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fighting for exclusive rights

NP: Prefab Sprout - "Two Wheels Good"

Saw "Lost In Translation" last night, it was the first time in I don't even remember how long that I've even been to the movies. In any case, it was probably the most moving film I've seen in ages. I don't remember being quite that engrossed since "Rushmore" or "American Beauty". Scarlett Johansson was disarmingly charming, Bill Murray was expressive and hilarious in that amazingly understated way he's perfected, the dialogue was sharp where it needed to be and the script allowed for silence when it was appropriate. So many films forget that you're allowed to use silence to effect. Sofia Coppola's direction was nearly perfect -- she painted a Tokyo that was alien and gaudy yet just familiar enough to make the differences seem that much more apparent. The movie was more tone and philosophy than plot driven, but it never seems to just wash over you. The script and the acting and the direction -- hell, everything about the film -- makes you absorb it. Anyway, it's a spectacular yet almost unbelievably subtle film, but it's ultimately richly rewarding. Go see it, despite my hamfisted 'review'. Oh, and the soundtrack was killer.

In another life I would have been a writer. A hack writer for sure, but still... I love words, I love language, I love watching thoughts and little pieces of life come together in sentences and paragraphs. There's an inherent problem in the fact that I can't write fiction. Though I don't think I'd want to write fiction even if I could. I've always been an even bigger fan of non-fiction. The world has so much to think about and write about as it is without inventing characters and situations. I'm not knocking fiction, mind you, I am in awe of authors who are able to craft believable, three dimensional worlds and people to inhabit them. But yes. There are some days where it feels as if I could just write forever, simply spilling letters and words across the page, or onto a screen. Even if it was only for myself.

I've mentioned my extremely loud next door neighbors before, but they bear mention once more. The man and woman who live in the apartment have a child. The child is super loud, lots of babbling and screeching. That's bad enough. What's worse is that the man and his friends are of the hollering "aww dawg" variety. This mostly involves playing video games and watching sports on TV, from what I can gather. Now, I don't really care what people do in their own homes, but when you share a rather thin common wall, you'd think you could at least have some common courtesy to not shout constantly. I mean, the man and the woman are perfectly polite and nice if you talk to 'em out and about in the building...it's just once they're inside that the sounds begin. But oh well, they're still better than the "idiot frat boys below, lap running children/mysterious dropped bowling ball sound above" situation I endured in my last apartment.

Ah, I have a nice two cup combo of bloody mary mix (I don't really like bloody marys that much, but the mix sans alcohol is brilliant -- nice and spicy) and dark coffee going at the moment. This is a very relaxing morning in general. Erin's at work till early evening, but that's alright I suppose. She had the entirety of Friday and Saturday off, which was brilliant as it allowed us to spend Fri. night and most of Saturday together. Actually doing stuff together -- like yesterday we just left the apartment around 1 or 2 o'clock and didn't come home till 10. We did some shopping, ate Mexican at an outdoor table at a restaurant, saw a movie, and just did a lot of driving around and talking. It was so welcome, as it felt like it'd been forever since we had a Saturday like that.

I have a bizarre desire to go do karaoke in the near future. It's been years since I've done it, and it just seems like it'd be a good, silly night out at some point in the near future. I'll have to see if I can cobble together enough people to head out and make fools of ourselves.

I think I overdid walking around yesterday as my ankle is a bit stiff and unhappy this morning. It's not a big deal, but I think it's telling me that today I need to rest and stay off it as much as is possible.

Ah, the rest of today will be devoted to music, reading, and perhaps correspondence. Save for a short trip to the supermarket later, I don't plan on moving. Once in a while you just have to do that.

Addendum, 6.41 pm I noticed that this entry was #666. How evil! Oh, and via Mr. Joistmonkey:

You're the United Nations!
Most people think you're ineffective, but you are trying to completely save the world from itself, so there's always going to be a long way to go.  You're always the one trying to get friends to talk to each other, enemies to talk to each other, anyone who can to just talk instead of beating each other about the head and torso.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, and you get very schizophrenic as a result.  But your heart is in the right place, and sometimes also in New York.
Take the Country Quiz at the Blue Pyramid

I'd say that's about right most of the time.

then / now