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笑熬浆糊June 12 Daily YappingHow to tell someone that she won't be your running mate?
Tell her that she runs like Phebe; that she runs too fast/slow; that she sings too loud with her headphone on; that she sweats too much/little... Why Mr. Obama, one of those ought to work.
Traveling George:
A few months before, I got a dollar bill with "Track this bill" and a url - www.wheresgeroge.com" stamped on it. After keeping it for a while, almost having thrown it away for a few times, I finally got on the website and found out:
One dollar bill, Serial # L28264915G, Series: 2003A
This bill has travelled 724 Miles in 1 year, 230 dates, 19 hours and 21 minutes at an average of 1.2 miles per day. It's now 724 miles from its starting point in Turtle Town, TN on Oct 25, 2006.
What if I don't want to work period?
As the starting date approaches, my anxiety level is mounting. I've already turned down a full-time job a couple of days before its starting date, partially because I wanted to stay home longer, I can't turn this one down or I'll 1) have no job, 2) hence no money 3) and no self-worth. Why do people have to work? Why can't I just be?
A convicted killer's last meal
TX is one of the 38 states that has capital punishment. The death chamber in Huntsville hasn't been put to use for 9 months until last night, when Carl Chamberlain, "a remorseful convicted killer was executed via lethal injection for the rape-slaying of a woman in Dallas 17 years ago" --- Dallas Morning News. This is his last meal request:
- fresh fruit tray
- fresh vegetable tray
- slices of cheese and lunchmeat, two deviled eggs, six stuffed jalapenos
- chef salad
- onion rings
- half-pound of french fries
- a bacon double cheese burger
- two pieces of fried chicken
- one bean and cheese quesadilla, salsa and jaoapeno to the side
- a three-egg omelet with grilled onions, mushrooms, ham and lots of cheese
- two barbecue pork rolls
- a pitcher of orange juice
- a pitcher of milk
- no dessert.
Seriously, no dessert? What were you thinking dude? Worried about your waistline? June 11 下个礼拜就开工，抓紧时间博一博上帝真小气，给东西不痛快，给了还要要回去，Indian gift。给你快乐(看看我们帅帅, 只要吃饱睡饱尿布干,就咧嘴傻笑)，长大了就开始不快乐，越来越不快乐；给你健康，好皮肤，觉瘾，好胃口，记忆力，然后慢慢拿回去；越拿越上瘾，干脆连生命也拿走，销赃灭迹，使你投诉无门。
传教士 - 我们应该都皈依，他们一开口，不出5分钟就说I'm in! 让evangelicals们都失业。让他们无所事事。让他们后悔自己没有悠着点，这下人生没有目标了，象atheists一样。
余秋雨又发声了 - 余文一出，大家叹丁春秋郭沫若再现江湖.我好奇的事，他是什么时候在心理上完成这个蜕变，自动把自己归到统治阶级的那一堆里去了? 是自己先有这方面的言论以向其示好然后被收编? 还是先拿上了卢布再干活? 个人猜测第一种可能性比较大，而且收编大致发生在写"千年一叹"前后 - 那本书已经不忍卒读了- 那时我起誓以后再也不买他的书了。是草的时候，都不讲草的话；转正了自然更要"替国家分忧了"。 比如一般员工，总想少干多拿，牢骚满腹，一旦入了股，马上有了主人翁责任感，护主的厉害。
June 05 关于一包垃圾的博薛帅帅同学五个月时，给他布置婴儿房，决定把客房里的一只五斗柜搬过去给他用。拉开抽屉们，发现每只都塞的满登登的，多数是长年不用的东西 - 手表，眼镜，便宜首饰，帽子，围巾，钱包。拿出来，一一分类归置，还剩下些杂物，帅妈收在一只塑料袋里。
"这是包啥呀? 有用没用?" 姥姥见这包东西在墙角放了很久，忍不住问。
"没用。"
"没用明天我给你拿出去扔了。"
"别扔。等我再看看。" 帅妈把袋子转移进自己卧室的衣帽间。
两个月过去了，袋子原封未动。帅妈两周后就要上班了，想起衣帽间的恐怖情形，决定趁现在有空整理一下。经过了近一个礼拜的努力，衣帽间终于可以勉强忍受了，帅妈一转头，看见了墙角里那只塑料袋，和一袋打算捐给Goodwill的衣服，一袋滑雪手套挤在一起，眼巴巴看着帅妈。好吧，轮到你了... 帅妈坐在地上，打开了袋子。
袋子里装的是: 一只装硬币的小牛皮钱包。 一把钥匙，上面没有任何标记。 一只粉紫色发夹。 一小方中文剪报 - 台湾著名诗人洛夫和大陆名作家古华应中美华文作家协会德州分会，达福中华老人协会和达福书画会邀请，将于十月底前来Dallas主持"文学与人生" 专题演讲。 一只翻毛皮装钥匙小袋子， 挂着一只钥匙环，环上套一把钥匙，还有一只圆纸牌，上面写着"4113 Rawlins"。背面用中文繁体字写着4924。 Asiana Bonus Club 卡一张，temporary. 名片若干张如下: 吴言强 - 西安众慧工贸有限公司总经理。 白悦云 - 陕西国力(国际)文化艺术交流公司。 陈伟 - 深圳四泰设计制作输出中心。PC & Mac, 全电脑输出。 Michael Wang - 123 Link, president. Michael Wang - Imagine Computer Graphics. Art Director. 这些东西，有一半似曾相识。装硬币的钱包，是第一次来美国，和堂姐在香港搭飞机时买的。发夹应该是回Ames搬家带考驾照时在Target或一家local drug store 买的，心型造型。剪报虽然没有保留日期，但是大概记得是刚来Dallas时的 - 原来那么早就已经文青了? 和小纸牌挂在一起的钥匙，应该是在ROI上班时用的，ROI是我来Dallas后的第一份正式工作，4113 Rawlins 是公司地址，在Lemmon Avenue后面。纸牌背后的东西多半是个密码，怕人偷了去，所以才用中文繁体字写。这倒真是个好主意，identity theft想破解我的密码，还得先学中文。而且仅仅读的懂简体字还不行，还得学繁体的。不过这个密码太秘密了，自己都忘了是做什么的。 Asiana Bonus Club 显然是张frequent flyer memebership卡。至于Asiana，大概是家日本或韩国航空公司。应该是帅妈回国时坐过的，在东京或汉城转机。应该就那么一回，否则不会只是张临时卡。 Michael Wang是Iowa State的校友，当时在追求帅妈的一个朋友，毕业后搬去L.A.， 我和那位朋友曾经去L.A. 玩，他当我们的司机。Michael长什么样记不清了，似乎不高，似乎戴眼镜，或者令我觉得应该戴眼镜而没有戴。那位朋友，已经成为陌路。 有些已经印象模糊。那把没有标记的钥匙，来历已经无从考。然而，这些年都一直没有丢，总该有些原因的罢。比如，我知道，在这个世界上某个地方，某段时间里，有把锁是给它预备的。锁找不到，或不存在了，是否一定要抹杀钥匙存在的合理性? 还有，吴言强? 白悦云? 陈伟? 这些名字的主人是谁? 我认不认识他们? 也许我们曾经很熟悉，天天见面? 也许有过一面之缘? 也许是间接的朋友? 在什么情形下我们的轨道发生交集? 如果说朋友同事家人是一个人在社会中的参照点，他们组成了我们的坐标，那么那些和我们擦肩而过的人呢? 陌生人呢? 没有交汇点的轨道又是怎样神秘地影响了我们的生活?人越活越明白，可是不惑该多么不好玩。这些陌生的名片，是给自己的生活里保留的一些迷。如果扔了这些名片，等于扔掉了谜面。而留着它们，谜底可能有天会解开。比如，有天回国出差，在飞机上不小心把一杯咖啡照顾了邻座人的白衬衣，邻座人抢救衬衣口袋里的钱夹时，驾照给甩了出来，我拣起来还给他，眼睛扫到了上面名字 - 吴言强。原来西安众慧现在引进外资了，吴总来美国和美方老板开会。 或者，在北京机场外等出租，被一只小面包强拉了去，车子开到荒郊野外突然停下来，司机转过身，手里端把枪，嘴里叫着"打劫"。这个劫匪挺专业的，一定没少看Hollywood电影，懂规矩，一上来就说明来意，免去不必要的口舌之争。劫匪走过来挨个收钱包，首饰，手机。轮到我了，我不小心把包掉到地上，这是哪里来的? 劫匪忽然对我说，手里夹着一张名片 - 从我包里掉出来的。原来劫匪就是白悦云，陕西国力破产后债台高筑只好挺而走险。 因为认识劫匪，全车乘客得以保全性命。 又或者... 留着名片，并非因为这些人可以日后扩大我的关系网，或令我逢凶化吉 - 并非不可能，概率极低 - 而是，只要保留着这些名片，就保留着能够继续猜迷的机会和权利。 这包东西，使用价值和收藏价值近乎零，从各个角度来看，都可以归为垃圾，但是每片垃圾都曾经和我在某个时空发生过联系，日后拿出来，也许可以拼凑出一点什么，一点记忆力鞭长莫及或自我认知不曾到达的地方。 所以回答姥姥的问题: 没用，可是不扔。
May 28 自言自语 v.s. 有话要说很久没有blog了 -- 没什么好说的，这个世界说话的人不少，少一个人开口挺好，更何况是自言自语? 可是自从上一个entry以来,的确发生了一些事情，现罗列如下:
1) 美国德州北部有个小小男孩断奶了.
男孩薛帅帅在进入他的生命的第5个月后，早上9点不再吃妈妈的奶, 而是由阿姨喂奶瓶, 瓶里装着妈妈存储的冻奶. 每两周妈妈把一顿胸喂换成奶瓶. 5月26日那天晚上妈妈打开冻箱,发现还剩一袋冻奶, 第二天, 即27日, 吃完最后一袋冻奶, 妈妈正式宣布帅帅7个月了。五月23日晚上8点,妈妈胸喂帅帅， 凌晨6点妈妈给帅帅喂奶瓶, 然后打算傍晚8点那顿也该减掉. 这样决定之后, 妈妈意识到,昨晚那一顿,是帅帅最后一次直接吃妈妈的奶了. 昨晚帅帅吃得不好,吃了10分钟就开始闹着要站起来, 站起来就笑了, 两支小手伸直然后相握着得意地环顾两边. 他不知道那是他的最后一顿breast feed.
2) Forever 21的衬衫们
在Stonebrair 的Forever 21逛,看到一件紫色衬衣,试穿的时候发现扣子掉了,价钱牌上手写着"10% off, missing button", 没关系, 用备用扣子自己钉一钉就好了. 找到商标上的备用扣子口袋, 发现有人捷足先登了,小袋子被人撕破,扣子没了. Well, 把最底下的扣子挪过来就好了, 我这么想着, 再仔细一看, 发现整件衬衣7颗扣子全没了. 另外一件白色衬衫也是一样, 少了3颗扣子. 我明白了,原来店里住着一个以吃扣子为生的小怪物, 在店子打烊之后跑出来, 闻闻每件衣服上的扣子, 捡自己喜欢的吃,吃完拍拍肚子又躲回衣服堆里睡大觉. 它喜欢的口味有: 贝壳的, 玻璃的, 木头的, 饿极了聚酯扣子也能对付. 少了扣子的衬衫们看上去像没牙的老太太,憋着嘴, 哭丧着脸, 可是他们说的语言没有人类听的懂, 只好眼睁睁看着扣子小怪物逍遥法外.
3) 中国西南部5月中某一天, 地忽然剧烈摇晃, 房子塌了, 桥梁断了, 公路变形, 世界其他地方一切如常, 可是地球上少了68,109个人,19,851生死不明.
May 08 五个电影The Usual Suspect
... Keysor Sose is a guy with will. When a Hungarian mob broke into his house, raped his wife and took his kids hostage, he showed them what will means. He took a last look at his family's faces, before the mob could guess his next move, he shot his family in the foreheads. With that single act KS turned the table and gained control of the situation. The rest is history. To KS, will means willing to do what your enemies won't...
This is a scene from "The Usual Suspect." As much as it sounds like something from 古龙's books, it is no way one of those 武打小说 that insults the readers' intelligence. It walks the fine line between revealing too much too soon (you know who's the bad guy 5 minutes into the movie) and losing your audience by being a bit too far ahead ( you have to ask your neighbor what was going on yet he's as confused as you are). Even though it hinges largely on the unexpected ending (when you are able to put things together in your head things seemingly abiturary start to surface), it's still a movie that you feel compelled to watch for the second time. For the writers and actors, it means they delivered. For the studio, it means DVD sales.
The Whale Rider
If you strip the fabric from this movie, you are looking at the same old body - a story about gender discrimination. The story telling technique also breaks no ground. But there is such a thing as gestalt effect. When you add tribal culture, legendary tale, characters, and of course, the cute British accent into the simmerer, the final result is larger than sum of its parts - you get a nice pot of soup that sings to your tongue. It's also an exercise of restraint where subtlety wins over overkilling, which is common to Hollywood movies. All in all, it's a nice 120 minuts that leaves your heart with warmth and sweetness.
The Hoax
When thinking of Richard Gere, "Pretty Woman", "Chicago", "Unfaithful" come to my mind. Now there is one more to be added to the short list. For somebody who became a household name as early as two decades ago, this is embarrasing. But for someone who became a household name playing a millionare who fell for a hooker therefore typecasted ever after, this is achievement, although he still runs the risk of coming up short when stacked up side by side with his birlliant side kick Alfred Molina. But hang in there Mr. Gere, for once you pass the 50th's milestone, time is on your side. When your skin crumpled, cheekbone collapsed, blue eyes dull, who can still call you "just a pretty face"? With a couple of more roles like Clifford Irving, you might get to a place where "Pretty Woman" could never imagine doing so.
Zodiac
When I put "Zodiac" in my Netflix queue, I didn't know what to expect from the movie or Jake Gyllenhall, which normally translates to "not expecting much", at the end of the 130 minutes thriller, it becomes clear that both exceeds my expectation. The movie is well paced yet gravitating, the characters are sound and fresh, with the only excpetion of Robert Downy Jr, but hey, it's RDJ, what do you expect? Plus the flamboyance of his Paul Avery is offset by the deliberately dull, soft-spoken, well-grounded detective, the nerdy cartoonist played by Jake Gyllenhall and the overall heaviness of the subject. Even the wife of the cartoonist is not a stereotype wife whose sole purpose is to make her counterpart look the way the director wants him to. Of course there is that element of open-endedness, the unsatisfied feeling that the murder cases are never solved, the killer not brought to justice, but if you are willing to live with that, it's a great movie to kill a Saturday night with. Oh, did I mention Jake Gyllenhall is in the movie?
Frida
Among all the above movies, this one is my personal preferee. Prior to watching it, there was a little voice in the back of my head telling me, this could be another one of those self-important, pretensious, artsy fartsy movies. 15 minutes into the movie, the voice was still there, untill when Frida asked for Diego's opinion about how good her paintings were: "I have a family to help bring the bread to the table. I need to know if I'm good enough, because otherwise I'll take up an ordinary job and be done with my painting dream." (Of course this is my paraphrase. For the original script, imagine this but 5 times better put.) With everybody telling us to chase your dreams, it's refreshing to hear someone not afraid of taking the less glamorous road and dare to be ordinary.
The movie evolves around two lines. One is Frida's professional life as an artist, the other as a wife, a wife to a renowned artist, her friend, colleague, as well as a self-admitted womanizer. As much as Frida's paintings a matter of personal taste, her married life strikes a cord with majority of us. Like said by their friend at their wedding, when a person enters marriage hoping for happily ever after, it's blindness. When she's fully aware of the inherent flaw of the marriage system, but does it anyway, it's courage. Frida is one of those people. In fact the second she agreed to marry Diego, she turned herself into a sword to fight human nature. A sword made of flesh and blood. No matter what the result would be, the sword's fate is doomed. Yes she and Diego had eventually reached mutual acceptance and compassion on the level most couples dare not to dream, but the cost is steep - her body and spirit.
Salma Hayek proves she's not just a pretty face attached to a prettier body, but the one that stole the spotlight is Alfred Molina who plays Diego (He also plays Richard Gere's coauthor in The Hoax). When someone makes Edward Norton look amateurish, he's good. When someone makes somebody like me go "this guy is good", he's good. And the recognition of his talent is immediate. In fact his performance as Diego is what makes Frida float.
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