Stereolab-Brigitte

Posted on January 25, 2005
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Thoughts from the World

Posted on January 25, 2005
Filed Under Blather, me and my brain, the telly | Leave a Comment

Riding the T today I was moved to write the following:

“Television is so bitchy these days. It seems like all “reality tv” is bitchy… but it’s not just there. Today at the gym I found myself imagining, totally spontaneously and somewhat subconsciously–like a waking dream, that Ellen Degeneres leaned forward, faced the raucous individuals in the music video on the TV screen next to the one broadcasting her talk show, and yelled at them to shut up. I imagined that spawning a catty shouting match among several individuals on the various TVs. Is it imagining those things that makes this stuff enjoyable to some? I can’t say I can stand that stuff, but my little vision did amuse me. Why does bitchiness appeal? Does it validate people in their desire to be bitchy themselves?”

The thoughts of someone who is becoming dehydrated, clearly. Or maybe it was the fumes on the T.

I’m annoyed with my dentist office again. It’s such a long pathetic story. Basically, they are totally unprofessional in their attitude. Today I went in for an appointment that we’d rescheduled because the dentist switched on me at the last minute earlier this month. The woman I spoke with never noted my new appointment anywhere, but the woman at the desk today acted like I was an idiot. When I suggested that perhaps the woman who had rescheduled my appointment might have forgotten to write it down because it seemed like she was rather busy and maybe a bit flustered, this lady looked at me askance and basically said that could NEVER happen. Though I opened our conversation by saying that my appointment had been rescheduled, she said something like, “Well, maybe they never did get in touch with you about rescheduling.” Huh?? And what was I doing there if I had no appointment? I mean, did she think I just picked a date and time out of thin air?? Gr… I don’t care so much that the woman failed to write in my appointment… It’s the attitude that I’m the idiot that annoys me. They should be kissing my feet! I’m probably paying for that guy to build a yacht. Well, maybe not… I mean, my teeth aren’t bad.

The Latest

Posted on January 24, 2005
Filed Under Blather, films, knitting, music, politics | 6 Comments

Just when I’d struggled over getting tickets to Radio City… Interpol ARE coming to Boston. I’m not complaining, though. Now I get to see them twice.

Over the snowy weekend, I watched a movie or two and some tennis (Australian Open) and did some knitting. I’m still working on that blanket (I’m slow, I guess, and blankets take a while), but I am finally just about done with a sweater that’s been sitting nearly finished for ages. All I need to do is weave in the ends, and then maybe I’ll post a picture, even! Then I get to start something new, too (rubs hands together wickedly…).

Garbo20.jpg

One of the movies we watched (finally) was The Front with Woody Allen and Zero Mostel. I think it’s fantastic. I sort of knew I’d love it right from the opening sequence, and I was right. The whole blacklisting theme, and the irony of the House Un-American Activities Committee, seems very relevant today. If you haven’t seen the film, I recommend it.

We also watched (finally) Flesh and the Devil. In it, the birth of Garbo’s relationship with John Gilbert is captured onscreen. Besides all the beautiful people and costumes, etc., it’s a really enjoyable (if a bit silly) movie.

Nellie McKay-Waiter

Posted on January 24, 2005
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Maybe this is a guilty pleasure, but I just don’t feel guilty.

My Radio City Music Hall Debut

Posted on January 20, 2005
Filed Under Blather, music | 3 Comments

music_hall_mainpic.jpg

Well, I’ve never been there, and Ezra is humoring me (or maybe I am humoring him by going along with the notion that he’s not as excited about this as I am) and going with me to see Interpol at Radio City Music Hall in March. They’re not coming to Boston on this leg of their tour, and the New York show should be a bit special since it’s the end of that part of the tour, it’s their hometown, etc etc… Weird that it’s a seated venue, since our last two Interpol shows were both general admission and we were within 20 feet of the stage… But it should be an experience.

“All you cats are sleeping warm as toast…”

Posted on January 18, 2005
Filed Under And another thing... | Leave a Comment

That Louis Armstrong… fun stuff.

Interpol-5

Posted on January 18, 2005
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A sort of rare track, from the early, innocent days!

Extra Sexy Pants

Posted on January 16, 2005
Filed Under Blather, daytripping | 2 Comments

Ezra and I went shopping today in Kittery. A couple times a year we decide we’d better don some fresh duds and throw out or give away the faded and hole-ridden pieces in our wardrobes, and we go to outlet land. Today’s expedition was a success. We checked needs off of our list (except I still need new gloves), and I think I managed to say no to the items that seemed like a good idea in the store, but that I would never wear.

Possibly the most fun bit, for me, was when I was purchasing a pair of jeans and the computer screen pulled them up as “EXT SXY BCT”–which I take to mean “Extra Sexy Bootcut.” Woo hoo. And to think I didn’t even know when I tried them on.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh–Flowers

Posted on January 14, 2005
Filed Under And another thing..., art | Leave a Comment

Charles Rennie Mackintosh did some very nice watercolors of flowers. I’m looking at one now. You can see some examples here.

Tap Dancing

Posted on January 11, 2005
Filed Under Blather, films | 2 Comments

powell and astaire in 1940

Is this basically a dead art? It’s a rather big shame. I have recently seen several Eleanor Powell films, and she truly was the queen of tap dancing. According to one of the special features on the Broadway Melody of 1940 DVD, Fred Astaire was actually nervous to dance with her–she was THAT good. And in Born to Dance (1936) she plays opposite Jimmy Stewart–who sings (and not that badly).

Good tap dancing knocks the pants off all that Stomp crap.


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