Atlanta - Skyline, L5P, & AFF

I just can't tell my reader how much fun I'm having just being at home with S. and friends...I am keeping very busy - taking pics and cleaning house - trying to be as Annie and Martha* as I can be.

Last Friday was the best day ever; to break in my new boots for the trip to Oregon**, I walked from from Metropolis, down Ponce, through the Carter Center, lunched in L5P, then walked down Moreland and N. Highland to shop in Va-Highland, then down Virginia to Landmark to see the Atlanta Film Festival. Here's my roundup of the Horror Shorts:

Last Zombie - What if you might be the last undead guy on earth? Apparently, given the chance, you would bite a co-worker, and then make hot, zombie love (it went downhill from there). The ringer? This scene was filmed on the same Decatur train tracks where we had just shot a wedding - 6 days before!

Little Lise - Cute girl / Betty Davis eyes / Linda Blair temper.

Happy Bday 2 Me - Serial killing, when you do it with your family, is kind of social.

Hollow - What if the monster in the closet is actually your whole life?

Haunting Matt - Will a friend filming your life for a movie 24/7 help solve your poltergeist problem? Would you do it? Would you watch it?

* Annie Liebovitz has a show coming up at the High Museum. Martha Stewart Living costs $24 per year.

** "Breaking in your boots" is a misnomer; my boots broke in me.

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Atlanta - Centennial Park

Last Friday was the perfect, Atlanta, intown day. It started with MARTA to downtown, CNN, and Centennial Park, then the Aquarium, followed by lunch, the High Museum, and dessert at Chocolate Pink.

All that, and no poison ivy.

I'm home.

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Ohio - NO MORE!

Welcome Home, Me!

Well, welcome home, but this isn't me.

It's Kenyon Carter, a great jazz saxophonist I was lucky enough to photograph this weekend. If you have a hankerin' for some live jazz, check him out: www.myspace.com/kenyoncarter

So, I'm done with Oh-Hell-Hole; this weekend was the first weekend of my 11 week vacation. I was there for 20 weeks, so now I get 11 weeks off.

Did I mention I have 11 weeks off?

SO...if you need a drinking/partying/movie-going/running/working-out buddy, I'm your guy.

It's going to be a great summer.

Garden update: We planted basil and tomatoes on March 31st, hoping to get a jump start on the growing season. Well, it dropped below freezing 1 week later, on April 7th, but the tomatoes made it! The basil's hurting a little, but the pepper plants look okay, too.

All did not escape unscathed - while planting, I got poison ivy. I'm just getting over it, having gone through all the stages - the "Itching Stage", the "Oozing Stage", the "Scabbing Stage", and now am nearly at the end of the "Baby Gerbil Skin with pieces of Beef Jerky stuck to it Stage".

Now it's going to be a great summer.

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Ohio - April

The sky's not blue,
the trees aren't green.
There's not one flower
to be seen.

The sky is grey,
the ground is, too.
Like frozen mounds
of bunny pooh.

Easter's coming
I can tell---
It's not the colors,
it's the smell.

Happy Easter, everyone!

(The trees were right to be scared; it's April 5th...and it's snowing.)

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Ohio - Night Sky

The snow has melted. The empty fields are soggy with the first rains. Deer, pheasant, turkeys are all coming out to eat...but the trees aren't fooled. They aren't putting out any buds. These clouds still have one snow left in them.
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In the outside world, there is an on going debate in the FCC and the FAA about cell phone usage on airplanes. They have elicited people's opinions; this one was my favorite:

"As long as the cellphone users have to step outside to use their phone I have no problem with it. — Posted by Ken B"
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Back home, it's time for the annual debate on Billboards vs. Trees in the Georgia Legislature:

" ...the billboard industry needs relief from current rules that protect trees at the expense of the economy." ---All so someone can make more money; I don't need the billboards, but I do need the trees.

We should cut down more trees because "...more than 100 people die annually when they run off Georgia roads and hit a tree." ---People can't run their cars into trees if the trees aren't there...or if they aren't in their cars. Make it illegal to drive.

Are we going to let our "representatives" change what we see on a drive through Georgia? More billboards and fewer trees? Sad.

ajc.com
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Here in Compliance, I decided I needed a "Defiance College" T-shirt; that was my chore last Thursday.

After finally spotting the campus bookstore through a window, I came up short at a locked door. Inside, I could see a couple of ladies busying themselves over stacks of T-shirts. In my best Marcel Marceau, I questioned "Open tomorrow?".

Smiling, she mimed back "We're closed".

I pointed at the locked door, miming "No f#@$ing kidding."

Still smiling, she unlocked the door. "Can I help you?"

"Sure! What are your hours?"

"8:30 to 4:30 every day."

"Every day? Like today?"

'Oh, no, sir. We're closed today."

I just looked at her, miming "please continue, you vapid cow."

"Oh, it's spring break. We're closed."

I just kept looking at her...

"We are open again next week."

...waiting...

"When Spring Break is over."

...waiting...

"On Tuesday"

Finally! "Thanks very much for your help," I mimed with my backside as I turned toward the exit.
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I didn't really understand what all the fuss was about; what's so special about fish all of a sudden?

At one intersection - Clinton Street and The Mall entrance - 3 of the 4 fast food places were engaged in a price war over...fish sandwiches.

Arby's had "2 for $4". BK Lounge had "Fish Meal Deal". Mickey D's had it, too.

I didn't get it...until I realized that we are between Ash Wednesday and Easter...and I'm deep in Catholic Country.

Rats - I'm too late to give up Ohio for Lent.

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The Atlanta Zoo

Sunday, we took B to one of his favorite places; the zoo. Sure, the pandas were cute, and the gorillas thoughtful, and the reptiles creepy, and the flamingos graceful, but B was the best thing there.

In the Reptile House, "Mr. Jason" was the worker assigned to introduce snakes to the visitors.

"This is a corn snake; snakes can be diurnal or nocturnal. This corn snake is diurnal; you can tell by his round eyes. Does anyone have any questions?"

"Yes, Mr. Jason. What time is it?"

...which made perfect sense to him - it was dark in the Reptile House...did the snake know what time it was? Mr. Jason was a little stumped, so I thought it might be time to go.

"Thank you Mr. Jason! You were great! I'll never forget you!"

Kids are great.

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Spring in Ohio...

...sure don't look like this!

I was lucky enough to be home in Atlanta the first weekend in March; these trees in Piedmont Park were in bloom.

Spring isn't the only thing that's different here in the midwest - check-out this movie review from the Toledo newspaper:

"...300 is...one of the gayest mainstream movies ever made (look at all these beautiful, mostly naked men!)... " -link-

I am so out of it...I thought "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" was the "gayest...movie ever made", with it's operatic lip-syncing, cross-dressing, transvestism, drag queen performances, ABBA soundtrack, man-on-man love, and so-over-the-top-I-can't-see-the-top-costumes.

Little did I know all it took to be "gay" was to be "mostly naked". I should never have felt so alone growing up gay, because every time I was in a locker room, everyone was gay! Nudist are gay. Olympic athletes are gay. Anyone living near the equator is gay. President Bush in the shower...gay.

Charleton Heston in "Planet of the Apes"? Super gay.

The movie reviewer in not so far away Toronto stated it a little more accurately: "The acres of rippling beefcake on display make this arguably the most homoerotic film ever released to the mainstream. If there's not a '300' float in this year's Pride parade, then someone deserves a Spartan spanking." -link-

Now that is something with which I can not argue - Naked men = homoerotic. Loving men = gay.

Gotta go...the movie starts at 7:20.

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Ohio - Favorites

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Oscar Night, 2007

Just a few thoughts while watching the Oscars...by myself...in Oh-Hell-No.

Cate Blanchett's dark bronze, 1 shoulder gown - completely bedazzled and totally flawless.

Naomi Watts looked a little self-conscious in the empire-waisted, yellow tube-top thingy she shrugged herself into.

Nicole Kidman looked...tall. And red. And ready to unwrap.

Then there was Penelope Cruz's pink, form-fitting bodice with bathroom rug train...loved it.

Vacuous red carpet "reporter" introducing Eddie Murphy...and 'his date'? This isn't prom.

Reece Witherspoon...black is slimming...you don't need slimming...eat a doughnut.

Kate Winslett...fabulous in a simple mint drape...and on her fifth nomination!

Helen Mirren stunningly elegant in silver/gold Lacroix. Queen of the World!

I liked Jennifer Hudson's brown gown, but didn't care for the silver shrug thing she wore on the way in; it made her look like a half-opened can of sardines.

Abigail Breslin - the cutest...

...and Cameron Diaz? Not drunk! Good for her!

I loved the opening film montage of nominees and their candid comments; Clint Eastwood - '[why are we here?] Best picture, best director...things like that'

Adriana was sportin' some rocks! Go Mexico!

Ellen's monologue was pretty funny - No rhyme or reason to the Oscar nominations - "Jennifer Hudson - on Idol, America didn't vote for her - and Al Gore -America did vote for him."

"Without blacks, jews, & gay, there would be no Oscars." Or, if there were, there would be no acting, no money, and no clothes/hair?

It wasn't until 15 minutes into the ceremony that Nicole Kidman & Daniel Craig (yum) finally presented the 1st award - Art Direction for my favorite movie of 2007, "Pan's Labyrinth".

The second award - Make-up...went to..."Pan's Labyrinth", but not until after we were subjected to 2+ minutes of Will Ferrell and Jack Black...singing? They get to sing about...not getting Oscars...about not being nominated...and people who actually win only get 30 seconds? This thing isn't going to end until Thursday.

I liked co-stars Kinnear and Carrell co-presenting, even if just for best sound editing.

Rachel Weisz looked fantastic with her bobbed hair and jewel-trimmed, platinum sheath, giving Alan Arkin the Best Supporting Actor award for "Little Miss Sunshine"!

Al Gore's "important announcement" to the world getting cut-off by the end-of-speech music - very "inconvenient", very funny.

I loved Emily and Anne presenting Best Costume Design together - "Hello Meryl".

Yeah! Best Costume, "Marie Antoinette"; 18th Century clothing inspired by candy.

Was it very right or very wrong for Gwyneth Paltrow to present Best Cinematography in a see -through top? No worries - another Oscar for "Pan's Labyrinth"!

Ellen getting Spielberg to take a photo of her and Eastwood - brilliant.

Stupid Mastercard elephant commercial made me a little misty-eyed.

The internationalism of the nominees this year was an improvement, with presentations by Catherine Deneuve and Ken Wanatabe, nominations for actors from Spain, France, Mexico, Japan, and Great Britain; accents and back-patting from all over the planet. All that, but "Pan's Labyrinth" still wasn't nominated for Best Picture outright.

Then, Best Foreign Film award was presented by brits Cate Blanchett and Clive Owen - "The Lives of Others". Rats! Oh, well, "Pan's Labyrinth" still has 3 Oscars...

...followed by the Pilobolus interpretation of "Snakes on a Plane"...and the promise of Celine Dion...that's it...I'm outta here...I can't stay up any later.

(Hey...where was Brand-jolina?)

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Compliance, Ohio - Mist and Oscar

One beautiful day last week I experienced a new weather phenomenon...freezing fog.

It had rained the day before, putting lots of moisture in the air. The next day, it was foggy and the temperature was right at freezing, masking trees in the distance and growing little icicle beards on everything that stood still.

Today, of course, it's back to "freezing rain", meaning "drive slowly and walk flat-footed...like you have blisters on your feet...or painfully fabulous shoes."

But, there's no denying it: this Midwest weather is perfect for movie-watching. So far, I've rented "The Departed" and "Babel" in an attempt to catch up with the Oscars (and the rest of the world).

I was a little worried that I might not be able to snag a copy of "Babel" at the local "Family Video" store (the only rental place left in town, I'm told, after the other one left mysteriously in the middle of the night...which sounds like an excellent back-up plan), but I was in luck. Last night, the night before the Oscars, the featured film was "The Guardian!!! Starring Kevin Costner!!!" ("Rental only $1.50!" Exclamation points free!)

There were several copies of "Babel".

The acting in "Babel" was amazing, but the story was quite a downer. While it's true that everyone made an emotional connection - or reconnection - by the end of the film, it was still depressing and too easily boiled down to "Crash" with language instead of racism. (Like "Syriana" is "Traffic" with oil instead of drugs, and "Britney Spears" is "Madonna" with youth instead of talent...or hair).

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