Burningbird

I've had a small all-in-one television with VCR and DVD for quite a while. The VCR isn't that great and the DVD isn't doing very well, and I've thought about getting something new. I especially wanted something that would work with my PC, since I'm getting rid of cable, and am downloading the few TV shows I don't want to miss from iTunes, and now Amazon's new Unbox.

This week I splurged on a new 27-inch widescreen HDTV LCD flat panel from Best Buy. I didn't go high end or even middle, opting for their inexpensive store brand (on sale) saving money for a Sony progressive-scan HDMI up converter DVD player. The Monster HDMI cable between the TV and the player actually cost more than the player, and the TV is not a black lit, which means the blacks in the picture are not as crisp as the higher end, but it still blows the doors off my regular TV.

When I got home, my two new movies–This Island Earth and the original unaltered and unedited Godzilla movie (Gojira)–had arrived so they had first honor of being played on the new TV. The color and richness of This Island Earth made the movie seem brand new rather than an old favorite. Even Gojira seemed crisply black and white.

Today I decided to try Amazon's service. I have iTunes on my Mac, and anything I download for that can also play on my PC. However, iTunes downloads are tiny and not particularly good expanded out past an iPod size.

The Amazon purchase prices are too high for movies, and even the rental isn't especially cheap if compared to Netflix. However, novelty, sweet novelty. I rented a old favorite I haven't seen in years and years: the Birds. I then hooked my computer to the TV through the VGA connection and sat down to enjoy this excellent movie in beautiful, rich color. Though not as crisp and saturated as the HDMI connection and the upconverted DVD from the player, the movie was wonderful.

Oh, I'm spoiled. I'm terribly spoiled.

I'm sitting here with what I call a 'dirty margarita'. I learned this one from a restaurant a while back. Instead of salt around the rim, which the bartender considered equivalent to drinking Boones Farm apple wine–with a straw– you get that necessary salty tasty by pouring the margarita straight up with green olives–just like a martini.

Well, I don't have a martini glass, but I can make a mean 30 or so proof margarita, and I throw several green olives at the bottom. It's so much of a better drink, and it's a giggle playing with the olives. When you're drinking margaritas that can melt plastic, it's necessary to have something to do with one's tongue.

I watched two charming movies this week. The first was Monster-in-Law with Jane Fonda as the mother-in-law to be with Jennifer Lopez as the bride. I guess the snooty types would call it 'predictable' but I don't care. I hereby forgive Fonda for selling out the cause of women while she was married to that macho prick (who was a good environmentalist) for so many years. She has finally become a good actor.

The second movie was The Wedding Date with Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney. A spurned woman hires a male prostitute to be her date at her sister's wedding in England, where her ex-fiance is the best man. Of sure, it's a rip on Pretty Woman, and there's even a couple of scenes that seem to realize this in a tongue-in-cheek manner. ButDermot Mulroney. He would be worth it, even at 3000.00 pounds.

Actually, it was three charming movies this week. A few days ago, I watched a third lovely little movie, this one from Australia: Danny Deckchair. What I liked about it was that it wasn't an Australian movie geared toward the US market. They didn't exaggerate the accent or have all the characters wear hats with the sides pinned up — not to mention knee socks with the khaki shorts. No, this is the story of a man, a dreamer disappointed in life, who decides to attach several helium balloons to his lawn chair during a Bar-b-que. While watching a game on TV, his friends let him go and he flies away, away, until landing in the backyard of a women traffic cop in a place many miles away, where all the people are the type of people we'd like to live with. And then it goes from there.

The people at Rotten Tomatoes absolutely loathed all of them. However, If I only tell you about movies that would impress you, then I'd be marketing myself, rather than being myself, wouldn't I? None of these movies are what you would call great cinema. But then, none of us are what you would call, great people. What's wrong with simple people and simple charms and uncomplicated, gentle giggles–or a little romance?

Or a dirty margarita, and all of the above.

Okay, I've had my break. I've had my brakes, too. (Damn, but I'm a clever chicky.)

Back to explaining regular expressions in the book. I'm in the right state for it now.