From This Day Fifth

The Fourth of July was yesterday, yippie-ki-yay, and nobody in this area burnt their house down. Consequently I did not get a call in the middle of the night to go into work. I am a happy boy.

But to be honest I didn't go and share in the festivities last night. Instead I cooked up some steaks and stayed cool at a nice 78° versus the outside 92° at 8pm. Yes, that is ridiculous weather to be standing around in staring at the sky for exploding gasses of various colors. Some of you might find that unpatriotic, but to you I say go stuff yourself. Ha ha. Something about the fourth brings out the red-blooded, ready-for-a-fight, forget-you in me. I wonder what it could be.

One of the great things about the 4th is the sci-fi channel puts on a twilight zone marathon. I think that trumps watching a light show in miserably hot weather next to people who'll spend the next 2 hours honking at me in bumper to bumper traffic during the trip home.

So anyway, I wanted to get to much more important philosphical things. Like Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandoes and The Black Terror. But that will have to wait another week while I talk a little about something picking at my brain.

Holiday's get me thinking about life and significance. Lately I've also been thinking about movies, entertainment, and meaningful experience. If I can channel Tom McKee I'd like to say:

Good movies have a way of taking us through the gamut of emotions, and turbulence of shifting situations that human beings normally equate with our coming of age years, or else a particularly harrowing test of our spirit such as a brush with death, the loss of a loved one, or a near insurmountable challenge.

I think I finally could put the idea to words because of an episode of Mushishi I watched recently, titled Those Who Inhale the Dew. I won't ruin the plot for you, but you'll understand where I'm going with this point after you've seen it.

But to further the thought I wanted to just put the questions out there: If you had to write a coming of age story about your life, what would it be? What's the difference between a good movie and a bad movie for you? Tell me about a great holiday celebration you had, and a not so great holiday celebration. What's your favorite story ending (book, film, play, fairytale, etc.)?

This past week went in a blur--mostly because heat stress forced me into early and elongated sleep spells. I managed to have the sense to return two late library books and pick up a gaggle of cd's (a motley mix of Chopin, Chavez, Lily Allen, Matisyahu, Frank Sinatra, and the original soundtracks of Marie Antoinette and L4yer Cake--both of which I have not see), and The Ultimates Vol. 2 Grand Theft America, Ultimate X-men vol. 11 The Most Dangerous Game, and Powers Vol.2 Roleplay.

Here are some random topics running through my mind: The work of Bryan Hitch, the cancelled tv shows Twin Peaks, Northern Exposure, and Due South, the graphic novel The Golden Age, and the works of James Robinson, the entire run of Cerebus the Aardvark, romantic comedies that incorporate lounge music or the music of members of the Ratpack in their soundtracks, Legend of the Seeker on hulu (is it?). Okay, until next week. Happy Sunday everybody.