| Happy nineteenth. |
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Monday 08.18.03
I like playing chess online. For one, you can checkmate an opponent by surprise and then laugh as loud as you want without them hearing.
Friday 08.15.03
I was talking with a friend the other day about how his kids dealt with the notion of death as they were growing up. He said denial is pretty much the only option (I think he meant it's the only option a kid of a certain age has).
I'm no expert on child psychology, but I suspect denial can be learned behavior (at least in part). Denial is not exactly rare among adults.
In an interview that appeared in Guitar Player magazine, Robert Fripp said (about the nature of tools he used in making music):
There are limitations to the system, but limitations don't worry me. I accept limitations fairly happily.That quote has stuck with me. As phrased, it applies to much more than musical instruments. Among other things, it sums up what I think is a healthy attitude toward the inevitability of death.
Thursday 08.14.03
yesterday's visitor
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greater roadrunner
(Geococcyx californianus)
Three great encounters with birds today:
- A roadrunner lingered on my deck this afternoon for several minutes. This has happened before; the bird sees its reflection in the glass doors, and (I think) figures it's another roadrunner and goes into territorial-display mode, raising its crest and tail, cackling, etc.
- A hummingbird hovered about a foot in front of my face for 5+ seconds. I've never had one do that before.
- A heron flew low over my deck, whoosh whoosh whoosh, while I was out looking at the sunset.
You know the etymology of the word auspicious?
Alfred Hitchcock was born 104 years ago today.
I didn't see what the fuss was about Hitchcock's films when I was a kid. I gave them another chance as an adult, and understood. I love his attention to detail, I love the psychology in his films.
On the occasion of his birthday, here are my capsule reviews of 14 of his films (in alphabetical order, unlike the 100+ names on California's upcoming recall election ballot):
Family Plot: Okay. Shallow and silly. Ditzy psychic con-woman and partner on the trail of a man who's more trouble than they anticipate. Main characters are all pathetic in a way that is supposed to be funny, but is a bit too stupid for my taste.
Frenzy: Fine. Necktie murderer in London, wrong man accused.
Marnie: Largely fine. Complex psychology, themes of sexuality and control. Sean Connery's character ("Mark") is bizarre. Not my favorite Bernard Herrmann score. Cameo: Hitch entering hallway, near beginning of film (looks at the camera for a moment; way cool).
North by Northwest: Fine. "Wrong man" plot. Good action throughout, except for annoying climactic sequence on Mt Rushmore. Some scenes feature acerbic, subtext-intensive dialogue. Romance. Train entering tunnel to illustrate coition. Great music.
Notorious: Fine at its best points, but a little slow at times. Spy flick: Nazis in Brazil. Frustrated romance with twists and turns. Outstanding climax to spy drama.
Psycho: Fine. Perhaps not as wonderfully subtle as some of his other films, but nonetheless great on its own terms. Killer music.
Rebecca: Overrated. If this won Best Picture, the competition that year must not have been too stiff. Naïve woman marries aristocratic widower obsessed with his deceased wife. Has its moments, but bored me overall (I'm often bored by stories about rich people). Too much romance, too little intrigue.
Rope: Fine. College boys kill another student for sport, throw a dinner party afterwards with the corpse in a box in the room. Rupert (James Stewart) has some great sarcastic put-down lines. At the end, Rupert harangues the boys. He tells them they'll be punished for their crime--he says they're gonna die. Ironically, he says this right after asking them how they dare say who is fit to die and who isn't.
Spellbound: A bit dull, but has its moments. Mental hospital, amnesia, impostor, love story. Dali dream sequence visually appealing, but I didn't find it that interesting otherwise.
Strangers on a Train: Fine. Loonie kills on behalf of someone else. Somewhat annoying climactic sequence.
The Birds: Scene with birds accumulating behind woman is cool.
The Lady Vanishes: Very good. Fun, biting humor interleaved throughout the suspense.
Topaz: Fine. Good spy flick. Russian defector, spies in Cuba.
Vertigo: Slow paced. Final scene is intense, a powerful conclusion. Scenes of San Francisco are beautifully shot. The romantic elements bored me. Fine music.
Friday 08.08.03
Tons o' smoke started wafting over from the west this afternoon. Looks like forest fire action in the Sierra Nevada. Around this time last year, a fire in the area burned for about a month straight, making life in my neighborhood hellish enough (smoke, ash, etc.) that I left for several weeks. I'd say I hope that today's fire doesn't last that long, but that would be stating the obvious.
Thursday 08.07.03
Am I lucky to live in California, or what. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Arriana Huffington, Larry Flynt, and who knows who else: a veritable smorgasbord. Too bad I can only vote for one, huh.
Wednesday 08.06.03
I just got the best bounce message I've ever seen from an SMTP server (recipient's email address removed to protect the innocent):
----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
<xxxxxx@xxxxxx.com>
(reason: 550 5.7.1 <xxxxxx@xxxxxx.com>... Rejected - Mailbox ate too much regrettable food)
Tuesday 08.05.03
Reflections on my first six months of keeping an online journal:
- I've tried to write about anything and everything. But most of the referrals my journal pages get from search engines have something to do with (yup, you guessed it) sex.
- Writing is good for you. Know thyself and all that.
- Maybe 1 in 100 readers will write to you. C'est la vie.
- Keeping a journal takes a bit of time, but I have no regrets.
(Photo with striking blurred background, from today's NY Times, credited to Reuters, of kids playing in a waterfall in Bulgaria during the recent heat wave.)
Saturday 08.02.03
Back home. Long drive. Tired.
Last night, I drove past the wall in San Francisco where I'd seen the graffiti I'd mentioned here on the fourth of July. The graffiti is gone now.
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