Wilco will love you, baby

The above picture is from the Flame archives, in the "Get To Know Your Flame Staffer" section. That is Eric, the author of the blog "Things Eric Really Likes."
Those were funny times. 2003 I think.

Just when we had Nate's 'Q grill going, and everyone had sprayed Off all over them, and the camping chairs were set up, it started to pour heavily on us. It had been okay for a few hours with the drizzle, but it was too much.

Luckily, our house was just a hundred yards away, so we had a rather large and long-lasting house party to celebrate our independence from King George.

Not a whole lot of detail to share. Kristin's brother Josh is in town for a few days, and he's pretty awesome. We went to see Amma on Friday, which was very cool. I even wore a hair net while serving food to people.
(some) Indians do a funny little thing where they bob their head from side to side to indicate "okay," and it confused the heck out of me for a while because I thought they were nodding "yes" or "no" when I would ask "do you want more?"
But then I remembered this cultural affectation, and it made sense.

The new Wilco record, entitled Wilco (the Album) is better than Sky Blue Sky, and I think better than A Ghost Is Born, too. It's very Beatles-ish, but not because it's poppy, more because of the balance of dissonance and McCartney-pop, and because You Never Know has a Nels Cline guitar part that's straight outta "My Sweet Lord."

"One Wing" is glorious, and I'm going to go listen to it now.

Photographic Memory

I think. . ..early August '07? Ryan, you are missed pal!

Away We Go (with some mild spoilers but not really)

We (MegaMart, CalCass, and ColKris ---- nope, not working) saw this last evening.
I'll just go ahead and say that, despite some flaws, it was a really lovely film. Mostly because it was so insanely Dave Eggers, and Dave Eggers believes in love and beauty and flaws in those things, and truth and smiles, and so do I, so I loved it.

Things I liked:
John Krasinski playing a variation on Jim Halpert if Jim Halpert was bearded and Vermontian instead of straight-laced and Pennsylvanian.

Maya Rudolph showing off her acting chops and being a great actress.

Allison Janney being Allison Janney.

The couple in Montreal, especially the husband (Chris Messina), because that guy is a capital-A ACTOR. You do not want to take your eyes off him whenever he's on screen. He played the guy who married Claire on Six Feet Under. Look out for him in the future.

Paul Schneider in a much too small role ---- if they made a movie where Chris Messina and Paul Schneider were the main characters, I'd buy it before seeing it.

Most importantly, it wasn't smug, or condescending --- when confronted by absurd (well, reducto ad absurdium) characters, of course Burt and Verona come off as thinking they're better than the other people ----- they are better!

And of course they're idealistic worriers about their unborn daughter's future --- it would be insanely shallow and selfish to not worry about that when you're expecting your first baby, right? If they were saying "No worries, we know how to do this" then I'd consider them smug.

But they're in love, and trying to do things right ---- not Hollywood "trying hard" where trying hard really means "being a selfish screw-up who is mildly aware that they should be a better person," but actually trying hard.

Much criticism of this movie comes from the fact that Allison Janney and Maggie Gyllenhaal's characters are ridiculous blue state/red state caricatures, and that's fair. They are. It would have been funnier and a better piece of storytelling to make them less over-the-top.

But they're only a few degrees past everyday ----- the loudmouthed, rude, crass person? We know those people. The insanely self-obsessed hippy earth-mother condescending liberal? We know them too. They're real.
No, they're not excessive to the point that Janney and Gyllenhaal are, but the ones we all know in some form are real. And I don't think it's smug of the movie to be exasperated with them.

In a lot of ways, Burt and Verona are a certain version of what I think a lot of us want to be. They're playful with each other, they're not wealthy, they worry about the future, and Burt wears dorky plaid shorts and has his dorky side (this aspect of his personality may have hit a little close to home).

In conclusion: Away We Go is a lovely piece of filmmaking that has a big heart, and a good sense of humor and romance, and some small flaws.
If it was a person, I'd think that those were great traits.

Defending the Kingdom

Ours shall be the second floor, on Logan Boulevard's 2600 W. block. Hopefully a five minute walk from Jay's new place, and down the street (10 blocks?) from Simone's.

We have been given free reign over front and back lawns for gardening and planting.

Also, our rent is $50 cheaper because I will be mowing the lawn and shoveling the snow. Kristin will be. . . .encouraging me as I mow the lawn and shovel snow.
We also got to move in August instead of July because I will be coming over to mow the lawn in July. Seemed like a fair trade to me.

Looking forward to everyone visiting once we're all moved in August. There will be a guest room!
And an office.

Plus one of those Euro-style laundry machines where everything is done in one cycle and you have to dry it a few times. In the apartment. In-unit laundry is the holy grail. So that's nice.

Air-kicks and high-fives to you all. And love.

Photographic Memory

Nate Hartrich's "bachelor party", fall 2002.

Green

Header is now Green in solidarity with the demonstrator's in Iran. In case you were wondering, Rondell.

Ice Cold

Courtesy of Ta-Nehisi, this letter, from an free slave to his ex-master, is stone-cold amazing.

It's the most graceful "fuck you" in the history of the world.

His old master has asked him to return and work for him, after the war.

This is part of his reply:

Sir: I got your letter and was glad to find you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. 

I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this for harboring Rebs they found at your house. I suppose they never heard about your going to Col. Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable. 

Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again and see Miss mary and Miss Martha and Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this. 

I would have gone back to see you all when I was working in the Nashville hospital, but one of the neighbors told me Henry intended to shoot me if he ever got a chance.