Recent Readings

A painting by my brother-in-law, Leo, on display at Mystic Arts Center.

From The New Yorker's Shouts and Murmurs section. (Saunders is one of the best short story writers currently writing.)

“BORAT”: THE MEMO

by GEORGE SAUNDERS

Dear Ken:

Got your note, deeply honored. Being new to the company, really appreciate opportunity to outline some ideas for “Borat” DVD. As Josh mentioned, we do indeed have a wealth of footage that could be put to good use as DVD extras. In other cases, have taken liberty of suggesting some reshoots:

OPENING “VILLAGE” SECTION: How about a high-speed montage of the actual difficult, brutal lives of the villagers in Romania—the hours of debilitating toil, their oppression at the hands of their corrupt government, premature loss of teeth, death of infants, etc., etc.—culminating in a panning shot of the village on the morning of the day when they first realize they’ve been had, and that, as far as posterity goes, they will always be remembered, if remembered at all, as savages, rapists, prostitutes, etc., and they stumble out of their little sheds or whatever, looking traumatized? (Would be good if one or two could fall into depression/commit suicide as a result = confirmation of their “subhuman” status? Rich social commentary.)

ALT: The scene where the one-armed old man, many months later, weeps in his room at the memory of being tricked into wearing a sex toy on his arm. Priceless!

(Continued here.)

Mark McGwire

Good article by Jim Caple on whether or not Mark McGwire belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame. I agree with Caple, vote him in. He never tested positive while playing. All the rest is mere speculation and his cringe inducing appearance in front of Congress. I also think Pete Rose should be allowed in and then we can stop hearing about him. Forever.

Poem

The latest American Life in Poetry column by Ted Kooser has a touching seasonal poem.

The woods near the lake close to the house where I grew up in Ledyard, Conn.

"Just a quick one before I go." I am still organizing pictures and the work project is ending with more of a bang than a whimper but at least its ending. I did buy the new Pynchon, Against the Day, for the flight home and have read most of the blurbs about it which run from indifferent to enthusiastic with some claiming both at once. As to be expected I suppose.

I am convinced that bringing only this book along will be the best way to get over the hurdle of actually starting this thousand page monstrosity. His last one sat on my shelf for nearly ten years so I hope this approach works. I also think the Pynchon Wiki is a great idea and will be most useful.

We used to spend a lot of times in these woods. The lake (not shown) is where I basically learned to swim despite the leeches. There is a new street of houses that extends near the cemetery and they named it after the Captain above. They even put a path that leads partway to his grave marked by the flag. The woods seem to have shrunk far more than just the land being developed. It must also be in part that in our youth everything seems much larger than it actually is. (Trite but true as the cliche goes.)

"Back in the U.S.S.R."

Tucson anyways. It was a good trip home to see the family and some friends from high school and some others from college. Went by pretty quickly. On the way home I sat next to a nervous flier who was not to be put off by the headphones and book I was attempting to deter her with. It worked for a while until the double white Russians kicked in. Then all bets were off. I made it safely despite the turbulence both inside and outside of the aircraft the latter of which had initiated the Lebowski specials. I also have some more pictures of family and home to put up once I get my stuff organized.

More of the Tailgate Party...

Sadly I did not get a Husky face tatoo...

A little chilly compared to Tucson but a beautiful day nonetheless.

A good breakfast is an important start to a long day of drinking.

UConn Tailgate Party

College friend Pat loading up for the early morning tail gate...


The new stadium....Go Huskies!

Husky mascot stopped by during the game

Mystic, CT

New London, CT

Eugene O'Neils former local pub currently owned and operated by member of local rock legends, The Reducers


The Coast Guard ship Eagle near the mouth of the Thames (long A sound)


Church on State Street (also a long A sound)

Even Superman needs a little rest sometimes...

Andrecito was worn out from Thanksgiving and saving the world...

I have never really used a Mac but I could get used to it. Playing around on with Photobooth on my sister and her husband's computer. This is the third time in a row that I brought torrrential rains with me on a visit to CT. Clear and beautiful out this morning. I will be trying to get some decent pictures of old stomping grounds. Friend from high school called me up and I am getting together with him and some others tonight.

Alice's Restaurant

Mom and Niece Daniela


Nephews John and Andrés


I am getting spoiled with rental cars its going to be tough going back to the '90 Corolla. This one has XM radio. Listened to the super long version of Arlo Guthrie's holiday song. It was a live recording on 30th anniversary of the orginal and included anecdote about going to Jimmy Carter's inauguration and Chip Carter informing Arlo that his record was part of Nixon's collection. Funny stuff but you have to let him tell it. Happy Thanksgiving.

Dateline: Dallas

DFW (Letterbox Edition)


Waiting for a flight home in DFW, a fellow traveller (insert own joke here) with an Admiral's Club membership brought me in on a guest pass.... Still tipsy from the wine upgrades... The anticipated overburdening crowds were overestimated as I experienced it. I did not have to wait in a lot of lines but I arrived at airport super early and was rewarded with over an hours worth of Aerosmith songs at an airport BBQ joint and not the good ones.

"One more cup of coffee..."

On my way to Phoenix last night I stopped off near Casa Grande to see a coworker/friend. His family lives in the area. This place is on the old Tucson to Phoenix highway and was supposedly popular with John Wayne and Bing Crosby both of whom lived in the area. It is one of those classic bar bars.

I am leaving my worries of work and laptop behind as I head to the airport this morning and eventually Connecticut. Will try to get some shots of the neighborhood. Safe travels to all of those wending their way home or wherever this weekend. Cue the music...

The so called 'little bastards' were noticeably larger when I took these on my return home the weekend before last and they were obviously overwhelmed to see me. This weekend I watched The Girl in the Café starring Kelly Macdonald (Trainspotting, Gosford Park) and I was very impressed with her performance.

The film was an HBO production about a romance between young woman and a diplomat whom she accompanies to Iceland for G8 summit. The story at times was a touch heavy handed but I enjoyed it. After a little digging on IMDB it seems that Macdonald is going to be playing the female lead, Carla Jean, in the Coen Brothers adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men. Looks like this could be worthwhile. (Knock on wood)

The climactic scene in the HBO film was moving but it also brought to mind an old joke recently circulating as an urban legend regarding U2 singer and future head of the World Bank, Bono. The following was sniped from Snopes.com:

Bono, whilst playing a gig in Glasgow, got the whole crowd to be silent and then began slowly clapping his hands. He got the crowd to clap along for a while, the stadium quiet except for the rhythmic clapping...

After a short period Bono spoke, saying that everytime he clapped his hands a child in Africa died...

Suddenly, from the front row of the venue a voice broke out in thick Scottish brogue, ending the silence as it echoed across the crowd, "Well stop ****ing doing it then!"

View from hotel of Santa Catalina Mountains

"Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets."

From the back seat of a ride home to serendipitously watch Taxi Driver before falling asleep.

Song for Autumn

In the deep fall
don't you imagine the leaves think how
comfortable it will be to touch
the earth instead of the
nothingness of air and the endless
freshets of wind? And don't you think
the trees themselves, especially those with mossy,
warm caves, begin to think

of the birds that will come — six, a dozen — to sleep
inside their bodies? And don't you hear
the goldenrod whispering goodbye,
the everlasting being crowned with the first
tuffets of snow? The pond
vanishes, and the white field over which
the fox runs so quickly brings out
its blue shadows. And the wind pumps its
bellows. And at evening especially,
the piled firewood shifts a little,
longing to be on its way.

Mary Oliver

Here are some shots of Southeastern Connecticut from a friend and a poem from the Poetry Daily archives that seemed apropos. I will return to the ancestral demesne this next time week for the holiday. Looking forward to see family, friends and some old haunts.

"Work is the curse of the drinking class."

On the way back to Iowa last weekend I was upgraded to first class for the first time ever and it was just like that Seinfeld episode. Except instead of a supermodel I sat very close to a seeing eye dog. It only lasted for a couple hours from Tucson to Dallas but I did get a Wee Brie which is really fun to say and was very yummy. As were the several glasses of wine and the mini-pizza that accompanied it. I had forgotten what it was like to be served food on planes since they eliminated meal service from coach.

I had been planning on an excursion to the Tucson dump tomorrow with a friend who is working on his house but I have to work instead which is not too bad since it might mean an earlier return home. I just hate the last minute notice. I also learned that it is best not to stop at a Macy's store on the way home from work still wearing a tie. After four people asked me if I worked in Men's Wear I fled.

'Evil Empire' Move Over...

Daisuke Matsuzaka

Red Sox paid 50 million for the rights to make this young man very rich. Not sure if it is the right move or even the right position to be shelling out for this off season but I am willing to give St. Theo the benefit of the doubt. If it is designed to keep him out of a Yankee uniform and to establish the Red Sox in the Asian market it could pay off but it is still a hell of lot of yen to be risking. Makes me nervous. Lucchino must eat his own words now too.