Thought of you last week Peters.
On the first rainy day we’ve had in a months I was out at Stock Building Supply loading up the Performing Arts Center pickup with 4 x 4s and 2 x 12s. By the time I was finished my leather gloves were soaked through. With slimy reactivated glove sweat and grease inside my gloves and rain dripping down the back of my neck I was reminded of those days at the pipe yard.
The highlight of the morning was watching the “new kid†drive the forklift around. The kid hits a pot hole and dumps half his load in the mud. He crashes around, backs into the racks; has to climb off the forklift to adjust the load by hand. The old guys drive by pointing and laughing, coercing a rueful wave from the kid.
Ed on a Massey Ferguson; McPherson, Kansas; April 1, 1994.
Yes. indeed. those days are long past, thankfully. The memories of those days are probably a superior replacement. And from the previous discussion, a better truth. What I carry forward are the memories of McDonald’s, the library, mac and cheese, bad burritos, and pipeyard baseball. I choose also, for reasons beyond me to accept the memories of trips to texas to load up the pipe, too. mostly I think, to remember what I have been through en route to my cush, office job. I have to wonder if I wasn’t pretty well content at the time, playing in the pipe yard with one of my best friends, doing physical work. I do have some viewing and reading recommendations for you. Reading: “Freakonomics”. Check it out! uh! Movies: “what the BLEEP do we know” (yes that is the title; Bleep is in there.) It is kind of an updated “mindwalk”, less interesting in terms of plot, more interesting in terms of subject matter. Much of which you are probably alrerady in the know, but a nice lens to view it through. Also, “paradise now”. saw this a few months ago. peace.
People have recommended What the (Bleep) Do We Know to me before and I’ve been meaning to watch it. But I have read some pretty critical reviews of it so it hasn’t been on my priority list. But if you think I should watch it I’ll put it in my cue so I can judge the film for myself.
Here are the reviews. The first one is from Skeptico, a blog which I read once in a while. He comes off as a pompous dick, perhaps because he is one, but he makes some good points. And seems to have done his research. The second review is from Salon which generally has very solid journalism – better than many newspapers.
http://skeptico.blogs.com/skeptico/2005/04/what_the_bleep_.html
http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/feature/2004/09/16/bleep/index.html
I would like to read Freakonomics too. I think Liz’s mom has a copy. I’ll pick it up next time I’m there.
By the way, you may have noticed that I put an RSS feed in the side bar showing what Netflix DVDs I have at home right now. If anyone else is doing Netflix it would be cool to see what you’re watching. Let me know if you want help setting it up. Very easy.
Peters-
Any hope of some of those cool Coronado Heights photos for this auspicious blog?
Jen and I saw What the Bleep Do We Know? some time ago, and enjoyed it. The “plotline” is absolutely terrible–a sort of frame on which to hang the actual premises of the film–but I agree with Peters that much of it is worthwhile and interesting. I don’t like it ultimately as much as I liked Mindwalk, but it is further updated and does some good work to try to connect science and religion. And it does a lot to suggest the interconnectedness of all things, that we extend outward from ourselves and are connected at subatomic levels. One moment mentions that there is an identifiable molecular change that occurs when water is blessed, for instance. Just interesting things to ponder, but even if you argue with some of the finer points and hate the framing narrative devices, I think there’s a lot there to show we have much in common. I’m all for that overall message.
J.E. will be a much better critic of such a film. Let us know what you think.
Jen and I do Netflix and would be happy to share our list. You can become “friends” on the Netflix site, and perhaps we could arrange that? Let me know what you suggest, J. E., and how to connect to your Netflix queue.
Thanks.
–Shotts
You guys bring back a lot of great memories.
We, the proletariat workers, trudging into the library (a cultured place for the populi) spreading grease, dust and grass stains everywhere. I don’t think it’s just the filter of memory that illuminates these rememberances. I distinctly remember thinking, “this is the best of this summer, don’t take it for granted.” I’ve only had a few times in my life where I’ve openly recognized the sweetness of that day I was in. I remember thinking that during the whole summer back from college with my friends.
I miss that McPherson from the late 90’s; not one I’ve idealized in my mind, or one that only existed in my memory…but one that cannot be returned to any more than these. The actual place is different now, I am different now, and there’s no returning. It was a chance mix of our returning classmates at home that summer, slowly realizing we weren’t the gods we once thought we were. I met a friend recently, who was a Freshman at K-State when I was a Senior, and he described it the best of anyone I’ve met. Even though he was speaking of Manhattan instead of McPherson, it applies. He said this: “the place just closes up after you, like water does after a boat.”