I suspect the headline and one-paragraph summary sounds worse than the situation actually was, but the humor value is there:
‘American Pie’ actress turns herself in at court: “Actress Natasha Lyonne, a star of ‘American Pie’ who was accused of threatening to sexually molest a dog, turned herself in at a New York court Friday.”
Yesterday in the office I came across the video for Billy Idol’s White Wedding, which I had never seen. Even though I am a child of that generation, I did not watch MTV in the 80s, and I didn’t listen to Billy Idol back then (despite something he and I have in common) — really until Cradle of Love (check out the Mac Portrait Display monitor in that video!), which was big in the summer of ’90, when I was taking summer school. I’d roar down Cloverdale Road to Centennial High School in my bronze Bug listening to that song on my crappy AM/FC radio and cassette deck. But “White Wedding” was a mystery to me until grad school, and the video was until yesterday, and — to use the parlance of our times — oh my! Wiggling black pvc pants.
Last night C managed to cover over a bit late for my “movie night” — everyone else ended up being busy with out-of-town guests, exams, departmental parties, etc. Athenos has this tasty red pepper hummus, which I reserved for myself during an early re-viewing of The Matrix, which I hadn’t watched in a while (speaking of pvc), and once C showed up we went for Conan the Barbarian … nearly into camp territory. In addition to non-existent acting on the part of the leads, the main trouble with the movie is that it is trying to be an “A movie” — and in trying to be serious, have a message, etc., it completely forgets about pacing and such. It’s really quite slow for a sword-and-sorcery affair. Even better, it’s by John Milius (of Red Dawn fame and “reportedly the inspiration behind the Walter Sobchak character [played by John Goodman] in the film The Big Lebowski.”), and it is an interesting anti-hippie political allegory. I had never noticed that before. We followed it up with The Incrdibles (after a couple cute videos), which has amazing pacing, great and witty dialog, etc. Too bad I didn’t get to bed until 3am.
A letter to Cary Tennis at Salon.com asks, “Should we go home for Christmas — even if we can’t afford it?” There are a bunch of details (Hurricane Katrina, first child, relocation, etc.), and Cary responds: “Go. Go because the tickets are bought. Go because everybody wants to see the little girl. You will be taken care of. Go. Go because no, you shouldn’t go. Go because no, it may not be so smart. Go. Go because your family is getting together. Go because you can’t choose the year your family gets together. Go.”
I get the point. But only one “go” there makes sense to me: “Go because the tickets are bought.” And I’m merely tying this together with the “even if we can’t afford” it bit. I believe in following one’s dreams, doing things spur-of-the-moment, participating in some irrational exuberance, etc. But being irresponsible with one’s finances … once or twice I can understand, — buy the ticket, grab the passport, quit the job, and hike across central Asia! — but the “going home for the holidays” idea threatens to be every year. I like seeing my family, too, but I am an adult, and I take reality into account: my finances, my other responsibilities, distance, schedule, etc.
So many of the letters in response were along the lines of “Good advice, Cary” and “You only live once and family matters,” “Take a leap of faith,” etc. You know, if family is so important to these people, they wouldn’t be seeing them once a year on a mass-market holiday. They would live closer, they would travel more often, they would adjust their career obligations, etc. Change your fucking lifestyle people, and practice what you preach. And don’t retreat into the fashionable platitudes of “seize the day,” “family matters,” etc.
I won’t be seeing my family this “holiday season”tm, if by family one means parents, step-siblings, step-nieces-and-nephews, and the extended family folks, but I will be close to my brother. I can’t get into Giftmas; sure, there are plenty of things I would like, but I am not lacking any necessary material goods in my life, and the types of things I am unwilling to buy for myself are also the things I am unwilling to request from others, generally because of price. I like being surprised; the people who give me gifts are not the type who go out on a limb when it comes to presents, though. So, it’s books (I like books), gift certificates, money, clothes I won’t wear. My brother got me some nice coffee-related materials for my birthday; those I really appreciated.
I’d rather spend “the holidays” with people I care about, and, again, if I need the holidays for that to happen, then there is something seriously wrong with my life.
