Wednesday, September 2, 2009

A Few Notes


-- I just finished a terrific book: “The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner’s Semester at America’s Holiest University,” by Kevin Roose. A student at Brown University, Roose spent a semester at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, in an attempt to better understand Evangelical Christians and their culture. He went undercover, and took classes just like any other Liberty student. It’s a fascinating book, and Roose writes really well (especially for a 19-year-old). It’s a page-turner!

-- Went to the grocery store last night (cashier’s name: Latorsha) and was once again appalled at the prices. Raisin bran is $6.69 per box; Progresso soup, $3.19 per can. Ah, Manhattan!

-- I tried to watch Derek Jarman’s movie “The Angelic Conversation” last night. I usually like films with an artistic bent, but I only got 18 minutes into this before I turned it off. There was no dialogue (only Judi Dench reading Shakespeare in stentorian tones) and lots of repetitive, annoyingly herky-jerky images that did not seem to say much. It’s possible to be too avant-garde, you know? I want that 18 minutes of my life back!

-- I switched to the very commercial “He’s Just Not That Into You,” which was OK, if somewhat depressing. I hope it wasn’t truthful about the straight dating scene. If so, people are vicious.

(Photo: Abandoned door outside a factory in Edison, N.J. Dave thought this door might make a good photo; I handed him the camera and said, “Take it!” So he did.)

4 comments:

  1. Yeah...people are in fact, that vicious.

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  2. That old door has lots of stories to tell I'll bet. Dave has a good eye.

    Eat oatmeal. Make soup. I would refuse to pay over $6 for a box of cereal!

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  3. Great photo! Dave obviously shares your eye! As for your adventures in the grocery, all I can say is they're hijacking your wallet! Barbara has a point...I have almost stopped buying certain things entirely.

    Sorry you did not like the rat tale. My limo anecdote is probably more to your liking.

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  4. I was astonished at how cheap food is in San Francisco. Bought the most delicious canteloupe in the world at a corner market there for $1.99. Here these melons are $5.99. I kept saying, "How much?" because I was so astonished.

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