Funny things in old movies

Just watching some older films today and in "The Golden Arrow" I noticed, aside from Tab Hunter's rather lamentable costumes, that the sound effects for the flying carpets remind me of jet engines. I can guess why the sound was chosen, but it struck me as humorous.

Later, watching "Charade" I was laughing at the methods used to make sure Audrey's deceased husband was actually deceased and not just faking it, such as a mirror under the nostrils or jabbing his hand with a pin.

There really isn't much of a point to this, except to note some observations.

Wonder how long it will last

Just as a lark today, I decided to deactivate my Twitter account.  I seem to spend a good deal of time refreshing the page, as it is something I would do whenever I pass my laptop.  Oh well, perhaps a bit less time in that specific sphere of silliness will be good for me.  I doubt Monty Python could top the absurdity that is Devin Nunes suing a parody account of someone representing his dairy cow.  I figure it will also allow me to review whatever stupidity Trump has gotten up to in the last day or so after the news organizations have had time to decide with was the biggest bit of asininity.

Another day, very seldom does that mean another post

Just puttering about today, and while I really should have had the television on watching Mueller, I sort of figured he would do what he did, which was stick to what he reported.  It was nice that he did specifically mention that he did exculpate the Idiot-in-Chief, regardless of the idiot's tweets say.  One other thing I have noticed as well is that Twitter, with its new format, doesn't seem to want to work for me on my Mac.  I really don't have much to add, this was just a killing time entry.

Keeping occupied on a July day

Working nights leaves me in an interesting position on my off days, as I wake up late and need to decide what to do. Today started with coffee and a bit of DDO.

For whatever reason, a film titled "William, the New Judo Master" grabbed my attention.  I can't say what about it seemed compelling to me, but in watching it, I am enjoying it, both the imagery the odd bits of humor that show up when least expected.  It is not a movie I would recommend to anyone who does not enjoy "art" films, because the structure is not that of a traditional movie. I chose to buy it for $8 rather than rent or initiate any new monthly video services. While I expect to resubscribe to Amazon and Netflix at some point down the road, it was not what I wanted at this time, though I think I need a Dekkoo subscription for this particular film.

Sorry for the disjointed nature of this post, but I am going back to the movie, which is distracting me, in a good way.

Old and New Photos

 I don't quite recall where this picture of these four men with money stuffed down their underwear came from, but I do have two versions of it.  I was sorting files on my computer today, trying to find a logical place for vintage photos I had been saving from Tumblr, when I came across this one. I wonder if I go back far enough on this blog if I have posted it before.  My guess is that I probably have posted it previously, but so long ago that it now seems fresh and new, though the fashion displayed in the photo is anything but fresh and new.  I hope none of them had the misfortune to get a paper cut down there behind their briefs. 

This photo here on the right is brand new and I only saved it once I realized just how bad the photo shop was. I am going to hazard that this guy is in reality in decent if not pretty good shape, so the contoured torso seems a bit ridiculous. It brought me a laugh when I saw it, and so I am sharing it. I have no idea if this was a photo from personal ads or something, as it was pulled as is from Tumblr, where you seldom actually get a proper feeling for the original context of any photo.

That's it for now and today's image analysis. I would say that I know everyone is looking forward to tomorrow, but my updates have not been that consistent for the handful of page views, which I am actually guessing are bots rather than people.

Unknown Subject (both topic and subject of photograph)

While I am not sure who the subject of the photo is, the photographer is Robert Gant of New Zealand.  This is one of those photos that showed up on my Tumblr, and I decided to save it.  My Tumblr is normally just postings of men in figurative art, most frequently painting and drawing, so this isn't something that would go there, though I might have re-blogged it there as well.

This is one of those days, and while I don't have all that much to say, and I know there is nothing profound to be found here today, nor anything remotely philosophical, I sort of feel the need to write, create, do something. Earlier was laundry, now is who knows, though I am hoping to fill this sidebar with words, so it balances nicely.

We have been having nice late afternoons, but chilly nights and mornings, so since I am a bit of an idiot and have been leaving windows open at night, my apartment is nice and chilly when I wake up, giving me all the motivation I need to stay under the warm blankets and avoid the day.

Frederic Leighton and mythology

I saw this image yesterday on my Tumblr feed and tried to find a bit more on it.  Unfortunately, all I could verify was the title "The Hit."  I saw some articles about Leighton incorporating mythology in his paintings, and then it occurred to me perhaps this is Herakles and a young Dionysus, since I had seen statue of an adult Herakles with the infant Dionysus. The animal skin (though leopard not lion) on the elder and the leave crown on the younger were the main drivers for me to make this decision on identities, though I am sure there are other ideas, if not some notes from the time that actually name the myth from which the image was drawn. 

Actually, I did do another search of it before pressing the publish button, and I found no more than I did yesterday, though I can purchase a Giclee print or a copy printed on wood or canvas.

Subscription Streaming Services (Netflix & Amazon Prime)

My subscriptions to both Netflix and Amazon Prime have been cancelled.  I discovered I wasn't watching enough of either to justify keeping them, as I seem to have migrated to classic movies that I collect on iTunes at $5.00 each or have purchased on DVD/BluRay, which can be cheaper than purchasing them digitally.  This is not to say that those services, as well as Hulu, don't offer something worth watching, but rather I only have so many hours that I choose to spend viewing television, and even if I buy nothing else, I have enough to get me through the next several months, and with summer approaching, there will be even less need for at home entertainment.  I am no doubt an outlier, because I have been fine with whatever the digital antenna can pick up locally, not having cable, so not having cable I never felt the urge to watch what I a service for which I was paying. Netflix and to a lesser extent Amazon Prime (which I could get some benefit from due to reduced shipping costs) compelled me to spend some time searching through their offerings to justify the money spent, because I am trying to avoid too many bought and forgot subscriptions.

Too many school shootings...

Ok, if the title doesn't say enough, then I will just finish here.  I used Wikipedia and determined that during my entire K-12 school experience (roughly fall 1974 to spring 1987) there were fewer deaths from school shooters than in the last three years.  Surely that is enough to make anyone wonder what has gone wrong here, especially as the last three years don't include Columbine or Sandy Hook, the two most infamous of recent memory, excluding the New Valentine's Day Massacre in Parkland.

More than anything I wish our politicians would offer more than "prayers" for those impacted, since it is in black and white just how effective those prayers have been since Columbine.  While I don't want to discount those teen lives, you would have though after the massacre of even younger children at Sandy Hook someone would have the guts to actually do something.  Even now the Republicans are already saying it is too soon to talk of gun control, like they have every time something like this happens, it was too soon after Las Vegas last fall, and I guess since the mourning period never went from black to violet, perhaps this newest tragedy has reset the clock.  Damn it and damn the clock, it is time to move forward into something that at the very minimum gets certain guns, designed for hunting humans, out of the market.

Too bad nothing will happen, and my condolences to those parents in advance.

Single Loaf Wheat Bread recipe

OK, I don't know how many folks out there are single and may enjoy a bit of cooking, but really hate the cooking for one thing, and like how many bread recipes make multiple loaves, so I adapted a standard white bread recipe, using half-whole wheat, and reducing the yield.  There is a link to the original as well, because it needs to be there because while I messed with it a bit, I didn't create the original.

The recipe doesn't call for many things, but even there I had to change it up a bit because I don't keep nearly the variety of things around the house as I should.

1 package of yeast (though I proofed mine because it was past use by date, but hey, it isn't like they really all die on that day)
1 1/8 cups warm water
1.5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon oil (recipe says canola, I used olive)
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1.5-2 cups whole wheat flour

Pretty much the same as on tasteofhome.com:

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, salt, oil and 1.5 cups all purpose flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a soft dough. 

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. (Because my apartment has limited space, and I wanted easier clean up, I did this on a piece of parchment paper, then used the paper for the cover when I placed this up on the fridge to rise.) Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a loaf. Place in a greased pan (I used 8x8 pan). I also scored mine. Cover and let rise until doubled, 30-45 minutes.  (I also started the preheat on the oven at around 30 minutes, giving the bread 15 more, and the oven time to be ready.)

Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes (with square pan) or until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 1 loaf.

Titanic Summer review

The below is a review from Goodreads which I will eventually post over on Amazon, but since Amazon doesn't seem to take advance reviews, here it is:

First and foremost, I did receive an ARC for an honest review. That said, let's move on to the review, which I will also cross-post to Amazon.

I think the fact that this grabbed my attention and led to a pretty non-stop, except for dinner, reading experience says something beyond what words I can spout.

Jake was initially a bit Holden Caulfield-esque, but that may have just been because of the opening paragraphs, because he certainly didn't continue to be quite so cynical.

I think the author does an admirable job of working with Jake's phobias and insecurities, and also shows how Jake both succumbs to and outgrows them, while not belittling their impact. I did really enjoy the constantly building, what comes next sort of feeling as Jake's teenage life comes apart at the seams. Jake's mom is a lovely surprise, and how Jake vacillates between what is proper and what is comfortable just seems beyond familiar to me. Overall, I think the book is a marvelous slice of life, and I wish I had such a "Grandma."

This was one of those fun books that tossed me a few curveballs, and I would suggest it for those who like LGBTQ coming of age tales.  As an aside, one of the other reasons I liked it is because the main character was honest about not understanding transgender, and while that is one of the plot devices, it is also something that is only a small part of the novel as a whole, so don't be put off if that isn't something automatically expected.

Happy New Year?

I guess tomorrow's meals will be made from the chicken in the crock pot.  Chicken, potatoes, onions, and garlic, with a bit of spices, so it should be tasty.  (If the Heinz Carolina BBQ sauce negatively impacts it, I will let you know.)

The guys I work with have been giving one of my colleagues a difficult time because of his fashion choices.  It seems he wore a onesie/jumpsuit (though more the pajama sort) during the holiday break, as I sit here and watch the "Concert for New York" I notice the John Cougar Mellencamp is wearing a jumpsuit.  Fifteen years later and it is finally making a fashion inroad.

Politically this year has been a mess.  I ordered, then cancelled a week later, the book "Fire and Fury" because while lining Jeff Bezos' pockets for no reason than to irritate Trump seemed like a bit of fun, when there was still no delivery date after the book was released early, I decided that I would just check tomorrow if the local place had it, as I currently have the Amazon Prime thing going, so if they don't I can always place the order again.

Three Months

If you actually follow, sorry for getting your hopes up that this would become regular.

Seen on Amazon:
Bright Dead Things: Poems

I didn't realize Amazon had become a sort of dictionary, though I am holding out that Poems are Bright Things, and not Dead yet.

Sean Spicer, back in the news

It seems Mr. Spicer has made his way back into the news, parodying the press conferences that made him (in)famous.  What I wonder is how much he honestly regrets the lies he foisted upon America?  True, he had a new job, one at the summit of his profession, but in taking it he was expected to play the fool, which is not something I think he expected, and certainly not something that is traditionally associated with the position of White House Press Secretary.  Repeatedly he has said that it was an honor to serve in the Trump administration, but now he is saying he regrets comments (about crowd size) from his first press conference.  Is he saying it was an honor to lie for Trump, but now he regrets it?  Whatever he means, it seems like all good capitalists he is off to the speaking circuit to rake in big bucks, mouthing whatever mea culpas are required along the way.  Let us hope that at some point he actually apologizes to America for the obvious incompetence of his tenure in office.  It is not unreasonable to expect the Press Secretary of the President of the United States to give an honest account of a situation, especially when the White House version is so easily disproven.  There is a difference between spin and lying Mr. Spicer, and it is unfortunate that difference escapes you.

Resounding echoes in other poetry

From Frances Densmore's Chippewa Music:

The Sky Will Resound

it will resound finely
the sky
when I come making a noise


Because I read the Neruda first, this reminds me of something from The Book of Questions, it is here someplace, but let me transcribe it below, though I doubt it will make sense to anyone but me.

XLIX

When I see the sea once more
will the sea have seen ornate seen me?

Why do the waves ask me 
the same questions I ask them?

And why do they strike the rock
with so much wasted passion?

Don't they get tired of repeating
their declaration to the sand?


The sky resounding with the questions of the sea?  I am not sure what brought these two together in my mind, but I did think of the Neruda when I read Densmore piece.  Minds are odd and they forge connections were they will.  Densmore is the earlier work, so what reminding me of which should probably be reversed, but I read one well before I read the other, and that is the timetable I am working through.  I can say one thing with certainty though, the connection has nothing to do with alcohol, as there was no consumption of such.

Not poetry...

For whatever reason, no poetry in this entry.  I have been enjoying the poetry, and I find that placing those poems I like here does a nice job of collating them for future reference, as my books have all sorts of little post-it tags sticking out the sides of them, but I don't know what any of them are for, except to mark something I like.

Since our news cycle is impossibly fast these days, I don't even know how to keep this update on any but the most outrageous stories.  Twitter gets most of my attention for that these days, at least for the sharing part.  I still think this blog will be a bit of this and that, as long as I am doing a bit of this and that.  I have been reading poetry, mm romance novels, playing ESO, and tweeting out the news, which doesn't really make it sound like I am doing anything with my life, and that is probably true.

Poor Dreamspinner Press, they had a webpage malfunction that automatically added free shipping (to a trade show in Paris) and had to cancel orders.  Either inputting correct ship to addresses and billing was going to be to much of a burden, or they thought it would just be cleaning, so they did the cancel with a request to the buyer to place a new order.  I did, but I ordered less, such is the way things go when I am not browsing the internet for books at 3am.

I will probably move back into putting poems that grab my attention in here, at least for the time being, but I wanted to touch base, with however many readers I actually do have.

Poem on words...

This short one is called Horses, by Witter Bynner:

Horses

Words are hoops
Through which to leap upon meanings,
Which are horses' backs,
Bare, moving.

Like a reason to enjoy poetry... that sort of describes this one for me.  

Surprise translated from the Spanish

Here is a poem by Mario Melendez, translated from the Spanish by Eloisa Amezcua:

Future Memories

My sister woke me very early
that morning and told me
"Get up, you have to come see this
the ocean's filled with stars"
Delighted by the revelation
I dressed quickly and thought
if the ocean's filled with stars
I must take the first flight
and collect all the fish from the sky

I was caught off guard by the brilliant logic at the end, which it is, and reminded of how wonderful other cultural perspectives can be.  

This poem is from the September 2017 issue of Poetry.

Poetry, just because

I really didn't intend this to become a poetry blog or a place where I just posted poems that I liked, but that seems to be the direction it is inhabiting, at least temporarily.  This evening I came across a fun one by William Carlos Williams in which the words for me dance just like the title, "The Dance":

The Dance

In Breughel's great picture, The Kermess, 
the dancers go round, they go round and 
around, the squeal and the blare and the 
tweedle of bagpipes, a bugle and fiddles
tipping their bellies (round as the thick-
sided glasses whose wash they impound)
their hips and their bellies off balance
to turn them.  Kicking and rolling about
the Fair Grounds, swinging their butts, those
shanks must be sound to bear up under such
rollicking measures, prance as they dance
in Breughel's great picture, The Kermess.

Hopefully it brings a smile to you, as it did for me, my eyes flittering with all the repetitions, and enjoying the humor that I saw.

It's Labor Day, so let's post some Rumi

From "The Great Wagon":

Let the beauty we love be what we do.
...

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field. I’ll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase each other
doesn’t make any sense.

Excerpt From: Coleman Barks. “The Essential Rumi - reissue.” iBooks. https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-essential-rumi-reissue/id381183707?mt=11

Both are from the same poem, and initially I was only going to post the longer section, but I changed my mind and added the earlier bit.