizations have obit writers. Their specialty is building files on a famous or infamous person in preparation for the inevitable day.

I believe the most credible, famous and interesting death writing happens in the New York Times.

And, just in time to match my own voracious attention to the death of Fidel Castro, there is an article written by all the people who were assigned to his obituary over the years.

Decades in the Making: Fidel Castro’s Obituary

The funny thing about Castro is that he outlived all his enemies and many of his friends. This is something I would like to emulate. But I know I won't have any control over that one.

The other day someone referred to their library of biographies as works of fiction. Of course.

Most of the obits I have read are hardly truthful.

In my case they would leave out certain parts like my trouble with alcohol. Nothing really about my early experiences as a closeted homosexual. And so on. Obit writers have a delicate and deft hand with scrubbing the history clean.

I have sometimes considered writing my own piece. Some people do this. I would put it all in. And try to make it funny. I have read funny obituaries. I want one.

In a way, this blog is my obituary. It will last forever or until "Blogger" decides that no entries for a long time means it can be scrubbed.

I am told that the internet content will have eternal life.

I won't be here to see it.

Oh. The sample up at the top for Walter White? That is the guy from Breaking Bad,the big miniseries on teevee.

It is a double fake. First, he is fictional and second it is a ruse to cover his disappearance into the show itself.

A twist. The obituary about someone who just wants to disappear. And is not really dead. But living a second life in Dubuque Iowa or some other obscure place.

A long time device for writers who want to cook up interesting lives for their characters. Drop them down in a new place and personna.

In fiction, this never works. Some private eye or an inquisitive relative or maybe a fortune hunter tracks them down. Exposure.

But that is another story.

Labels: obituary, writers

Today's film is about a couple who cannot get together no matter how strong their attraction.

Gegen die Wand / Head-on (2004)

I have seen this film a couple of times. Fatih Akin, Turkish director working in Germany.

A roughneck is asked to marry a young woman to seal her citizenship. It turns out that the vows while dishonest turn out to be more than a ruse for the authorities. The two fall in love.

Some of the action here is fierce. Brutal. And that is just in the bedroom. Not really. But there is a lot of violence in this film. I only say that as a warning to those who shy away from that kind of thing.

The sweetness of the relationship balances this out. This is a movie of extremes.

Since I have seen it more than once it has to be a 5 out of Netflix5 but it is really a 4. Not everyone would want to see it twice. I only did because of the director whose work I really admire.

Labels: films

We wondered who Clinton was talking about when she cited the "deplorables".

Well, one look at Trumpf's cabinet picks should tell us in more detail.

It is rather depressing. All that was predicted has come to pass.

I had wanted to believe that he would not be as bad as everyone else thought he would be.

I am the optimist around here.

That sunny outlook took a hit in the last couple of days.

I have never seen a more objectionable lot.

Sessions for AG is bad enough and then it goes downhill from there.

A bag of dicks.

Labels: Trump Administration

Finally.It is the week after Thanksgiving and, therefore, time to put up the outdoor lights.

As I type, John is applying the net of white bluish lights to the outside of the front wall.

I think that he will be able to get the long inner lit icicles up before dark.

Time will tell.

We are on a busy corner in the complex. That means about one car every two or three minutes. A veritable traffic jam.

But they will all see our lights as they turn the corner and then drive for a hundred yards.

We do not blink but we can and do flicker.

The lights will stay up through the New Year.

When I was a kid they would not put the tree up until Christmas Eve. But I had a little manger scene for the fireplace in which I placed a light set I had made from hardware gear. I hid them under angel hair, a nice name for spun glass which turned out to be toxic. I probably still have some granules in my lungs.

Like any closeted gay kid, this was one of the big moments when I could indulge my fairy ways without criticism or snide looks.

Not that I had any of that in my home or larger family. Really.

They all suspected but no one said a word. Well, my Aunt Glen I suppose because she had an idea that her son Phillip and I were doing it on the sly.

Actually, he was the instigator. It is the straight ones who always want to play pee-pee or some other game. The gay boys are too terrified they will be found out. For the hets, it is "normal".

But I digress.

The lights are the beginning of a long set of little traditions we have set into place and we will, as always, have fun with them.

I should note, I suppose, that while I take the credit for bragging about all this, that it is my husband who does all the work.

This is the upside of my willingness to turn the house into a light show.

Besides, he does a very good job and who am I to stand in the way of creativity.

Labels: holidays

Today's movie is a very good depiction of a gay relationship in trouble.

Like You Mean It (2015)

There are no shouting matches, no histrionics. Just a quiet landslide ending in separation.

That is not a spoiler, nor is it the whole story.

We are led through the steps of this dissolution and allowed to draw our own conclusions about the situation.

Both men are a bit rootless. One is a singer, the other an actor. Already in a slippery place professionally. Perhaps they are depending too much on each other to provide the stability they are not getting anywhere else.

We get to see a bit into one man's past and his relationship with his father and sister.

I liked this film very much and probably would not want to see it again although the sex scenes are very good. A lot of body exploration, very close up. Male beauty. They are both stunners. And we see all of them. Almost.

So a 3 out of Netflix 5 unless a late night conversion drives to me to buy the DVD. Or if my husband likes it a lot more than I did.

Labels: films, gay films

You aren't going to like this.

Maureen Dowd of the NYTimes turned her column over to her Trump supporting brother, Kevin.

He writes to all of us who wandered into the forest of the last election and got lost. Count me in.

I don't much agree with Kevin but I see his point.

Election Therapy From My Basket of Deplorables

Kevin says that I forgot the other America. The one that evidently votes bigger than me.

I have already said that it is time for a purge of the Democratic Party and the Clintons in particular. (Chelsea is thinking of running as a Representative. Please, God, Stop her! Enough already!)

I disagree with Kevin on Obama but I do see his point. I can see how a lot of people got pissed off.

Sure there is an undercurrent of racism in all this. But look, that is part of our American stream. We are all racists somehow, somewhere. The ones who are a pain in the ass are the ones who will not admit it.

The big box has been shaken and we will all land on our feet ready to do the right thing the next time out. But I am not going to weep that we lost.

I am willing to give Trump a chance. I believe in the system and the way it is supposed to work.

Labels: 2016 General Election

I am rather pessimistic about the usefulness of recounting the general election results.

Hillary Clinton’s Team to Join Wisconsin Recount Pushed by Jill Stein

I might as well jump in with both feet and say that it leaves a nasty taste with me and I do not like it.

Of course, it is their privilege and the law allows it. But there is such a thing as a graceful exit and this is not it.

Let me count the ways. First, I do not think there is any evidence of tampering. So why do it?

Second, Trump says, and I more or less agree, that it is a way for Jill Stein of the Green Party to raise money for her/them. (Never much liked the "Greens" a nasty and vindictive bunch who are related to the whole PETA craziness. Yup. I said that.)

Three, it interferes with the process of transition within the Democratic Party.

An indirect effect but still.

We need to get rid of the establishment. The Clintons, the ex-Presidents and all of those who cling to a failed enterprise.

I do not count Obama in this crowd incidentally.

I do not know what or where he is doing his ex-President thing but I suspect it will not be a part of the Party.

He could step in and shake the tree. But I would rather that not be the case. I would like to see a bloodbath with all the usual suspects hung out to dry. A purge.

Not much is going to happen for the next four years, at least. Time to get cleaning house for the next big one.

All in all, the recounting is just a shitty thing and I do not like the idea of continuing the pain of the electoral loss. Not one bit of this will change the Electors. Or if there is by some slim chance a change, it will not be enough.

I may eat those words, but fuck it. I am tired of this. I am tired of the Clintons. I am tired of the same old Demos trying to run things. I believe in the traditional Party principles but not the people who have been running the machine.

Labels: general election 2016

Today, the second half of

The Fall (2006)

which is a mostly dream world concocted by a stunt man recovering from a broken back in a 1920's chronic hospital.

A little girl meets the stuntman in his ward and he tells her this story to keep them both entertained.

Now that doesn't sound like a promising film does it?

But it is a wonderful trip through lands of imagination.

Magical realism.

I love this movie.

I want to see it again. It is a 5 out of Netflix5 for sure.

I did it in two sittings in the same way that one would carefully ration a great dessert or a wonderful trip.

Labels: films

Fidel Castro is dead.

That does not mean as much today as it would have many years ago.

He held the US in contempt and had the guts to face us down. Until we pushed back and the missiles he had gotten from Russia were sent back.

Defiant until the end, the Cuban people made do with old automobiles. The antique value of them alone has to be astronomical.

Not only did he hold out, so did we.

We never lifted the sanctions imposed and so on.

Partly because of the Cuban refugees.

If you go to the South Floridian coast, Key West, the remnants of the old "war" are evident everywhere.

A standoff.

Canadians, on the other hand, kept in touch and now invade Cuba on a regular basis as tourists. A close friend goes there every year.

I don't have much of a feeling for it anymore. Maybe never did. It always seemed fake to me, the whole thing. Bullies against bullies.

That said, he was a handsome dude. Very sexy. Beard and all. Waving his phallic cigar. The strutting. Cock of the walk. Two way meaning, that. A big man, he was six foot three. Not one of those over compensating weenies who ruin others' lives.

He lived to a ripe old age. Ninety.

I can relate to that. If the machine can hold out, I want to do that too.

Nice going, Fidel.

A long time symbol of rebelliousness goes to rest.

Labels: communists, obituary

A new term in the political slang book: "Alt-right".

What?

Come again?

That's right. Ahem. It has come again.

Instead of white bedsheets, now it wears the business suit. Well, maybe more preppy than banker.

Here is a good rundown of what it is all about.

White-Collar Supremacy

When I was a kid, there was still a Klan around where we lived. My Uncle Pete had put the sheet on as a younger man.

A spooky, cross burning, racist bunch of guys, no women, who were acting out some fantasies of retribution on the establishment.

Sound familiar?

Now they are still around.

My Uncle Pete mellowed out and mostly held forth from his easy chair about the world in general. I loved him dearly.

He would listen to the radio news commentators and augment or argue with the people in the current program. All men, of course.

The bed sheets gave way to radio and then radio to some television. You can probably see some of these guys appearing here and there now. They look fine. All scrubbed up. Some, out from under a rock. Most, legitimate believers in what they have had served to them and now repeat themselves.

Race is still one of our biggest problems. It is still being legislated, discussed, alluded to and put into secret violent forms

God help us.

Labels: right wing bastards

Here comes Mitt Romney back from the dead.

And causing all kinds of shit to fly with the Trump team.

Republicans Divided Between Romney and Giuliani for Secretary of State

Me? I would like to see the Mitter get a shot at the job. He looks the part. Suave and debonair and still looking like he came out of a doll box. Wind him up!

Evidently a lot of people want the execrable Rudolph Giuliani, an asshole of "yuge" proportions who would probably piss off all the other diplomats in the world.

A statesman he is not.

Now, a dark horse comes up on the rail, one or even two ex-generals.

In the middle is the failed Newt Gingrich. Another piece of work. A slug. Meddling and pushing his way into the scrum. Choosing sides. A bit unseemly, eh?

Here we have the struggle for the Republican Party in a microcosm.

Let's review.

Trump is a RINO. A Republican in name only. Always has been. No ideology. A pragmatist. Yeh, also a blowhard and egotist. But now he is our blowhard and egotist.

The "alt-right" is not going to like a lot of things Don does and with Mittens we have a shot or two over the alt-right bow.

Then, out of the blue, apparently unbidden, comes Gingrich, an opportunist. A bit cheesy compared to the other guys. Becoming a volunteer advisor.

It is interesting to watch Trump as a manager. This comes from my professional past. He is pretty good at setting one subordinate against another and letting the fur fly. Awaiting results.

So far, after the pain, I have to say that the upcoming Administration will be interesting to write about.

I suppose that I might way here that unlike others, I do not think the Clintons should demand a recount. Yes. She has a historic lead in the popular vote, but haven't we had enough of all this? I have.

Labels: Trump Administration

It is worth saying that I am grateful for this blog and the people who read it.

It is a way for me to scratch my writing and performing itches at the same time.

I get some feedback. It is nice. Comments on the site are rare but that is OK. I am not really looking for that.

Of course the blog is a small part of my gratitude but it is important as it focuses some of the activities I am involved with so there is a halo effect.

I am grateful that I have all my marbles and that I can still touch type. I learned this at an advanced age. Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing.. Exhaustive and very good. No talking down.

That is an outcome of the blog. No hunt and peck.

I have a hard movie habit. Nothing in the top ten at the box office. More to the art house side. I like writing about the movies. It helps me appreciate what I saw and rekindles the feelings I had.

There is a lot more. I do not put all the news on the blog. Family, medical, private stuff. I do try to be a model gay man who came out late and still has a family along with a very long relationship with one man. Some of that spills over. A lot, of course, is private.

But the blog helps me sort it out.

Good things arise even when I think about "posts" that I eventually do not publish.

We are not planning much today in the way of celebration. Turkey breast. A new pack that has a baking bag. I thought that technology was dead. But it is the new tech choice of the big turkey brand we have here. It smells good and looks better. Stuffing of course. Out of a box. And sweet potato baked. I made a pumpkin pie yesterday. Overbaked it but you really cannot ruin pumpkin pie.

And that is it. A few calls from the kids. Nice to talk and trade T-day menus and such.

Tomorrow back to normal. Well, as normal as my life gets these days. Some food shopping, a movie, more reading from a series I am currently addicted to. Jay Bell. Dynamite. Gay relationships. Young, old, new, closeted, mostly glorious. Life and death too. In sickness and health. Very good. There are eight of them so far. I am number three. All on the Kindle. The only reading I do now. But they are also in hard.

I am going on and on.

I see that they are asking Hillary to reopen the vote count. Jesus. I have had enough. Even if it means the GOoPers full time.

Labels: gratitude, holidays, life, President Trump

I have read all of the Trump/NY Times interview.

No skimming.

Donald Trump’s New York Times Interview: Full Transcript

I urge you to do the same if you want to stay on track with the transition.

There are a lot of changes, mostly in how he veers and jibes with the issues.

I don't like it all. But I am on board with him a lot more than I thought I would be.

Time will tell.

Look. He is not an ideologue. He is a pragmatist.

And being a practical guy, he campaigned realistically considering the religious, the alt-right and the rest of them. I think that they are not going to be all that happy about this interview.

He does not throw them under the bus but he has what he calls an open mind on many issues that he previously seemed to be hard on.

I have been fooled before. Fool me once and so on. But I find myself responding to the talk that is represented here.

The staff of the NYTimes are not an easy sort. They play rough sometimes too.

So if you are game, read it over.

Labels: President Trump

I am a fan of the Liberal Redneck.

Here he is with a little after-election remorse and readjustment.

I am kind of where he is.

Of course, I am fundamentally a born redneck that turned out liberal. So I identify with him.

Labels: general election 2016

It was a lot more fun to watch President Obama with the Presidential Freedom Awards for this year.

I watch it every year.

I suppose it will be the end of it but what do I know? Trump knows a lot of celebrities.

But these awards cut across a bigger population. Scientists, change agents, entertainers, writers, the works.

It is one hour long but you might enjoy watching it. I did.

It was today's "movie".

There are some familiar faces.

When I was a kid, we used to gather around the radio to listen to the Fireside Chats.

You have to remember or know if you are not a geezer, that Roosevelt was hated by a significant number of people.

He had the War to unite the people but it was with his personality and spirit that he got people together.

Now I am not comparing FDR with our President elect but I am saying that Trump's direct communication with the people, all the people, is a good start toward healing.

Trump, on YouTube, Pledges to Create Jobs

He is using the media creatively and in doing so is going over the heads of the usual prognosticators and interpreters. With Trump, what you see, you get. I do believe that.

I may not agree or even like what I see sometimes but I do admire his ability to cut to the chase.

Of course, soon, he will run into the slow motion of actual governance but I do like his optimism. And some of the problems he is stating I agree with. It is the solutions that I worry about.

Labels: President Trump

I finished The Departed today. Scorcese's take on Boston gang life. Two imbedded FBI informers.

This is such a shitty movie that I do not want to write about it.

Relentlessly violent and not a single character we can admire let alone like.

The entire thing, however, is filmed in Boston very much in our old neighborhood so there is redemption among the corrupt cops and FBI people as they do their thing around Beacon Hill and South Boston.

Jack Nicholson is a Whitey Bulger type character. It was done much better in a couple of other films.

I would not want to see this movie again, surely, and I did FF to get it over with. After all it is almost three hours long.

So it is a 1 out of Netflix5.

Labels: films

Someone at the NYTimes is offended by Trump's public style.

Trump Turns Staid Process Into Spectacle as Aspirants Parade to His Door

Now, look.

You know that I am not happy about the Trump triumph (some triumph, Hillary is a million and a half votes ahead in the pop-vote) but really. Let's get some perspective.

Custom, you know how I hate fucking custom, states that the selection of a cabinet and all should be a quiet behind-the-doors affair. I have never liked this. Without knowing, actually, that I did not like it.

The idea of the Trump aspirants walking the public gauntlet to be interviewed is a good thing. We get to see what is going in if not what is going on.

Transparency.

Probably not something we were likely to get with the Clintons.

I know.

I hate this too.

But I actually like the way he is doing it and I like the choices he is making. There are no bomb-throwers. There might be a historic racist or two or a war monger here or there but we can see what we are getting.

Let's loosen up a little guys.

And let's not forget that this is all basically entertainment until it is not.

It is neat to see what is going on. If that is indeed the case.

There may be a secret cabal about to take over Washington that will take away our rights and send some of us to the gas chambers.

But probably not.

Some perspective please.

Labels: Trump Administration

Long term readers of the blog will remember that I am a big fan of Joe Biden and, for awhile, promoted him for President.

Not because he was born just a few miles from my birthplace in Scranton PA. But that helps. A coal kicker.

I still have the coffee cup; "Cup of Joe"..

It has his picture on it and it holds my tooth brushes.

So I see him every morning first thing.

Number game: He is 74 today and was the 47th Veep.

Labels: Joe Biden

Here we are again.

The crime scene in Boston.

This time with Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCapprio, Jack Fucking Nicholson and many others who will be familiar crime figures from the movies.

Directed by Martin Scorsese, filmdom's organized crime king.

I watched the first half.

It is long.

And I enjoyed it. Many familiar Bosotn places, a lot of story tension. Very good.

I will finish it tomorrow.

Labels: films

See?

This is going to be full of surprises.

Reports: Melania Trump not moving into White House in January

Well, there wouldn't have been a First Lady anyway unless the Clintons had tapped Chelsea.

This is just the first of what I suspect will be a torrent of non-traditional actions by the Trumpers.

It is even said that he might not live there much.

I hope the patriots and the America firsters are happy with this. The knuckle draggers.

Of course that is not their point. They con't much care that it is Trump either. Or where he lives. Or what he does as long as he keeps beating his xenophobic drum.

Which he will not. Trust me.

I read again today that he did not expect to win the election. I believe this. He as as surprised as we are. And there is no fucking plan.

His appointments are all experienced establishment GOoPers. So much for draining the swamp. He is going to be surrounded with experience.

I also liked the Mitters being summoned for, what? Secretary of State? A stand in President? He is the closest to the real thing they have. I mean that.

I did not vote for Mitt but I know he has what it takes in the level head department. Not excitable.

Mormons do not do excitement.

When you put Malania Trump up against someone like Michelle Obama there is no comparison. No wonder that Melania had to plagiarize Michelle's speeches. Twice.

Oh dear. And we haven't even gotten started.

Labels: President Trump

Apparently Obama has no plans to walk away.

Obama May Jump Into Fray as Democrats Counter Trump

Good. I was afraid he might fade into the sunset like a lot of former Presidents.

He will have to find his place in what is certain to be a massive opposition to the Trump Change that is expected.

Good.

This is an unusual circumstance. If the President does not get killed or die in office some other way, they have a lot of power that goes with them in retirement. Some do not use it much. Gerald Ford became my neighbor here and mostly played golf. Nixon atrophied in New York. Carter went back to his peanuts. Start3ed his own Foundation around the world.

Time will tell. Obama is young and energetic. He is not going to sit idly by while the Trumpfs try to unwind his legacy.

I welcome the conflict. I will be right here cheering him on.

Labels: Barack Obama

Condo Board today.

I love to go once a month to report on the month's business and listen to the stuff people come up with.

Also to help them out. Rarely have to say no.

We are pretty easy.

But I think they know that nonsense will not be tolerated. But we do have a good time. I aim to be the "class clown". A serious one but still. Sense of humor and sense of proportion..

A friend who sits on the Board just drove past me getting mail and said he appreciated my membership. He is a past Chairman and knows whereof he speaks.

Some people who have moved here do not understand the idea of condo ownership.

I aim to teach them gently that their "property line" ends with the interior paint surface of their unit.

They cannot alter the outside structure in any way. None of their own paint jobs on the outside. Only approved landscaping in front of their patio wall. No fussing with the grass outside the line of their patio on the back and no expansion of that patio either.

There aren't many other rules. Well, there are but they make enough "good neighbor" sense that they do not get questioned.

Sometimes they want us to do more than we can about stuff. We are not gated so sometimes "outsiders" come in and cause problems. You know, steal bikes that are left unattended outside. Remove materials left in unlocked cars. Most anything that an idiot would let go. Or someone with blind trust.

I lived in a big city. This is nothing here.

We do have homeless who break into our pool bathrooms for some reason. Pry open the doors. I guess to sleep in there or something.

But on the whole we are pretty safe.

Today, we heard from someone who wants to put in an "illegal" porch light. Another person wanted us to do something about putting solar on our roofs. This is a new one. We explain each time that we are not candidates for solar. I forget why now. We do heat the pools with solar.

And so on.

I enjoy this work because I always have put in some public service time and now, this. It is my contact with normal life. I live in a rarified atmosphere and this helps me keep my feet on the ground.

I am the Treasurer of the Board. I sign the checks and read a report prepped for me by the professional managers we hire to do the real heavy lifting.

I comment as a Board member on each proposition. I try to keep a sense of humor. A friend just stopped by with his car to say that to me. He is an ex Board member.

I suppose this is boring to an outsider but it is how most of good government gets done. Small boards, committees, councils and so on all over the country in each little municipality and subdivision. When people talk about the "American System" this is what I think they are talking about. Grass roots democracy.

Believe me, the issues before the nation are nothing compared to the shock of finding non-owners using our pool (you cannot lock all the gates, egress). And so on. You get the idea.

Labels: condo

I have always had a problem identifying myself as a "liberal".

Partly because I have known a lot of people who did use this label and I didn't like them much.

Argumentative, stubbornly orthodox and frustratingly bleeding hearted they can be annoying as shit.

Actually most of the bleeding heart thing is a fake. While weeping for the downtrodden, they sip their third martini and make smart talk with each other.

And so on.

Don't get me started.

So this is a welcome and refreshing opinion.

The End of Identity Liberalism

It sort of takes apart the snobby notion that some groups of people even need to be taken care of by affluent whites (most libs) and gives a good look at the hypocrisy involved.

Look, some of my best friends are liberals but I cannot stand to talk to them about anything political.

Their vacuous nonsense provided a lot of space for the "booboise" to move in and take over our government.

I guess that is why I am a "moderate". If I am anything.

How about "pragmatist"?

Today, the second half of Martin Scorsese"

The Aviator (2004)

I really liked this movie a lot.

First of all it has airplanes and it includes technical information. It does not talk down. You have to pay attention.

Second it has Leonardo DiCapprio in what at times seems to be miscasting but then, finally, is not. He is superb. So are all the other big time actors who fill out the cast.

I grew up with a Dad who adored airplanes. Built models, Went to airports to gawk. Would take a ride at any opportunity. These were mostly bi-planes.

Then a long gap for me. I didn't pay a lot of attention to it all.

This film brings it all back. The excitement of the times.

And then there is Howard Hughes. A phobic recluse at the end whose long brilliant career as an entrepreneur and flier were forgotten in scandals and misguided Congressional hearings.

He was a ladies man. Kate Hepburn. Ava Gardner. So the women in this film are called upon to do a very difficult task. To play iconic actresses. Kate Blanchett is great.

This is also a movie movie. Hughes produced a bunch of hits like Hells Angels, Scarface and The Front Page.

A forgotten time brought to life.

I would not mind seeing it again for all its long three hours.

Labels: films

I watched the first half of The Aviator today.

The Howard Hughes inspired Martin Scorcese film.

Stars Leonard DiCapprio.

So far so good.

Labels: films

I have high hopes for a positive relationship between Democrats and the new administration.

One of the reasons for this is the confidence I have in Chuck Schumer of New York. He is going to be our guy in the midst of a shitstorm.

Senate Democrats’ Surprising Strategy: Trying to Align With Trump

You know, as bitter as the divide between us seems at this time, there is a lot of common ground.

This article points out that a strong but friendly opposition can attain considerable results.

The chink in the GOP armor is that Trump, at least on paper, is open to many liberal initiatives. He is a closet Democrat who likes spending, big projects and pasting his name all over the grandiose schemes he promotes.

In many ways, just the thing the wing nuts accuse the Democrats of.

So, I am over being bitter, if I was. I am over disappointment, a useless emotion. I am pretty much through the stages of grief.

Let's get on with it.

Labels: Democrats, President Trump

Today, an elegiac film about the late life of a couple in China.

My Love Don't Cross That River (2016)

Very moving. As a certified member of the geezer club I can relate to what these folks are going through. It is nice and sweet but also a bit tough to take at times. Like life.

I am glad that I saw it. As a member of a long term couple I know that one of us will go through this someday. A good tutorial.

But if you are young you might like it too. What is in store.

A 3 out of Netflix5.

Labels: films

I can always connect with a Mose Allison record.

He was a groaner on top of the nice piano ride he gave us. The basic voice of the blues.

Mose Allison, a Fount of Jazz and Blues, Dies at 89

Here is some "middle" Allison.

Labels: jazz, obituary

I do not want to gloat..

After all, it is my country and if there is incompetence or just plain stupidity and laziness I worry.

Now, it seems that the Trump transition has turned into a goat fuck of gigantic proportions.

Firings and Discord Put Trump Transition Team in a State of Disarray

Of course, this comes from the "disreputable" NYTimes (wink nudge).

I know that the job is not easy and I also believe that Trump was not ready to win. He drank the Kool Aid along with the rest of us and figured that while the Trump brand had been served well he could sit back and bask in the myth of his own mind.

My guess.

Of course, the transition work is hard but he and the Clintons had a team in place for this for months before the election. Stopped dead by trouble at the top of the committee, the Trump wheels fell off.

At this point I usually say to pass the popcorn as we watch but I have already gone through one box watching this mess.

Labels: President Trump

Today's movie is a bit Hitchcockian.

Life was not good in New York so the young couple moves to the heartland, his home town.

Big frogs, small puddle. Wife gets restless. Shit happens. Wife disappears leaving clues behind that perhaps he killed her.

What a stew.

Gone Girl (2014)

I think that this is one of those movies that one loves or hates. I actually liked most of it and felt it was a little too long. But that is the trend today. When I was a kid every film was 90 minutes and nothing over.

Like a lot of other things, that went down the stream a long time ago. This one weighs in at 2.5 hours. And here is a real test. I tried but could not actually FF to get the thing moving. Just when I thought this could go to the next scene, something grabbed me. Often at the throat.

Very skillful that David Fincher, the auteur of this piece.

And hence the suspense, I believe.

A bit of a warning. Things get very bloody at times. Grand Guignol bloody. And here is a bit of a clue not a spoiler. Wooden puppets in the GG style play a small role in the series of games the villain lays out for the victim. Aha!

The film stars Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Also features Neil Patrick Harris. Good to see him.

I liked it and would actually be willing to see it again just to watch the little games being played. A 4 out of Netflix5.

Labels: films

Another thing about me that not many people know.

I like the cage fights. The octagon. Mixed martial arts.

I know. It is savage, brutal and mean. But the men are hot and I grew up with my Dad who loved boxing and even the fake wrestling. He never acknowledged the fakery. Just cheered on the guys he favored.

I will let others analyze the homoerotic element which I think is very strong. Dominance. Power.

When I was a kid I had a dictionary with a full page illustration of judo holds. It was my first porn. Man I wanted those pajamas off.

So this is very interesting to me. The cage goes big time for the first time.

Conor McGregor Delivers Knockout in U.F.C.’s New York Debut

The sport is getting bigger and better all the time. Now, we have to pay to see the latest matches on line. But the bootlegs are abundant and so I have never paid to see a match.

McGregor is a rooster. Scary from the get-go. Some others have the skill stuff but he has the maximum spirit. He struts and works his way inside the other guy's defenses and then strikes. Hard. Relentless.

If you need a little fix of real violence in your life this is the place to find it.

Labels: Mixed martial arts

Not many know that I used to be deep in the middle of the marketing business.

I sold and performed unique market research with problem solving groups. Consumers participated with marketers to work out problems with whatever product they were trying to move better and faster.

I never worked on the Newman's Own group of products. But someone was. They were very successful and all proceeds went to the Newman Foundation.

They had the unique marketing premise of a famous spokesperson and his cooking bobby passing on the best.

We still use Newman's Own products here.

But times change and Newman died some time ago and it is time for a new kickstart.

Paul Newman Who? Salad Dressing Company Adjusts to Reach Millennials

It is not a big deal really in the scheme of things. But it is nice to see that Newman's foundation is still prospering. I think those pretty blue eyes would sparkle to see his "hobby" still going strong.

Labels: marketing

This move looks good to me.

A man with many friends: Priebus tapped as chief of staff

On the other hand it does not look good to me for Bannon, the right wing fanatic of Breitbart to be on the inside.

But here is a thought.

What better way to co-opt the alt-right than to bring one of the big mouths in and put him in a sort of vague position as an advisor?

I know. I am incurable optimist but someone has to be.

If he let the execrable Bannon outside the tent he would not be able to control him. Inside, maybe.

And a soaped up Bannon could cool out the wing nuts.

I know. I an am optimist.

A silver lining guy.

So shoot me.

Priebus is also very very close to Paul Ryan who I think has a high investment in working to be the next President after Trump gets bored or decides it is too hard for him to do the job. That is possible. Remember he is the great resigner.

Labels: President Trump

Today's film is about a family who basically isolated completely from the rest of the world.

In the middle of Manhattan.

The father is a frightened guy, an immigrant, who worries about how his kids will make it on the outside so he keeps then inside, homeschooling and all.

The Wolf Pack (2015)

A NYTimes Critics' Pick.

When he is fifteen, one of the boys leaves the apartment for the first time. His father is not around.

This is the break that had the whole family begin to move out, first in secret, and then with the parents.

This is a beautifully done documentary. How much is re-enacted and how much "real time" is hard to tell.

No matter.

Such a weird setup to see progress to a final resolution. A bus ride for all into the country around the city.

This is not a spoiler because it is the process of how this came about that is the point of the film. Very good. A 3 out of Netflix5.

Labels: films

I feel some better today.

Healing.

I skipped a movie and just fooled around. Played solitaire on the internet. Lost again.

Read some of my gay romance book, M on M.

Sat around the house with the dog close and took him out for his peepee when it was time.

I ran around the internet hoping for a few rays of sunshine and was rather successful.

Things are looking quite good in Austria right now.

But that is enough.

I accept my fate.

Soon, I will get to join the Trumpophobes who are already going nuts on the internet. I hope that I can be more serious and, perhaps, a little open minded.

He is not my President yet but he will be and I want to respect that.

And the sun will come up again tomorrow. Here in Palm Springs, that is a near 100% bet.

Labels: life

When the world is not cooperating, I try to do something I know I will like.

So yesterday, I binge watched the three hour glory of

The Prophet (2010)

This is Jaquees Audiard masterpiece about a Corsican/Muslim kid, in prison, who manages to become the center of his own enterprise (drugs). An empire in the making.

This is where I first saw two actors who I immediately followed. Tahar Rahim is the kid in prison who gets taken under the wing of Neils Arestrup, a powerfully ugly Dutch actor.

That the story owes more than a little to the Oedipus legend is beside the point. But do watch out for your "servant".

The kid is assigned to become the Boss' Arab. A derogatory term of course. He runs errands and cooks meals and watches. Watches. Watches. And so do we.

He gets to apply his learning in a one day furlough to the outside. There he crams about as much mischief and entrepreneurship as he can.

I love this movie.

Everyone in it is superb. The prison life is very convincing. It was filmed in a recently disbanded prison where the walls still talked. Even we can hear them.

There are riots. There are beatings. There is a lot of blood. There is brutality.

There is redemption of a sort.

Just my kind of film. This is such a 5. So 5. So good.

Labels: best films, films

Matt Bai sums up some crushed assumptions about the election.

The 13 most amazing findings in the 2016 exit poll

These mostly gibe with my experience as a political junky.

The big take-away for me is that there was no Latino surge, no surge for women and, as far as the black vote is concerned, they didn't seem to show up at all.

This knocks me out.

If the primary targets of Trump-hostility don't give a shit, well what is the deal here?

One sad conclusion is that the targets of his disdain are traditional victims. Used to it and willing to take some more.

Or, maybe I am just another bleeding heart liberal.

At least I am not a homo-commie-symp any more. We have come some distance from the old days.

I do expect a host of lame jokes like the one to the right. At least there will be fun.

Did you notice that Obama was joke-proof. Teflon like Reagan.

As I said, get out the popcorn and lean back to watch the show.

Labels: President Trump

One less alligator in the swamp.

Trump shakes up transition team, elevates Pence's role

The main casualty here is Chris Christie, the reprehensible and scandal ridden ex-Gov of New Jersey.

Fat boy.

Maybe this will get better as time goes on.

Get out your popcorn.

Labels: President Trump

So Trump is "reaching out" to the old guard.

They guys who have been running the government for Republicans for many years*.

Team Trump is already filled with Washington insiders

He said he would drain the DC swamp with his appointments but he hasn't pumped out much water.

I do not find this to be surprising.

The "government in waiting" has slimmed down quite a bit over the years. The Bushies have gone on to big corporate jobs and are somewhat reluctant to give up present status for a questionable ride on the Trump train.

I actually hope that he has successful recruiting. That the good experienced people show up to serve.

If not, we are in deep shit because we already know that Donald is a neophyte in both domestic and foreign affairs.

Most of his campaign promises are crumbling already. I am happy that is so. But it shows that his bark is/was not up to his bite.

I am not as alarmed as some of my friends about the oncoming administration. I saw a headline today that suggested Trump was the medicine we need.

I would not go that far.

But I have to admit that I would like to see the Democratic establishment (no caps, notice) taken apart and reassembled.

It is odd that while I do not feel like the Clintons et. al. let us down, I do think it is high time that they and the other leaders rotate out of the active management and let a lot of new blood in.

Like maybe a few of the people who actually won in this cycle.

*For a long list of possibilities see this.

Labels: President Trump

So the Obamas had the Trumps over for coffee and it went pretty well.

Trump and Obama Hold Cordial 90-Minute Meeting in Oval Office

The First Lady entertained Ms. Trump and showed her around the House.

I watched the video. The mood was restrained but cordial.

I admit that I look for these things but it seemed to be that Trump had that "deer in the headlights" look.

After all, how could he not.

Even at his heights of power there is nothing like what he is about to undertake.

Many better men have quaked as they stepped into the most famous office in the world.

But it went well.

I am getting used to it.

I actually do not worry as much about Trump as I do his cronies. You know, the Gingrich crowd and Rudy, the 911 guy. One note Rudy.

There was a post meeting presser.

Don't miss the quiet "very good man" from Trump at the very tag end.

Labels: President Trump

I am philosophical about the recent events.

See? I can't quite say it yet.

While I am not happy about how the election went, is going, I am not freaked out as some people are.

First, I have more to do than fuss about what has already happened or is happening.

That doesn't mean I will not keep a vigilant eye on the goings on.

So far, I have to admit, that my main objection seems to be that the transition involves all Republicans. Duh.

The usual suspects are lined up to help. Rudy is foaming at the mouth and the fat boy from New Jersey is bouncing around the room but both seem to be on the margins.

There is a meeting today between Obama and Trump at the White House. Serious business. And that is a good thing.

Despite the loss and all, I am still engaged and interested. I have not gone into pout mode or gone all quiet in a corner.

I like that too.

I got a call from an old friend who is my loyal opposition. He did not call to gloat as much as to see how I was doing. Knowing that I take it seriously as he does.

We talked for awhile and i realized that is the cure. Well, the package. Having friends who agree to disagree that I can talk to. Nicely.

Friendship endures. Politics comes and goes. A lifetime close up to it shows me the evanescence of the political game.

Mt friend was genuinely concerned that I was OK. That is very nice. He is, incidentally, an immigrant and has that experience. Where he comes from, people with vivid opinions like he and me are thrown into jails.

Of course we have to remember that the new Prez once said that Ms. Clinton should go to jail. Something to watch there. But his overblown oratory is one thing. His experience in the White House today another.

Every President in my time has said that this day, the one where he sees the real shit and how it is flowing, is sobered and involved immediately.

I like that the Obamas are going to any length to help the transition. iPads to all the Trump team with all the slots to be filled, where and how and what? Wow.

I am so proud to be an American.

Labels: President Trump

Today's film was about the beginning of so called country music.

A documentary mostly about the Carter Family.

You have to like this stuff to stay with the movie which is interesting enough but very slow and arduous for a non-believer.

It was OK for awhile but the sadness and repetitive nature of the themes and chords is boring and difficult to stay with.

The mountain growing up is interesting because I was a child of Appalachia too. I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

My Dad had a bit of a taste for this kind of music but it was more the instrumentals that got to him. Not the vocals.

We had square dances with live music. Guitars and fiddles mostly. And a caller who was basically singing rhyming.

I was good at it but was too dreamy about the outside world to get into it very far.

I could have learned piano parts and played along but I was too snooty to do that. And so it went by.

I had to quit this movie because it is just too twangy in the background music with the sad stories being very much the same.

These people played to get out and some of them made it. Johnny Cash and the younger Carter Family. The whole Nashville crowd.

The music is alive today and rather than being a piece of antique furniture, still lives and breathes for a huge swath of people in the mountain range where I grew up.

I know a few people who were planning on doing this.

Millions on Election Day Make a Different Decision: Not Voting

I respect people's decision to vote with their ass. I do not approve however.

Some of these people should have been supporting Clinton. Some, perhaps, Trump. I like to think that everyone I know and like agrees with me on everything.

But the part of me that had reservations about Clinton could see these side-sitter's points.

In a way, if they are filling in the "none of the above" box, then that is their right and privilege.

We are not yet compelling the vote in this country although it has been proposed from time to time.

We maintain the right to not vote. To vote with our feet. Or our asses.

It is my belief that this is one of the main factors of what happened this time.

It is clear that the Hispanic surge did not materialize. And "the blacks". Not even a bloc this time around.

Of course a lot of this is indifference rather than conviction like my friend.

It is another aspect of the American Way and one which is quite vexasious.

Labels: 2016 General Election

That would be me.

Upset.

Blindsided.

Didn't see it coming.

How can this be?

I had a friend who used to say "how could this happen to me" and then would give the second part. "Why Not You?". In a deep cosmic voice.

I suppose that this is a grief response. The five stages.

Denial. Did that one. Right after. Well this will not really continue, something will intervene.

Anger. That would be this morning. "How could you-all be so fucking stupid". Or even blame the loser Hillary Clinton. Why didn't you do more?

Bargaining. Maybe the Senate will go Democratic strong. Maybe. Not.

Depression. That is me right now.

Acceptance. I am getting close. Thinking of how much I will enjoy blogging with these dolts running the government.

And so on.

The stages do not always go serially. They sometimes U-turn back.

I wrote earlier about coming out of my cocoon after this was over.

A moth or a butterfly.

Well, I am going to be a fucking butterfly and as my old and beloved business partner Alex used to say "Get on with it".

But hang the black crepe on the door for awhile. Have the feelings, taste defeat, learn from it.

Goddam. I am an incurable optimist.

We will have to await further developments.

Labels: general election 2016

I have been following nine web sites set up especially for this General Election.

I just swiped them all into the trash.

None of these is relevant today. This is the day that matters most.

I am taking it easy surprisingly. Not anxious. Maybe I am uniformed. But everything I read says that Clinton holds the right odds.

I am resigned if it turns out badly for her.

In any case, all the inside info and prognostication is over. This is the real thing.

Long let it wave. Land of the free and the home of the brave. This is how we do this thing.

Labels: general election 2016

Headhunters (2012)

This is about a couple of guys who are wiling to go any length to get a job with a big company.

We have a chase, actually several, we have copious amounts of blood and we have excessive violence. All kinds. In Norway!

I really liked it a lot and will not tell you much except there will be times you will hold onto your seat and probably some times you will shut your eyes.

I would not want to see it again because everything is already tipped off. And I know how it ends. Dramatically.

Sorry about the trailer on the trailer involving a trailer.

Labels: films

When fire horses heard the bell, they would be up and raring to go.

When a dog hears a whistle he runs to it.

When the geese hear the right call, they land on a specific spot.

Instinct.

There is a bit of that still inside of me.

I grew up in a political family. Well, my Dad.

He was a dyed in the wool Democrat and ran successfully for School Board and was its Treasurer for many years.

Not a stretch that I am on the Condo Board here and am the Treasurer.

Apples from trees and all that.

In Pennsylvania, even in our very small microscopic town there was a permanent election building. A small white box that had the machines inside. It was at the end of our street.

I remember going down to watch for the results.

I ran for office in high school. I remember being badly beaten for the class president election. I opted for becoming the editor of the school newspaper. Mimeographed and stapled. Every two or three months.

When I lived in Bucks County (Lower Bucks actually for those who make the distinction) I ran for something which was so dimly possible that I do not remember the office. I registered Republican so I could do it. I think they knew. And I did not campaign. Lesson learned. You have to ask for people's vote.

Then a long hiatus until we lived in Plymouth Massachusetts where I stood for member of the Finance Committee which runs the Town Meeting budgets. Does all the hearings and makes recommendations. Next step, Moderator. Then, when I came out, finally, I left the public life and that was it until we moved here and I stood for the condo board.

Of course, this election brings all the memories back most vividly. Sharpest are standing in the lobby of the Town Office Building awaiting results to be posted on a bulletin board. Nail biting time.

For candidates this is a hellish period. The last days of waiting it out. Everything that can be done has been done. It is in the hands of the electorate.

The wonderful "American way".

Labels: 2016 General Election

There is a lot of sand in today's movie.

So much so that one is reduced to watching the camels and observing life in the vast empty reaches.

Theeb (2015)

is a young boy who sees everything and eventually gets to be a part of the action.

It is pre WWI and the Brits are losing their control of the Arab regions.

This is an Egyptian film so the point of view is different than we might be used to having seen all those Lawrence movies. This is anti-Lawrence. Subtly so.

I liked it but it is a slow film to watch so I did FF. I admit it. I can only take so much desert on film as it looks much like mine does. Right here.

Without the skipping it would be a 3 out of Netflix5 but the FF earns it a 2. Sorry.

And the boy can be an annoying weasel at times.

Labels: films

I realize I have gone silent for a few days.

While I think that I am not bothered by the election I realize that it oppresses me.

I am not in a circle that talks about politics much. It is assumed we are all of the same mind and if we are not then we do not want to know about it.

When exposed to big differences of opinion on a global scale I am flummoxed and just pull in my own space.

I know that a voter for the other side is not a bad person. It is just that I cannot figure it.

But I do not have to understand.

I will stay in my cocoon until Tuesday night and then come out the other side either a moth or a butterfly.

Labels: general election 2016

I am watching a three-part BBC documentary called The Power of Nightmares.

It was produced in 2004 and 2005 and is a carefully done recap of how we got to where we are in the so called War on Terror.

I got through Ronald Reagan and am heading toward the next chapter of three.

Labels: films, terrorism

Every couple of years, I need a fix. I just have to see this movie.

Blazing Saddles (1974)

Has it been that long since this was made?

It is still fresh and funny despite many viewings.

I am not sure whether I realized before how much of it was filmed here in the desert. Familiar landmarks add to the fun.

What else can I say?

Here is ten minutes of it. A very long "traier".

God bless Mel Brooks.

Labels: films

Mark Duplass builds a time machine.

And it is such a good one that I went back in time and saw this movie again.

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

And I didn't have to tinker with anything to change the future or present.

It is still pretty good. Not roaring funny. More Duplass funny. Mild chuckles and a very human touch. Realistic people. Not over the top. Even sweet.

An automatic 5 out of Netflix5 because I did see it again.

Labels: films