The best bit of writing so far today ... author unknown :
... surgically repaired left big toe .
5 words strung magically to form a wonderfully scintillating sentence ! Enjoy the day .
Friday, August 29, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Experimenting with Roman numerals , day V+V+double I
The following is a review on the soon released movie from Flex-I-ped Pictures , Mister Pill .
Warren Warmong’s view on selfishness is complete in this , his masterpiece breakthrough movie , that no other construct on it is required . It is a done deal . The movie is Mister Pill and it is Warmong’s first full length directorial effort .
At first , it is hard for us to understand what is so bad about Mister Pill , played by newcomer Harmon Puiser ; but the fearful glances of his staff at the office start us to wondering . At his Spartan home, a dark empty place , the staff of one is seen sitting stiffly in a white kitchen -- the only room of the house with any light and any furnishings .
His all consuming selfishness is displayed in an extremely anal means when he puts out a birdfeeder and sits with a glass of wine to watch the birds flock in and feed . The trees on the property are set well away from the high walls and every season as the trees grow higher , the wall is stacked higher to stop the neighbors from enjoying their loveliness . Finished with his glass , Pill collects the remaining bird seed and hides it away . If he isn’t around to watch the pretty songbirds then they won’t be allowed to eat the seed that he provides .
When Pill holds on office party , a troupe of children from the neighborhood , held to bay outside of a tall block wall , are employed to bring couches and stuffed chairs out of a spacious dance hall . The same hall that is only ever used by the lord of the manor . He hires a girl just for the evening that the hall is empty of chairs and with a stool and a set of glasses and a pitcher of water -- brought in by the lone servant who is then dismissed for the night (presumably so she cannot have the opportunity to enjoy any of the opulent furnishings) -- the two spend a short evening dancing , sipping at water , and we never see if anything further happens . But we do see the woman leaving ; is it early morning before the sun is up or late evening with a backdrop of streetlamps thronged by gnats ? Flipping through a stack of bills , she doesn’t appear overjoyed by the amount of the payoff and turns to knock angrily at the front door , but thinks better of it and storms off . Her employer , pimp? , probably will learn of it .
We gradually begin to piece together the story of a selfish man who has driven every person that loved him -- he has loved no one -- away by his pettiness . His office staff is ever rotating , but he is fine with that because it keeps the payroll low . His longtime assistant is a pudgy little man who has no life and suffers through the long days for little pay . But the work is not demanding , his boss rarely speaks to him but leaves post-it notes almost everywhere . Murly , the assistant , picks up a lean envelope of twenties every Friday and spends his weekend at the bowling alley , where he leisurely bowls game after game and downs one mug of beer after another for hours at a time . He is friendly with everyone he crosses but never has a meaningful conversation . He eyes the other patrons , makes an effort with the snack bar girls , but always bowls solo and leaves the alley alone . We wonder if he saves enough money out of the envelope for rent or sustenance for the following week .
The director , Warmong , shoots the scenes in a very muted tone , almost black and white , and from a low position , especially when Mister Pill is the subject . The sets are nothing special . They are extreme boredom . Even when Pill allows his house to be comfortable it is not inviting . Pill is filmed from the angle of a chair sitter while the office staff lingering with glasses of champagne is filmed from behind a lofty staircase or a chandelier . The furnishing is deeply colored and stands out garishly to the blank walls and pale wooden trim of the grand staircase where Mister Pill spends much of his time sipping a glass of something he has poured for himself from a hidden reservoir .
The ending is fast and unforgiving , but we aren’t really surprised , just shaken by the violence and then saddened for the players that are left behind to live with their preordained actions . No court could find them innocent , even if justice was undoubtedly served .
Warmong has a style reminiscent of the old French masters , from the odd angles to the restless postures and lone performances . Very rarely are two actors seen on screen together -- everybody seems to be alone , especially in the presence of Pill . He seems to separate everyone from himself and the force emanates from his person and affects everything and everyone around him . Even at the dinner table everything seems to stand alone . Nothing ever touches . The dance scene may be the only exception (other than the ending ), and it is by contrast a stark visual moment ; almost glutinous .
If this is any indication of Warren Warmong’s movie prowess , then I am looking forward to his next effort , but hoping for a more lively and engaging story . While this movie is thoughtful and very well acted and filmed , it left me wanting for a ending just a bit less despairing . Walking out of the theatre into the bright afternoon was a contradiction that took a few moments to get my head around … immediately I ducked into a neighboring coffee shop and sought the darkest corner so I could slowly warm to the optimism that the day promised . Better to see this one as a matinee , folks , then to leave the theatre dark and cold and shivering in the car on the way home , even when the night is warm and muggy .
Warren Warmong’s view on selfishness is complete in this , his masterpiece breakthrough movie , that no other construct on it is required . It is a done deal . The movie is Mister Pill and it is Warmong’s first full length directorial effort .
At first , it is hard for us to understand what is so bad about Mister Pill , played by newcomer Harmon Puiser ; but the fearful glances of his staff at the office start us to wondering . At his Spartan home, a dark empty place , the staff of one is seen sitting stiffly in a white kitchen -- the only room of the house with any light and any furnishings .
His all consuming selfishness is displayed in an extremely anal means when he puts out a birdfeeder and sits with a glass of wine to watch the birds flock in and feed . The trees on the property are set well away from the high walls and every season as the trees grow higher , the wall is stacked higher to stop the neighbors from enjoying their loveliness . Finished with his glass , Pill collects the remaining bird seed and hides it away . If he isn’t around to watch the pretty songbirds then they won’t be allowed to eat the seed that he provides .
When Pill holds on office party , a troupe of children from the neighborhood , held to bay outside of a tall block wall , are employed to bring couches and stuffed chairs out of a spacious dance hall . The same hall that is only ever used by the lord of the manor . He hires a girl just for the evening that the hall is empty of chairs and with a stool and a set of glasses and a pitcher of water -- brought in by the lone servant who is then dismissed for the night (presumably so she cannot have the opportunity to enjoy any of the opulent furnishings) -- the two spend a short evening dancing , sipping at water , and we never see if anything further happens . But we do see the woman leaving ; is it early morning before the sun is up or late evening with a backdrop of streetlamps thronged by gnats ? Flipping through a stack of bills , she doesn’t appear overjoyed by the amount of the payoff and turns to knock angrily at the front door , but thinks better of it and storms off . Her employer , pimp? , probably will learn of it .
We gradually begin to piece together the story of a selfish man who has driven every person that loved him -- he has loved no one -- away by his pettiness . His office staff is ever rotating , but he is fine with that because it keeps the payroll low . His longtime assistant is a pudgy little man who has no life and suffers through the long days for little pay . But the work is not demanding , his boss rarely speaks to him but leaves post-it notes almost everywhere . Murly , the assistant , picks up a lean envelope of twenties every Friday and spends his weekend at the bowling alley , where he leisurely bowls game after game and downs one mug of beer after another for hours at a time . He is friendly with everyone he crosses but never has a meaningful conversation . He eyes the other patrons , makes an effort with the snack bar girls , but always bowls solo and leaves the alley alone . We wonder if he saves enough money out of the envelope for rent or sustenance for the following week .
The director , Warmong , shoots the scenes in a very muted tone , almost black and white , and from a low position , especially when Mister Pill is the subject . The sets are nothing special . They are extreme boredom . Even when Pill allows his house to be comfortable it is not inviting . Pill is filmed from the angle of a chair sitter while the office staff lingering with glasses of champagne is filmed from behind a lofty staircase or a chandelier . The furnishing is deeply colored and stands out garishly to the blank walls and pale wooden trim of the grand staircase where Mister Pill spends much of his time sipping a glass of something he has poured for himself from a hidden reservoir .
The ending is fast and unforgiving , but we aren’t really surprised , just shaken by the violence and then saddened for the players that are left behind to live with their preordained actions . No court could find them innocent , even if justice was undoubtedly served .
Warmong has a style reminiscent of the old French masters , from the odd angles to the restless postures and lone performances . Very rarely are two actors seen on screen together -- everybody seems to be alone , especially in the presence of Pill . He seems to separate everyone from himself and the force emanates from his person and affects everything and everyone around him . Even at the dinner table everything seems to stand alone . Nothing ever touches . The dance scene may be the only exception (other than the ending ), and it is by contrast a stark visual moment ; almost glutinous .
If this is any indication of Warren Warmong’s movie prowess , then I am looking forward to his next effort , but hoping for a more lively and engaging story . While this movie is thoughtful and very well acted and filmed , it left me wanting for a ending just a bit less despairing . Walking out of the theatre into the bright afternoon was a contradiction that took a few moments to get my head around … immediately I ducked into a neighboring coffee shop and sought the darkest corner so I could slowly warm to the optimism that the day promised . Better to see this one as a matinee , folks , then to leave the theatre dark and cold and shivering in the car on the way home , even when the night is warm and muggy .
Monday, August 18, 2008
Experimenting with Roman numerals , day XI
We join this review in progress….
…painting said to be brushed with eucalyptus leaves . If that is so , then i
t appears that the artist chewed the leaves along with a deep red Chianti , then vomited onto the canvas -- gobs of reddish pulp . It was a fine example of Glorp art . Cutting edge , maybe , but would you hang it on your wall ? The painting may be an original K’Narpol , but I don’t see the Louvre making a bid for it .
Remember , Jonas K’Narpol was the first of his age to render “Dogs Playing Poker” . The story goes , he actually envisioned common working servants relaxing in the kitchen and playing games with table scraps . Considering that a bit mundane he went with costumed dogs instead -- the dogs representing the working class , and later the upper crust -- by following generations of painters -- as the dogs became better dressed and smoked cigars and had their own servants : usually cats or a scantily clad beer wench .
Mr. Man , Guy , that celebrity so-sayer , says of Jonas , “With a name like K’Narpol he ought to be awful ; you know , bad . But he’s good ! We particularly enjoy his fruit period .” Guy’s only complaint is a lack of decent framing , as many K’Narpols come without . “A great painting shows even greaterness by how it’s framed , and there is a certain lack of closure knowing that K’Narpol never considered this end , this punctuation .
…painting said to be brushed with eucalyptus leaves . If that is so , then i
t appears that the artist chewed the leaves along with a deep red Chianti , then vomited onto the canvas -- gobs of reddish pulp . It was a fine example of Glorp art . Cutting edge , maybe , but would you hang it on your wall ? The painting may be an original K’Narpol , but I don’t see the Louvre making a bid for it .Remember , Jonas K’Narpol was the first of his age to render “Dogs Playing Poker” . The story goes , he actually envisioned common working servants relaxing in the kitchen and playing games with table scraps . Considering that a bit mundane he went with costumed dogs instead -- the dogs representing the working class , and later the upper crust -- by following generations of painters -- as the dogs became better dressed and smoked cigars and had their own servants : usually cats or a scantily clad beer wench .
Untitled , by K'Narpol .
Obviously , K’Narpol was an artist ahead of his time , even beating out Warhol by several hundred years when he painted Copernicus using a pixilated pattern of galaxy clusters surrounded by the depiction of uncorked absinth bottles . His smiling sister Lisa , an early work that hung over his mother’s headboard until her death , was eerily enigmatic , and a stranger picture of clouds melting onto a faceless man’s bowling hat also seemed to foreshadow later artists’ works .
Coincidence or plagiarism ? Most art historians say the former because , it seems , K’Narpol was never a popular artist and until this late date never formally discovered . While his works are now eagerly sought after
, they until recently never left the artist’s studio or the walls of his mother’s home . More than 200 K’Narpols have since been catalogued and the majority have been compared favorably to the peers of his age, the familiar masters of the era : Rembrandt , Aardvark , XJS , LaTrek , Kirk and Dr. Spock .
, they until recently never left the artist’s studio or the walls of his mother’s home . More than 200 K’Narpols have since been catalogued and the majority have been compared favorably to the peers of his age, the familiar masters of the era : Rembrandt , Aardvark , XJS , LaTrek , Kirk and Dr. Spock . Flower in Progression, #1
Mr. Man , Guy , that celebrity so-sayer , says of Jonas , “With a name like K’Narpol he ought to be awful ; you know , bad . But he’s good ! We particularly enjoy his fruit period .” Guy’s only complaint is a lack of decent framing , as many K’Narpols come without . “A great painting shows even greaterness by how it’s framed , and there is a certain lack of closure knowing that K’Narpol never considered this end , this punctuation .
The lack has saddened Mr. Man , it seems . * 
Flower in Progression, #2
Flower in Progression, #2Most critics disagree with Guy Man . One deduced that K’Narpol worked to a beat , with a full drum kit and a pierced head hunter .
Whatever the setting , Jonas K’Narpol left no noted or eyewitnesses ; he must have led a startling nondescript life . It is possible that his models 
never even realized they were being painted . Perhaps he arted by memory . That would make his pieces that much more amazing . They’re cool ; they’re neat ; they’re worth a look . Go see-um and look too .
*Ask Guy .
Guy Man , Mr. Man , is not in reality a man but a panel of sea creatures . Namely they are cuttlefish , plankton , and a sea anemone . The panel is learned and traveled and currently reside in a flat overlooking a loft occupied by a yeti who actually knows a wealthy woman with an apartment and a terrific view of Central Park . She prefers hairy men , not so much wetslimyinvertebrates . FlowerProgression, #3
never even realized they were being painted . Perhaps he arted by memory . That would make his pieces that much more amazing . They’re cool ; they’re neat ; they’re worth a look . Go see-um and look too .*Ask Guy .
Guy Man , Mr. Man , is not in reality a man but a panel of sea creatures . Namely they are cuttlefish , plankton , and a sea anemone . The panel is learned and traveled and currently reside in a flat overlooking a loft occupied by a yeti who actually knows a wealthy woman with an apartment and a terrific view of Central Park . She prefers hairy men , not so much wetslimyinvertebrates . FlowerProgression, #3
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Experimenting with Roman numerals , day X
according to the garden gurus , July is a good time to divide the iris's , and since it is now August , i guess it's probably too late .But my irises are a bit overgrown , that is to say they are spreading out in ways i don't appreciate , which is to admit that to tell the truth , i don't really think much of my irises and i think "forget dividing the irises" ; maybe perhaps I'll just rip them out and be done with it .
Have you got any of these irises ? Ripping them out is not as easy as it sounds ... but it is easier then changing the air filter in a late model vehicle .
so here i went tonite ripping and digging and moving rocks out of the way and ripping and digging and etcetera with the ripping and such and i imagine i didn't get it all and I'll probably be seeing some more irises next year ... but that is OK .
next i looked over to the weeping mulberry and William Shakespeare's head peeped out at me and said "What ho !" I gotta tell you , that tree could hide a multitude of dead playwrights . It is a young tree , but really getting a head on its shoulders . No kidding , it's going to town !
I thought it might be nice if i could see its trunk and maybe some of plants over its roots ... so i started to give it a little haircut , and so the story unfolds :
'clip clip clip' , that's the pruner .
'hey , this is one long branch' : me .
'hi-O , Tom ; that's a ten four but not your buddy-fuddy-wuddy' : that was a little man that lives in my garden and he sings , mostly when it is raining , and he plants weeds in places that are hard to get at .
'oh , hi , little man , i haven't seen you at all this summer ., only your weeds ; what other mischief have you been up to ?'
'ha ha , you say that like it's a common misconception that i am from planet eleven , Willameena Rubby Rubby , caught your cold ! I put a weed behind that big bush !'
'You devil ! that bush in the corner ? Do you know how hard it will be to get back there and pick that weed ?'
'Emmee weenie ! One hot dog for my post bunny...funny . Fresh ! And it's a thistle , too , you whamalammathingammer ! Buddy buddy , who got ya muddy !???'
'Why a thistle ?' i hate thistle. 'You know I'm going to have to spray that ... those things are hell on wheels ... ' , of course they are spreading constantly from the neighbor's yards .
'looney , ka-floony , watch out my mama-wamma has a waffle and she's not afraid to use it , loose it : sick 'em fido -- hey , get a goat !'
'Thanks for the advice .' sure , all i need is a goat that will eat my garden , and probably leave the thistle .
then it started to sprinkle a little , which isn't all bad , because the lawn is turning brown . Of course , it wasn't good either , as the little man only knows one song and that's 'Tiny Bubbles' by Don Ho . http://www.blogger.com/www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MXgc8wzfC4&feature=related
Shakespeare tries to stuff mulberry leaves into his ears , but it's hard to do with no hands , and he says , "egads , methinks the imp doth protest too much !"
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