Not my kidney stone; Deb's. During the past week we have spent many hours in different ER departments. The upshot is that after Deb's CT scan a very large and unmoving stone was found. It will have to come out the hard way; through surgery, like her previous one in April. This stone is even larger, however. Next move is an appointment with a urologist next Thursday. Presumably we will be given a date for the surgery at that time. No one can say what is causing this. We know it isn't diet related. At least I have been able to read a lot this week, sitting around waiting in hospitals.
In news regarding my foot, it seems to have reached a point where it is 70% healed but refuses to progress further. I can walk on it for about ten minutes at a time, with some pain and occasional limping. Right now it feels like a sprained big toe, which is an improvement on how it felt even a month ago.
So much for health news; more later no doubt. In film news there are a couple at least. A really decent Lovecraft film is difficult to come by. However, Deb found an indie version of The Call of Cthulhu. It is from 2005, a silent film that reminds us of what Guy Maddin could have become, instead of continuing to head down his mostly dead end road. Cthulhu was directed by Sean Leman, and is distributed by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society. Although only 47 minutes long it took about two years to film. Deb found it on one of her indie film channels, but it might be available on Youtube. If so, don't wait. This is a great little film, the best Lovecraft film ever made.
Another oddball film, this time from Criterion is Neptune Frost, a US/Rwanda film from 2021 and directed by Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman. Besides being too long and not making much sense, there are still some interesting moments and a few good musical moments. Here is the blurb from Criterion:
...this visually wondrous sci-fi punk musical takes place in the hilltops
of Burundi, where a group of escaped coltan miners form an
anticolonialist hacker collective. From their camp in an otherworldly
e-waste dump, they attempt a takeover of the authoritarian regime
exploiting the region's natural resources—and its people. Set between
states of being—past and present, dream and waking life, colonized and
free, male and female, memory and prescience—Neptune Frost is an
invigorating and empowering direct download to the cerebral cortex and a
call to reclaim technology for progressive political ends.
Don't believe too much of the above, but as I said there are some fun moments. I can't really recommend the film, but if you do sit through it you will be impressed by some of the clothes, hair and attitudes of the people. The philosophy and ideas being put forth sound a lot like first or second year university thinking. The message is not clearly brought forth, either, simple as it is. It is a bit like talking about cooking up a great meal and serving it, only when the food arrives what you have in front of you is a pork chop and a baked potato. A bit less theatrical imagery and silliness might have brought the message out. However, the best thing about the film is the theatrical imagery and silliness. Certainly one of a kind.
In train news I am now driving three different routes in Scotland, as well as about half a dozen each in Germany and England, as well as one (so far) in Switzerland. Though I find the driving relaxing in many ways, it is always an intense experience, especially if on a timetable. A driver can't take his mind or his eye off of what he is doing, or a major event will occur. It's scary to think how much we rely on such drivers for our safe journeys, not to mention airline pilots. Train Sim World 5, though, is a blast. I can drive the trains, ride as a passenger, or be a conductor. I am not interested in being a conductor. You can also walk around stations fixing things, planting flowers, or setting up bicycle and/or first aid posts. The trains depart and arrive as you walk around the different stations. It's easy to "teleport" from station to station, too. Or you can just jump on a train going your way. I'll report soon on my favourite routes.
Mapman Mike
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