•:*¨¨*:•A Modern Spinster's Lumpy Pillow Book•:*¨¨*:• ~run mad as often as you chuse, she whispers, snuffing out the candle so she cannot be seen from below, but do not faint~

(¯'•._.•Chele Belle•._.•'¯)

Last Updated:
Jul 17, 2008

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Gender: Female
Status: Single
Age: 37
Sign: Leo

City: LOUISVILLE
State: Kentucky
Country: US

Signup Date: 07/23/06

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17 Jul 08 Thursday

19:39 - “The caterpillar does all the work but the butterfly gets all the publicity.”
Current mood: lazy
Category: but still good for something Life

 

And so July is sliding away, slipping into August where upon which I shall embrace my 38th year on the face of this congested, discombobulated Earth. I have no plans other than to take off the week leading up to my birthday and in doing so taking time to just chill. I never travel… I hate to travel…no matter if it's by air, bus or car…I don't usually enjoy the journey to the destination. That said if I could just click the heels of my plum satin Mary Janes and say, 'There's no place like Chicago.' and magically end up there…well I'd travel all the time.

Have been taking it easy since the last posting of drivel…nuttin' much happening--just the usual slow moving chaos coupled with dubious standards of what is normal and fair. The ACME  Plantation where I work at seems to be embracing an ethos conjured up in the mind of  a Klingon Confederation Jamboree. A department is about to be dismantled, folks are so spooked by all they hear and fear that they are rushing to retire AND those left behind are starting to realize that there will probably not be any one hired to replace those who have left due to illness, death or retirement. Yep. The Plantation is becoming harder and harder to hoe.


Speaking of hoeing,I recently came across a pretty neat quote from the play THE HISTORY BOYS written by Alan Bennett---it was made into a movie in 2006. Anyway, it's the story of a group of young men studying to get into Oxford or Cambridge. The  teacher Hector is caught touching someone inappropriately and his justification for what he was doing is sorta outrageous to say the least: 'the transmission of knowledge is in itself an erotic act.'  I had no idea…I work in the area of information….giving, receiving, retaining for future use---knowledge transmission is the hallmark of my job…which means I am a practitioner of sorts in the art of the erotic….go figure….and here I was thinking I was just your average run of the mill civil servant…aka benevolent volunteer slave.  Now if I could get clearance to lounge on a chaise, dressed in purple, with my ID peeling me grapes and some lower minion rubbing my feet….I mean if I am going to be doing an erotic job surely I should be working in an erotic environment.



Speaking of the erotic.  I came across an article in The Times of London about marrying the wrong man.  By the time the chick got through with her story, her testimony she made my spinsterly heart sigh with relief…I mean it's one thing to never be married…and it's quite another to be unhappily married wishing that you had never married…which I must admit is one of my greatest fears. Anyway, in the article she quoted William Wharton, a Missouri poet and writer, trade magazine editor, book reviewer, and lecturer. When Wharton's daughter asked him what was love his response was  'What is love? As far as I can tell, is passion, admiration, and respect. If you have two, you have enough. If you have all three, you don't have to die to go to heaven.'  People have asked me what am I looking for in a mate and I usually say, 'I don't know but I'll know it when I see it.' I believe Mr. Wharton's quote has clearly stated what my heart may or may not be actively seeking.

In the August issue of ELLE I found this Q&A to be just my size so I shall post it here.

[one] Who are your favorite designers? Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen [the maker of my wedding/burial/goddess coronation dress], Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera…I have a weakness for that super riche bitch look…Actually it's more like Madame Super Riche Bitch!

[two] If you could come back as a dress, what would it be? The forementioned dress from Alexander McQueen's Spring 2008 Ready-to-Wear collection ::SIGH::

[three] If you could come back as a model, who would you be? Either Toccara JonesBeverly Johnson or Liya Kebede

[four] What's your favorite color? Purple

[five] What's your favorite junk food? either kettle cooked potato chips or fruit filled Pop-Tarts

[six] What are you vain about? Nothing really except I guess my wardrobe.

[seven] What are you most shy about? my sex appeal or lack thereof

[eight] If you could have somebody else's body, whose would it be? For strength and power, Serena Williams, for just looks then it would be Toccara Jones.

[nine] Who are fantasy dinner-party guests? Elizabeth I – one virgin queen meeting another one, Louis Armstrong, Michelle and Barack Obama just to check in with them and see how they are fairing as they run the relentless granulet to the White House, Oprah to see if she'd fund a non-profit for me, Shirley Horn and Betty Carter for a chance to discuss their musicial journeys and finally Roberta Latow to see if all that great smut she wrote was fiction or biographical.

[ten] Underwear of choice? cotton, Granny panties.

[eleven] Last Book you read? the third book in the TWILIGHT series by Stephenie Meyer, not the best writing but one of the most enjoyable lit journeys I have undertaken in a long time. TEAM EDWARD!!!!!! Bring on the stone cold loverman!

[twelve] Any pets? no, unless you count the lizards and possums in my backyard

[thirteen] What's for breakfast? The perfect breakfast would be grits, sausage, eggs scrambled with cheese, biscuits and jelly and hash browns. No juice or coffee just cold water.

[fourteen] At age seven, you wanted to be? a journalist. My mother started cleaning for a lady who was an editor at the Courier-Journal…her house was amazing--I wanted her life…and her life was solitude, words and a life full of amazing memories…in her downstairs powder room, in a frame on the wall was a Thank You letter from the former Prince of Wales before he abdicated his throne for Wallis Simpson. She also had another framed letter from her landload threatening eviction if she had another loud party…circa 1923. She was prickly BUT she liked and respected my mother and indirectly influenced me and my life choices.

[fifteen] What's one thing you find easiest to forgive? stupidity

[sixteen] What's one thing you find impossible to forgive? betrayal

 [seventeen] Do you have any superstitions? Nope.

[eighteen] What's your biggest self-indulgence? My appetite…for clothes, food, music, movies, butterflies…I am slightly reckless to say the least.

[nineteen] Favorite place to shop? clearance racks at Dillards

[twenty] Whose wallet would you like to steal? Oprah. She made it and she knows how to spend it…both on herself as well as in support of others.

[twenty-one] Whose diary would you most like to read? Either Elizabeth Taylor or Madonna

[twenty-two] If you were an inventor, what would you invent? a way to smell suicide bombers as soon as they leave their havels. 

[twenty-three] Favorite car? keeping in mind I don't  nor have I ever driven a car---a Mitsubishi Eclipse or a Chrysler Crossfire

[twenty-four] What was your childhood nickname? Pepper and all it's unglorious variants….Pepperoni, Peppertoes, Peppy, etc

[twenty-five] When and where are you happiest? asleep, watching a movie or listening to a good House music mix

[twenty-six] Who is your best friend? No best friend BUT blessed with many friends.

[twenty-seven] Who is your worst enemy? on some days it's myself, other wise it's The Fitchlet

[twenty-eight] What piece of art would you most like to own? The Roses of Heliogabalus by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema

[twenty-nine] What's your favorite vacation spot? My house in all it's raggedy glory

[thirty] Who is your favorite fictional character? Hands down my favorite is Jane Eyre.  I am a sucker for happy endings and after much pain and suffering she gets her happy ending.

[thirty-one] What's your most treasured possession? my journals from when I was still writing poetry

[thirty-two] Your favorite song/band? ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL sung by Frank Sinatra

[thirty-three] What current trend would you like to see disappear? young Black men wandering through life with their drawers showing…it's so stupid and so wrong on so many levels.

[thirty-four] Favorite trend of all time? paisley

[thirty-five] Always: embrace your blessings great or small

[thirty-six] Never: Forget to don't worry be happy…..bahahahahahahahahahahaha.

 

Finally, I recently read at the Washington Post, a transcript of an Q&A with John Cusack. He quoted the author Arundhati Roy---her words touched me and made me realize how many shades of change can be brought forth into the realm of the real if only we all just believed and embraced the cause and the fight.  She said these words in a speech given at World Social Forum January 27, 2003, in Porto Alegre, Brazil:

'Our strategy should be not only to confront empire, but to lay siege to it. To deprive it of oxygen. To shame it. To mock it. With our art, our music, our literature, our stubbornness, our joy, our brilliance, our sheer relentlessness-and our ability to tell our own stories. Stories that are different from the ones we're being brainwashed to believe.

The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they are selling- their ideas, their version of history, their wars, their weapons, their notion of inevitability.

Remember this: We be many and they be few. They need us more than we need them.'

Until next time try to live in a world fuelled by joy rather than resentment…yeah I know it'll be hard but hey give it try nonetheless.




 

 

Currently watching :
Weeds - Season Three
Release date: 2008-06-03

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20 Jun 08 Friday

0:26 - ’Blessed are you, Lord our God, who allow us to transgress’
Current mood: fermented
Category: but no barley Life




Carrie : Honey, if it hurts so much, why are we going shopping?
Samantha : I have a broken toe, not a broken spirit.

AMEN.

And so just like that I shall stand here and confess:

My name is Chele Belle and I am a clothes-a-holic.

:::The multitudes sitting in the dark respond::: Hello Chele.

I have been taking off from work on Wednesdays to wash clothes. Five loads a Wednesday and I am far from finished. Have off the week after the Fourth of July and guess what I'll be spending a certain

amount of time doing…but at least I can finally get some stuff bagged up and maybe take it over to the DAV or Goodwill. :::SIGH:::




Anyway, this past month has been a nerve racking, gut wrenching free for all.  I am having one of those times in my existence when I am realizing I have made some silly ass choices and now a whole damn squadron of chickens have come home to roost.

Debt and responsibilities and less time to myself. Starting in two weeks I will spend more time getting to and from work than being at home. I will start working a 40 hour week AND thankfully because of the union I will at least get paid for it.  

Then there's the fuel crunch…I have been convinced for years that the letters in   LG&E stand for Louisville Greed and Extortion. I stand by that statement fully.

I mean think about it…why work with people and give people a break if you are the only game in town…there is no other utility company to go to if you want to  get gas or electricity. LG&E is the only game in town and they know it.

Recently over at Salon.com someone was asking a question about what was the best way to travel this summer, flying or driving. The response was rather in genius: 'But are you sure you really have to travel? Consider taking what is being called a "staycation." Visit your local museums, go camping at a local state or national park, or stay at a local bed-and-breakfast. Not only will you have a relaxing escape from your daily routine, but you will also support your local economy and reduce your impact on the environment.' So that's what I have been doing for the  past 15 years…I have been taking 'staycations' while on vacation…and here I was thinking  I was just being a cheap ass lay about….I was ahead of my time…go figure.



But seriously, finally after decades of reckless misuse of this country's resources people are realizing that nothing is free AND no not everything is settled to always be at your beck and call.  Learn to walk, to conserve and maybe even give a little thought to the world around you.  TARC is full of folks these days, people come into the Library to buy bus tokens and you hear them standing in line talking about how high gas is and how they are just going to park their car and start taking the bus. And of course everything is inter-related…so you don't drive, you stay home more, you eat out less, food and materials are going up BUT you have to continue to buy BUT now you purchase more economically. I am eating out less, I have been to fewer movies and have even pulled back from going to Wild & Woolly so much even though their new rental pricing system is the best by far. Still cuts have to be made and so much seems to continue to come due.

At the beginning of the year, back when winter was still the season and LG&E was pimping big time I made a fiscally irresponsible decision…I received a gas bill totaling close to $500 dollars for a 31 day run AND I panicked. Needless to say I am learning from all these fiscal fucks ups…and yeah the worst probably has not come yet.



The good things I shall try and dwell on…the lights in my room are back on…and it cost me only $55 to get the lights back on, my ceiling fan fixed and the washers over my tub replaced.  No I did not have $55 to spare BUT at least it did not cost more. I finished TWILIGHT and am now making my way through NEW MOON. I figured out the potent secret of  the TWILIGHT series…Edward is Bella's older dude lover…you know Bella's basically jailbait…who has pulled in a much older, wiser, attractive suitor…he's sophisticated, sensual, caring AND yet he's not crossing any lines, it's not actually statutory rape BUT it is a social and romantic dynamic that is as old as time.  One thing that also makes Edward so attractive is his ability to communicate what he feels and what he is thinking. Because of his communication skills Edward is definitely the ideal lover. Was recently reading an article titled 'Are Men Boring?' from Intelligent Life magazine, found this part spot on:

The American neuropsychiatrist Louann Brizendine goes further. "Connecting through talking", she wrote in her book "The Female Brain [3]" (2006), "activates the pleasure centres in a girl's brain. We're not talking about a small amount of pleasure. This is huge. It's a major dopamine and oxytocin rush, which is the biggest, fattest neurological reward you can get outside of an orgasm."

Some of the dialogue between Edward and Bella reminds me what a friend told me in college about penises and the importance of size: The 1st three inches is all that counts, everything else is just a mind game.  Bella and Edward are living and loving through that adage.

Still am not getting a positive feel off of Jacob…maybe when Edward leaves the  picture then I will be able to get a better feel of Jacob…however, generally speaking I find the werewolf concept rather dull. The only story I have ever read that featured werewolves that I enjoyed was a series written by Anne Rice's sister Alice Borchardt.

Ms. Borchardt died last year BUT she was a hell of a writer and her Legends of the Wolves series was great…highly recommend if you like reading stories set in during the time of Ancient Rome and books featuring shapeshifters.

Finally, today as I was looking at the wedding photo of Michelle and Barack Obama out of the blue I thought of one of the best lines from Sex and the City: The Movie. When Carrie is in the office of Vogue editor Enid Frick and she's just announced her upcoming wedding plans Frick shots out: 'Forty is the last age a woman can be photographed in a wedding dress without the unintended Diane Arbus subtext.'  Now my white-wedding-princess-for-a-day clock is ticking—2 years and one month to go before my expiration date hits…DAMN!!! Oh well. At least I like the work of Diane Arbus.

But alas I shall make no desperate moves. I try not to do desperate.  My mother used to say all the time DESPERATE does not live here. I used to click my heels and salute as she barked that homespun wisdom.  That memory makes me think of one of my favorite Adam Ant songs, 'DESPERATE BUT NOT SERIOUS'…my sentiments exactly.

Shall end this latest spot of roaming mental sludge with a few words  from the latest essay by Garrison Keillor: 'So when gas passes $5 and heads for $8 and $10, we will learn to sit in dim light with our loved ones and talk about hunting and fishing adventures, about war and romance and times of consummate foolishness when we threw caution to the wind and flung ourselves over the Cliffs of Desire and did not land on the Sharp Rocks of Regret.'

Until next time try not to get to close to the edge or accidently trip over the

cliffs of desire…and if you do so may you land in a meadow of perpetual delights.

 

Currently reading :
New Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2)
By Stephenie Meyer

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01 Jun 08 Sunday

13:49 - ’We could never learn to be brave or patient if there were only joy in the world.’-Helen Keller
Current mood: blessed
Category: no matter what Life


 

It came. It conquered. It was…a dose of good splendorous fun.

Sex and the City: The Movie that is. I went with a former library worker and the joint was packed. Even saw another former library worker who had lost at least 30 to 40 pounds since his retirement…way to go Robert!  Anyway, the movie. The good: the return of familiar characters, the one-liners, the men AND of course the modern day equivalent of a 'happily ever after' ending. I had been reading various reviews…everyone made a good effort to not offer up any spoilers. SO I went in knowing a little bit about the plot BUT not enough to see what was coming. The relationship between Carrie and Mr. Big has always been a well dressed train wreck…and half way through the movie when it appears to have derailed one last time…it was not so much Carrie's hurt that registered but the loss of a walk-in closet which Big had had built in their penthouse apartment. There are many luxuries in the world…ceiling to floor windows AND walk-in closets are on that list.




Much has been made about the style of SATC: TM. The sartorial successes and failures of SATC have never registered with me. I have no desire for 4 inch heels or high end fashion house handbags. BUT I like the effort that is put into making these women glamorous AND chic. Carrie as usual hits and misses AND much has been made about the near-miss of Carrie's wedding dress…however, that was actually not as bad as the white and gold tube dress she wears at the beginning of the flick….I mean really that in the middle of the day??? Just a tidbit too much.  Still it's not just the stylish clothes BUT the men that made SATC fun…Chris Noth's Mr. Big is a dream lover, a fantasy to behold, even if you do not find the man himself sexy it's the concept that is alluring: smart, witty, urbane, rich and so into getting to know you…yeah it's not really about the sex BUT the action that proceeds the sex.

In the movie, the girls start talking about sex in front of Charlotte's daughter. As Miranda complains about her lack of interest in sex and how she and Steve have been going for months with no sexual contact…Charlotte admits she and her husband do it at least 3 to 4 times a week. Samantha, being the Super Serious Freak she is let's on she does it as often as she can…but it's Carrie's response that irked me. By now most fans know that SJP made it a point to not do nude sex scenes. She's a modest woman doing a dirty grrl job…and she get's away with…however, when she's asked how often her and Big do it…she does not say and instead makes some comment that he's good in bed. That's it…again, in the face of all that bald faced, no holds barred honesty shown by her friends Carrie looked like a wimp and made me question just how hot and sexy is Mr. Big.  I know it's not much since it was a small scene in an otherwise overgrown film but it irked me nonetheless.



In the end I have no understanding why anyone thinks men should be dragged to see SATC:TM or to watch the tv show…why do you need a man to validate something like a movie? Leave him at home and go see the film. If you do not have a friend…then go on anyway, you are a grown ass woman ain't cha? The early matinee showing that I attended had a few dudes BUT for the most part it was all women and I was glad.

Other good parts: Seeing Jason Lewis as Samantha's sex toy/boyfriend Jerry Jerrod, Carrie being an devoted earnest user of the public library, the penthouse that Mr. Big bought for Carrie with that walk-in closet AND of course seeing the girls in their friendship.

The bad parts: Nothing to list other than the weak ass inclusion of Louise from St. Louis played by Jennifer Hudson. The character came off like a modern day take on Mammy. It's not Hudson's fault as much as it's the way the part was written…Hudson did look good…but I hope to see her in better parts soon…she's pretty and deserves better. Her existence in the movie brought to mind a line from a movie review I read…sometimes as a Black American it's better to be excluded than to be included…the blessing of diversity or inclusion can be a tidbit lacking in greatness when it lacks substance or style. Hudson's Louise is one of those times.



The money shot of the film is MY DRESS. Yes, the dress that makes my heart skip beats, that makes me swoon…a chiffon creation from Alexander McQueen. When I saw Carrie wearing it while on her journey in Mexico with her girls I almost wept…hot tears of jealousy…for I really really like that rainbow of butterflies. :::SIGH:::



The second film of the day was THE FALL. The same guy who had directed THE CELL starring Jennifer Lopez also did this amazing bittersweet story of a man and a girl and the friendship that starts when they meet in a hospital. The film was shot on 26 locations over 18 countries and does it show. The costumes, the scenery are  center stage and just when the movie seems to be headed towards being bogged down under the weight of all that the story takes a turn…for the better. Lee Pace is great as a stunt man who has been paralyzed following a stunt gone bad AND the little girl who he befriends is a jewel. However, it's the last 5 minutes of the movie which echoes the poignancy of CINEMA PARADISO that makes it great….the images are an ode to the magic of film…of movie making…instead of it being kisses it's daring stunts done back in the earliest days of cinema.

Saw 3 previews before each film…only one that made me weep for more was AUSTRALIA. Hugh Jackman bearded and sweaty, Hugh Jackman dancing in a tux, Hugh Jackman kissing Nicole Kidman in the rain…man this is going to be sooooo good…and to think I have to wait till November…BOO.




Well, I ended the week right…Thank God since the week has been long. On Monday I returned home to discover I had no electricity in my room. That's right no electric. I have lived in my room this week with no VCR/DVD use. No TV, no stereo, no bedside lamp. Just the ceiling fan is working. I am sad and panicking since I have no electrician money…BUT I shall survive…I have contacted a few folks and hopefully by midweek it should all be solved. In the meantime I have started reading Stephenie Meyer's TWILIGHT. Trying to get ahead of the hoards who will want to read it come fall…so far I am 200 pages into it  and I AM HOOKED. Oh snap this is a good read…am really digging Edward and Bella…guess it's a good thing I have been without my visual umbilical cord…it's like being back in my teens when I only had a radio in my room and spent most nights laying in bed reading/devouring books. Still here's hoping I am not forced to go further in debt to get the problem fixed.

::::SIGH::::

Until next time…you know the drill.


 



 




 

 

Currently reading :
Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)
By Stephenie Meyer

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25 May 08 Sunday

14:49 - Why can’t life be like a summer blockbuster?
Current mood: angsty
Category: but coping Life

AHHHHH!!!! What a month. Summer's sliding into place…summer reading programs have started AND the computers are hoping with patrons. I get the feeling summer 2008 is going to be a long one. The kids are getting out of school this week…and the public library will be run over with youngsters asking for their library card numbers---no not for knowledge or guidance on what to read but something far more important—their library card number---without it you cannot use the public internet pcs. One of our library regulars is graduating from Presentation this month—of course she's giddy and proud and geared up for the next phase of her life. It seems odd that I too was graduating from high school almost 20 years ago. Fortunately it's not something I shall dwell on since I have absolutely no plans to attend reunions…I would not even attend a college reunion. Not big on the past…this brings to mind a saying coined by Satchel Paige 'Don't look back: Something may be gaining on you.' You got that right.

Speaking of something gaining on you--this past month the big deal was the arrival of The Duck's 59th birthday. She turned 59 on May 19th. In honor of her seeing another year through I took off from work and took her to eat at Cracker Barrel. Which brings me to a rather sad commentary on the money woes of today…we would have liked to have eaten at Captain D's on Preston Highway but it's 9 miles from our house. So we went instead to Cracker Barrel which is less than 2 miles from our house. Literally I find us having those type of conversations more and more—what's closest? Do we really need to make the trip? Can I go instead since my mode of transportation is the bus and I ride for free? Basically gas has gotten so high till The Duck has to make sure all her trips count…no joy riding at all….not even on a birthday. Anyway, it was nice to spend the day hanging out with the Duck and she seemed pleased to have me as company all day.

I have not been to the movies sinceIRON MAN. However, over the holiday weekend I may make an effort to go see CHRONICLES OF NARNIA…or may save my meager monetary cache and instead do SEX AND THE CITY and the Lee Pace film THE FALL the last weekend of May…right now funds are tight  even if I am riding the bus for free. However, have been enjoying a few DVDs. Rented two very different DVDs a week back. I have never been a huge fan of Federico Fellini. I get why people enjoy his work so much BUT so often it seems to me to be overblown, overdone and just a bit too pretentious….like he's aware that he's doing something great artistically. I have tried in the past to watch Juliet of the Spirits but just plain gave up after an hour of thinking 'I don't care…leave me alone.' I did enjoy Satyricon and a documentary he did on Rome called Roma. However, still have not did La Dolce Vita…and after sitting through 8 ½ ---well I may not get around to it either. There are  parts of it that  are beautiful BUT the sum is nothing to me…the actors, the sets, the whimsical decaying existence of all involved…the way the light casts shadows seen and unseen can make for a enjoyable film experience BUT again it just never reaches me and pulls me in. By the end of 8 ½ when they started doing a conga line around the unused film set I thought…'What the fuck???!!!'

The next film was actually a sort of baptism by fire. I have been avoiding SOUTH PARK like the plague. I mean I never doubted that it was funny BUT I always thought 'Well do I really want to add one more thing to the long list of stuff I do not have a cable connection to enjoy regularly.' In the end I can say I enjoyed beyond words the film Imaginationland. Between the pop culture reference overload and the running gag about Kyle sucking Cartman's balls  Imaginationland  was a blast. The riff off of the STARGATE: SG-1 show and the hoopla  surrounding Kurt Russell being raped by the Woodland Christmas Critters was beyond the pale of decency which made it even better than I would have expected…however, I definitely will not be trying to watch 10 seasons of SOUTH PARK on DVD. Those cursing 3rd graders are funny but not that funny.  

While I was out trolling near and far I fell into the muck and mire and this is what I enjoyed…

In the June issue of VANITY FAIR, John Cusack answers the PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE, his response to the question What talent would you most like to have? is pretty amazing—'Music. It seems the closest art to prayer and where the shamans roam.' Man that's just cool.  You know I always dug his sacred dudeism and now I am totally hooked into him. However, I must admit his Lloyd Dobler does not out rank Michael Schoeffling's Jake Ryan in the 'Greatest Dream Dude from the 80s' sweepstakes. No can do. Speaking of Jake Ryan stop by STARZ and watch the Bunnies do 16 CANDLES in 30 seconds…to freaking amazing.

In the June/July issue of INTERVIEW, Bill Maher's made a comment on truth and laughter that I found interesting: 'Because that is one of the great things about laughter: It's an involuntary response. Laughter is sort of a natural truth detector. If you laugh at something, it's probably because there was some truth in it.' Working at the library proves this time and again…truth is stranger than fiction AND as The Doors played it 'People are Strange'…no doubt.  Which means that if us library workers did not spend so much time grimacing we'd probably spend more time laughing our asses off.

My ID loaned me a DVD, Bill Hicks LIVE. Bill Hicks was a Southern born comic who died in 1994 from cancer. The DVD features three different performances--the best being a 70 minute performance done live in London in 1994. He touches on US politics, sex, smoking and other vices. However, the best part is his 'Goatboy' routine—Goatboy is not to be missed.  So since I'm a new covert to the fan club of comic Bill Hicks, his take on presidential politics seems perfect for the slow moving mayhem that has almost engulfed the U.S.: 'I ascribe to Mark Twain's theory that the last person who should be President is the one who wants it the most. The one who should be picked is the one who should be dragged kicking and screaming into the White House.' Amen.  Which is even funnier if you realize that at this point The Hill is sticking with the race because Obama may be assassinated…The Hill is just a tidbit too helpful if you know what I mean.  Speaking of raw ambition and bald faced need…what's your porn?

In the Village Voice they recently ran an article titled 'Girls Love Gay Male Porn'. I was just recently having a dinner conversation with a friend about the merits of gay man porn. A valid point from the article:

When women came out of their fag-loving closet, it illustrated the flip side of a common theory: Plenty of straight men love girl/girl porn because they want to see lots of who they lust after. The same is true for het women: They like to look at hot naked men fucking, and it doesn't really matter that they're fucking each other. I think it may also be true that while pornos full of romance and mood lighting are marketed to women, some prefer a sweaty, get-right-down-to-it romp in the locker room any day. Wired.com columnist Regina Lynn, author of Sexier Sex: Lessons from the Brave New Sexual Frontier, writes that it's not always about identifying with someone in a scene: "For me, gay porn has always been arousing because of its masculinity. The strength and power, plus the double dose of raw male drive and sexuality, add up to more than the sum of their parts."

On Nerve.com, journalist Kera Bolonik admits that she gets off with men onscreen, but not in real life: "Nothing makes me hotter than watching two men going at it. There is something really admirable about gay male porn, at least in principle: it's egalitarian. Everyone gets a turn at the top as well as at the bottom. Everyone comes, and often they do it together."

Another positive twist—strictly from a heterosexual woman's point of view: No titties, more dick. Yeah baby Yeah. And since sex is in the air today….

Sex and the City actress Kim Cattrall appears in the June issue of ESQIURE with two pearls of WTF? In the monthly column 10 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT WOMEN she says: 'The vagina is a birth canal. The vulva is a gold mine.' AND 'The women of the world want you to know that the clitoris is about an inch from where you think it is.'

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I have answered this in several surveys here at MySpace: What's my greatest fear? My greatest fear is blindness.  I came across a interesting quote from an obit on the author Elaine Dundy  that ran in the British paper THE INDEPENDENT—Dundy lost her eyesight late in life due to macular degeneration, when asked how she felt about her condition her response was 'Those of us who become low visioned late in life are lucky. Our mind's eye is filled with remembrance.'  I have a family friend, Aunt Glory, who turned 81 this past winter and she too is suffering from weaning eyesight. She is single, has no children, however, she does have a niece or two who check up on her. She is active in church and has a social circle that includes church friends and people she used to work with at the police department. However, this past Monday on my Duck's 59th birthday she called in a panic. She had discovered that her phone was not working due to the phone line having been torn from the phone pole in the alley behind her house. We called around to LG&E, we called the police department and then we drove down to her house and sat with her. As we helped her out of this mess I realized something: Who would do for me if and when I was old and damn near blind? Just something to ponder. 

Finally, I recently was getting bummed about all the fiscal responsibilties that I have facing me and decided to change my MySpace status. I used the lyrics to one my all time favorite song "My Favorite Things", a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. The lyrics and the melody are priceless---cannot stay lumpy dumpy grumpy when you sing or hum these words:

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens;
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens;
Brown paper packages tied up with strings;
These are a few of my favorite things.

Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels;
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles;
Wild geese that fly with the
moon on their wings;
These are a few of my favorite things.

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes;
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes;
Silver-white winters that melt into springs;
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the dog bites,
When the bee stings,
When I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.

Until the next spot of totally asinine drivel I shall continue to reach for the sweet spot…and to help with the chore at hand I found a new website to get my House music fix from since The So Very Show from Honolulu, Hawaii is currently MIA. I stumbled across a podcast broadcasted from France called Better Days---better days indeed…the vibe is sacred. PEACE.

Currently listening :
Return to the Playboy Mansion
By Dimitri from Paris
Release date: 2008-04-29

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05 May 08 Monday

2:40 - Trying to be Discriminating BUT NOT Particular
Current mood: awake
Category: but sleepy Life

 

How do you know you are suffering from 'big fucking deal' fatigue? When a fine ass man like Will Demps can come into town and you not even know it till AFTER the fact. Derby 134 has came and went and all that is left is relief. Funny thing is when I was away at college back in the early 90s I would get wistful about Derby…but now that I have been back in town for 15 years…I find myself wishing it would just all go away. Granted all those tourists' dollars helps to pay my salary BUT still it would be so nice if  it all was over with in one week. Instead the city is held hostage for damn near 3 weeks as the PTB carry on about the most exciting 3 minutes in sports. Again, hate like hell I missed out on Mr. Fine Ass Will Demps BUT hey maybe next year. BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!


Spent the three days leading up to Derby and Derby Day not doing anything worth while…that's my M.O. now…just moving around enough to not be mistaken for dead and ending up being buried alive. Went to Wild and Woolly to take advantage of their new pricing policy…6 movies for a week for $12. Got a few I had seen before: A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE and EASTERN PROMISES And a few I had never did before: BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD starring Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman. They play brothers who are broke, desperate and proceed to do a very stupid terrible thing. The fallout from their doomed deed is heartbreaking and scary. Never underestimate the power of lack of money, lack of options, to tear your life  to shreds. Also rented MODESTY BLAISE and MY NAME IS MODESTY BLAISE. The best one first.

Before IRON MAN or DAREDEVIL there was another comic strip character movie and it featured none other than Modesty Blaise. The comic strip was first printed up in the early 60s and was made into several movies. Over time I had seen a few copies of the strips in the 741.5 section of the library and was curious as to what she was about. Modesty is frisky, funny AND fabulous.  In the movie, made in 1966, she is played by Italian actress Monica Vitti who I had enjoyed in TERESA THE THIEF and L'ECLISSE. The film is too fun to be missed…at the beginning of the film Modesty is a retired secret agent…and very wealthy. She is lured back into the game by the British government who is trying to ship 50 million pounds of diamonds. They don't really trust her and since she knows the sheik who they are exchanging oil for diamonds with they are leery of her abilities to be a master thief. However, they do not have many options since Gabriel, a platinum blonde bewigged master criminal is hanging around the Mediterranean trying to steal the diamonds before they reach the sheik. A few of the cool ass parts of Modesty's persona include a scorpion tattoo that covers the entire length of her left thigh.   She also has the ability to conduct a knife fight while decked out in designer clothes and of course her sidekick Willie Garvin.  Garvin is played by Terence Stamp with a thick Cockney accent. Willie is a sexy beast as well as an ace thief and killer. At one point…one of Stamp's paramour's says to him…'You're so cruel.' He responds, 'Cruel? I haven't touched you yet.' In the next scene you seem them laying in bed post-coital.  BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  Once Modesty realizes that the British officials are up to no good she makes good on her threat: She takes the diamonds for herself and leaves the Brits kinda looking stupid and stranded. The 60s was a great time in cinema and this type of film is why. Modesty is pretty, sexy, funny and more than competent. The music, the costumes , even the sets are so forward thinking…things may seem dated in some places BUT overall the effect is one of dazzling cinema fun. HIGHLY RECOMMEND getting to know MODESTY BLAISE. However, the other MODESTY BLAISE from 2004…stay the hell away from. The only good part is the presence of  Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. The rest of the 82 minute flick is dull, dark, and dreary…and the actress playing Modesty is nothing compared to Monica Vitti. Stay away from unless you are just curious to see Nikolaj.


On Thursday, which was Oaks Day at Churchill Downs, I met up with my bud Stang Girl…we saw MADE OF HONOR. Let me make a confession…I am not a huge fan of romantic comedies. Out of the hundreds of DVDs I own I have maybe 6 movies that could be considered romantic comedies: SWEET HOME ALABAMA, THE WEDDING DATE and WIMBLEDON. Know what they all have in common: the male leads make the pink zing. Romantic comedies just for the sake of seeing something cute or sweet usually does not work for me…the male lead has to be someone I don't mind spending just under 2 hours drooling over. That said MADE OF HONOR was cute, it was obvious how it was going to end BUT hey the journey was still fun. Patrick Dempsey has nice hair AND a sexysweet disputation. The high rise apartments AND the chic ensembles were to die for and the scenery in Scotland was just breathtaking. However slight it was the ride to the happy ending was pleasant and who knew THUNDER BEADS could also be used as jewelry for the neck. Finally the one thing that was missing from MADE OF HONOR was the perfect song. I listen to the FM station WNHS which broadcasts from New Albany High School. At least once a week they play WHEN DID YOU FALL sung by Chris Rice, a contemporary gospel singer and songwriter. WHEN DID YOU FALL is a slow tempo, indie rock type of song and the lyrics are perfect for the movie MADE OF HONOR.

So on Derby Day I crawled out of my humble abode and went to see IRON MAN. I knew it would hit big when I was sitting in a crowded theater at a 130PM showing. Plenty of men and women, young and old, Black and White in attendance. I must admit that Iron Man is not a favorite of mine. I am more of a Batman/Harley Quinn/ WonderTwins type of superhero fiend. BUT that said I really really did enjoy IRON MAN. The reason is a simple equation:  Sexy Geek + Sexy Beast= RDJ as IRON MAN.  The story was strong, the special effects amazing enough and the co-stars good enough BUT it definitely was Robert Downey Jrs film from beginning to end. The second best thing about going to see IRON MAN on Derby Day was seeing the trailers. They showed at least 4 maybe even 5 BUT only two made me melt. THE DARK KNIGHT trailer was sooooo cool. Those skyline shots of Chicago and Christian Bale….YUMMM. Definitely will save up the pennies to be there on opening weekend. As for Frank Miller's THE SPIRIT…another good one from Mr. Miller. THE SPIRIT