Month: January 2013

Arts, a craft


The possibility of covering arts and culture. Despite what some corporate monsters might think, it’s still news. I am grateful for that today.

Like a rock


I know for a fact that part of why I really enjoy The Weather Man is because of the relationship between Nicolas Cage’s and Michael Caine’s characters. I wonder if it’ll become a cult classic anytime soon.

Robert Spritzel: [Robert Spritz drives up] Weatherman!
[Dave prepares to be hit with food]
Dave Spritz: [Dave gets in his father’s car] Hey.
Robert Spritzel: Hi.
Dave Spritz: Are you all right?
Robert Spritzel: Yeah. Umm, I just wanted you to…
Dave Spritz: What?
[Robert Spritz begins playing Bob Seger’s “Like a Rock”]
Robert Spritzel: I don’t really get it. Am I following it?
Dave Spritz: It was just a lead up to other things I wanted to say. Here’s the part.
[“… And I held firm to what I felt was right like a rock…”]
Dave Spritz: I wanted to talk about that part… about you. That’s like you.
[pauses]
Dave Spritz: I got the job.
Robert Spritzel: New York?
[Dave Spritz nods his head yes]
Robert Spritzel: That’s terrific. That’s a remarkable income. That’s more money than I ever made, that salary.
Dave Spritz: Yeah.
Robert Spritzel: That’s quite an American accomplishment.
Dave Spritz: Thanks.
Robert Spritzel: Are you okay?
Dave Spritz: I can’t knuckle down. Noreen’s marrying Russ.
Dave Spritz: There’s nothing to knuckle down on, so… I can’t fucking knuckle down.
Robert Spritzel: Your hand…
Dave Spritz: I just saw Mike’s counselor.
Robert Spritzel: Mike mentioned that you were gonna fix this business up. He’s in no trouble?
[Dave shakes his head no]
Robert Spritzel: Good job. Your hand okay?
Dave Spritz: It’s okay.
Robert Spritzel: You certain?
Dave Spritz: Don’t worry.

Sleep for José


Last Saturday I got to volunteer at Guatemala’s general public hospital, specifically in the pediatric ward. I stayed in a room where newborns and babies no older than a year were with their parents; others were orphans. I talked briefly with the nurse who was looking after José, a 6-month old. She told me that he was having trouble sleeping, a side effect from his medication (he was admitted to receive treatment for neumonia, as well as for malnourishment). “It’s my second shift looking after him”, she said, while acknowledging that she spends more time with orphans like him (or babies whose custody is being settled in court) than she did with her two of her own kids while they were growing up. She had made her peace with that and understood it was a matter of circumstances.

He drifted in and out of sleep as I stood next to him, caressing his head, which was missing some hair due to his condition.

I wrote down his name on a small pad I carry with me sometimes, and next to it I wrote: “he’s a fighter”. Before I left, I told little José to sleep soundly.

I’m grateful for that moment.

I did it my way (insight from Jodie’s speech)


AP Photo of Jodie Foster during her 2013 Golden Globe acceptance speech

I was at work (at a newspaper) while Jodie gracefully received her lifetime-achievement award, Sunday night at the Golden Globes. There was a simultaneous transmission, people were talking, I was tweeting. Suffice it to say I did not grasp completely the nuances of her words, but I felt moved by them.

When I arrived home, NBC was replaying the ceremony, and I got another chance to watch her speech. I was moved to tears by the end, during her message to her mom:

“Mom, I know you’re inside those blue eyes somewhere, and there’s so many things that you won’t understand tonight, but this is the only important one to take in: I love you, I love you, I love you. And I hope that if I say this three times it will magically and perfectly enter into your soul and fill you with grace and the joy of knowing that you did good in this life, you’re a great mom. Please take that with you when you’re finally okay to go”.

Now for all that has been said and written about her retirement and sexuality in her speech, I have a feeling most missed this gem of a moment, where her voice breaks. I felt like it was me talking to mom, but I guess I’m not that brave yet (as opposed to Jodie, who played quite the brave woman in The Brave One).

For another interpretation of her speech, I recommend Jim Emerson’s post about it.

You found out Kramer’s first name?


Kramer enjoying a refreshing beverage at the diner

Jerry: So what happened with Kramer’s mother?
George Costanza: It’s all worked out. Nina and I will have dinner Thursday at the restaurant where Babs works.
Jerry: What’s she like?
George Costanza: Oh, she’s a *Kramer*. And uh, while I was there I, uh, happened to pick up another juicy little nugget about our friend.
Elaine: Ah, I’m ready what?
Jerry: What is it?
George Costanza: I, uh, got the first name.
Elaine: You found out Kramer’s first name?
Jerry: I’ve been trying to get it out of him for ten years! What is it?
George Costanza: Cosmo.
Jerry, Elaine: Cosmo?
George Costanza: Cosmo.
Jerry, Elaine: [both laughing] Cosmo?
Cosmo Kramer: [entering Jerry’s apartment] What’s so funny?… wha?

We all value our privacy.

The Truth about Aaron Swartz’s “Crime”


I was unaware of Aaron Swartz’s case or recent death. This post is very humbling in many ways and should make us feel collectively ashamed for cornering someone into such despair.

Unhandled Exception

I did not know Aaron Swartz, unless you count having copies of a person’s entire digital life on your forensics server as knowing him. I did once meet his father, an intelligent and dedicated man who was clearly pouring his life into defending his son. My deepest condolences go out to him and the rest of Aaron’s family during what must be the hardest time of their lives.

If the good that men do is oft interred with their bones, so be it, but in the meantime I feel a responsibility to correct some of the erroneous information being posted as comments to otherwise informative discussions at Reddit, Hacker News and Boing Boing. Apparently some people feel the need to self-aggrandize by opining on the guilt of the recently departed, and I wanted to take this chance to speak on behalf of a man who can no…

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The hurt, the suffering


Still feeling like quoting some memorable lines from some of my favorite movies. Here`s one from Parenthood:

Frank: You know, when you were two years old, we thought you had polio. Did you know that?
Gil: Yeah, Mom said… something about it a couple of years ago.
Frank: Yeah, well, for a week we didn’t know. I hated you for that.
[Gil looks surprised and hurt]
Frank: I did. I hated having to care, having to go through the pain, the hurt, the suffering. It’s not for me.

I was 9 years old when this film was released, I think I watched the next year and several years later, but only grasped its significance and story until a few years ago. This might have been my first Ron Howard film, by the way.

2012 in review


A year in bloggy goodness…

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 2,900 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 5 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

The essential paradox


One of my favorite bits of dialogue from The Story of Us.

Ben: Are you saying Chow Funs because you can’t face telling the kids? Because if that’s why you’re saying Chow Funs, don’t say Chow Funs
Katie: That’s not why I’m saying Chow Funs. Funs, I’m saying Chow Funs because we’re an us. There’s a history here, and histories don’t happen overnight. In Mesopotamia or Ancient Troy there are cities built on top of other cities, but I don’t want another city, I like this city. I know what kind of mood you’re in when you wake up by which eyebrow is higher, and you know I’m a little quiet in the morning and compensate accordingly, that’s a dance you perfect over time. And it’s hard, it’s much harder than I thought it would be, but there’s more good than bad and you don’t just give up! And it’s not for the sake of the children, but God they’re great kids aren’t they? And we made them, I mean think about that! It’s like there were no people there, and then there were people and they grew, and an an an I won’t be able to say to some stranger Josh has your hands or remember how Erin threw up at the Lincoln Memorial. And I’ll try to relax, let’s face it, anybody is going to have traits that get on your nerves, I mean, why shouldn’t it be your annoying traits, and I know I’m no day at the beach, but I do have a good sense of direction so I can at least find the beach, which isn’t a weakness of yours, it’s a strength of mine. And God you’re a good friend and good friends are hard to find. Charlotte said that in Charlotte’s Web and I love how you read that to Erin and you take on the voice of Wilber the Pig with such dedication even when you’re bone tired. That speaks volumes about character! And ultimately, isn’t that what it comes down too? What a person is made of? That girl in the pin helmet is still here ‘bee boo bee boo’ I didn’t even know she existed until you and I’m afraid if you leave I may never see her again, even though I said at times you beat her out of me, isn’t that the paradox? Haven’t we hit the essential paradox? Give and take, push and pull, the yen the yang. The best of times, the worst of times! I think Dickens said it best, ‘He could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean’, but, doesn’t really apply here does it? What I’m trying to say is, I’m saying Chow Funs because, I love you.
Ben: Did you hear that kids? Mom wants to go to chow Funs!