1000 words today…not bad.
Since the Wife left for Honduras, Master Buddhapuss has not ceded his stuffed animal. What can I say, he likes Scooby Doo.
Month: September 2005
A streak
Four days, almost 900 words per day. Huzzah. Today actually counted out at 1400, but 500 of the total went towards a short story idea that hit over eggs and coffee. I meant only to write the first few sentences. A page-and-a-half later, I stopped. Not sure what to make of the diversion, other than I like what there is of it thus far.
Whether this productivity burst stems from the self-imposed deadline or it’s a coincidence, I care not a whit. Just hope it continues.
The Wife leaves for Honduras on Saturday. Have faith, the struggle continues on in New Jersey.
Lord of War
Except for pornography, America’s next most unsung pleasures is guns. The Lord of War is an insider account of an international arms trader who supplied all sides in a run of bloody conflicts between 1987 and 2001. Based on actual events – which exact events and who the protagonist represents in real life is unknown – the story follows a first generation Russian immigrant reaching for the American dream, a la Scarface.
From the sale of his first Uzi, to his role as the exclusive supplier to Liberia, Lord of War is the twisted tale of a man who moves contraband from point A to point B, contravenes international regulations and UN embargoes, and looks suave doing it.
His motives as a character are tenuous, and makes relating to him difficult. For this, and other shortcomings, the story suffers a death blow.
What works about this movie:
1) Nicolas Cage is competent as usual.
2) Good to see Jared Leto working again.
3) The story moves quickly.
4) There is little oversell hype surrounding the project. Bad buzz is not necessarily a detractor.
What needs improvement:
1) Voice over narration. With rare exceptions voice overs signal a train wreck in progress. On the plus side, one knows this immediately, as the narration starts in the first scene.
2) Moralizing. Believe it or not, there’s lots of money made selling weapons to individuals one would not invite to a dinner party. Five of the largest arms exporters are the most powerful members in the UN, a point the movie mentions. Thanks for the fifty-year old message, Western Union.
Verdict: DVD rental.
Make believe…or not
Wrote 900 words and processed a dog pile of orders today. Even better news, the steroids/cortisone shot/Allegra/antibiotic cocktail worked as the doctor forecast. The ear infection is no more, and for the first time in months, the hearing in either ear clocks out roughly the same. But the progress came at a stiff price.
Steroid based treatments are last ditch treatments for ear infections. If they fail – and this is very rare, amen for that – the next stop is a specialist. Experts cost money, so naturally, I hate them. Allow me to introduce my motto: if it’s free, it’s for me. There were times this cure did not justify the savings.
Four of the six days worth of the blister pack of ‘roids, I cursed every dose. Side effects included: mood swings, water retention, insomnia, dizziness, and incoherence. Basically, a normal night out for the intoxicated, only cranked to eleven, and every second oh so sober. Fortunately, the doses tapered off each day. By the fifth, life improved a great deal.
Freed of the last dose, I hit the weights. Strength levels are down about two to three percent. Not too shabby considering seventeen continuous days of antibiotics, antihistamines, shots and a haphazard workout schedule.
All in all, not a bad day out.