emperor_norton

I finished "The Myths Of Sisphyus" Wednesday night, and I started and finished "The Consolations Of Philosophy" by Alain De Botton on Thursday. "Consolations" was excellent, a very accessible book, and it definitely makes me want to look into the older philosophers De Botton talks about (particularly Seneca and the Epicureans). Right now I've started in on "The Worldly Philosophers" by Robert K. Heilbroner, which is a book about economic thinkers. As much as a part of me recoils in disgust from numbers, finance, and anything math-related, I don't know jack about economics, and it seems like an important gap of knowledge to fill, so.... voila. The book is a bit slow-going, but the chapter on Adam Smith that I just finished was pretty interesting (I especially liked the personal bits about Smith being an absent-minded scatterbrain of epic proportions; the dude fell into open pits while walking + talking with his homies, how cool is that?)

Just read in The New Times that "Shortbus" is going to open at Valley Art this weekend. My cup overfloweth with excitement. Why? Because "Shortbus" is the new John Cameron Mitchell film, the same J.C. Mitchell responsible for (drumroll please) "Hedwig And The Angry Inch". When I caught "Hedwig" for the first time at Camelview, I walked out when the credits ended thinking that I just had to see what Mitchell would come up with next. Caught a trailer of it when I went to see "This Film Is Not Yet Rated", and it really grabbed my attention. I must admit that part of me just wants to see it because its an unrated film, and I just love giving my money to unrated films (it's a cheap way of poking the MPAA in the eye with a sharp stick). Its unrated because "Shortbus" apparently has several sex scenes that are un-simulated; when I first heard that tidbit, I thought that Mitchell should totally play that for comedic effect, like when the first sex scene begins, have a big flashing obnoxious line of text scrolling across the bottom of the screen that says YES THESE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY FUCKING! GO! SAVE THE CHILDREN WHILE YOU STILL CAN! Alas, it probably won't happen, but a guy can dream, can't he?

I'm definitely going to try to catch it ASAP, either this coming weekend or at least by the end of next week. I don't trust Valley Art not to cycle this out quick-like and replace it with something else. The bastards will play that heap-of-shit "What The Bleep" for months and months on end, but any other film they play is lucky to make it past the two week mark. I'm going to make a point of hopping on this "Shortbus" before it drives out of town (and I know, I should be crucified for a pun that dumb, but I'm in a punny mode tonight).