AD.

WALKING ON THIN ICE

harry potter 6, smith 0

July 23, 2009 No Comments

red magic – foto by Smith

Saw the 6th Harry Potter movie. Only went since I’d seen the first four because of mom, and Lady and I saw the 5th in northern England because it was the only movie showing.

I’ve not enjoyed any of the films, but I swear they keep getting worse. This one was endless, boring, tedious, and even more disjointed than #5. We won’t be seeing the final book’s film which is being cut into two films.

I enjoyed reading the seven books in the Harry Potter series, thought the final volume absolutely brilliant in the way she deftly tied it all together. The books are full of magic, while the films are almost totally devoid of magic.

Of course I’m putting down the fastest money making film in cinema history. But then, I never thought much of the biggest money making film ever either, so I’m consistent.

01. Titanic – 1997 – $1,848,813,795
02. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – 2003 – $1,133,027,325
03. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – 2006 – $1,065,659,812
04. The Dark Knight – 2008 – $997,037,655
05. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone – 2001 – $976,457,891
06. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – 2007 – $952,420,425
07. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – 2007 – $938,468,864
08. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – 2002 – $926,284,377
09. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace – 1999 – $924,288,297
10. Jurassic Park – 1993 – $920,100,000

I enjoyed the first Pirates of the Caribbean, but not the two sequels. Enjoyed the first two Star Wars, but none of the last 4. Liked all three of The Lord of the Rings, and respected but didn’t enjoy The Dark Knight. Liked Jurassic Park, but didn’t enjoy the sequels. And Titanic is essentially throw away greeting card art. Guess I’m not much of a top-10 kind of guy.

What amazes me is that these films have grossed between one billion to two billion dollars each. That’s a lot of popcorn.

Even more amazing is I’ve seen all ten films, although we couldn’t finish Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – took it off 20 minutes into the movie.


truth in advertising – foto by Smith

damaged goods

July 22, 2009 3 Comments

X marks the spot – foto by Smith

There’s a ray of light in my darkness within.

Since I ran out of my Mexican Meloxicam anti-inflammatory pills 6 weeks ago, my groin pain has increased so much that I have trouble walking, am in massive pain standing, sitting, sleeping. I began limping, then the limp degenerated into a lunging lurch. Could no longer walk up stairs, which was awkward since we live on the 3rd floor. Had trouble sleeping, had trouble being awake.

Finally went to doctor yesterday and got a prescription for American Meloxicam. One daily 27 cent pill later, I’m no longer lurching, am barely limping. The pain has been reduced from debilitating to merely unpleasant.

Even better, the doctor says my groin can be fixed with exercise, so I’m adding some stretching exercises to my walking and bicycle riding.

This pain had taken over my life, darkened my mind, taken away hope. This gives me a new hope each day when I awake.

Now all I have to do is get a life up here in the States, figure out what to do with myself in this land of Mammon, spiritual malaise, and massive consumption.

Damaged Good

The doubting vessel
Strong, unbroken
Sours water, ruins wine

The damaged vessel
Holds its token
Service, beauty, duty, time

The one excuses
The other uses
Which in fact the finer find

The better bitter
The lesser greater
Truth is action, action prime


damaged good – foto by Smith

haiku blues

July 21, 2009 No Comments

balloon clown woman – foto by Smith

Got the Haiku Blues
Regimented syllables
But no meat or juice


duck blind – foto by Smith

old words, new fotos

July 20, 2009 No Comments

thought – foto by Smith

Muse

From winding river’s run
She comes discrete
Completes her Tarot mutant in desire

I can’t play nearly normal
She cries from shadow
Rippleless in time and obsession

Self seek solution
Ancient in execution and repair


thinker – foto by Smith

My Quest

July 20, 2009 1 Comment

I am on my quest today, the quest I start out with every morning called ‘let’s try to be a perfect human being today.’ By nine a.m. I’ll probably have blown it, either by overeating or sloth. Usually it’s sloth, and the overeating part comes in the afternoon.

Lady

tigers, mice, strawberry

July 19, 2009 No Comments

life – foto by Smith

from Zen Flesh, Zen Bones

Buddha told a parable in a sutra:

A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him.

Two mice. one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted!

– Zen Flesh, Zen Bones – A Collection of Zen & Pre-Zen Writings compiled by Paul Reps


pale rider – foto by Smith

electric stream-cleaned lady

July 18, 2009 No Comments

Lady washing in Rocky Mountain stream – foto by Smith

I love it when she reads this poem to audiences because she mimics Olive Oyl’s cartoon voice when she says “Ohhhhhhh, Popeye,” and it reminds me of Dylan’s “Ohhhhhhh, Mama, is this really the end?” in Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again.

MY LUSTING RIBS

I always got this thrill–
the idea of being Olive Oyl,
tied to a railroad track by Bluto

My pale skin, my
pulsing pulsing pulsing
So frail, so prone
a limp bird just waiting
for Popeye to rescue me

But Ohhhhhhh, Popeye,
an ache filled with thrill

Rescue equally exciting
as to succumb to consumption,
the train cracking rack of
ribs on the track

– Lady K


Electric Lady – foto by Smith

fatter faster

July 17, 2009 4 Comments

out of order – foto by Smith

early 1960s – 24.3% of Americans were overweight or obese
early 1970s – 25.0% of Americans were overweight or obese
late 1970s – 25.4% of Americans overweight or obese
mid 1980s – 33.3% of Americans overweight or obese

2009:
obese and overweight Americans – 66.7%
extremely obese Americans – 6%
obese Americans – 34%
overweight Americans – 32.7%
overweight adolescents 12-19 years: 17%
overweight children 6-11 years: 19%

obese Americans 1980 – 15%
obese Americans 2006 – 35.1%, an increase of 234%

extremely obese Americans 1980 – 1.4%
extremely obese Americans 2006 – 6.2%, an increase of 443%

ScienceDaily:
Study Suggests 86% Of Americans Could Be Overweight Or Obese By 2030





candy aisle – foto by Smith

32, 2, 3, 36, 7, 1

July 16, 2009 1 Comment

Ohio & Erie Canal towpath coming into Cleveland – foto by Smith

Lady found a paved bike & hike path that follows the old Ohio & Erie Canal towpath. The canal was dug in 1827 to transport goods between Cleveland and Akron and beyond, before the railroads took over in the 1860s.

Great place to ride. The start of the paved path is one block south, while the MetroPark canal / nature portion is only a mile or two further. Today we saw 32 rabbits, two bright red cardinals, three red-winged blackbirds, three dozen geese, seven ducks, and a badger-like animal with a long wide thick low body that was too fast for me to identify.




Ohio & Erie Canal towpath coming into Cleveland – foto by Smith

boat bailers, inc

July 15, 2009 1 Comment

Smith & Lady – foto by Smith

She, Me, We

She foundations me
I offer her safe harbor
We both bail our boats


light Lady – foto by Smith