In which I drag you kicking and screaming to a French movie about a gangster who wants to be a pianist. Emotional Weather Report, today in the Philippine Star.
Still no sign of the original version with Harvey Keitel. As for The Beat That My Heart Skipped, ask your usual source, wink wink nudge nudge.
French wine is now available in cartons with straws. Sosyal! The straw is supposed to be “special” as it “recreates the sensation of tasting wine from a glass” (also known as “drinking”). Now you can go to that snooty cocktail party in the designer outfit you maxed out your credit card for, and suck wine from a tetra pak with a straw. It’ll be like drinking Chocolait at recess time (Is there still Chocolait?). You can toast your host with cardboard, then stand around marveling at the bouquet of the vintage. Remember to stick out your pinky while sucking!
On the other hand, no lipstick stains on glasses—in fact no glasses, and no bottles to smash on table and carve up someone’s face with.
Real life threatens to invade my parallel universe, so I’m off to the movies. I plan to see Rogue Assassin starring Jet Li and Jason Statham, which is probably awful, but since I’ve seen just about everything with Jason Statham in it (even Cellular, even Crank), I’m ready for the worst. Then Neil Jordan’s new movie The Brave One starring Jodie Foster. Thirty years ago she played the child prostitute rescued by a vigilante in Taxi Driver (and then, in real life, a freak decides to kill the president for her); now she is the vigilante. Interesting career full-circle. My movie schedule means I will miss today’s big news event, so let me know what happens.
Favorite things written by Graham Greene:
Hey, most of them were filmed. Here’s an interview with Greene from 1971.
Last Thursday I was at Shangri-la Mall and I used the pay washroom on the sixth floor. I took off my rings, washed my hands, and hurried back to my lunch appointment. I didn’t realize that I’d left the rings beside the sink until I was on my way home more than an hour later. The rings weren’t valuable or anything: one was a red-and-green glass ring that I bought for change in a market in Florence, the other was a tiger’s eye ring my friend got for me in Quiapo. I figured they were gone, I wasn’t despondent, but I decided to try calling the mall to see if anyone had turned them in. I got the information desk, which referred me to the security guard on the sixth floor. While I waited on the phone, the guard, Mr. Tabayoyong, went to the pay washroom and asked the attendant to check if the rings were still there. And they were! The rings were sent to the Lost and Found.
Saturday I went to Shangri-La to retrieve them. I asked the ground floor information desk where the Lost and Found was. The desk person said she would handle it, and she asked me to tell the story of the lost rings from beginning to end. Then she sent me to the fifth floor, where the guard on duty told me to tell the story of the lost rings from beginning to end. By this time I was tempted to embellish the tale with the histories of Sauron, the line of Isildur, and the land of Mordor where the shadows lie, but I guess they were just being thorough.
Finally the person in charge came out of the office with my rings, and I had to tell the story of the lost rings from beginning to end, and I always start blubbering when I get to Theoden’s last stand on the Pelennor Fields. But I finally got my rings back, precioussss.
Got a problem? Post it on www.coffeespark.com so other people can give their opinions/advice, and you can read their problems and give your opinions/advice, and maybe everyone will feel better, or at least find someone to argue with.
Fed shoes. Photo by Paul Zimmer from rogerfederer.com, originally uploaded by 160507.
US Open final: Federer defeats Djokovic, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4. My prediction was the Fed in four sets tops, with the Djoker fainting from heat exhaustion or throwing up in the third. (Note: When doing a Federer impression, it’s probably not a good idea to do his victory moment. It’s like cursing yourself.) Djokovic had the Fed early in the match and could’ve been up two sets to love, but the backhand and I think the nerve failed him. Roger was not his usual brilliant self, but he didn’t have to be.
I have a theory as to why the Fed hasn’t won the French: he doesn’t like getting the outfit dirty. He could wear brown at Roland Garros, but brown is so. . .brown. Good to have three players on the tour now, because it’s been the Federal and Naderer show for years. By the way, if you can’t stand Maria Sharapova, you can watch her in the replays sitting in the players’ box with Robert De Niro, shrieking for Novak (thus ensuring continued TV coverage despite early exit, but how cynical we are).
Incidentally, I much prefer Adidas. And New Balance, because I read the insignia sideways as “Z”.
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