My boss Rick brought in a magazine with the above mentioned article in it, which prompted me to make my own list. I kept a substantial portion of the magazine list but had to make a few changes. Note: the 25 year limit eliminates the original Star Wars trilogy, and the first Alien movie. I probably won't remember them all off the top of my head, but here's an attempt (not in any particular order)
The Matrix
Firefly/Serenity
Star Trek II - the Wrath of Khan
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Aliens
Farscape
Galaxy Quest
The Fifth Element
Starship Troopers
Babylon 5
Starman
Children of Men
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club show
Last Saturday was the VJMC show, and Ross spent the previous two weeks prepping a $20 Honda 450 to ride to the show. He slaved over the thing to get it running and we set off that morning on it's maiden voyage. I rode my 1990 Honda CB-1, which is officially old enough to be vintage (it has to be over 15 years old). From behind Ross I got to enjoy the incredibly loud muffler of the old Honda, and the occasional burning oil smell. We met Bill and Susan at Bill's place. Bill has an old Honda 750 that he had recently got running and had just stripped some nasty aqua paint off of. Susan has a Yamaha SV 650, a thoroughly modern motorcycle.
Together we rode to the Maplewood Suzuki dealer, where the VJMC show was on display.
Bill's bike in the foreground, mine is the bright blue one.
The trophies for the winners.
A nice lineup, including a beautiful blue Honda Dream.
Ross' bike in the foreground!
A lovely older Honda with a lovely younger woman on it.
After the show we decided to go to Bob's Java Hut for a drink. On the way there Susan and I lost Ross and Bill on the highway. Ross ran out of gas, had to pull over on the non-existent shoulder and restart his bike. We all got there eventually and lazed about with iced teas. Bob's is a most excellent place to people-watch. I felt pretty darn good on the motorcycle. I just love that Honda CB-1. It's small and maneuverable and lovely.
Together we rode to the Maplewood Suzuki dealer, where the VJMC show was on display.
Bill's bike in the foreground, mine is the bright blue one.
The trophies for the winners.
A nice lineup, including a beautiful blue Honda Dream.
Ross' bike in the foreground!
A lovely older Honda with a lovely younger woman on it.
After the show we decided to go to Bob's Java Hut for a drink. On the way there Susan and I lost Ross and Bill on the highway. Ross ran out of gas, had to pull over on the non-existent shoulder and restart his bike. We all got there eventually and lazed about with iced teas. Bob's is a most excellent place to people-watch. I felt pretty darn good on the motorcycle. I just love that Honda CB-1. It's small and maneuverable and lovely.
Fascinating movies
Other fascinating movies we've watched recently;
"Donnie Darko". It achieved cult classic status while flying under my radar, and I finally thought to put it on my Blockbuster list and thus end the wait. Wow. I appreciated it even more after Googling it and reading some snippets about the back story (not all of which I absorbed from the film after one watching). I don't want to say too much lest someone want to see it without my opinion clouding their minds... I appreciate how open to interpretation the whole thing is, even though the ending does suggest one truth. In that sense it reminds me of "Pan's Labyrinth", in which to the very end it is not clear whether the true story is in the girl's imagination, or in the harsh and violent "real" world.
"The History Boys". I read a snippet about this in the City Pages, and remembered to pick it up at the video store. My. How literate and theatrical (as it well should be, having begun life as a theater production). Loved it. Beautiful storytelling. Great characters. Great faces. Subtle. Dramatic.
"Children of Men". Wow. Bleak, desperate vision of the future - a near future in which infertility is rampant and the youngest person in the world is 20 years old. Clive Owen blows me away. I haven't seen him enough; he rocks the screen. Michael Caine is marvelous as an old hippie growing and selling his own pot. Funny man. The film made me think about how lucky we are to be living in the world we do... and also how fragile it all is.
"Donnie Darko". It achieved cult classic status while flying under my radar, and I finally thought to put it on my Blockbuster list and thus end the wait. Wow. I appreciated it even more after Googling it and reading some snippets about the back story (not all of which I absorbed from the film after one watching). I don't want to say too much lest someone want to see it without my opinion clouding their minds... I appreciate how open to interpretation the whole thing is, even though the ending does suggest one truth. In that sense it reminds me of "Pan's Labyrinth", in which to the very end it is not clear whether the true story is in the girl's imagination, or in the harsh and violent "real" world.
"The History Boys". I read a snippet about this in the City Pages, and remembered to pick it up at the video store. My. How literate and theatrical (as it well should be, having begun life as a theater production). Loved it. Beautiful storytelling. Great characters. Great faces. Subtle. Dramatic.
"Children of Men". Wow. Bleak, desperate vision of the future - a near future in which infertility is rampant and the youngest person in the world is 20 years old. Clive Owen blows me away. I haven't seen him enough; he rocks the screen. Michael Caine is marvelous as an old hippie growing and selling his own pot. Funny man. The film made me think about how lucky we are to be living in the world we do... and also how fragile it all is.
Climbing on a Wednesday
I'm so behind on posting... a week and a half ago I took Wednesday off work and went to Red Wing with Shawn and Mike. I was really hot to go to Red Wing after a great day there the previous weekend. In short order I warmed up on Two-Tone Zephyr and then led, with no fanfare, Call of the Mild, a 5.11 route that I had yearned to lead for a while. Then led, with one hang, No Whippin Boys. Goals are goin' down!
Shawn led this route that traverses out under a huge overhang... can't remember the name, but it doesn't get climbed much and really needs to be rebolted. I think it's 5.11ish. He led and I followed, pulling on the draws through the crux. Then he led Geriatric Sex Maniacs from Mars and I toproped it. A good day, and I'm itching to have another one like it.
Shawn led this route that traverses out under a huge overhang... can't remember the name, but it doesn't get climbed much and really needs to be rebolted. I think it's 5.11ish. He led and I followed, pulling on the draws through the crux. Then he led Geriatric Sex Maniacs from Mars and I toproped it. A good day, and I'm itching to have another one like it.
Romance for dummies, romance for smarties
I got sucked into signing up for Blockbuster Online, their answer to the "threat" of Netflix, and it has allowed me to finally watch some movies that I've always intended to see... and to be more spontaneous when I go to the video store. We've had some amazing viewings and some bombs as a result.
I picked up "The Holiday" one evening for two reasons - I was weary and wanted some fluffy, mindless entertainment, and I've totally got the hots for Jude Law. There's something magical about the look of polite inquiry he often gives. I don't know, it's hard to define his charm. He smiles well.
Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz star as two women who meet online in their quest to trade their homes (in L.A. and rural England, respectively) for a vacation. In the process they meet two nice guys (Jack Black and Jude Law) and have romance.
Anyway. The movie was a meaningless fluff of overblown Hollywood pablum... through which bits of genuine sweetness and charm shone. There were setups that made me cringe, ridiculous mood-establishing shots that could have been dropped with absolutely no damage to the plot. But still moments, moments, only moments of real romance and beauty. Dialogue that sounded horrendously in need of editing, and then a glance, a moment of contact. The revelation of Jude Law's life as a widower and single parent after the first impression of him as the drunken younger brother willing to jump into bed on first aquaintance is quite nice, and then the girls playing his daughters were absolutely wonderful.
Kate Winslet is sweet and talented. She does a good job, has no chemistry with Jack Black, but pulls off the role of the Brit rediscovering herself in L.A. I've always found Cameron Diaz appealing, and this role is no exception, but she's kinda over the top and really plays to the Hollywood excesses of the movie. Jude Law helps save her performance; he is disarming and adorable from the start. Jack Black is actually quite fun to watch playing it straight. He could do better as a romantic leading man, but it's so interesting watching him not be Jack Black that I could forgive him his faults.
Then we watched "Before Sunset" which I had read about years ago and never seen, but always kept in the back of my mind. I read about the sequel a few years ago and it reminded me forcibly that I did indeed want to watch them both someday. And now that day finally came, and it was every bit as good as I thought it would be.
Richard Linklater has created something fine and true with these movies, something that touches the truth of what we are and what we want and how we reach out for contact.
"Before Sunset" occurs over a single night, as Jesse, an American travelling in Europe, meets Celine, a French woman on her way to Paris. They connect, get off the train together in... Vienna? and walk around the town for a single night. They share thoughts, drift about town, drifting closer and closer to the possibility that neither speaks of but both have imagined from the start - that they might sleep together on this, their one night together. Their thoughts and expressions tell us so much about them, about their romantic ideals, their dreams, their cynicism. It is almost as wrenching for us as for them when they part, Jesse on his way to catch a flight, promising to meet again six months later.
"Before Sunrise" picks up later, 10 years? Jesse is in Paris on a book tour; Celine sees his picture on a poster and shows up at his talk. I just found myself utterly and completely wrapped up in these movies. They made me think, imagine, dream. Most definitely something more than mindless entertainment.
I picked up "The Holiday" one evening for two reasons - I was weary and wanted some fluffy, mindless entertainment, and I've totally got the hots for Jude Law. There's something magical about the look of polite inquiry he often gives. I don't know, it's hard to define his charm. He smiles well.
Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz star as two women who meet online in their quest to trade their homes (in L.A. and rural England, respectively) for a vacation. In the process they meet two nice guys (Jack Black and Jude Law) and have romance.
Anyway. The movie was a meaningless fluff of overblown Hollywood pablum... through which bits of genuine sweetness and charm shone. There were setups that made me cringe, ridiculous mood-establishing shots that could have been dropped with absolutely no damage to the plot. But still moments, moments, only moments of real romance and beauty. Dialogue that sounded horrendously in need of editing, and then a glance, a moment of contact. The revelation of Jude Law's life as a widower and single parent after the first impression of him as the drunken younger brother willing to jump into bed on first aquaintance is quite nice, and then the girls playing his daughters were absolutely wonderful.
Kate Winslet is sweet and talented. She does a good job, has no chemistry with Jack Black, but pulls off the role of the Brit rediscovering herself in L.A. I've always found Cameron Diaz appealing, and this role is no exception, but she's kinda over the top and really plays to the Hollywood excesses of the movie. Jude Law helps save her performance; he is disarming and adorable from the start. Jack Black is actually quite fun to watch playing it straight. He could do better as a romantic leading man, but it's so interesting watching him not be Jack Black that I could forgive him his faults.
Then we watched "Before Sunset" which I had read about years ago and never seen, but always kept in the back of my mind. I read about the sequel a few years ago and it reminded me forcibly that I did indeed want to watch them both someday. And now that day finally came, and it was every bit as good as I thought it would be.
Richard Linklater has created something fine and true with these movies, something that touches the truth of what we are and what we want and how we reach out for contact.
"Before Sunset" occurs over a single night, as Jesse, an American travelling in Europe, meets Celine, a French woman on her way to Paris. They connect, get off the train together in... Vienna? and walk around the town for a single night. They share thoughts, drift about town, drifting closer and closer to the possibility that neither speaks of but both have imagined from the start - that they might sleep together on this, their one night together. Their thoughts and expressions tell us so much about them, about their romantic ideals, their dreams, their cynicism. It is almost as wrenching for us as for them when they part, Jesse on his way to catch a flight, promising to meet again six months later.
"Before Sunrise" picks up later, 10 years? Jesse is in Paris on a book tour; Celine sees his picture on a poster and shows up at his talk. I just found myself utterly and completely wrapped up in these movies. They made me think, imagine, dream. Most definitely something more than mindless entertainment.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
First day at Red Wing
Sunday I woke stiff and sore from the run on Sat. Ross and I met Micah, Jen, Everett and Brenda for breakfast at the Zumbro Cafe. Love the Zumbro. Love the company. Love the food; I was very hungry, and had eggs benedict plus much of an order of pancakes.
Then I met Katie and Kimson at Shawn's house shortly before noon, and the four of us drove down to Red Wing. The climbing at Red Wing is on once-quarried limestone cliffs at Barn Bluff, at the southern end of the city. When we pulled up to the parking area I was appalled at the number of cars there - obviously LOADS of people were climbing. We had to search for unoccupied routes to start on. And then we were joined by Adrien, a woman Katie had climbed with at the gym, so we broke into the female group of me, Katie and Adrien, and the male group of Shawn and Kimson. Us women climbed Pleasant Summer Absence, a shockingly easy 5.10, and then Vertical Vice, the hardest 5.8 in the world. It has been climbed so much that the once-useful small edges are all rounded and polished (a disadvantage of the rock at Red Wing) so I usually work my way up to the left of the bolts. I was the designated leader for the women, and felt pretty good in that role aside from some trepidation on Vertical Vice. There's a challenging move on the upper part of the route, but then the killer for the leader is the delicate traverse above the difficult move which also ends up being well above the last bolt.
So we went on from there, climbing several routes. Around 5 o'clock the crowds really thinned out and we discovered the beauty of starting late; we had the place to ourselves and the late afternoon sun coming around the bluff made everything glow.
Shawn led Prairie Fire, which is something of my nemesis, since there's one hard move I had not been able to do, and it's an intimidating lead. I toproped it and managed to do the hard move! The same anchors can be used to climb No Whippin Boys, which is a stellar finger crack - one of the rare routes at Red Wing which take trad gear (i.e. nuts and cams for protection, rather than bolts). I tried to lead it last summer and ended up leading it in the worst possible style, pulling on gear all the way and hanging repeatedly on the rope. I didn't have gear to lead it with on Sunday, but I did climb it smoothly and in control. The lead is in my future!
Me on my new Mammut 10.2 mm rope. It feels really good in the hand while belaying. It does pay to get a quality rope.
Katie belaying Adrien. Apologies for the sideways picture.
Kimson belaying Shawn.
Katie climbing Vertical Vice.
Then I met Katie and Kimson at Shawn's house shortly before noon, and the four of us drove down to Red Wing. The climbing at Red Wing is on once-quarried limestone cliffs at Barn Bluff, at the southern end of the city. When we pulled up to the parking area I was appalled at the number of cars there - obviously LOADS of people were climbing. We had to search for unoccupied routes to start on. And then we were joined by Adrien, a woman Katie had climbed with at the gym, so we broke into the female group of me, Katie and Adrien, and the male group of Shawn and Kimson. Us women climbed Pleasant Summer Absence, a shockingly easy 5.10, and then Vertical Vice, the hardest 5.8 in the world. It has been climbed so much that the once-useful small edges are all rounded and polished (a disadvantage of the rock at Red Wing) so I usually work my way up to the left of the bolts. I was the designated leader for the women, and felt pretty good in that role aside from some trepidation on Vertical Vice. There's a challenging move on the upper part of the route, but then the killer for the leader is the delicate traverse above the difficult move which also ends up being well above the last bolt.
So we went on from there, climbing several routes. Around 5 o'clock the crowds really thinned out and we discovered the beauty of starting late; we had the place to ourselves and the late afternoon sun coming around the bluff made everything glow.
Shawn led Prairie Fire, which is something of my nemesis, since there's one hard move I had not been able to do, and it's an intimidating lead. I toproped it and managed to do the hard move! The same anchors can be used to climb No Whippin Boys, which is a stellar finger crack - one of the rare routes at Red Wing which take trad gear (i.e. nuts and cams for protection, rather than bolts). I tried to lead it last summer and ended up leading it in the worst possible style, pulling on gear all the way and hanging repeatedly on the rope. I didn't have gear to lead it with on Sunday, but I did climb it smoothly and in control. The lead is in my future!
Me on my new Mammut 10.2 mm rope. It feels really good in the hand while belaying. It does pay to get a quality rope.
Katie belaying Adrien. Apologies for the sideways picture.
Kimson belaying Shawn.
Katie climbing Vertical Vice.
Get In Gear!
I ran the 30th annual Get In Gear race this Saturday with my cousin Sara. It was a far cry from last year's race, with steady and increasing rain, and a temperature in the 50s. I couldn't have asked for a better day - a hint of chill that turned into just the perfect baking heat (for my tastes) with morning sun.
It's a huge event, and even bigger this year because of the 30th year. It's like running in a giant river of runners, but the course is utterly beautiful and Sara and I had just the best time. I know I did, anyway. We talked of many things. It felt great to me until about mile four or five, when my legs and hips started complaining, but when I said, "I'm feeling pain," Sara said, "We're almost done!" and that carried me through the end.
Through silent mutual agreement we sped up across the Ford Bridge, passing people left and right, and kept that pace through the last winding, tree-lined avenue toward the finish line. I had a tiny bit of energy left for a last minute sprint to the finish line, and then when I dropped to a walk I swayed on suddenly weak knees. But we grinned in triumph; we had pulled it off.
Then off to an Indian buffet with Sara, Chris and the boys (Ross had to work) and home to the most delightfully lazy afternoon. Ross and I were invited over to Andy and Betsy's for dinner, so I didn't even have to cook.
It's a huge event, and even bigger this year because of the 30th year. It's like running in a giant river of runners, but the course is utterly beautiful and Sara and I had just the best time. I know I did, anyway. We talked of many things. It felt great to me until about mile four or five, when my legs and hips started complaining, but when I said, "I'm feeling pain," Sara said, "We're almost done!" and that carried me through the end.
Through silent mutual agreement we sped up across the Ford Bridge, passing people left and right, and kept that pace through the last winding, tree-lined avenue toward the finish line. I had a tiny bit of energy left for a last minute sprint to the finish line, and then when I dropped to a walk I swayed on suddenly weak knees. But we grinned in triumph; we had pulled it off.
Then off to an Indian buffet with Sara, Chris and the boys (Ross had to work) and home to the most delightfully lazy afternoon. Ross and I were invited over to Andy and Betsy's for dinner, so I didn't even have to cook.
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