considering yourstruly's a resident of the left coast...
one could imagine we feel an affinity for our Western Gorilla brethren,
although we are given to the impulse towards chest-beating on occasion...
very likely it's just all the ozone in the air... 3.22 yourstruly leaving Fishwrap Central at Fifth & Mission, espy our pal Lee S. on the street alongside someone taking bag
out of parked car, and as ourowndarnself saunters over, Lee introduces me to his pal, some bantering tossed to & fro about who is the bigger troublemaker, Lee's pal passes me a little flyer, yessssss, we troublemakers got to stick together, and in the spirit of that sentiment, we introduce thee to announcement for the National "I'm Embarrassed By
My President Day" on the very fitting date of April 1st.
perhaps not the talk of the nation...
but it ought to make for some interesting conversation around the water cooler, and yesssss, yourstruly made a point of being home to watch the Richard Clarke interview on 60 Minutes. and for those of you who asked, perhaps our short & cryptic comments & alt tag weren't sufficiently clear,
Ginger is my brother Ken's new poochster, five months old and she's gonna be a great addition to their family, a few more pics located here if you wanna see 'em, & be advised, large degree of bandwidth be a helpful thing, they are large images...
there's a new dogg in town... 3.21
bro K gotta new dogg.
aii yi yi... 3.18
si, seguro que si,
your morning readings should have included Molly Ivins,
and by the way, something guaranteed to decrease your appetite,
do ye recall our earlier inquiry re civilian casualties in Iraq?
she--eee--iit... 3.17 couldawouldashoulda goshdarnitall...
Only $3.99 for da Catfish Basket? gaawwwwd-damn-o-lay!
and the sight of Stumpy hisowndarnself in BOOTS?
apologies to esteemed C.J., El Vaquero Loco Esteban & la Senorita Lori C.; somehow or annuhduh, we makes it up to youse, yourstruly would likely have been an embarressing impediment as it be muy dificil to avoid the notice of the local constabulary when you're draggin' around a stone drunk big ape fellah along... these boots were made for bloggin'...
best wishes to your Bro', Esteban, hopin' it all works out well...
briefly now, something of a reminder...
something worth involving oneself in coming up on Saturday, local reminder & info can be found here, some of you stopping by and living outside of the Bay Area might
check for events local to you via this link. l'Marquis' made the march on a couple of occasions, you can re-live some of them via
our FourTwenty page and some of our pics from
the F16 march. goshdarnitall, almos' forgot to mention you'll find
great chewy chunks of linky goodness at Ethel today,
& oh yah... Happy St Paddy's Day to ye...
so it's Tuesday and we've another day away... 3.16
from the workplace, seems l'Marquis' become a primate of leisure without intending to do so. Locally we are experiencing some awfully pleasant weather, this morning yourstruly took advantage of our unscheduled free time by visiting comfy cafe in the neighborhood of Hopkins & Monterey where we enjoyed many leisurely minutes out on the deck with our cappucino & apricot croissant, reading the local fishwrap (yessssss, once again the S.F. Chronicle) and whilst perusing the obituaries (funny how one develops that habit...) we took note of the passing of Anne Crowden. Okay, now hop into the d'Monquis wayback machine with us, oh gosh,
maybe 12-13 years now since we managed one of Berkeley's finest independent video stores, and during our long (yesssss, we probably dallied far too long in that environment, but wotdahey...) tenure there met and became familiar with
many Berkeleyans, many ordinary citizens like ourselves as well as those of varying degrees of notoriety. Miss Crowden was one of our regulars, and I remember our occasional conversations over what we'd seen in the theatre of
late. The world is a lesser place without her, yet a better place for the years spent amongst us performing
the tasks of a dedicated educator.
Thought about our pals Stumpy D., Dante O, Esteban & Lori when overhearing (damn, how could we not overhear...) woman
at table adjacent next to us on her cellphone describing her relief at not being in New York this morning, friend of
hers was at JFK and evidently it had been snowing, her friend's flight was delayed, plane had to be de-iced, oh, and then she went on and on about, well, nothing very interesting, else we'd share it with you. Then, to make the morning a memorable one, we read John Carroll's column, and happy we did, even with tears in our eyes, something in his words
touching a sensitive part of our psyche (oh Euphorbita, was one of those moments we touched upon last time we chatted...), reassured, in some sense, that coming to terms with certain things might be something that will take some time, maybe a l o n g time, but that's okay, you know...
fans of fine, sunny weather were not disappointed... 3.15
with the weekend presented to them locally, ourowndarnself's kinda lookin' forward to the return of the marine layer,
the comforting coolness that the fog's embrace provides, the moody stillness one can partake of during a bayside walk in the late afternoon, approaching evening as the sun settles below the horizon...
and yesssssssss, katz & kitteez, it is true, March Madness is upon us once again, and whilst, generally speaking, it remains one of the favorite times of year for yourstruly, something fundamentally different about it this year. l'Marquis did enjoy watching Duke and Maryland in overtime to settle the issue of the ACC championship, and has begun to consider his selections for the tourney, happy to see the Salukis back in the Big Dance, was just a couple of years ago that our Popz & ourowndamnedself enjoyed shouting out to one another, Go You Salukis, GO!
whilst here and to make it a more worthwhile visit for some of you stopping by, here's an item from The Atlantic On-line, interview with author of Tour of Duty, Douglas Brinkley on The Thoughtful Soldier alongside something we'd meant to mention sooner, from the S.F. Chronicle Sunday Magazine of Feb. 29, Is Daniel Ellsberg Right... Again?
consider this another timely reminder... 3.12
ala S. McKenzie's tune: if you're going to Austin, Texas, be sure to wear your clunkiest footwear...
if you're going to Austin, Texas, you're sure to meet some geeky people there...
okayokayokay, sorry 'bout that, we know that's a stretch, but it be early yet, ok?
stumpy delko & dante oblimov will make life difficult for ourowndarnself if we neglect to provide reminder
that the Fabulous Lori Cheatle Roadshow is having the World Premiere of the Hard Working Movies release of This Land is Your Land, 5 Pm SUNDAY March 14 at the Convention Center; if you miss that but you're in town for the film fest, there are two other screenings, Weds 3/17 at the Paramount & Fri 3/19 at the Alamo (oh, the thrill of sitting in the audience with the ghost of Jim Bowie).
Tell your friends, spread the word far and wide, and perhaps you'll be able to one day say "Yo, dude, I was there when they premiered that movie, word..." ohhhhhh, you don't know how close y'all came to having yourstruly amongst thyselves over the weekend, katz und kitteez, the collision of cosmik energies might have been too great for the greater Austin metropolitan area grid to handle, so once again, large scale devastation & destruction has been averted, thanks to our wrestling with our ever constant ennui...
one thing amongst the many marvelous things... 3.11
about living in the S.F. Bay area is that there remains some degree of diversity and access to alternative viewpoints on the air waves, the radio waves in particular. Oncet upon a time, when l'Marquis was driving his trustworthy '79 Mazda GLC (with faithful furry companion always alongside) the only stations that the radio picked up with clarity were KPFA and KQED, a fact which helped develop our habit of still choosing to listen to both of these stations anytime we happen to be driving (and you can include Cal's KALX for their music mix and lack of COMMERCIAL INTERRUPTIONS) and now, possibly, something else on the alternative front, an attempt to counter that flood of right wing radio ranting that we've been suffering through & for our fellow traveler commie pinko liberal activist types, you can soon tune into Air America Radio. Dan Fost's story in the fishwrap will fill you in on a few of the details and it appears there are only a few (three?) stations currently aboard. Something long overdue in yourstruly's estimation, and although we not all that crazy 'bout the name, mebbe it'll grow on us, 'though we pretty damn sure we still be listening to our usual faves on the radio dial...
Late Arriving News Bulletin: courtesy ThomasMc.com,
more on those Air America Radio pinkos
...might that be the delicate labia... 3.10
okay, you in the front there, settle down now...
we talkin' poetry here...
and you just leave that monkey alone now, buddyboy...
this one smiles before he bites...
this reassignment business whilst on the j-o-b...
has put a bit of a crimp in our usual inclination to post chewy linky bits of goodness hereabouts, and despite having lost our most devoted & faithful reader, we are trying, oh yessssss we are, trying very hard to keep keepin' on...
pizza for dinner and a movie in the company of amiga la Euphorbita last evening, newish pizza chain outlet, mineownself's opinion was yummy toppings, so-so crust (kinda soggy, still quite edible); amiga E. constructed a corollary positing excellent toppings might excuse a soggy or inadequate crust with the reverse holding true as well, a marvelous crust might make up for less than satisfactory toppings, and Ohhhh, what a marvelous pizza you'll be enjoying when both are first rate (can you say Cheese Board Pizza?). Movie? Yourstruly had been very interested in seeing Osama, recently beginning a run in a downtown Berkeley theatre, previous to that one had to travel to S.F. or Fremont to view it. After the first twenty minutes or so our feeling was "oh dear, there will not be any kind of happy resolution ahead of us in this film" so be forewarned. Again, in feelings very similiar to those engendered when we watched In This World, it saddens us to know so few people will have opportunity to see these films (although the truly depressing thing about this is how few of those who have the opportunity to see them are inclined to do so...) particularly, in ournotsohumbleopinion, the young folks amongst us, these things should become regular viewing in junior high and high school environments.
oh dear, it now be time for us to wander on back to our reassigned tasks of the day, so we will leave you with this very distressing news, and then we leave you with some apt words re why this kind of thing should bother us all...
regular vistors hereabouts will already understand... 3.9
that yourstruly is not at all fond of the current resident of the white house, that incompetent buffoon, and in that lovely little image alongside here, well, if we were
to direct a film (oh, think of us as an alternate to Mel Gibson in that regard) and depict in this cinematic epic the kind of fate we'd like to assign el residente to, well, it might be quite similiar to that of that purple dinosaur pictured, although we'd likely settle for having him transported to the main thoroughfare in our major cities (think Market Street in San Francisco) and have him tarred and feathered and marched down the thoroughfare allowing each of us the voice a democratic society is supposed to provide, oh, and do keep in mind that in our film, it would not only be
georgyboy marching down the road, oh yah, that bastard Rove would be right behind him, followed by Cheney, Rice, Rumsfield, Wolfowitz, Scalia, youse getz da pic-choor?
and recently checking in his ticket to depart this vale of tears,
we offer up a salute to Spalding Gray, perhaps now free at last...
hmmm, two nice weekends in a row there... 3.8
and perhaps more later about our most recent one,
for for now, just this, and yesssss, that is l'Marquis
you'll espy on the G Express to San Francisco, ear-buds affixed & a-listenin'...
wanted to get this out to share with you... 3.5
chop chop pronto quickly vite vite, particularly for you who do not read the New Yorker, Hendrik Hertzberg's Reckless Driver
some diversions that we've enjoyed of late...
include two very different films, both of them viewed in the comfort of chez d'monquis and on DVD, likely available
on cassette as well. Michael Winterbottom, director of 24 Hour Party People and Butterfly Kisses amongst others, has given us a wonderful docu-drama, In This World, story of two young Afghani men embarking on journey from their refugee camp with hopes of getting to London and whatever opportunity awaits them there. Shot on digital video, you are along for the journey in a rather intimate fashion, again, shameful so few people will have the opportunity to experience this film. Last night's after dinner entertainment was a film we'd heard & read a great deal about, Stone Reader (forgive us referring to another Ebert review here) and yesssss, while a bit bloated & self-indulgent, meandering a bit here and there (ourowndarnself did get a teeny bit weary
of Mr. Moskowitz's pre-occupation with himself), ultimately, for any of us who enjoy the experience of reading & have our own examples of books that mean a great deal to us, it's worthwhile seeking out & experiencing the journey portrayed in it, and if the feature itself doesn't provide you with enough material to digest, there is a second disc in the DVD package with supplementary "special features" which ourowndarnself has decided to leave for another time.
and now before we hie ourself off to enjoy whatever adventures the day will provide, a quick shout out to Josh &
the gang at Swillfilter. Josh sent a nice note our way expressing his enjoyment of some our ramblings hereabouts, and in l'Marquis usual munificent & magnanimous manner, always willing to encourage those efforts to rise above the banal and mundane, particularly when it be younger folk (as they are and remain our hope for the future, no?) we also re-introduce young friend of ours, Aaron N., maybe somebody out there like his style and send some work his way. If you happen in be in Jolly Olde England, keep a weather eye out for A. on tour with his mates in Desa, oh, there'll be rafters shaking, an unholy racket being raised on the auld sod, take l'Marquis' word for it, lads & lassies...
in that magnanimous & munificent manner mentioned earlier, l'Marquis would like to pass along a possible source to seek out some of the more obscure film titles you'll see us mention hereabouts, a nice alternative to Netflix, and certainly helpful to those of you wandering about out there in the distant hinterlands where only B****buster and the like exist. Visit GreenCine and broaden those horizons...
yourstuly's thankful for your continued interest... 3.4
goodness knows it has been a bumpy (Indeed!) road around here of late, our psyche still reeling, enduring our days in some variety of manic state, passing this recent weekend on an upswing, plenty of activity and conversation/companionship and then the sudden descent into solitary behavior w/some degree of unsocialbility, occasionally discovering how unwieldy the struggle can be, and yessssss, ourowndamnself's aware that professional assistance is available. Even here, in this online effort, often something a little theraputic about it, l'Marquis
continues to plug along, knowing full well the lovely gentleman who was his most devoted reader & correspondent would prefer it that way, even though he is no longer around to provide us with a correction of discovered error, a pat on the back for the well turned phrase (as rare as that is), the sharing of nuggets of information that might be of interest to
our devoted dozen readers...
Yesterday we were reminded of recent perusal of various and sundry bloggos favoritos of our own, we'd stopped in at Ms. G's brushstroke of Jan 26, tickled by her reference to well-known political advisor type as Lizard Head and his prediction of a Kerry/Edwards ticket, and it was listening to KQED's M. Krasny
in the car that morning in discussion re Kerry's Super Tuesday success & speculation upon who might be selected as
running mate (link on this page, the 9am Weds program, link to listen was inoperative when checked earlier today) -Yo Jaypea, might there be a point to this ramble?- well, uhhh, no... we've often enjoyed listening to Carville, and marvel a little at that unholy alliance he's made in his marriage to that Republican apologist spouse of his, but wotdahey, takes all kinds to make a world, No? In our perusal of yesterdays fishwrap we came across story buried deep inside the first section re conditions/limits on testimony for the 9/11 investigation required by the cad-ministration, damn shame we aren't aware of larger Hue & Cry about the reluctance of these slimy bastards to get on the record. While we are at this in the here and now (btw, some changes at the fishwrap are providing yourstruly with a good deal more free time, which right now might not be the best thing for l'Marquis considering his predisposition towards the lower depths of despair & - OH, Just Cut It Out Right Now! ) okay, back on track, good pal & one of our devoted dozen readers, Betsey C. sent along two items to yourstruly recently, this ugly piece of business for one (sent along with caption "just to make you feel worse" by B.C.--
Hey Thanks! I needed that!) which she leavened a bit with this other item, which, well, we'll simply allow that one to speak for itself.
our expectations are often unrealistic...
yet yourstruly'd certainly enjoy living in a world where the candidacy of Dennis Kucinich became viable,
his campaign succeeding in unseating the incumbent...
the beginning of a transformative spring that was february '04
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