It's Friday afternoon, it's sunny and 32 F, and I have a fine ale in my hands. Hello weekend! Even when one is retired it's always worth celebrating the weekend. Force of habit, maybe. Our snow began to melt today, and that should accelerate through next week, when it might rain once again. Even though winter only overextended its stay by a week, it has been a fairly brutal month for winter temps and weather. We made out better than just about anyone else, though, so not many complaints from here. However, we will be faced with yet another $300 heating bill for the month.
Indiana. On my desk as I type!
There just may be a few people left in the civilized world that have not yet woken to the fact that the world has changed drastically in the last month, all thanks to one or two people. In fact, it has been turned upside down. In fact, it will likely never be the same. After all, who can ever trust a country again that blames Ukraine for starting a war with Russia? And then goes on to ask Putin what he would like to have in return for stopping his self defence actions. Who can trust a country that wants to take over Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal, by force if necessary, but likely through extreme economic pressure? We won't even get into the effects these same two people will have on fighting climate change. Never mind tariffs and firing workers by the thousands in order to save money to give back to the rich in tax breaks. Never mind stopping government scientists from reporting on climate change. The USA is now too inconsistent to really ever fully be trusted again. Sure, in four years all this may be washed away by a democratic victory, but what about four years after that? It's certainly time to find some new friends and allies, and avoid the roller coaster politics of present day America. And speaking of fired US government workers, slightly more than half of them must have voted for the current ruler. How did that work out for you? Still a fan? I wonder how long before Taiwan "attacks" China and starts that war.
In a continuing effort to improve my piano program, I had a lesson today with Philip A., getting through most of the pieces in a 90 minute lesson. I will return to his home next Friday for a follow-up. There were helpful comments regarding the Bach pieces as well as the Haydn Sonata. So, much more work lies ahead in the coming week.
In Homestead news, we had our third and final new outside door installed yesterday. That completes the doors and windows project, which has cost us mucho dinares. this door is the main one we use, and leads from the garage into the house. It took nearly four hours for two workers to remove the old door and frame and put in the new one.
was long overdue for replacement.
In movie news, there are three to report. Most recently we began viewing a small series of Film Noir from Argentina, directed by Fernando Ayala. The Bitter Stems is from 1956, and might better be named Bitter Irony. Two new friends work a scam to raise money by offering a correspondence course in journalism. It works out well, but it is agreed that most of the profits will go to the partner who wants to bring his family across to escape from hard times in Europe. Then the other man becomes suspicious and does not believe there really is a family. So he kills his partner. Guess what? He does have a family after all. Oh well. We can get through this. He buries the man in his garden. More complications arise, and near the end of the film it appears that the body is about to be discovered. So the killer kills himself. Guess what? The body isn't discovered after all. Oh well. It might be a bit more difficult to get through this mistake. Filmed in b & w, it offers a totally different take on Film Noir. Several more of the director's recently restored films lie ahead.
Before that came Don't Bother To Knock, a drama starring Marilyn Monroe as a recently cured psychotic who is not so cured after all. Her nervous uncle (Elisha Cook, Jr.) operates an elevator in a swanky hotel, and gets her a job babysitting a young girl for the night. She doesn't do so well. She makes contact with Richard Widmark across the way and invites him over. Before the night is done the child ends up bound and gagged and nearly pushed out the window by her babysitter (probably not that an uncommon outcome now that I think of it). Elisha Cook gets hit over the head by her with a very heavy ashtray, and then locked in a closet. Monroe is pretty convincing as a person slipping quickly into a state that is not compatible with your average babysitter's personality. Richard Widmark has left his girlfriend with cold feelings for him until she sees him trying to help Monroe get through her bad times. Then she falls for him again, but in a more solid fashion. It is not likely that the child's mother will ever go out for dinner and dancing again, or that the child will ever want to play any games with little friends that involve being tied up.
Life Is Cheap But Toilet Paper Is Expensive is a bomb of a film by Wayne Wang, a director who has been reliable up till now. A low level mafia guy brings a briefcase to Hong Kong and has some difficulty delivering it. In the meantime he has a fling with the big boss's girlfriend. The film is nearly plotless and without direction, but it is filmed in Hong Kong. The best scene is a long foot chase down the mountain from the scenic lookout all the way down to water level, when the briefcase is stolen by two thieves up top. The camera work is really good here and many parts involve through real crowds. We descend staircase after staircase, all in one long shot, with the camera running along with the three actors. Sadly most of the film is pure trash, though there are a few intentional laughs along the way. Best avoided.
Mapman Mike
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