Somebody find me a tie! I don't care what kind, but by God, it had better be red!

Haven't talked movies for awhile. So. The last four movies I saw were Burn After Reading, Ghost Town, Seven Pounds, and The Spirit. Liked 3 out of 4 very much. As always, it's the little things:

Definitely like the Coen brothers' movies that feel mostly goofy, but Burn After Reading starring George Clooney, Frances McDormand, and Tilda Swinton just felt mean. (Though Brad Pitt seemed to have a riot playing Chad - but when the only character I like in a movie gets shot in the head, that sort of spoils it for me.)

Ghost Town, starring Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Téa Leoni (and an hilarious, though brief, Kristen Wiig), directed by David Koepp, was sweetly charming without being saccharine, a gentle reminder that we have a really short time on earth in which to be nice. And is there any other semi-serious movie which includes a mummy's severed penis that needs a big jar? (Not to mention, a fabulous nod to the scene in the original In-Laws where Alan Arkin as Sheldon Kornpett implores his dental patient, "Don't clench!")

Seven Pounds, starring Will Smith and Rosario Dawson, and directed by Gabriele Muccino, though perhaps predictable, (and with a graphic PSA re: cellphones, texting, driving) did have several unexpected moments, was unstoppably lovely, tragic, and deserves HUGE kudos for reminding people about the [almost] lost art of Letterpress! I loved it when Dawson as Emily (the artist) told Smith as Ben (the IRS rep) she used to be "hot, like unauditably hot."

The Spirit, starring Gabriel Macht, Eva Mendes, Scarlet Johannson, and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Frank Miller, really captured that comic book feel more than any other comic book movie to date. Largely because it refused to take itself seriously. Dude! They're comic books. Fun, entertaining, lampooning "litratchur" and the politics of humanity, usually with awesome wit and style. The Spirit is no exception, it's graphic noir film art at its cleverest. So lighten up all you Sin City fans who found this such a travesty. If you don't, that dirth of humor is "gonna kill you all kinds of dead."

Money is tighter than it's ever been

What's Goin' On, (clip shown below), was part of Save the Children, a rockumentary filmed and recorded primarily in Chicago in 1972 and 1973. I would have graduated high school in '72, if I'd actually graduated with my class, (instead, I "graduated" as a junior in '71, with no ceremony, no fanfare, no nothing at all, when Eldorado, the high school I attended (sometimes) (after Sandia) in Albuquerque was brand new); the only other "graduate" that first year was the beautiful Ms. Suzette Boudreaux). Spent 1972 as one of the youngest, and probably most naive, idealistic post-mod romantic freshmen to ever attend UNM, and then most of 1973 living in Chicago, pregnant with September Rose, working at The Bread Shop on Halsted, wandering the streets, listening to the radio, to Stevie Wonder, to Marvin Gaye, to the unmistakable sound of platforms hitting the pavement, & most of all, wondering to myself, "What's goin' on. . ."

Oopsies!

I just took the online quiz, "Are You Ready For a Baby?".
You can see my results, after all was said and done, below.
The answers I gave were not at all different than [I would have given]
at any other age; diapers have always made me gag.
Oopsies! (I wonder what Col's results would be?)

Kate Winslet as Julia, the mum, in Hideous Kinky

OK, you've got maternal instincts, but you still have some work to do. Being a parent is a lot of responsibility. You have to be prepared to make sacrifices and embrace the life-altering change. When you're a mom, you're always on. And did we mention that babies can cost you an arm and a leg? Some people believe there's never a "right time," to have a baby. We believe there are some times that are more opportune than others, and based on your answers, that time isn't now. Before you take the plunge, brush up on what you need to financially and emotionally prepare for a child. It might be the wake-up call you needed.

How you scored against others:
36.21% 'Report For Diaper Duty!'
61.57% 'Oh Baby! Let's Wait Awhile'
2.21% 'Avoid The Baby Boom'

Mr. John Lee Hooker (and friends)

twice-told tales

Got this from lovely Gale at Paperwhimsy:

Once upon a time... from Capucha on Vimeo.

"One silver ring..."

We traded names for holiday gift-giving this year. It was definitely low stress and look! This was exactly what I wanted, and was lucky enough to receive! Cindy, the silversmith behind the etsy shop at fallen leaf creek describes it as "A fresh ring made of slightly floral etched sterling silver, uneven edges and filed to intentionally give a sweet yet organic appeal. Centered are three sterling pods such as the seeds that await next season."

when you hear the voices sing

everything's gonna be cool this Christmas



Winter in Taos and French Milk

There were two books I was delighted to come across this month. The first, French Milk by Lucy Knisley, is an 193 page graphic journal, mostly drawings (with handwritten captions) and about 4 dozen full-page b & w photos. It encompasses a little over a month spent in the bustle of Paris right after Christmas the year the author (comic book artist from Chicago) turned 22. It was first published in 2007. The travel details are just darling, and there is a surfeit of delicious food described and illustrated! Lucy is a bit self-absorbed and hormonal, but she realizes it, cracks (visual) jokes about it, and moves on (sort of). Winter in Taos is over 200 pages of absorbing essay, sprinkled with a dozen or so - again, full-page - b & w photos of the Mabel Dodge Luhan house and its environs. First published in 1935, when the writer, Mabel Dodge Luhan was 56, Winter in Taos is an elegant study of passing the seasons hour by hour in a landscape unequaled by the most beautifully wrought architecture of any city in the world. A good deal occurs, but in timeworn, inimitable New Mexican fashion. The cycles of the seasons may not vary much from decade to decade, but the details of daily life are nuanced and divergent. Ms. Luhan is also a bit self-absorbed and uber-contemplative (not unlike her neighbor D.H. Lawrence, or contemporary F. Scott Fitzgerald), but she realizes it, indulges it (for a second or two) and moves on (almost immediately).

On the surface you couldn't pick two books that seem more dissimilar. I quickly realized they actually have much in common. I don't want to tell you too much though --- because I really do hope that you'll stop by your library, local bookseller, or Amazon (links in the sidebar to the right, under "Look beside my bed - you'll find:"), grab copies, settle in, and see what you think. And let me know of course.

so I'm offering this simple phrase

A dash of ground cumin

Class Tonight
Culinary Keepsakes:The Fine Art of Recipe Albums - Salud Rm. at Fort Collins Whole Foods - 6:30 - 9:00pm - EVERYTHING provided in the $30 fee - you can bring your own recipes, or not!!