I know I used a version of this picture before, several sunflowers-in-the-silver-pitcher episodes ago, but this is why I bought this thing. It might as well get its publicity.
It was a sunflowery day, the kind of day that makes you wish summer would never end, even though I noted with chagrin today that I must start monitoring the front window again. As the sun creeps south, it lengthens its reach into the living room and threatens to bleach the furniture. In winter, a sunny day means the blinds stay closed most of the day. And now…
…I’m starting to sound like Lileks. A better solution: Get some of that bleached-muslin furniture and let the solar radiation make it even whiter..
Finally saw “Syriana.” And finally, was grateful that I’d waited for the DVD, because this is a movie that requires a second viewing, preferably the next day, to sort everything out. But I’m glad I did. Everybody talks about the stars of a movie, and so it seems everyone knows George Clooney packed on a toddler’s weight in fat to play a CIA agent, but why doesn’t anyone ever talk about Chris Cooper? He’s, like, the greatest character actor since Gene Hackman, and I didn’t even know he was in this thing. In the last several years I’ve seen him play a horse trainer, an orchid thief, a Kansas state police detective, a homophobic Marine and now an oilman, and he just disappears into every character. I’d hire him to train my horse and run my oil company, I would. I think he could do it.
Anyway, it’s hard to say what “Syriana” is about, because if I say, “It’s a demi-thriller about the complexities of the global oil business,” that sounds pretty boring, and it’s not, really. You should see it, if you haven’t already, if only for Tim Blake Nelson’s speech about corruption. (“It keeps us safe and warm!”)
Not much today, as I’m busy and blah blah the usual excuses blah blah. Ashley, our regular commenter and longtime pen pal, was in both the L.A. Times and Sun-Times yesterday, and he wasn’t even charged with a felony, AND the stories were on two different topics. Links at his joint.
Meanwhile, as the nation’s threat level remains at red, I’m continuing my pie-related counterprogramming. Today: Mmm…blueberry.
Dorothy said on August 14, 2006 at 6:37 am
We saw Syriana about 2 weeks ago. Wow. I was just amazed at how good it was. I am not a college graduate but I’m no dummy, either. Still, we paused the DVD player at least 5 times so Mike could straighten out the multiple plots for me and keep me straight. You’re right about Chris Cross. Money in the bank, that guy.
(Danny the peach pie was done at 7:30 last night. Two pieces are missing and you better come over soon if you want a slice!)
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Bob said on August 14, 2006 at 7:55 am
This summer I went beyond keeping the living room blinds closed. I have a lot of south- and west-facing windows; they’re great for solar heat in winter, but they raise hell with the air-conditioning bill in summer.
I went to Lowe’s and bought some sheets of foil-backed insulation board, the kind they use for sheathing new houses. I cut pieces to fit inside my window casings, and put it against the windows, foil side out, behind the venetian blinds. It’s not very visible from the inside, not very pretty from the outside, and effective.
The comfort level in the house on hot days improved a lot, and I think the small amount of additional power consumption from increased use of compact fluorescent lights is more than offset by the savings in air-conditioning costs.
Yes, I’m a nerd.
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Dorothy said on August 14, 2006 at 8:29 am
Ooops. Chris Cooper.
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brian stouder said on August 14, 2006 at 10:56 am
So here’s a question – Is Mitch Harper’s treatment of Nicole Manske on his FWOb blog blatently sexist?
I think it is. (he is now burying it with newer posts)
http://indiana.typepad.com/fwob/
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mary said on August 14, 2006 at 10:59 am
A big old loquat tree fell down this winter, and now my south and west facing windows are completely exposed. I never needed blinds before, but now all the windows have wooden blinds on them. The difference that tree made was huge, and I didn’t realize how big that difference was until it was gone.
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Danny said on August 14, 2006 at 11:05 am
Dorothy, I will not be in the Greenville area until Christmas. Go ahead and let someone else have those two pieces. 🙁
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Dorothy said on August 14, 2006 at 11:17 am
Okay if you insist. Maybe there will be fresh Christmas cookies by the time you come, though! Cheer up!
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nancy said on August 14, 2006 at 11:52 am
Brian, I’m going to say no. I think Mitch responds pretty well to your question in his own comments, so I’m not going to great lengths about it. I’ve been forming some other opinions about FWO, however, and may put them in a post somewhere down the line, maybe later in the week.
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brian stouder said on August 14, 2006 at 12:55 pm
Well, when I followed the links that the bloggers he cites based THEIR assessments of Nicole Manske’s romantic interests(!!??!) upon, I found dead links to the IndyStar, and then links to Wikipedia!
Wikipedia strikes me as no better than saying “lots of people think[fill in the blank] – it is simply not a worthwhile citation.
Plus, one of the motor-sport bloggers refers to Ms Manske as
an (ahem) “reporter”
which I took as a sour grapes, wrapped in sexism.
Full disclosure – I posted something like this response a few hours ago, and it never made it into the thread.
Further full disclosure – I argued with Craig Ladwig (an old N-S guy) on another thread at FWOb, and whereas he got several posts, my last effort never made it past the approval stage.
By way of saying – FWOb can be run however Mitch chooses….and if your nascent essay on that site makes the point that it has shifted from a more general-interest regional blog into a suburban Republican white guy blog…then I AGREE!!
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alex said on August 14, 2006 at 4:10 pm
Yes, Brian, Mitch is selective about whom he allows to post. A few times my remarks have been squelched, and I’d say it’s been either on account of my bawdy sensibilities or liberal world view.
But I don’t see sexism in questioning how Nicole Manske can report objectively on racing when she’s been around the, uh, track more than a few times.
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Kevin Knuth said on August 16, 2006 at 9:54 am
If you like Chris Cooper- check out “LONESTAR”.
GREAT MOVIE!
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chcheese said on August 16, 2006 at 12:47 pm
I’ll see(saw) your “Lone Star” and raise “October Sky”
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Tom said on November 5, 2006 at 11:26 pm
“Well, when I followed the links that the bloggers he cites based THEIR assessments of Nicole Manske’s romantic interests(!!??!)
}snip{
Plus, one of the motor-sport bloggers refers to Ms Manske as
an (ahem) “reporter�?
which I took as a sour grapes, wrapped in sexism.”
Let me put this very bluntly as a former reporter (one who would never consider going back to newspapers): It is an absolute conflict of interest for a reporter to date one of the people he or she covers, and it is one of the most obvious examples of lack of professional ethics. Miss Manske’s inability to keep her hands off the merchandise, so to speak, does not speak well of her.
So it wasn’t sour grapes.
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