Mother's Day

The band at church ('the music team') had new electric guitar player, and he had some cool sounds. Some kind of electronic distortion whozer-whatsit, I suppose. They played "Get Together" by the Youngbloods. Talk about Peabody's wayback machine! I recognized the song, and the name of the band, but I did not recognize the name of the song, and I was not able to connect the name of the band to the song. Evidently it was part of the soundtrack for "Easy Rider". Anyway it was pretty cool.

Had a long conversation with Ross about books and movies. He recommended a book titled "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy of "All The Pretty Horses" fame. I just finished it myself, and I have to agree, it is a pretty good book. Grim little story of a father's devotion to his son in a very hostile landscape.

I think Ross told me he was reading, or had recently read, "The Sound & The Fury" by Faulkner. He had also read a detective story for one of his classes called "Bloodshot" by Paretsky which he did not like at all.

Movies:

• Man Bites Dog
• Das Boot (Director's cut. Four hours long!)
• Army of Shadows
• Painted Veil
• King Maker

I read "Das Boot", or saw the movie, or maybe both, I can't remember. In any case the story left an impression on me. I cannot tell whether the images that I hold in my mind are from the film or ones I imagined from the descriptions in the book. I definitely have not seen the four hour long version.

Ross brought home a copy of "Army of Shadows" so Anne and I got a chance to see it. Grim little story of the French Resistance in WWII. As Ross put it, there was no Hollywood to it. Stark realism. Very sad when you have to shoot your best friend in cold blood.

"Painted Veil" we rented at the video store. Based on a story by W. Somerset Maugham. This was a new writer to Ross. He had heard of Faulker, Steinbeck and Hemingway, but not Maugham. I have heard of this guy since forever, probably from my parents, though I could not name any of his books.

"King Maker" was not very good. It takes place in the mid 1500's, and places the Portugese in Thailand. I found it interesting because I had recently finished "Quicksilver", which is all about the goings on in Europe one hundred years later, and trade with the Orient is a key element.

I do not know anything about "Man Bites Dog" other than Ross recommends it.

As far as music goes, all I can do is mention the names of the bands we talked about:

• Sergio Mendes (Bossa Nova)
• Sonic Youth
• Flint