Downtime

It's been quite some time since my last post.  I've been in a mental vortex lately.  No idea what that means, but when it popped in my head, it sounded appropriate.  Sometimes life distracts me.  Between me figuring out "life things", wondering what kind of father I'm going to be, and dealing with gremlins that show themselves to me daily; I've strayed away from blogging.  I'm going to make a promise to the 2 people that read this rag; this will not continue.  I'll say every two weeks from now on I'll post something and that's giving me some wiggle room, so take this news and rejoice.

I started a blog about the death of action films.  It went from a 3 paragraph rant to a college paper.  Literally, I'm on page 6.  Never my intention,but it's something that's been on my mind for several years, so I think all of my opions and venom needed to find their way on paper finally.  When I finish it, I'm going to break it up into several parts, so it's not so intimidating or boring. 

The funny thing is I truly believe blogs should be written on impulse. It should have an organic feel to it.  Since I've started, I have spent some time writing and editing these blogs before I publish them.  Guilty!  What can I say, if I think more than one person might read it, I'm going to make sure it's somewhat gramatically correct.  In the end, I think if you have something to say if it's polished or not, your voice is being heard and that's the most important thing.  So I want to say thanks to my two readers.  Without your support, I would be nothing.  Stay tuned.......

Perfection

My buddy's 300 game.  All of us are amateurs compared to this guy.

Literary Corner

Have you heard of Adrian McKinty?  If you haven't, check out his blog: adrianmckinty.blogspot.com (the psychopathology of everyday life).  I started reading Irish noir about 3 years ago with "The Ghosts of Belfast" by Stuart Neville.  I say read, but I'm actually addicted to audiobooks, so technically listened.  When I finished this book, I was floored, it was like I just watched a movie. Through Neville words, he paints such a disturbing picture of the inner-workings of the IRA and how the past will never be forgotten.  I highly recommend it.  If you are addicted to audiobooks like me, check this one out, Gerard Doyle narrates.  His Irish brogue is hypnotic.  He also narrates all of Adrian's books.


Getting back to McKinty, after reading Ghosts, I wanted more.  I started to immerse myself with Irish writers from Declan Hughes to Ken Bruen.  Whether or not they mention the troubles of Northern Ireland in the 80's, you feel it in the atmosphere they create in their books.  It makes sense, because they lived it, so it's very much part of them.  The world of Irish noir to me is very dark and volatile, yet all of these authors have a sharp wit that they put in each of their characters. Hope always has a presence, even though at times it never fully shows itself.


In "The Cold Cold Ground" Adrian's protagonist is Detective Sergeant Sean Duffy.  This is new ground for McKinty, because most of his characters in the past have been very flawed anti-heroes.  The backdrop of this book is Northern Ireland (1981) during the height of the conflict.  Just as Sergeant Duffy is getting used to his new post at the Carrickfergus CID, a body turns up.  The crime has implications of a homophobic serial killer, but from the evidence and clues left by the killer, Duffy isn't convinced.  Along with his team of fellow officers, Duffy elists the help of a pathologist, Laura Cathcart.  Not only do the murders continue, but it becomes apparent that there is a tie with the first victim and the IRA.

McKinty brilliantly uses the protestant - catholic conflict to bring out this police procedural. Sergeant Duffy is catholic, so is Laura.  They are definitely the minority. There's a moment when Duffy has to go through two IRA thugs to get to a crime scene.  One looks at him and asks how does he sleep at night being a Catholic in Northern Ireland.  Duffy responds "On my side and in my "Six Million Dollar Man" pajamas".  I love this character!

Adrian grew up in Carrickfergus, so like the other Irish writers mentioned above, he knows this period well.  The details he uses just blow me away. The way he describes the molotov cocktails and how they light up the darkness is just poetic. Each place the police cruisers go, they seem to be in danger of an attack.  It almost has a post-apocalyptic feel to it.  Throughout the entire book, there's never a moment where you feel confident that these characters are going to survive.

If this book was just about a serial killer, to be honest, I wouldn't care. James Patterson made me lose interest in that a long time ago.  (On a side note, Adrian once posted a blog, where he had a theory that Patterson didn't exist and never has.  Look it up, it's good stuff.)  Having the chaos of the unrest of Northern Ireland going on in the background, makes a simple psychological thriller riveting. The more I think about it, the more I think it's genius.  It could have been set at any time, but putting it in this period gave McKinty the ability to create a story and insert real details of an event he experienced.  I listened to it a month ago and I go back over it in my mind on a daily basis.  My dream is to be a writer.  When I read books like this, I'm just floored.  It inspires me, but at the same time intimidated.  To be able to write a book that's so layered with characters you care so much for, that doesn't seem to be the easiest thing to do, but like my dad says "If you don't try, how would you know?".   

This is the first book in a trilogy.  Actually, he's posted the first two pages of book 2 on his blog, so check it out.  You will at least get an idea of his writing style. This review is becomming more and more of a promotion for his blogsite.  Jeez!  This is a tremendous book. I cannot recommend it enough.  Read it or listen to it, whichever is easier, but do it!!!!!!!!       

       
        

Thursday is Bowling Day

About 10 years ago, my buddy asked me join his bowling team.  Me saying "yes" has led to bowling in many leagues and tons of money spent so my ball will spin just right to find it's way in between the 1st and 3rd pins.  For everyone who isn't familiar with the sport, this more often than not leads to a strike, unless you are me and then it leads to a split.  


Taking up bowling has confirmed one thing and disproved another.  From hanging out at various bowling alleys, I can honestly say that the film "The Big Lebowski" wasn't far off.  No disrespect, but where there's bowling there will be interesting characters.  I don't know the origin of how the Coen's came up with using bowling as a backdrop for their film, but I truly believe Ethan and Joel sat down at the alley closest to their house and just took in everything for a few hours.  When they got home they wrote down everything that they saw and boom....you have a cult classic with some of the funniest lines I've ever heard in film.  


What bowling disproved, was my ability to suck at any sport that I attempt, other than table tennis.  Strap on a wrist guard, put on shoes that slide, wrap tape around your thumb to prevent pesky blisters, and have a ball that has something in its core to help it find it's way down the lane; then you are in business.  It took me a long while, but I can honestly say I have a 180 average.  Even though my average seems to lower each week, it's far and away  from where I started. 


The reason I look forward to Thursdays each week isn't to beat the other team or get that much closer to attaining a 300 game, no it's much deeper than that.  For me, it's about community.  There hasn't been a Thursday when people weren't having a good time. Everyone has their day and some are more competitive than others, which can affect their mood and overall temperament, but most of the time you have 30 people who don't normally hang out other than the 4th day of each week having an absolute blast together.  That's what bowling is about.  I think the Coen's knew that before making their film and that's why the film works so well.  Can you imagine if they centered the movie around curling?  Actually, that might be pretty good. 






    

Waylon

"Hello high life hello highway
Here come a big old semi my way
Stick up my thumb hear the truck come
Trees going by looking like a fly
On my big legs are my Levi's
Woo woo woo woo"

-Waylon Jennings

Had the I-Pod on shuffle last night on the way home and this song came on during my final stretch.  The part of my commute where convenience stores light my path and rednecks block my way. You know when you hear a song and the electricity you get from it really gets your body into a frenzy?  Well, this song does it for me.  Keep in mind, there are really only two songs that get such a response from me, this is one and the other is the Jerry Reed classic from Smokey and the Bandit "Eastbound and Down". Forgot to mention the entire soundtrack from Rocky IV.  Getting back to Waylon, he had such a great voice.  Say what you will about Willie, Johnny,and Merle, this guy brought something else entirely to the table; honesty.

Not to say,the country gods listed above didn't provide honesty in their many works of art, but Waylon did it differently. No matter what he was singing about, I hear almost a humor in his voice.  Nothing tongue in cheek, but someone who views life as an unpredictable force that can change any minute, so why sweat the details and just enjoy.  I like that.  Can't say I've converted to Waylon's mantra just yet, but I'm proud to be a disciple if someone is starting a new movement.  Listen to "Let's Turn Back the Years", "Wurlitzer Prize", "Rainy Day Woman", I mean those songs have soul to spare. I went to the most reliable source on the internet, Wikipedia, and found some great quotes from the man himself.  Waylon said the following in regard to the record industry "They wouldn't let you do anything. You had to dress a certain way: you had to do everything a certain way [...] They kept trying to destroy me.... I just went about my business and did things my way[...] You start messing with my music, I get mean." I totally get that from every song he sang, the man loved what he did and when you have that type of passion it comes through whether people want it to or not.

I think it's important to add a piece of yourself to everything to you do, like Waylon.  Sometimes I look back at what I say and do on a daily basis and a lot of times I don't see the piece of myself that I should be adding.  It's something all of us forget to do, but we all need our voice, vision, and insight to come out. Not an easy thing to do, but an important one to say the least.  Thank you Waylon for reminding me of that.