I got a bad feeling about this...

Ramblings Post #311
I miss my youth. When I used to watch movies and just enjoy the story, or in some cases, the special effects because the story sucked, or yelling at the screen because yes, I was one those people. Now, when I watch a movie I'm concerned with representation, stereotypes, cultural slights, and how I would have done it. All that and the popcorn is like $12. Which may explain why I don't go to the movies like I used anymore. Well, there are other reasons too, but all that right there.

Ghostbusters Classic

I watched the Ghostbusters trailer, and... it wasn't funny.

Or, maybe I'm just not getting the jokes.

As I've written before, I was skeptical about this whole project from the start, but since I think Melissa McCartney and Kristen Wiig are funny, I was willing to give it shot. Said offer of said shot has since been rescinded. Maybe it hurt that the film trailer makes it sound like a sequel, while the actions on the screen make it feel like a remake. Or that right this moment it looks like the people behind it didn't understand the original movie. Or that I heard that the original actors making cameos had them shot as both the original characters AND as random strangers. Which means they don't know what film they were making or marketing. That does not bode well.

And I said explicitly that really hoped the Black woman character wouldn't be for all intents and purposes a "Wanda Zedmore." By that I meant the fourth wheel addition of the non-scientist character. In the original, the black character is just a guy who from his first line of dialogue clearly indicates he's in it for the pay, but he isn't portrayed with any of the stereotypical attributes one might expect. He's just a guy.  He contributes, he has a few good lines... it's almost an every-man character.  Well, the black female isn't Wanda Zedmore, as then she would have had more dignity. This character is a blatant Hollywood stereotype, the classic loud black female "with a dip of sass" comedy character that I really thought we were past since shows like Black-ish exist now. In the trailer alone she hits the Stereotype Trifecta- "from the streets," Cadillac, and Jesus. To say that character just looks bad is an understatement. Shouldn't the idea of good roles for women extend to women of all races? Why couldn't she be a scientist and one of the other characters have been the NY native?

Or maybe, maybe it's just that I'm missing the jokes. That "hat or wig" snippet was just...odd, and the few other attempts at comedy I saw seemed forced. But it is truly possible the jokes weren't meant for me. I've watched comics who were women do routines that had half the audience rolling on the floor - the female half.  There are jokes that men find funny, and jokes that women find funny. It happens. Or New Yorkers find funny but no one else. Or Jewish people find funny and no one else. So the idea that I'm not getting the jokes as a very real possibility.  But, and this is a very large but, if you're making a film, based upon the idea of appealing to the nostalgia of its original, mostly male audience, to ensure its financial viability, while also trying to bring in a new female demographic to assure its profits, shouldn't the humor be more universal? At least in the trailer?

Or is the idea that this New Ghostbusters, which apparently has made a point of showing women on both sides of the camera, just not intended for men? Do women turn out for sci-fi comedy? Bad sci-fi comdey? Considering the the standing ethos of the Modern School of Thought on Trailer Editing, the idea that the film has better jokes so you really have to go see it is a bit far fetched. Women deserve their own good film roles and lead opportunities, but um, what happens if the comedy isn't funny? And in today's political environment, how sexist will I be for having that opinion?

Barkeep. I need a MAN drink. So make it pretty, and fruity, and with one of them little umbrellas. And put some powdered sugar on the rim. 

Breaking Bad (as required by Internet Rule # 47854b)

Ramblings Post #240

There are certain Rules. You don’t put pineapple on a pizza. Chocolate is the best flavor. You don't buy beer, your rent. Reading is fundamental. You don't hit a girl. Two plus two equals five for large values of two. You don't talk about fight club. And if it is a hot topic, your blog must comment on it...if only in passing. So, today, we discuss a television show I never really saw.

He was the danger - (pic from Huffington Post via AMC)

I have watched a few clips and maybe one and half episodes of Breaking Bad. Well, the second half of one episode and then the episode that followed it in the marathon I stumbled into. As it happened, the whole episode I did happen to see was the where they killed off Gus Fring, and had I completely understood what was going on - I did to read the Wiki later -  I would have been much more impressed than I was just piecing things together.

I think it was because I missed the beginning of the series that I was never really able to get into it, but there were still other things I was kinda irked about. The original premise - Schoolteacher with cancer turns crime to provide for his family after death - just smelled wrong. I'd already seen the lead character with cancer trope go wrong for Showtime, because if the show becomes popular and you need more seasons, the quick fix is the cancer goes into remission, whoosh! It's a way too easy writer out, and wrecks the motivation aspect. But then most television writing has to be so conditional...the afore mentioned ratings, character popularity, who agreed to come back next season, etc...that a writers room can churn out something worth watching nothing short of extraordinary.  Still, I don't appreciate "trapdoors" like that. I expect more creativity.

The continuing theme of "anti-hero" is starting to get less than enjoyable as well. We've starting celebrating killers and thieves in our popular culture. Not "bad" people, like we did in the 70s, but people who are actually bad. There is a book series that I like, but I cannot read, because the bad guy gets away with too often. This show reminds of that - not characters who live their lives and do things because that's how they have always done them, but people who actively chose to do these "bad" things when other possibilities existed. But then fans never really talk about his motivations, and the clips of him with is family never seem to have the right flavor.  

But, the episodes I did see I liked. They were gritty not flashy, the characters seemed very grounded. That the drug lord ran an actual business and drove a station wagon I found refreshing, instead of the the usual nightclub. Ultimately however, the story was in my mind far too sprawling at the point I entered it. The Wiki just kept going and going. Maybe in the future, when I have extra money to go with some time, I'll get the whole box set (or rent the whole box set) and watch it all in one mindless torrent. Maybe.

"Like, literally the best work of art that television has ever produced.” That's the quote I keep hearing, comparing it to things like the Wire and the Sopranos. To that I have to ask... um, how long have you owned a television? How many channels do you get? Do premium channels not count?

Maybe I need to watch another couple of episodes. 

And you thought YOUR number was high?

Ramblings Post #223
I spent the majority of my life in the South. I've spent a minute in the a few northern states, but all it really took were a few ridiculously cold winters, ones that lasted until Mid-March or even early May, to give me the impression that I would probably be spending the rest of my life needing sunscreen a bit more than a parka. There are certain offsets, but I happen to like sweating. Okay, a few life things are in flux, and maybe cooler climes are whispering...but given my druthers, Florida sure had my skin clear. I'm just saying.

From the Atlanta Allergy and Asthma clinic website...

In Atlanta, with the morning news you get things like traffic reports, although the same places jam up with traffic everyday. So what you actually get are accident reports telling you which places that are normally a traffic jam are really and truly jammed up on that particular morning. We also get things you may not get in your city, like Airport Security times. These are estimates of how long it will take you to get through the TSA inspection at the Atlanta Airport, which on bad days can be as high as an hour or more. And like everyone we get weather, only in Atlanta, they add something a lot of places don't. In Atlanta, they also let you know the pollen count.

Thursday, April 11, and it is 8,024 particles of pollen per cubic meter of air.

Let me put that in context. According to the National Allergy Bureau (I only just found out such a thing exists!) anything above 1,500 is high. And apparently the highest count ever recorded was just over 11,000. So, you might say that we're kinda up there.  In the winter time in Wisconsin, you can make snow angels? Well in Atlanta in the spring, you can make pollen angels!

And I think I have a...something. Allergies? When I was a kid my allergies were so bad I had to learn to sneeze through my mouth so as to avoid rupturing veins in my nose due to repeated attacks. But, knock on wood, my allergies haven't been an issue for a decade. Or maybe it's a cold? Me and the common cold are mortal enemies who have done battle through symptoms more akin to the flu many times, clashing from the Horn of Tallahassee to the broad Rock of Stone Mountain. I called out sick the last two days, as my current internship involves a lot of close interaction with the public. I'm fairly certain the regular bouts of sneezing would not have been appreciated.

Is it feed a cold, starve a fever? Get your allergies coconut? Spanky said something about raw honey and cinnamon. I just want this be over.

Barkeep, let me get a Comtrex Martini...do they even still sell Comtrex? That was my lick!  

How to miss an Opportunity

Ramblings Post #190
I'm certain I've missed many opportunities in my life. I'm fairly certain my first kiss should have occurred long before it finally did. There are countless occasions where I'm certain had I simply not shrugged my shoulders I would richer and wiser. Had I taken that job offer in New York. Or called somebody back. Or simply said "I don't think we're just practicing anymore." They say live life with no regrets.  But I think if you live to the age you understand what regrets are, its already too late.


So today, my brother sends me an email. My email is pushed to my cell phone, so I know immediately, but because I'm paranoid I don't open it at that instant. And by paranoid, I mean I was in the car and had already seen two cars pulled over to the side of the road, and because the last time I got into a car and forgot to put my seat belt on just happened to be the day the officer pulled in behind me and noticed ....AND texting and driving is illegal, I decided to not check it right away.

Time: Right after eleven am.

I get to campus, roll upstairs to the classroom my 1pm is in and check to see what he's sent. It's a listing that a major firm is looking for in-house counsel, and the experience range is zero to two years. Wait, I have zero to two years! Well, closer to the zero, but I have so much other experience maybe I can make it translate. So, I break out the resume and start the process of making my other experiences sound like what they're looking for. I get interrupted by my classmates who also arrive early, and stop to discuss our last negotiation exercise...which raised some hackles during the process. Long discussion. But I only give that talk half my attention, and  I get the resume straight and ready about 5 minutes before class starts. 

Time: Just before one pm.

After that three hour class I go to the bookstore, get some notepads I've been needing for a while and head to the classroom for my class that starts at six, which is empty right about then. Thinking maybe they'll ask for a cover letter, I pull one of my previous ones up and spend roughly a half hour phrasing things to show me in the best light, highlighting how my previous non-legal experience fits into what they're looking for and expand on an item or two in the resume. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so I need to make it stick.

Time: Quarter till five.

I pull the link back up, create the obligatory log-in at said company's site so I can add my resume...and the listing is gone. I work sideways, searching through their entire database, then using the job listing number, then searching all legal jobs at the firm just to be sure, although that's really just a subset of the earlier search. Gone. They've stopped taking applications.

Just like that. Damn.

I have to be quicker the next time. Faster. Stronger. Not that getting the application in would guarantee me anything, but still, I'm fairly certain I would have gotten a second and third look. Yes, I'm just that good. Or at least that interesting.

Barkeep. Red Bull with bee pollen. I got to get it! 

The Hotness

Ramblings Post #192
This post does not involve the Miami Heat, or the movie Heat, or hot chicks, or Will Smith, or chili peppers, or any of the things the internet associates with the phrase Heat. Sometimes I'll just put in a word, click on the Image link and see what the algorithms pop up. This also isn't about a country band, a Latin band, really any band, a perfume or an old film from the 1940's. It's about, well...read on and see...

Sometime in the last month, or maybe it was before that, they got me while I wasn't looking. Apparently, one of my "neighbors" to use the term loosely, decided that a piece on the exterior part of my AC unit would probably work better on theirs, or perhaps could be sold for a extra nickel or two. Who knows, but in any case, the unit currently is not functional, and pieces that were there last fall aren't there now. Which kinda made a difference during the recent mini-heat wave that struck the state.

How much of a difference? Without the AC unit, but with the fan running, the temperature inside my house topped ninety degrees. I re-invented the concept of hydration drinking between eight to ten quarts of Crystal Light. Friday night I lay down on my bed and either drifted off to sleep or passed out from the heat (not sure which), when I awoke couple of hours later, the spot where my body had been was marked with a clear body outline made of sweat. I took cold showers twice a day, and kept the front door open for the breeze, damn the bugs. It was Amistad hot.

On the upside, my pores have to be clear considering how open they've been.

I joked with Schmoopy that I was going to get some ice and some ice cream, and sit in the tub in the ice eating the ice cream. As her AC had been out last week, she didn't think it was as crazy an idea as I might have imagined. I've always liked it warm, but this is ridiculous. I thought about heading over to Slim's or Spanky's and camping out, but everybody is doing something now, so no go. By the time I remembered the law library, the heat had sapped my will. I finally ended up fake grocery shopping so I could stand in front of the meat section for a while, and wander back and forth in frozen foods.

My uncle does heating and air and I having him check it out, but his voice mail is perpetually full, so I'll have to contact him at home. If I can catch him. I'll still have to pay him, at least I know I won't get robbed. (or at least get robbed by family)

I'm thinking of this as getting back to my roots. My South Carolina roots. My childhood mama said don't play in the house roots. My "so this is a farm" roots.

Man I hope it gets down to sixty one of these nights.

Barkeep. A glass of ice, with a splash of bourbon and a splash of coke.

A Weekend Out - Second Stage

Mental Rehab Post #8
Sitting around the house ain't gonna fix nothing. The problem is you have to want to be fixed and I think I'm still just going through the motions. But my acting is getting better, and the I'm starting to find the shadows again. Ah the stage.


Last weekend I spent prepping, then attending and then recovering from a single party. What can I say, we does it big. 500 people at a house party may seem like an end all be all to you, but if my instincts are right the fellas are already scheming up the next function.

One of the signs I'm getting old is when I think 500 people might just be too many. I say we keep it to a nice level 75 or 100, but then I don't usually have full control of the guest list.

This weekend was the second in getting my mind back to right...well, the appearance of getting my mind back to right.

Friday was the Jack Daniels event, a fusion of art, music and whatever else was happening in that room called Art, Beats and Lyrics. With free Jack Daniels. I got there right as they were starting, and maybe next time I'll read the invitation. Although apparently I wasn't the only one, as there were three or four kids in line when the invite specifically said "no one under 21". That fabulous the rules don't apply to me mentality.

Inside they had those annoying fake guitars setup and apparently you could tap the keys in feel like a rock star for three minutes. Oh Wow. Then I walked through the smoke wall and things picked up.

The room is huge, although the last time I was in the same room with a Old School Saturday event I promise you it felt much much bigger. Back then it felt like an aircraft hanger, now it just feels like a barn. On little three corner stands they've got art setup by local artists. And it's some good stuff too.

Soul Brother #1 and then some.

Blackstar and his pieces.

I chat with a guy whose artistic moniker is Blackstar about a few pieces and even see about some commission work. He's got some colorful pieces which will offset the black and white I have from other favorite artist, who oddly is setup in the next space. I can't spot him, but I know I need to holler at him to see I can pickup a few more prints.

A few of photo exhibits looked good. I get a card before I realize I'm fantasizing about a mundane activity that's not going to happen. I keep the card anyway.

The Race Card

The set is nice. Gentlemen Jack Daniels for the free-free, a nice set of art, some good artwork on the walls too, they got a live band coming on later, with a DJ and break dancing to open. It's a throwback kinda festive and you can just chill.

Only I can't I've promised to meet on old college buddy who I haven't seen in years for drinks a little later. So although the JD thing is looking live, I slip out a side door and whip down to the Ultimate Bar on Camp Creek Parkway. For those who are unaware, the development on Camp Creek is North Atlanta development finally come to the Southside of town.

I get there and my first thought...seriously...is that Dugan's went upscale kinda moved to Camp Creek and setup shop (It's an Atlanta concept, sorry. I'll explain later). I run into my old buddy and we share a few beers and talk noise to chicks at the next table half seriously for the next two hours - he's married, I'm in recovery. Then I accidentally try to pick up the 20 year old waitress who has three jobs. Don't see that one happening though for a variety of reasons. Nah.

Saturday is a little reading and a little me time. Okay, a little wake up and then fall back to sleep on the couch time until I have to go catch Schmoopy for brunch. Afterwards I think brunch might not have been the best idea, as I end up back on the couch. Way too much food. Okay, the fact that it's 95 degrees in my house and maybe 85 degrees outside might have had something to do with it. My uncle is supposed to helping me out, but when you're getting help you're at the mercy of their schedule. That and his AC works. So really once I got back to the house I'm laid out sweating like below decks on the Amistad. I didn't even bother to call looking for trouble. Which I understand I could have easily found. Stayed in.

Sunday...I cleaned up. Did a bunch of Laundry. Watched a Jack Lemmon movie on TMC (that is a great channel). Did my "homework". Forgot to eat until almost 8pm. Talked to my folks a little bit. Then talked to God. Yeah, thought about Sporty. Can't help it.

Still got a long way to go.

I used to be on the edge.

Let's see, in the last ten days I was invited to BED for cocktails and magazine launch (didn't go & I don't remember the magazine either), to a mansion party for William McCray's new TV show, Obnoxious (didn't go, forgot), a "soft" promotion for a club re-opening (it was slow), a hot Christmas party ( that Ruffin fella throws a party ), a private Christmas party on Saturday, the usual slew of club dates - Thursday at Django, Old School Saturdays, Red Tie at Einsteins, Barley's billiards live music or Friday, M Bar on Wednesdays, Urban Soul Cafe ...and countless NYE parties.

There was a time I would have hit nearly every thing listed here...okay, I might have missed one of the NYE parties.

I wish I could pass along the words of wisdom, but my new junior running partner, aptly nicknamed "Bait" is getting me back out there. I'm getting older and chasing them around the club has never been my thing, I need to draw them in to the sparkling personality. He's new to the ATL and seems to be stunned at how much is going on and where the truly live stuff is...for free.

As a side note, I usually don't pay for anything. Most nights in Atlanta, somebody somewhere is giving away the farm for free to put the word out, and since I'm hooked into the word I usually know about it. It's a vicious circle - you kinda have to be out to be able to get invited, but since they're only inviting folks who come out, they're really only moving the circle around. I'm used to a) complementary valet b) no cover - guest list c) free drinks d) free food e) hot,loose women and d) a complimentary gift bag for coming through.

Don't you wish you knew.

I think I'm ATL nightlife spoiled. Every party is hot or I know where the next one is. Or I've seen these chicks before, let's roll out. I've gotten to the age where all the phone numbers I didn't call back, women I ignored or whose name I forgot is starting to catch up with me. Atlanta is big but not that big.

I'm starting to see that familar edge in the distance...do I really want to go back?