9 July 2012

A conversation with my twelve year-old self. My son found this; it's clever and original.

Despite the fact that Saturday was the second hottest day of the year, six brave households held yard sales anyway. But they had nothing of interest.

As sweltering as it was, however, the show must go on: Monocacy Re-enactors Bring Battlefield Realities to Life. No, I wasn't at this. I wouldn't be at this! Too hot. One fellow is quoted: "...the soldiers still would have eaten hot food, worn their complete wool uniforms and fought just the same. 'They didn't grow up with AC,' said 14th Tennessee 1st Cpl. Kevin Zepp." Perhaps not, but they weren't stupid, either. Credit them with some common sense. Just because we don't have any images of them wearing their shirts without their wool jackets while in camp (photographic sessions were dress up affairs), I cannot believe it means that they didn't. Well, I would have. In fact, I did so while in the Marines. My usual uniform for sitting atop poles and doing telephone cable splicing on hot, sunny days was a tee-shirt and no hat. I cannot believe that soldier behavior 150 years ago was fundamentally different than today.

"'There's as many reasons for re-enactors as there are re-enactors,' 14th Tennessee infantryman Russ Seibert said." Indeed. I do reenacting for purely recreational purposes: it's fun to visit historical places doing historical things. I'm not out to educate anyone, nor am I playing soldier. I've done both in the past. I'm in it for fun - and when it ceases to be fun, I'm out.

I watched a few movies over the weekend:

Marjoe (1972) - Or, confessions of a very young huckster evangelist. I dimly recall this making a stir when it was released - it won an Oscar - but it's rather dull. It says more about Hollywood's dislike of religion than it does Christianity.

Thoth (2002) - This, too, won an Oscar. By the same documentary producer as Marjoe and included as a bonus, this is a much more interesting work as it examines S.K. Thoth, a creative and athletic New York City street artist. A dancer/violinist/counter-tenor/percussionist/fabulist, this gender-bending "prayformer" (his word) has written a solo opera in his own made-up language and performs it in public places. I enjoyed his music and performance art. Imagine a mix of David Bowie, Michael Jackson and Alfred Deller with some Yma Sumac thrown in (he trills, he growls). But he's clearly following his own muse. A video of Thoth tells you all you need to know. He didn't do well on America's Got Talent, but then, this is a show that extols the mind-numbingly conventional. What do they know? I like the guy. Perhaps if I'm New York City I'll see him someday.

Stage Door (1937) - A film with 1930's sass and attitude to spare, it examines the life of struggling young actresses/dancers living together in a New York City boarding house. It stars Katherine Hepburn (an actress I have never cared for), but it also features Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball and Eve Arden, which are the primary reasons to watch. They're great! Snappy, tough and world wise, this is one of those "Say, whatta you tryin' to pull?"/"And how!"/"You can say that again, sister!" kind of Depression Era films. Lucy was an effortless comedienne even then, so early in her career. She was swell (to coin another phrase of the period).

Vinyl. It was a crappy Lp then, it's a crappy Lp now.

Gibson pix! The baby acne is heartbreaking, but Mom says it's starting to clear. It's very common.

Let the week begin.