I Gotcha by Joe Tex

Budd and I were watching this incredibly...um...how can I say this...assault on the senses comes to mind...documentary the other night called Extreme Private Eros: Love Song 1974, about some woman who had to leave her man (the director) because she couldn't stand to "be adored", and then we had to see scenes of graphic squatting and giving birth.  Thank goodness it was in black and white.  However, at the very end, one of the single mothers living in a mother and child commune, goes to "work" which is as a nude dancer, and she danced to this song which brought back a lot of memories from my childhood, none of which involved nude dancing or work.  I give you, I Gotcha by Joe Tex:

Into The Call Of The Wild - Warning - Some Movie Spoilers Are Contained

Ok.  I feel a rant coming on.  Let me just start out by saying the last time I posted a book review, and later found out there were some, um... "inconsistencies" with what the author had written as part of a "memoir" and what his subjects felt about what he had written about them, I went back and reposted a short paragraph on my thoughts about truth in non-fiction.  I got a very long email (lightning-fast - we're talking less than 18 hours after my little paragraph was posted here on Blogsboro) from the author himself defending his work vigorously and expressing his disappointment in what I had written (which was, after all, opinion).  Curiously, received no email from the author when I initially wrote a favorable review of his book, only when I posted a small negative paragraph.  Then, one of my favorite restaurants that I blogged about, Panizzo, closed down.  Since then, I've been a little burned out on blogging in general, especially reviews about media, i.e., film and books, and restaurants.  Plus I have a new job, that, like Billy's, takes a lot of my time and energy.  Anyway...

Here's one I just can't help.  Into The Wild.  Heard  what a great film it was. Wanted to see it on the big screen.  Saw that it won scads of awards.  So, when it came out on Netflix, we rented it.  The cinematography is beautiful, it is well-acted, and captivating.  Makes you want to learn more about this Christopher McCandless person who walked into the wild in Alaska after graduating from college, burned his money, gave over $24,000 of his college fund to OxFam America, and decided to live off the land and eat nuts and berries, so to speak.

So, God bless Wikipedia, there's the entry.  And in comes the controversy.  And another documentary, The Call of the Wild , not available on Netflix, so I shelled out the $30 to buy it from the documentary filmmaker, Ron Lamothe.  A $30 well-spent.

Into The Wild is a beautiful movie, but after watching The Call of the Wild, I would have to say that there's a lot of fictional license used by Mr. Penn, the director, and Mr. Krakauer, the writer, who originally wrote the book, Into the Wild.  In the movie, McCandless is romanticized and nearly glorified for his bravery, his wanting to live on the fringes of life, and lose himself.  But the sticking point for me is the cause of his death.  Krakauer wrote in his book that McCandless starved to death due to eating poisonous seeds which cause starvation.  Penn plays this up in the movie.  People (smart people who work in labs) at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks who did research on the very seeds found at McCandless' site of death concluded this could not be possible.

An excerpt, ladies and gentlemen, from the section of Ron Lamothe's website page entitled Into The Wild Debunked (a good read, highly recommended):

"Chris McCandless did not die as the result of eating a poisonous plant or 'moldy seeds.'

H. alpinum seeds provided to Dr. Clausen
by Jon Krakauer

As far back as 1997, Dr. Thomas Clausen—the biochemist at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, who examined the wild potato plant (Hedysarum alpinum) for Jon Krakauer—concluded after exhaustive testing that no part of H. alpinum is toxic. Neither the roots nor the seeds. Accordingly, McCandless could not have poisoned himself in the way suggested by Krakauer in his 1996 book Into the Wild, and in every subsequent reprinting of the book over the next decade. Likewise, Dr. Clausen’s analysis of the wild sweet pea (Hedysarum mackenzii)—given as the cause of Chris’s death in the current Sean Penn film—has also turned up no toxic compounds, and there is not a single account in modern medical literature of anyone ever being poisoned by this species of plant. Moreover, Penn’s on-screen excerpt from the ethno-botany guide Chris was using, indicating otherwise, is a complete fiction, for all that this plant lore text actually states is that the wild sweet pea “is reported to be poisonous” (Tanaina Plantlore, Priscilla Russell Kari, p. 128). The rest of it is simply made up. And so, even if McCandless made a mistake of botany, something that even Krakauer claims is unlikely, he would not have been poisoned as it is portrayed in the Penn film. Indeed, the author of Into the Wild is right on the mark when he states: “For three weeks beginning on June 24, McCandless had dug and safely eaten dozens of wild potato roots without mistaking H. mackenzii for H. alpinum; why on July 14, when he started gathering seeds instead of roots, would he suddenly have confused the two species?” A good question for Sean Penn."  End quote.

Since Budd and I are avid documentary film watchers (and, hopefully before our lives are over, documentary filmmakers), we really loved  The Call of the Wild.  It presents McCandless in a more accurate way, neither demonizing him, as many Alaskans do (and understandably so) for his ill-preparedness to survive in such harsh conditions, nor lionizing him, as Penn's film does, for being a Gen X hero.  Don't misunderstand me - the Penn film is beautifully shot, interesting to watch, but what kills it for me (no pun intended) is at the end SPOILER ALERT DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE FILM FOR YOURSELF....it perpetuates the untruth that McCandless perished due to eating poisonous seeds, something that Jon Krakauer, the author of the book upon which Penn's film is based, now claims is unlikely (although his book has not been updated to reflect as such).  So, I have to vote for what appears to be the truth over a "docudrama".  Plus, the fact that Penn and crew apparently tried to block Ron Lamothe's documentary because, coincidentally, they were filming at the same time and in some of the same locations, was a bit disconcerting to me.  But, hasn't Sean Penn always been disconcerting to me?  Hmmm.

Filmmaker Ron Lamothe at the bus where McCandless lived and diedThanks, Ron Lamothe.  We enjoyed your film quite a lot, and are happy we purchased it.  We encourage others to do likewise if you are interested in this fascinating story of Christopher McCandless, aka Alex Supertramp, and truth versus fiction.

As Thoreau said (which was a favorite author of McCandless himself), "Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth."  Wonder if Penn missed that quote along the way.

One call and it was done!

Budd and I had the great fortune of learning about  professional organizer Allison McVann, aka AlliCadabra, through a mutual friend.  Our little apartment had become so out-of-hand and disorganized that I decided to give Alli a call.  She spent 2 days with us helping us organize, give stuff away, rearrange, and all the while laughed with us, gave us great tips and advice, and became a new friend. 

So, being that I like to help local businesses, I'm highly recommending her services.  Here's a shortlist of what she does:

- Organization (what a huge help this is for those of us who are clutter-challenged)

- Space creation (we live in less than 800 square feet - imagine what a great difference she made!)

- Home staging (if you are selling your home in this challenging market, you need this service! Plus, she has years of experience in Hollywood as a professional set decorator, so you know you can't go wrong.)

- Errands (imagine the gas and time you can save)

- Pet services (can't get Fido or Fluffy to the vet because you have to work?  Call Alli.)

- Laundry (Laundry! Need I say more???)

And there's more I'm sure.  I'm telling you, in 2 days, a total of about 12 hours, and even breaking for a small bit for a bite to eat on the first day, she accomplished what Budd and I could not have done in 2 months of working around the clock, and without killing each other.   And she worked lightning-fast both days - we both felt like we got more than our money's worth.   Alli even takes your donatable items to dropoff sites and brings you the receipt.  How easy and convenient is that?  And she's a stickler for recycling and not putting unnecessary items in the landfill, and she hauls it all away.  And she made it fun.  FUN, I say.

It's nearly summer, and if you are wanting to do spring/summer cleaning but just can't get to it because of the clutter, Alli can be your very best friend.  You'll be so happy to clean once the clutter is cleared...believe me, I was, and still am.

Alli is also interested in helping people, and is working on a grant to enable her to provide her services to elderly and disabled people who don't have the means to pay her for her services, but really need her help.  If you know of agencies or sources, pass them on to me, and I'll pass them on to her.   

You can reach Allicadabra at 336-491-6900 or visit www.allicadabra.com.   She offers an invaluable service at an incredible price, and I personally guarantee you will not be disappointed. 

Thanks, Alli!  You saved our sanity! 

To Learn As We Grow Old, The Secrets of Your Soul

In keeping with Verona and Spudkat,  here's a favorite of mine, very old, but still quite relevant.  Why DO we never get an answer?  A thousand million questions about hate and death and war.  Indeed.

I wanna be selected!  I wanna be respected!

I can think of no better musical tribute to the process of electing our "leaders" than this vintage Alice Cooper, who knew the real deal of the game way back then.  I think I'd vote for Alice even now, even though he's a staunch R, or so I've heard, just because he's so damn charismatic.  Especially in concert.
 

Or, When's That Phone Going To Ring, and How Many Books Can I Read At One Time?

I thought a 3-month severance/vacation would be fun.  And, for the most part, it has been.  Beach trip, hanging out with Budd and the cat, reading the paper from cover to cover every day.  But now, I'm getting antsy to get back to work.  Lots of resumes sent, several interviews, and now I find myself sitting by the phone every weekday, especially since our shared answering machine has a really bad version of "Hello, I Love You" on it sung by Budd's father.  He refuses to change it because Budd's maternal grandmother just loved it everytime she heard it, even though she is now in the Great Beyond and is highly unlikely to call.  I'm sure I'm not alone in this endeavor.  By the way, if you are reading this and need a top-notch administrative assistant/graphic designer/marketing assistant, I'm available for hire.  Email me and I'll send my resume right along.  I'm also available through Creative Scamper, my freelance endeavor. 

In the meantime, I'm trying to increase my reading.  I've read those great books that I reviewed earlier, White Noise and The Colorful Apocalypse.  Now I'm working on Cosmopolis, another DeLillo novel, and in my stack (I'm trying to keep up with Budd who reads at least 5 books at a time) are The Reader by Bernhard Schlink; Plainsong by Kent Haruf; Straight Man by Richard Russo; and What is the What by Dave Eggers.

I chose these because, 1) I like DeLillo; 2) Russo's book got great reviews and he won a Pulitzer; 3) Schlink's book was a NY Times Notable Book of the Year and LA Times Book of the Year; 4) Haruf's book was a National Book Award finalist; and 5) Eggers' book also got great reviews and the first couple of chapters are mesmerizing.

I seem to gravitate toward books that are award-winners.  I'm particularly interested in reading National Book Award winners and finalists, and I've found some good ones that were NY Times Notables, in particular, Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl. 

If you've read any that are in my pile of five mentioned above, let me know what you think.  And if you have any employment leads, I'd love to hear from you as well. 

Panizzo - Not Just Your Ordinary Coffeehouse

We've passed by Panizzo at 103 Muirs Chapel Road in Greensboro (where Rockola and Bohogs used to be) many a time, but never stopped.  Well, a couple of weeks ago, we decided to give it a try.  We knew that the folks who owned LeBlon Brazilian Steakhouse owned Panizzo.  And we knew that LeBlon is, in our opinion, hands-down the finest restaurant in the Triad, for quality of food, service, price, wine selection, ambiance.  We go there for every special occasion in our family.  But, we like Panera, and didn't give much of a thought to Panizzo.  Boy, were we wrong.

Panizzo has wonderful pastries - with fresh fruit from the Farmer's Market.  My first try was a blackberry and cream cheese pastry that was magnificent.   

The second go-round, Budd, Billy and I went for dinner.  Billy and I both had their Hamburger with French Fries, cooked to order.   Here's a picture of the burger plate:

Budd had a magnificent Turkey Club with Pasta Salad, on thick, white rosemary bread.  Here's what it looked like: 
Then we all had desserts; Billy had Oreo Cheesecake, Budd had Chocolate Chambord cake, and I had Dulce le Leche and Coconut Cake.  We split an Ultimate Chocolate Cookie.

Let me start out by saying that Panizzo has the best burger I've had in Greensboro.  And I'm a real burger connoisseur.  I don't eat seafood, so I eat a lot of beef.  And burgers are a real staple for me. They have to be cooked just right (medium).  They have to have extra cheese.  The bun has to be nice and soft.  Panizzo's burger is better than any I've had in a long time, even better than homemade.  The french fries were hot and thick and delicious.  Budd gave me a bite of his turkey club and it, too, was so delicious, as was the pasta salad.  

The desserts were heavenly, especially the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie.  They make all their desserts in-house, and if you've ever been to LeBlon and been lucky enough to have their mango cheesecake...it's just indescribable how wonderful it is.  Here are some photos of their offerings:

Panizzo is definitely a place we'd like to see stay in business.  Their food is wonderful, their staff is warm and friendly, and it's family-owned, not a chain.  They have an extensive menu that includes a hot breakfast before 10:30 am and a wonderful selection of sandwiches, soups and salads for lunch, and interesting entrees for dinner, as well as a kids' menu.  Panizzo is never crowded, which is a good AND bad thing - we'd love more people to discover just how good they are.  They also do some catering with box lunches and trays.

Next time you're doing the coffeehouse thing, or the next time you want the best burger in town, guaranteed, give Panizzo a try.  I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.   

Learning About The Gray Area Between Madness and Christian Ecstasy

Another book I took to the beach was The Colorful Apocalypse: Journeys in Outsider Art by Greg Bottoms.  It was so good I read it in one day.  I expected this book to be a little more like Colin Rhodes' book, which I purchased at the same time for Budd; one with artist bios and pictures.  The Colorful Apocalypse was quite different - not a picture in sight except for the cover art, by William Thomas Thompson and Norbert Kox.

Mr. Bottoms travelled to meet with the family of the Rev. Howard Finster, whom he had seen years earlier in a documentary depicting his famous Paradise Gardens in Georgia.  Finster began the Gardens in 1961 before receiving a vision to create religious or sacred art in 1976. 

Bottoms then travels to meet William Thomas Thompson and his family, living in an antebellum mansion in Greenville, South Carolina.  Thompson is most famous for a  300-foot painting of The Revelation, entitled Revelation Revealed.  The painting is in six sections of 50 feet each.  Bottoms reveals that Thompson's family, deeply rooted in the Pentecostal church, has great disdain for his artwork, and would not even allow the art depicted on the cover, which was co-created by Thompson and Norbert Kox, to come into their home because of its depiction of Christ with a dagger through the forehead.  Bottoms interviews Thompson extensively and the transactions are fascinating.  Thompson's beliefs are deeply rooted in what most would consider hardcore fundamentalist Christianity, yet he is vehemently anti-church, and believes that the Church is anti-Christ.  At the end of his interviews, which apparently span some several years, Thompson's wife gives him a tape of their 50th wedding anniversary, and tells Bottoms that Thompson "wasn't always like this...he was a family man, a church-going man, a business man..." as if Thompson has lost all respect in his family's eyes due to his artwork, which he is driven to paint.

Bottoms' final subject is Norbert Kox, an ex-Outlaw motorcycle club member living above an abandoned general store in Wisconsin.  His living space is filled with junk he has collected for his art, most noticeably the body parts of baby dolls which he uses for his anti-abortion art.  He has a unique ability to recreate Warner Sallman's famous painting of Jesus, seen in almost every Protestant church in America.  Kox used that image  to create an exhibit entitled "Picture Perfect Jesus: The Glamourous Fraud".  Take a look at this interesting slideshow of Kox's work. 

The Colorful Apocalypse is an utterly fascinating study of these three people who are compelled to share their belief with the world through their artwork.  You may not agree with their beliefs, but they certainly are thought-provoking.  As William Thomas Thompson put it, "I'm not ashamed of my belief, and I'm not crazy because of what I believe."  I think he's right about that.  

I recommend this book highly for those interested in outsider art and religious iconography and its impact on our cultural development and beliefs.  The artists profiled are interesting and likeable people, too, and Bottoms does a great job in highlighting their personalities and beliefs without being condescending or judgmental.   While Finster has passed away, Thompson and Kox are two people that I think would be very intriguing to meet.

The Team Who Most Deserved to Win Won

Congratulations to Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks for their stunning performance tonight against the Memphis Tigers, winning in an overtime thriller.  Kansas has once again proved to the nation that they are a powerhouse college basketball team, coached by a real pro.  Even though I'm a tried and true Tarheel fan, I have to be happy for KU - it's been a while since they claimed the national title, and it's nice to see a talented, well-coached team cut down those nets in San Antonio.  I know they are going crazy in Lawrence, and I'm celebrating with them.  Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk! 

Lifelong Carolina Fan Cheers On Victors

I've been a Carolina superfan since childhood.  No one in my family ever went to Carolina, but my ancestors gave a significant portion of the land upon which UNC was built.  So my family, we're all Carolina Blue.  I call myself a "superfan" because I'm also a superstitious fan.  If I think there's a jinx present, I won't watch games with said jinx in the room.  I maintain the same patterns from game to game (have to order pizza, wear the same clothing, wear the Carolina button).  I know there are many others out there like me, whether they are Carolina fans or fans of other teams.

Last night's jinx was Carolina.  They were simply outplayed by a team who wanted it more.  I was proud of my team for playing with the sportsmanship and dignity that I believe the Carolina program has almost always had.  But I'm happy for KU.  And, I want the departure of Roy Williams to be out of their system.  It's been five years.  Roy came home.  He built a great program at KU which continues, as evidenced last night, under a great coach, Bill Self.  I want the KU faithful to let him go and let him be ours now.  Be proud of your own fine coach.  Maybe Roy Williams and Bill Self can work out a deal where each one coaches the other team for a year.  I wouldn't mind that.  Self is a first-rate coach, and I'm sure he'd do a fine job at Carolina.

And I will be pulling hard Monday night for KU to win it all.  They definitely deserve it.  They made the #1 team in the country look like a junior varsity high school team.   But, no matter what happens, season after season, I'm a Tar Heel born, I'm a Tar Heel bred, and when I die, I'll be a Tar Heel dead.