My latest project, among the many others already stacked up, is to create a personal soundtrack representative of the desert that I know in and near Las Vegas, the view of that ocean of desert from that mountain ledge next to Hacienda Hotel and Casino near Boulder City, the Mojave Desert from Baker, California on, and in Victorville.
So far, in a Windows Media playlist, I have placed Amazonia by Paul Lawler and Paul Speer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHdqmU5lXSs), which has a vast desert feeling; Viva Las Vegas as sung by Shawn Colvin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g87Mu9SNqwk. It has a slower tempo, more grounded, and is the Las Vegas I know and love); Cherry-Coloured Funk by Cocteau Twins (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WybSSagVvoU. For me, it embodies nighttime in Las Vegas); Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtBr5JKSuks. It's like an introduction to Las Vegas); Serengeti by Jeff Oster (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd6TvuJMEhIand. It reminds me of crossing the California state line into Nevada and approaching Primm with the outlet mall, the three casinos, and the Desperado rollercoaster); and Cluster One by Pink Floyd (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRqrpfzpTaA. It has the feeling of parking your car somewhere in the desert at night, lying on the hood, looking up at all those stars).
Since the Spa channel is on our XM Radio in the living room every day, full of the ambient music I love, I listen to it to see if any songs feel like the desert, and write down the titles and artists and listen to them more closely online if they're available either on YouTube or through another source. My goal here is to create a soundtrack that's just as much home to me as Henderson will be, that makes me feel even more like I truly belong in this vast wonder of desert living. Does anyone have any suggestions that could make for an effective soundtrack?
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
An Attempt at Reading United States Reports, Volume 515
Owing to my interest in the Supreme Court, recently revitalized by having read Five Chiefs by John Paul Stevens, which in turn spurred me on to order biographies of Antonin Scalia and Sandra Day O'Connor that I had checked out of the library earlier this year but had not read, and having read The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin and The Brethren by Bob Woodward and Scott Armstrong, I pulled out of a stack near my left-side closet door United States Reports, Volume 515, a result of rooting through the Government Printing Office Bookstore website (http://bookstore.gpo.gov/), seeing if there were any cheap volumes of Supreme Court decisions. The full official title of 515 is United States Reports, V. 515, Cases Adjudged in the Supreme Court at October Term, 1994, May 30 through September 29, 1995, Together with Opinions of Individual Justices in Chambers, End of Term. 1,369 pages. $19.
The volume nearest to this one that I can find on the website is volume 513, and that goes for $50.40. I bought this one because I was curious about what such a book looks like and it's incredibly thick in hardcover, with a gloomy tan cover, and very official type on the spine with United States Reports in gold lettering, against a red background, with gold bars above and below it, and the same gold bars above and below Oct. Term 1994 and below that, Amendments of Rules, both lines against a black background. When Mom saw it after I took it out of the box it came in, she said it was exactly what her grandfather had in his law office, hundreds of books like this one lined up on shelves. She remembered it well.
Curiosity spurred me on to order this. I didn't want to read for hours the .pdfs available on the Supreme Court website, though I may scroll through them, and wanted one volume that I could read through, seeing what's written here, as well as the writing styles of the justices, particular David Souter in this time, who is my favorite justice, albeit retired now.
There will be occasional entries as I pore over it, things observed, use of footnotes, how much they're used, how each justice seems to approach the case at hand in their words, and the careful use of words to make the law clear.
The volume nearest to this one that I can find on the website is volume 513, and that goes for $50.40. I bought this one because I was curious about what such a book looks like and it's incredibly thick in hardcover, with a gloomy tan cover, and very official type on the spine with United States Reports in gold lettering, against a red background, with gold bars above and below it, and the same gold bars above and below Oct. Term 1994 and below that, Amendments of Rules, both lines against a black background. When Mom saw it after I took it out of the box it came in, she said it was exactly what her grandfather had in his law office, hundreds of books like this one lined up on shelves. She remembered it well.
Curiosity spurred me on to order this. I didn't want to read for hours the .pdfs available on the Supreme Court website, though I may scroll through them, and wanted one volume that I could read through, seeing what's written here, as well as the writing styles of the justices, particular David Souter in this time, who is my favorite justice, albeit retired now.
There will be occasional entries as I pore over it, things observed, use of footnotes, how much they're used, how each justice seems to approach the case at hand in their words, and the careful use of words to make the law clear.
My Fall TV Season is Over
My fall TV season began with the anticipation of the 5th season premiere of The Big Bang Theory and the 3rd season premiere of The Good Wife, the latter spurred on by a half-hour recap special aired a few weeks beforehand, along with a second-season episode right after which guest-starred Fred Dalton Thompson and which I found entertaining and exactly the kind of writing I like to hear on a TV show, with confidence and sophistication offered in great amounts. This led to buying the first season on DVD at Target for $20, a worthy investment of my time, and though I've not yet seen the third season premiere (I Tivo'd it), I'm sure I will later tonight.
The 5th season premiere of The Big Bang Theory was good, airing the first and second episodes, and it's exactly what I expect of the show, to be a reliable purveyor of comedy every Thursday night, with enough of Sheldon to keep me pleased.
There have also been new additions. Three Mondays ago, CBS reran the first season finale of Hawaii Five-O and I had learned a few things about the show, though not paying a great deal of attention to it beyond Jean Smart playing the governor. And I had learned that she was killed off in the season finale, with Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) framed for her murder. I happened to have the rerun on that night and was intrigued with the action, the strongly-written characters, and great use of many locations. I watched the rest of the second-season premiere late last night on Tivo and loved when a henchman of Wo Fat (Mark Dacascos, who my sister saw and said, "That Iron Chef guy must travel a lot") said to Kono (Grace Park), "You wouldn't shoot me. You're a cop." Kono fired at the dirt between his legs and replied, "You see a badge?" I started watching the second episode right after, but will finish it later tonight as well.
And then, around 1:30 a.m., I watched Hart of Dixie (Tivo'd), which debuted on the CW. As it began, I reminded myself that this is Hollywood's view of the Deep South, not representative of what it really is, and was able to enjoy it right from the start. It stars Rachel Bilson as an aspiring cardiothoracic surgeon, who loses the fellowship she had been vying for, advised by the Chief of Surgery at her hospital that in order to be a great surgeon, she has to work on her own heart, and reflect more on herself, knowing people more than she does, which is nearly nil. She arrives in Blue Bell, Alabama, having been left half of a medical practice by an older gentleman who had been at her medical school graduation four years ago and offered her the opportunity to work at that practice, but she refused, knowing full well her path in life. Nevertheless, he kept sending her postcards with the same offer, and after being denied that fellowship, she left Manhattan for Blue Bell.
There were a few groan-worthy bumps in the script with the "sophisticated city girl" looking down on the "hicks," but it's appealing enough, and certain plot elements are intriguing enough to get me to watch again next week, such as Bilson sparring with the other half of the medical practice, played by Tim Matheson. My biggest disappointment is that Nancy Travis left this for Last Man Standing, starring Tim Allen. There was probably more pay for her in that, and co-lead status, but she fit so well here. I just hope CW gives it a good long chance.
I saw Pan Am and liked it enough to try it again next week, though I didn't connect to it as quickly as I did to Hart of Dixie, despite the historical airline storylines. I haven't seen the second episode of 2 Broke Girls, but will later. After all that, though, I think my fall TV season is over. I've got The Big Bang Theory, The Good Wife, and Hawaii Five-O on CBS (and possibly CSI as well, since I liked Ted Danson's debut last week, and I like being reminded of Vegas until I get there as a resident), and Hart of Dixie on CW. That's about all the shows I need. I also have Prime Suspect and Unforgettable on the Tivo, but I think if I had really been interested in them, I would have watched them by now.
The 5th season premiere of The Big Bang Theory was good, airing the first and second episodes, and it's exactly what I expect of the show, to be a reliable purveyor of comedy every Thursday night, with enough of Sheldon to keep me pleased.
There have also been new additions. Three Mondays ago, CBS reran the first season finale of Hawaii Five-O and I had learned a few things about the show, though not paying a great deal of attention to it beyond Jean Smart playing the governor. And I had learned that she was killed off in the season finale, with Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) framed for her murder. I happened to have the rerun on that night and was intrigued with the action, the strongly-written characters, and great use of many locations. I watched the rest of the second-season premiere late last night on Tivo and loved when a henchman of Wo Fat (Mark Dacascos, who my sister saw and said, "That Iron Chef guy must travel a lot") said to Kono (Grace Park), "You wouldn't shoot me. You're a cop." Kono fired at the dirt between his legs and replied, "You see a badge?" I started watching the second episode right after, but will finish it later tonight as well.
And then, around 1:30 a.m., I watched Hart of Dixie (Tivo'd), which debuted on the CW. As it began, I reminded myself that this is Hollywood's view of the Deep South, not representative of what it really is, and was able to enjoy it right from the start. It stars Rachel Bilson as an aspiring cardiothoracic surgeon, who loses the fellowship she had been vying for, advised by the Chief of Surgery at her hospital that in order to be a great surgeon, she has to work on her own heart, and reflect more on herself, knowing people more than she does, which is nearly nil. She arrives in Blue Bell, Alabama, having been left half of a medical practice by an older gentleman who had been at her medical school graduation four years ago and offered her the opportunity to work at that practice, but she refused, knowing full well her path in life. Nevertheless, he kept sending her postcards with the same offer, and after being denied that fellowship, she left Manhattan for Blue Bell.
There were a few groan-worthy bumps in the script with the "sophisticated city girl" looking down on the "hicks," but it's appealing enough, and certain plot elements are intriguing enough to get me to watch again next week, such as Bilson sparring with the other half of the medical practice, played by Tim Matheson. My biggest disappointment is that Nancy Travis left this for Last Man Standing, starring Tim Allen. There was probably more pay for her in that, and co-lead status, but she fit so well here. I just hope CW gives it a good long chance.
I saw Pan Am and liked it enough to try it again next week, though I didn't connect to it as quickly as I did to Hart of Dixie, despite the historical airline storylines. I haven't seen the second episode of 2 Broke Girls, but will later. After all that, though, I think my fall TV season is over. I've got The Big Bang Theory, The Good Wife, and Hawaii Five-O on CBS (and possibly CSI as well, since I liked Ted Danson's debut last week, and I like being reminded of Vegas until I get there as a resident), and Hart of Dixie on CW. That's about all the shows I need. I also have Prime Suspect and Unforgettable on the Tivo, but I think if I had really been interested in them, I would have watched them by now.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Insular Worlds
Late yesterday afternoon, as Dad pulled into a parking space near the deli entrance of Ralphs in Valencia (There's the deli entrance on the right side, and the produce entrance on the left side on the other side of the parking lot), I closed Five Chiefs by John Paul Stevens on a page in which he was talking about the tenure of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist. And as I walked to the deli entrance behind Dad, I began thinking about my interest in the Supreme Court and realized that everything that interests me are insular worlds.
I've been debating about whether "insular" is the right word. Merriam-Webster's second definition (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insular) is "characteristic of an isolated people; especially: being, having, or reflecting a narrow provincial viewpoint."
Provincial. Ok. Merriam-Webster's definitions of that, under "adjective" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provincial?show=0&t=1317073998), include "limited in outlook: narrow" and "lacking the polish of urban society: unsophisticated." The second definition, to me, is a subjective term, and the justices of the Supreme Court certainly aren't limited in outlook, based on the experience they bring to their positions and opinions they have formed over decades which inform the votes they cast and the decisions they write, and "characteristic of an isolated people" seems like the wrong kind of definition, being that people throughout the world come to them, including those who populate the courtroom as viewers, and the lawyers that argue the cases, and defendants and plaintiffs seeking judgment, but in a way, they are isolated. There is only this Supreme Court in the United States. And the work of the Court is very much cloistered. Maybe "cloistered" is the better word. Or "secluded." But the words I seek for description are still debatable when applied to my other interests.
After I picked up a basket and Dad and I walked to the deli to wait for potato salad (for Dad) and half a pound of American cheese (for us), I went right back to where the carts are stored and picked up the September issue of Southern California Gaming Guide. On the cover is "Sycuan Casino: Reimagined." I've never been to this casino, only San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino in these eight years in Southern California, but the article about the changes interested me. In a way, casinos are cloistered, "providing shelter from contact with the outside world," according to another Merriam-Webster definition. The world here is gambling and bingo and buffets and poker and sports betting and everything that makes being over 21 a lot of fun. My fascination with casinos is because of Las Vegas, of course, but I'm always curious to learn how other casinos operate, even if I never go to them.
Tying into casinos is my interest in bingo halls. Now those are not only indeed cloistered, but they're an entirely different culture, a lot of fun, a lot of camaraderie that comes easily, and it's very friendly, because you're playing on the same level as everyone else. It's not like poker. Everyone has an equal chance here. I remember at San Manuel how a couple at the table across from us four let us borrow two of their daubers, before we bought our own from the snack bar, and we handed those daubers back to them when we left, along with the ones we bought, thanked them, and they told us that it was their pleasure. Just like that. If you're not familiar with bingo, anyone there is very helpful. Of course, I say that with the experience of the San Manuel bingo hall. I can't vouch for others, at least until I go to them, which I intend to because there is something to be written extensively about that culture, and I want to write it, whatever it might be.
Some malls are insular, that if you drive away after and go to another mall, you likely won't find the same experience, especially if it isn't a Westfield-owned mall you go to. I'm thinking of the Galleria at Sunset in Henderson, Nevada (my future home), where I've been, and which Mom has told me has a small Henderson library branch there. Now, at any mall, I look around, and I wonder who designed the mall, who built it, who created the artwork, all those anonymous people who should be known more.
I'm also interested in insular experiences, such as being a chaperone for Meridith's Grad Nite in 2007. I remember going with her to Valencia High one morning, hanging around until the bell rang, and then seeking out the teacher in charge of Grad Nite, introducing myself and asking if I could be one of the chaperones for it. I was told I could, and I walked in triumph back to the bus stop in front of Ralphs, waiting to go back home. I had woken up a little after 6 for this, and it had been well worth it. Meridith's Grad Nite for me was better than my own Grad Nite because of such amenities as free cookies and cheese cubes and crackers and drinks for the chaperones, as well as salads or chili or breakfast plates either when you got there or at around 2 in the morning. There was also screenings of Deja Vu and then The Queen playing in the theater on Main Street that now houses Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln again, but used to play a 50th anniversary short film hosted by Steve Martin. In that same theater area, amidst all the mementos and models of attractions in the park, there was also a caricaturist drawing the chaperones as well as Disney characters, though by the time I found out about that free opportunity, the reservations list had already been filled up. I still enjoyed watching the guy drawing Disney characters and the chaperones wearing Mickey ear hats. This was my one and only Grad Nite, so I was a fresh faced newbie, but I noticed the veterans, the chaperones sitting in front of the Plaza Inn, next to heat lamps, conversations afloat, and there was one guy sleeping on a long padded bench in the lobby of that theater, so I chatted with his wife a while.
I've also been in pursuit of really good covered fries, and it seems like an insular pursuit. Not necessarily chili-cheese fries, but something different in fries being covered with cheese. Looking at this Wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheese_fries), I noticed that there's "pizza fries" in Philadelphia, topped with mozzarella cheese, with pizza sauce on the side. Possibly.
We were at Weinerschnitzel last Saturday, after Mom and Dad picked us up from the movies, and I had "ultimate" chili cheese fries, which were the basic chili-cheese fries with onions sprinkled throughout, though they became too much toward the end, too dominant. When I become a resident of Henderson with easy access to Las Vegas, I don't intend to eat chili-cheese fries or any other kind of covered fries too often to find my ideal combination, but it will be one of my occasional pursuits when I'm there.
Speaking of Las Vegas, the very definition of an insular world there would be the Pinball Hall of Fame on East Tropicana Avenue. You come in, you find your nostalgia, and you play it. There's no frills, no distractions, just the machines that you remember fondly. There's 152 pinball machines, from 1947 to 2009. And besides those, there's 54 arcade machines, including Super Mario Bros., Ms. Pac-Man, and Tetris. I'm not sure if Galaga is also there, but if it is, I'm spending my time right there, ducking and weaving as I always do as I fire, as if the aliens are firing right at me. It's how I play, and it's one of my favorite ways of living in Vegas.
Those are the major examples of my interests in insular worlds, and there are probably more, but I'll bet that those I figure out after having written all this will relate in much the same manner.
I've been debating about whether "insular" is the right word. Merriam-Webster's second definition (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insular) is "characteristic of an isolated people; especially: being, having, or reflecting a narrow provincial viewpoint."
Provincial. Ok. Merriam-Webster's definitions of that, under "adjective" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provincial?show=0&t=1317073998), include "limited in outlook: narrow" and "lacking the polish of urban society: unsophisticated." The second definition, to me, is a subjective term, and the justices of the Supreme Court certainly aren't limited in outlook, based on the experience they bring to their positions and opinions they have formed over decades which inform the votes they cast and the decisions they write, and "characteristic of an isolated people" seems like the wrong kind of definition, being that people throughout the world come to them, including those who populate the courtroom as viewers, and the lawyers that argue the cases, and defendants and plaintiffs seeking judgment, but in a way, they are isolated. There is only this Supreme Court in the United States. And the work of the Court is very much cloistered. Maybe "cloistered" is the better word. Or "secluded." But the words I seek for description are still debatable when applied to my other interests.
After I picked up a basket and Dad and I walked to the deli to wait for potato salad (for Dad) and half a pound of American cheese (for us), I went right back to where the carts are stored and picked up the September issue of Southern California Gaming Guide. On the cover is "Sycuan Casino: Reimagined." I've never been to this casino, only San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino in these eight years in Southern California, but the article about the changes interested me. In a way, casinos are cloistered, "providing shelter from contact with the outside world," according to another Merriam-Webster definition. The world here is gambling and bingo and buffets and poker and sports betting and everything that makes being over 21 a lot of fun. My fascination with casinos is because of Las Vegas, of course, but I'm always curious to learn how other casinos operate, even if I never go to them.
Tying into casinos is my interest in bingo halls. Now those are not only indeed cloistered, but they're an entirely different culture, a lot of fun, a lot of camaraderie that comes easily, and it's very friendly, because you're playing on the same level as everyone else. It's not like poker. Everyone has an equal chance here. I remember at San Manuel how a couple at the table across from us four let us borrow two of their daubers, before we bought our own from the snack bar, and we handed those daubers back to them when we left, along with the ones we bought, thanked them, and they told us that it was their pleasure. Just like that. If you're not familiar with bingo, anyone there is very helpful. Of course, I say that with the experience of the San Manuel bingo hall. I can't vouch for others, at least until I go to them, which I intend to because there is something to be written extensively about that culture, and I want to write it, whatever it might be.
Some malls are insular, that if you drive away after and go to another mall, you likely won't find the same experience, especially if it isn't a Westfield-owned mall you go to. I'm thinking of the Galleria at Sunset in Henderson, Nevada (my future home), where I've been, and which Mom has told me has a small Henderson library branch there. Now, at any mall, I look around, and I wonder who designed the mall, who built it, who created the artwork, all those anonymous people who should be known more.
I'm also interested in insular experiences, such as being a chaperone for Meridith's Grad Nite in 2007. I remember going with her to Valencia High one morning, hanging around until the bell rang, and then seeking out the teacher in charge of Grad Nite, introducing myself and asking if I could be one of the chaperones for it. I was told I could, and I walked in triumph back to the bus stop in front of Ralphs, waiting to go back home. I had woken up a little after 6 for this, and it had been well worth it. Meridith's Grad Nite for me was better than my own Grad Nite because of such amenities as free cookies and cheese cubes and crackers and drinks for the chaperones, as well as salads or chili or breakfast plates either when you got there or at around 2 in the morning. There was also screenings of Deja Vu and then The Queen playing in the theater on Main Street that now houses Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln again, but used to play a 50th anniversary short film hosted by Steve Martin. In that same theater area, amidst all the mementos and models of attractions in the park, there was also a caricaturist drawing the chaperones as well as Disney characters, though by the time I found out about that free opportunity, the reservations list had already been filled up. I still enjoyed watching the guy drawing Disney characters and the chaperones wearing Mickey ear hats. This was my one and only Grad Nite, so I was a fresh faced newbie, but I noticed the veterans, the chaperones sitting in front of the Plaza Inn, next to heat lamps, conversations afloat, and there was one guy sleeping on a long padded bench in the lobby of that theater, so I chatted with his wife a while.
I've also been in pursuit of really good covered fries, and it seems like an insular pursuit. Not necessarily chili-cheese fries, but something different in fries being covered with cheese. Looking at this Wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheese_fries), I noticed that there's "pizza fries" in Philadelphia, topped with mozzarella cheese, with pizza sauce on the side. Possibly.
We were at Weinerschnitzel last Saturday, after Mom and Dad picked us up from the movies, and I had "ultimate" chili cheese fries, which were the basic chili-cheese fries with onions sprinkled throughout, though they became too much toward the end, too dominant. When I become a resident of Henderson with easy access to Las Vegas, I don't intend to eat chili-cheese fries or any other kind of covered fries too often to find my ideal combination, but it will be one of my occasional pursuits when I'm there.
Speaking of Las Vegas, the very definition of an insular world there would be the Pinball Hall of Fame on East Tropicana Avenue. You come in, you find your nostalgia, and you play it. There's no frills, no distractions, just the machines that you remember fondly. There's 152 pinball machines, from 1947 to 2009. And besides those, there's 54 arcade machines, including Super Mario Bros., Ms. Pac-Man, and Tetris. I'm not sure if Galaga is also there, but if it is, I'm spending my time right there, ducking and weaving as I always do as I fire, as if the aliens are firing right at me. It's how I play, and it's one of my favorite ways of living in Vegas.
Those are the major examples of my interests in insular worlds, and there are probably more, but I'll bet that those I figure out after having written all this will relate in much the same manner.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
The Lion King Then and Now
I was 10 years old in 1994 and still new to the awesome concept of double features. I had been to one the previous year, seeing Free Willy with my parents and sister at a 99-cent hole-in-the-wall movie theater in Margate, Florida, the Margate Twin, it was called, according to this article from 1991 (http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1991-08-30/features/9102020862_1_multiplex-movie-screens). I remember that the concession stand was such tight space, with the entrance to theater 1 right as you walked in, and theater 2 merely a few feet away. It closed that same year we went, so my family and I must have been a few of the last patrons. We were nearly the only ones in theater 1.
Our intention had been to only see Free Willy, but I wanted to see Heart and Souls as well, which was being shown after, and I somehow convinced my parents, during Free Willy's end credits, to stay for it. The plot, about a man inhabited at various times by his childhood guardian angels, didn't matter. Nor did Robert Downey, Jr. or Charles Grodin, Alfre Woodard or Kyra Sedgwick. In fact, I didn't even know who any of them were, though David Paymer, who played the bus driver, is now one of my favorite judges on The Good Wife (Denis O'Hare, as Judge Charles Abernathy, is the other). I just wanted to sit through another movie. To see two movies in one day sounded like a good deal.
Heart and Souls was fairly decent, and the physical comedy Robert Downey, Jr. employed when he was inhabited by his guardian angels was entertaining, but it mattered nothing compared to the double feature we went to in 1994. I remember explicitly the ad for it from Walt Disney Pictures in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in July: "Come for Angels in the Outfield, stay for The Lion King." The theater closest to us was the GCC (General Cinema Corporation) Coral Square Cinema 8 in Coral Springs, not far from our condo. And we had to get tickets in advance, because no way there would be empty seats for this. And as we pulled into the parking lot on the evening of the double feature, either one or two Saturdays before Angels in the Outfield was released on July 15, I saw a sign taped to the admissions window that announced that it was sold out. And this wasn't the relatively organized sold-out we know today by way of stadium seating. There was no stadium seating back then. Right up to the screen and all the way to the back, the seats were at the same height. And the theaters seemed bigger as a result, or maybe it was just my sense of perception at that age. But I had been to GCC many, many times during their summer movie program with Mom and then-five-year-old Meridith, usually the first ones to arrive before the theater opened for that business in the morning. They showed Hook and Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure (from 1977), to name the two that I can remember. I also remember, after one particular showing, walking out of the theater and seeing on the marquee (and these were paper marquees, not digital), the logo for In the Line of Fire, which was rated R, and so I couldn't see it, but I was always curious about it, and in later years, it tied in nicely into my interest in the presidents, real and fictional, as it was about a cunning assassin (John Malkovich) going after the president, and the Secret Service agent (Clint Eastwood), who had failed to save JFK, who was chasing him.
The concession stand at GCC was arranged in a circle, and we may have gotten popcorn and soda, but I don't remember. I just wanted to get into the auditorium, and it was very crowded. I think we were seated in the middle, but what mattered most was being there for this double feature. The last time I saw Angels in the Outfield was the first time, and I still remember Danny Glover, Christopher Lloyd, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and that Levitt was an orphan, and there was an adoption at the end, but that was it. I remember vividly the entire theater completely filled, kids and adults all around. And then, the rush.
The women's restroom on the left outside that particular theater, near the video games, and the men's restroom on the right, next to more video games, were completely crowded and there was a huge line while the reels for Angels in the Outfield were rewound and replaced with the reels for The Lion King. Yes, kids. Reels. They were run through projectors which shined light on each frame, which then appeared on the screen in motion, one right after the other. Freaky, huh?
(It says something about the advancements in technology today that I'm only 27 and I can already reminisce like this.)
My biggest excitement, just like the Free Willy/Heart and Souls double feature was that I was going to see a second movie! And it was the evening! And it was an animated Disney film, which, for us Disney fanatics, was pure joy. My favorite sequence of that particular showing was "I Just Can't Wait to be King." The vividness of the animation was so wonderful to see, so cheery, so much fun.
Now it's been 17 years since first seeing The Lion King, and in the ensuing years, I've owned it on VHS, seen it in IMAX, bought the 2-disc Platinum Edition DVD set, and yesterday, I saw it in 3D.
The Lion King 3D is a tribute to two sets of artists: Those who created it, and those who created the 3D effects for it based on what was there. And 3D technology is getting a lot better. Thus far, this is the pinnacle. The 3D for The Lion King brings the movie much closer to your eyes, giving you a much more personal experience. Despite an audience around you, it does feel like you're watching it on your own, that you're surrounded by it. And with it being so close to you, the original animation is much more noticeable. Timon and Pumbaa's paradise oasis is stunning, like you could dive into it yourself and live among the waterfalls and that deep green grass, laying there like they do, staring up at the stars.
When I saw The Lion King in 1994, and on VHS, and in IMAX, and on DVD, I didn't even notice shooting stars in the scene where Simba, much wiser, begins running back to Pride Rock. There they are, two of them, making you see how much these animators cared about making the best film possible. And not only did they do so, but so did the artists who created the 3D effects. The rain that washes over Pride Rock toward the end is so close to your eyes that you feel like you're almost caught up in it. Meridith told me that when she went to see Tangled, the rain effects ended right before they got close to you. These are very close, and they're why I wish Disney had not only released Beauty and the Beast 3D at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood for a week. That deserved a nationwide release too, and if Disney works it right, puts The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, and Tarzan in 3D, they may very well hit upon a profit goldmine. Imagine Tarzan tree-surfing in 3D. How about the instances in which Pegasus flies?
As Meridith and I left Edwards Valencia 12, after I met her after her showing of Dolphin Tale 3D, I told her that John Lasseter, the executive producer of this 3D edition, had better be smart and re-release Monsters, Inc. in 3D ahead of the 2013 release of its prequel, Monsters University. Can you imagine the climactic doors sequence in 3D? That screams bloody murder for 3D conversion! They've done it oh so very right with The Lion King, and now it's time for other Disney animation to get the same treatment. I would happily pay to see those in that form. It is the next generation of Disney entertainment, and The Lion King looked a lot better than Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The animation teams know how to use 3D much better. And based on The Lion King being #1 at the box office for the second weekend, it's time to give the animation division carte blanche on converting past movies into 3D. It works. Now it's time for more.
Our intention had been to only see Free Willy, but I wanted to see Heart and Souls as well, which was being shown after, and I somehow convinced my parents, during Free Willy's end credits, to stay for it. The plot, about a man inhabited at various times by his childhood guardian angels, didn't matter. Nor did Robert Downey, Jr. or Charles Grodin, Alfre Woodard or Kyra Sedgwick. In fact, I didn't even know who any of them were, though David Paymer, who played the bus driver, is now one of my favorite judges on The Good Wife (Denis O'Hare, as Judge Charles Abernathy, is the other). I just wanted to sit through another movie. To see two movies in one day sounded like a good deal.
Heart and Souls was fairly decent, and the physical comedy Robert Downey, Jr. employed when he was inhabited by his guardian angels was entertaining, but it mattered nothing compared to the double feature we went to in 1994. I remember explicitly the ad for it from Walt Disney Pictures in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in July: "Come for Angels in the Outfield, stay for The Lion King." The theater closest to us was the GCC (General Cinema Corporation) Coral Square Cinema 8 in Coral Springs, not far from our condo. And we had to get tickets in advance, because no way there would be empty seats for this. And as we pulled into the parking lot on the evening of the double feature, either one or two Saturdays before Angels in the Outfield was released on July 15, I saw a sign taped to the admissions window that announced that it was sold out. And this wasn't the relatively organized sold-out we know today by way of stadium seating. There was no stadium seating back then. Right up to the screen and all the way to the back, the seats were at the same height. And the theaters seemed bigger as a result, or maybe it was just my sense of perception at that age. But I had been to GCC many, many times during their summer movie program with Mom and then-five-year-old Meridith, usually the first ones to arrive before the theater opened for that business in the morning. They showed Hook and Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure (from 1977), to name the two that I can remember. I also remember, after one particular showing, walking out of the theater and seeing on the marquee (and these were paper marquees, not digital), the logo for In the Line of Fire, which was rated R, and so I couldn't see it, but I was always curious about it, and in later years, it tied in nicely into my interest in the presidents, real and fictional, as it was about a cunning assassin (John Malkovich) going after the president, and the Secret Service agent (Clint Eastwood), who had failed to save JFK, who was chasing him.
The concession stand at GCC was arranged in a circle, and we may have gotten popcorn and soda, but I don't remember. I just wanted to get into the auditorium, and it was very crowded. I think we were seated in the middle, but what mattered most was being there for this double feature. The last time I saw Angels in the Outfield was the first time, and I still remember Danny Glover, Christopher Lloyd, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and that Levitt was an orphan, and there was an adoption at the end, but that was it. I remember vividly the entire theater completely filled, kids and adults all around. And then, the rush.
The women's restroom on the left outside that particular theater, near the video games, and the men's restroom on the right, next to more video games, were completely crowded and there was a huge line while the reels for Angels in the Outfield were rewound and replaced with the reels for The Lion King. Yes, kids. Reels. They were run through projectors which shined light on each frame, which then appeared on the screen in motion, one right after the other. Freaky, huh?
(It says something about the advancements in technology today that I'm only 27 and I can already reminisce like this.)
My biggest excitement, just like the Free Willy/Heart and Souls double feature was that I was going to see a second movie! And it was the evening! And it was an animated Disney film, which, for us Disney fanatics, was pure joy. My favorite sequence of that particular showing was "I Just Can't Wait to be King." The vividness of the animation was so wonderful to see, so cheery, so much fun.
Now it's been 17 years since first seeing The Lion King, and in the ensuing years, I've owned it on VHS, seen it in IMAX, bought the 2-disc Platinum Edition DVD set, and yesterday, I saw it in 3D.
The Lion King 3D is a tribute to two sets of artists: Those who created it, and those who created the 3D effects for it based on what was there. And 3D technology is getting a lot better. Thus far, this is the pinnacle. The 3D for The Lion King brings the movie much closer to your eyes, giving you a much more personal experience. Despite an audience around you, it does feel like you're watching it on your own, that you're surrounded by it. And with it being so close to you, the original animation is much more noticeable. Timon and Pumbaa's paradise oasis is stunning, like you could dive into it yourself and live among the waterfalls and that deep green grass, laying there like they do, staring up at the stars.
When I saw The Lion King in 1994, and on VHS, and in IMAX, and on DVD, I didn't even notice shooting stars in the scene where Simba, much wiser, begins running back to Pride Rock. There they are, two of them, making you see how much these animators cared about making the best film possible. And not only did they do so, but so did the artists who created the 3D effects. The rain that washes over Pride Rock toward the end is so close to your eyes that you feel like you're almost caught up in it. Meridith told me that when she went to see Tangled, the rain effects ended right before they got close to you. These are very close, and they're why I wish Disney had not only released Beauty and the Beast 3D at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood for a week. That deserved a nationwide release too, and if Disney works it right, puts The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, and Tarzan in 3D, they may very well hit upon a profit goldmine. Imagine Tarzan tree-surfing in 3D. How about the instances in which Pegasus flies?
As Meridith and I left Edwards Valencia 12, after I met her after her showing of Dolphin Tale 3D, I told her that John Lasseter, the executive producer of this 3D edition, had better be smart and re-release Monsters, Inc. in 3D ahead of the 2013 release of its prequel, Monsters University. Can you imagine the climactic doors sequence in 3D? That screams bloody murder for 3D conversion! They've done it oh so very right with The Lion King, and now it's time for other Disney animation to get the same treatment. I would happily pay to see those in that form. It is the next generation of Disney entertainment, and The Lion King looked a lot better than Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The animation teams know how to use 3D much better. And based on The Lion King being #1 at the box office for the second weekend, it's time to give the animation division carte blanche on converting past movies into 3D. It works. Now it's time for more.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
It's Not the Jacket; It's the Content.
Very early this morning, a little after 2:30, before I went to bed, I began reading Five Chiefs: A Supreme Court Memoir by retired justice John Paul Stevens, owing to my interest in the Supreme Court (In fact, when the Court convenes on October 3, the first Monday in October as is tradition, it'll be the first time I follow a full term at length, using SCOTUSblog (http://www.scotusblog.com/) for that), and realized that it's not the book jacket I had an issue with when I read The GQ Candidate by Kelli Goff; it was the novel itself.
By the time I got up from a table near the large lobby of Edwards Valencia 12 to wait for Meridith outside the theater that Dolphin Tale 3D was playing at (I saw The Lion King 3D, and more about that tomorrow), I was on page 51 of Five Chiefs. And I had no beef with the book jacket. I slipped it back into center as necessary, and I didn't mind it.
If The GQ Candidate had been that absorbing, I would have not written anything about the book jacket. I was bored with it. The flashbacks to twenty-five years prior were tedious, and I connected not at all to any of the characters. The characters in anything don't even have to be likable for me to connect with them. I enjoy eccentricities, raw charisma, such as Michael Sheen as Castor/Zuse in Tron: Legacy, and entertaining evilness such as Scar in The Lion King. I liked Governor Luke Cooper, black and Jewish and running for the Democratic presidential nomination, and he seemed good-hearted, but very boring.
Stevens had served on the Court from 1975 to last year, and there's a wealth of experience to write about, as he does here, through the five Chief Justices he served, while also giving overviews of the first twelve Chief Justices of the United States before those chapters. He knows greatly of what he writes about, and his is a calm, measured voice, ably giving insight into the inner workings of the Supreme Court, making it accessible for all who are interested, but might not know so much, explaining the process by which cases are chosen to be heard.
No problem with the book jacket here!
By the time I got up from a table near the large lobby of Edwards Valencia 12 to wait for Meridith outside the theater that Dolphin Tale 3D was playing at (I saw The Lion King 3D, and more about that tomorrow), I was on page 51 of Five Chiefs. And I had no beef with the book jacket. I slipped it back into center as necessary, and I didn't mind it.
If The GQ Candidate had been that absorbing, I would have not written anything about the book jacket. I was bored with it. The flashbacks to twenty-five years prior were tedious, and I connected not at all to any of the characters. The characters in anything don't even have to be likable for me to connect with them. I enjoy eccentricities, raw charisma, such as Michael Sheen as Castor/Zuse in Tron: Legacy, and entertaining evilness such as Scar in The Lion King. I liked Governor Luke Cooper, black and Jewish and running for the Democratic presidential nomination, and he seemed good-hearted, but very boring.
Stevens had served on the Court from 1975 to last year, and there's a wealth of experience to write about, as he does here, through the five Chief Justices he served, while also giving overviews of the first twelve Chief Justices of the United States before those chapters. He knows greatly of what he writes about, and his is a calm, measured voice, ably giving insight into the inner workings of the Supreme Court, making it accessible for all who are interested, but might not know so much, explaining the process by which cases are chosen to be heard.
No problem with the book jacket here!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Second Thursday at the Mall
Another Thursday at the Valencia Town Center Mall, motivated yet again by Dad having to be at a school, though not his own this time. This time it was at Valencia High for a BPA (Business Professionals of America) meeting that included the students he oversaw as a substitute teacher on Tuesday at Valencia, after his day was done at La Mesa, in a business education ROP (Regional Occupational Program) course.
Mom wanted to go somewhere during the time he was at Valencia High, from 5-7 p.m., and immediately thought of the mall again, most of all for Meridith and I to get tickets for The Lion King 3D (for me) and Dolphin Tale 3D (for her), so that way we wouldn't have to get any on Saturday, in case it was sold out. But 2:35 and 2:50, respectively, in the afternoon? I doubt it. Nevertheless, it's always useful to get them ahead of time, to just walk right in.
No Souplantation this time, and for good reason, since it was $40 for Mom, Meridith and I that time, though it was good. But it also didn't feel like the right time for it again. We walked on past after getting the tickets, toward the mall, and then headed for the food court. Mom wanted to try the veggie dog from Hot Dog on a Stick, just like last time; Meridith decided on the Japanese place next to Hot Dog on a Stick, and I decided on a quesadilla from Cabo Cabana Fresh Baja Grill.
It was a decent, large chicken quesadilla, as would be expected for $7.99, but a quesadilla at least in this part of the valley, is just a quesadilla. It's impossible to find a QUESADILLA in Valencia, one that bursts with great flavor. I was just glad to have a chicken quesadilla again, and really, at the mall here, the food court just does as advertised. Nothing more, nothing less. You'll find mediterranean food, and pizza, and grilled subs, but you just eat and move on to whatever else you need at the mall.
After the food court, we stopped at a key duplication vending machine across from a display window at Forever 21, and while Meridith looked at the key colors available, I marveled at the window of the view inside the machine. Someone came up with this design, someone (or a team, perhaps) created the mechanisms by which this machine operates. I wondered who those people were, how often they create such machines, if there's a steady opportunity to come up with new ones for new business ventures.
It was like the painting of food I saw above the old Arby's stand in the food court. It's what's put up when any space there is unoccupied. And I'm curious enough to e-mail whoever's in charge of the mall to see if they know who did it, if that person has any more paintings. I just want to know who that anomymous artwork belongs to.
It's the same thing with corporate architecture. Who designs the malls? Who builds them? Do they go from mall site to mall site throughout the country? When they're watching TV at night, do they mull over designs in their heads, like how big store space should be, if the mall anchors such as Sears have enough space? These are the things that go through my head at any mall, really. Unless there's a bookstore, or a library branch like the Henderson Galleria has. Mom also told me that they have books for sale out front. Then I'm not thinking of questions like those, but rather hoping for some decent finds, and I can't wait to devour that when I'm there.
At Puzzle Zoo, which stocks dolls and toys and model planes and Star Wars figurines, the guy behind the counter noticed my Beavis & Butthead t-shirt and led me to two boxes toward the back that had Beavis & Butthead bobbleheads in them, newly arrived, timed to the new episodes in October. They were talking bobbleheads and there was one of Cornholio. It's nice to see an important part of the '90s return, and as a fan, I was happy to see new merchandise. Not sure I'd get a bobblehead, but I'd buy figurines of them.
Then we decided to go to Menchie's, which has self-serve frozen yogurt and plenty of toppings, and Dad walked in not even five minutes after we started sampling the different frozen yogurts available, and so we had our concoctions together, mine with chocolate-covered banana frozen yogurt, almond bits, strawberries, bananas, cookie dough bites, cheesecake bites, Heath Bar pieces, and Reese's Cup pieces.
It was yet another peaceful evening at the mall, one of the few places in this valley that can provide the same reliable experience every time, though I suspect only like this on Thursdays. Chances are it'll be a long time before we go to the mall again, if we even go to this mall depending on if the opportunity comes to move soon. But I like that I'll always have those questions in mind as I look around any mall. I always wonder.
Mom wanted to go somewhere during the time he was at Valencia High, from 5-7 p.m., and immediately thought of the mall again, most of all for Meridith and I to get tickets for The Lion King 3D (for me) and Dolphin Tale 3D (for her), so that way we wouldn't have to get any on Saturday, in case it was sold out. But 2:35 and 2:50, respectively, in the afternoon? I doubt it. Nevertheless, it's always useful to get them ahead of time, to just walk right in.
No Souplantation this time, and for good reason, since it was $40 for Mom, Meridith and I that time, though it was good. But it also didn't feel like the right time for it again. We walked on past after getting the tickets, toward the mall, and then headed for the food court. Mom wanted to try the veggie dog from Hot Dog on a Stick, just like last time; Meridith decided on the Japanese place next to Hot Dog on a Stick, and I decided on a quesadilla from Cabo Cabana Fresh Baja Grill.
It was a decent, large chicken quesadilla, as would be expected for $7.99, but a quesadilla at least in this part of the valley, is just a quesadilla. It's impossible to find a QUESADILLA in Valencia, one that bursts with great flavor. I was just glad to have a chicken quesadilla again, and really, at the mall here, the food court just does as advertised. Nothing more, nothing less. You'll find mediterranean food, and pizza, and grilled subs, but you just eat and move on to whatever else you need at the mall.
After the food court, we stopped at a key duplication vending machine across from a display window at Forever 21, and while Meridith looked at the key colors available, I marveled at the window of the view inside the machine. Someone came up with this design, someone (or a team, perhaps) created the mechanisms by which this machine operates. I wondered who those people were, how often they create such machines, if there's a steady opportunity to come up with new ones for new business ventures.
It was like the painting of food I saw above the old Arby's stand in the food court. It's what's put up when any space there is unoccupied. And I'm curious enough to e-mail whoever's in charge of the mall to see if they know who did it, if that person has any more paintings. I just want to know who that anomymous artwork belongs to.
It's the same thing with corporate architecture. Who designs the malls? Who builds them? Do they go from mall site to mall site throughout the country? When they're watching TV at night, do they mull over designs in their heads, like how big store space should be, if the mall anchors such as Sears have enough space? These are the things that go through my head at any mall, really. Unless there's a bookstore, or a library branch like the Henderson Galleria has. Mom also told me that they have books for sale out front. Then I'm not thinking of questions like those, but rather hoping for some decent finds, and I can't wait to devour that when I'm there.
At Puzzle Zoo, which stocks dolls and toys and model planes and Star Wars figurines, the guy behind the counter noticed my Beavis & Butthead t-shirt and led me to two boxes toward the back that had Beavis & Butthead bobbleheads in them, newly arrived, timed to the new episodes in October. They were talking bobbleheads and there was one of Cornholio. It's nice to see an important part of the '90s return, and as a fan, I was happy to see new merchandise. Not sure I'd get a bobblehead, but I'd buy figurines of them.
Then we decided to go to Menchie's, which has self-serve frozen yogurt and plenty of toppings, and Dad walked in not even five minutes after we started sampling the different frozen yogurts available, and so we had our concoctions together, mine with chocolate-covered banana frozen yogurt, almond bits, strawberries, bananas, cookie dough bites, cheesecake bites, Heath Bar pieces, and Reese's Cup pieces.
It was yet another peaceful evening at the mall, one of the few places in this valley that can provide the same reliable experience every time, though I suspect only like this on Thursdays. Chances are it'll be a long time before we go to the mall again, if we even go to this mall depending on if the opportunity comes to move soon. But I like that I'll always have those questions in mind as I look around any mall. I always wonder.
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