King Kong

I watched King Kong on dvd last night. I am left wondering why failed to go and see it in the theater. It was great fun and just what you want a movie to be. The movie was pure escapism with themes which are universal , but that were never expressed in a heavy handed manner. Not that it was a subtle movie, but I never felt manipulated. It just felt like I was watching a story that had no hidden agenda.

Whining about Work

I'm so tired of the exclusionary rule. I had a long, long pre-trial hearing today about whether or not drug evidence could come in during a trial. If not, there is no more case. After that hearing, I don't care. There is something nice about drug cases, and not emotionally caring about the outcome. It makes my job less stressful and that is the only way for me to remain a productive member of the work force. I have been working on outlining the whole 4th amendment thing and the exclusionary rule for a presentation to law enforcement in May. So this week has just been all about getting search issues embedded in my brain. I looked at some law school outlines on-line and believe it or not I think I would get an A in criminal procedure if I took the final again. I got snippy with the defense attorney, but I don't think she understood how rude it is to get a motion the day before a hearing. She also gave me a memorandum in favor of the motion to suppress. In my graciousness, I had mentioned some issues that I thought would come out during pre-trial and the memo was just a response to our phone call. The question is whether it is poor practice for me to say things out loud when everyone else thinks their arguments should be these enormous secrets. I suppose I'll never change about that issue, but that memo was irritating. It means I have to write a memo. We could have just orally argued the whole stupid thing in court, but no, let's write it down. Legal writing is such a joy-- Ahh, the tedium of writing down rules, citations, and arguments without being funny. Beyond work and perhaps because of work I am feeling like a social leper with no hope of ever leaving the colony. Mentioning leprosy makes me feel bad about feeling bad.

Eclipse

I thought this article was lovely.
http://www.space.com/searchforlife/seti_egypt_eclipse_060427.html

This article makes the eclipse thing a little more poetic than it already is. I only remember seeing one full one. Have I missed some? I remember seeing a full one in 1991 in Lawton, Ok and it seems like there was one in 1993(?), but I think it was a partial eclipse.
I have a vague thought that there was one in junior high (late 80's) and possibly one during grade school (the rest of the 80s).

I remember the partial one because I was rushing to get to a history final at KSU. The one in Lawton I remember because I was at debate camp, and it was the first time I ever really looked at one (w/ the proper protection of course).

Blue Skies

I watched Capote with Matt and Betsy. I know the director thought Winnipeg looked just like Finney County, he was a little off. It was the sky that gave him away. Every shot in "Finney County" had gray skies. Unlikely. And the winter ground hadn't been tilled.
The commentary also referred to Capote as leaving Finney County as the mayor. That's not how I've heard it, but I guess the point of the story is that this is an anonymous community about which you can say anything and project onto it whatever assumptions you have. For this reason, it is appreciated when people believe that a place is at least worthy of seeing before making a movie using it as a setting... Anyway, if you love artsy, well-done, and ultimately meaningless work, you'll love this movie. I will have to check and see if that photo of the Judge hanging in the courtroom scene wasn't actually a picture of Judge Tate... I could be wrong, but it looked very familiar. If you were wondering, I think our courthouse is much more distinguished looking than the one used in the movie. I guess what the movie makers did was less aggregious than Steinbeck's geographical folly in The Grapes of Wrath. At least Capote wasn't about Kansas.

I wonder if there would be a way to make a movie about New York City using settings that are wholly contrived landmarks and still have people realize that you are portraying New York. You would film some random bridge and refer to it as the Brooklyn Bridge, or put tigers in front of the public library. I think that would be hilarious. Though most people wouldn't get the joke, I would be amused.

Dreams come true

So, I love dreams. Maybe a bit flaky of me, but I can't help it. Anytime I have a vivid dream I spend the day reliving it, either because it was prompted by something that is worrying me or I want to figure out why this came out of my subconscious.
I had an easy one last night. I was walking across campus (KSU of course) and my dress kept getting caught by the wind and flying over my head exposing my legs and undergarments. I kept forgetting to hold my skirt down and so it kept happening.
Easy explanation. It has been ridiculously windy here (ok it's always windy so there isn't anything ridiculous about it) and so as someone who has to walk outside to get to hearings in different buildings I am always grabbing my skirt to keep it from flying up. I slept with my window open so I probably felt the wind in my sleep.
So today, I am wearing my beautiful silk wrap around skirt with which I must be especially vigilant to keep it from launching away from my body. I realize walking to the courthouse this morning that if I would only let go, my dreams would come true. It made me smile and laugh.

Regarding Easter, it was nice. I went to church, and slept in the afternoon. The important news is that Chris said the "Awesome Easter Dessert" was the best I had ever made. I wouldn't say it myself, but I think he was right.

April is the cruelest month

I guess I've been mixing memory with desire too much-- how can you help it when you are alone in the spring? Eliot knows what he's talking about. The lilacs are blooming in my yard and I've spent the morning picking up dead things so that the living things can breathe. And it's Holy Saturday... A day of lost hope and wonder. I guess it's a perfect day to remove the dead in hopes that it will be replaced with life. I must compromise my beliefs and water my lawn today.
My church had it's first ever Good Friday service. I think they were a little leary about focusing too much on death and what happened on Friday got a little lost. Maybe it's the fear of appearing too Catholic, or maybe it's me missing Catholicism, but the weight of what Christ took upon himself on our behalf was lost. Other than that it was a great service-- the music was fabulous. The Pope's Good Friday message (according to the articles I read) focused on our world being obsessed with glamorizing sin and taking the place of God. It seems we are so focused on being forgiven that we fail to ask for forgiveness.

"Who is the third who walks always beside you?"

Mary knows all

Mary Ann was the first to ask me about this blog, though I hadn't even posted. Nor do I have much to post about. I received my Brennen Leigh cd this week, signed and everything ("Devil's on my Trail"). It is pretty awesome, if you like great alto country voices. So far "Give it up to Jesus" is my favorite. If you are unfamiliar with her, well, she came to Tumbleweed festival and we went on the 2nd day just to hear her again. Anyway this cd has well suited my blue mood, though it may be lifting my spirits just slightly. I went to sup with a new girl (as in new to the community). It wasn't bad for stranger time. She wanted to know how women out here meet nice men. I told her we don't. Mary, you must comment since I am unused to publicly talking and you are the only one who knows about this blog. Since I keep a journal it also seems wierd talking about the daily this in that instead of the depths of my soul.