RE-Cycle: I Never Knew A Cat Could Walk On It's Hind Legs And Serve Coffee.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

I Never Knew A Cat Could Walk On It's Hind Legs And Serve Coffee.

Yea, so for those of you who have been asking (and those who want me committed) the dreams have been continually interesting, and exhausting. Last nights episode, in brief, had Angela and I working at an outdoor market in some big city (as well as operating two other shops) and were having a feud with a competing seller who kept opening up shops directly across from ours.  We drove a Ferrari and frequented a Starbucks where we were waited upon by a woman with charcoal gray skin, neon blue hair and had a long cats tail and eyes.
Figure that one out!
ANYWHO! While I'm thinking about it (and we will post a sign) we will be opening late this Saturday. Or rather, Kaleb will be coming in around noon.  So adjust your calendars appropriately.
It's official. Elijah has given his notice and will be returning home this coming Monday. I'm not too sure he will appreciate the reception, as both his mother and I are disappointed with his choice. Oh, we realize it's his choice, but as always when kids "make choices" it usually ends up that the parents are the ones to pay for it! I can only hope, for his sake, he finds work locally, quickly!
The last two days have been crazy, so you'll forgive me for not posting yesterday. Came in to the shop yesterday with feet moving, as we had two repairs back to back that "needed them ASAP"  By the time I finished I was sufficiently greasy enough to not touch the computer. Then the normal stream of folks coming in prohibited me from getting back to it. No problem there though, that's a GOOD problem to have! In the past two days we have put out a bevy of beauties, pic'd below, but before you drool too much, take note of the "Sold" under the ones that have! We were well stocked for minuets! BUT as is always the blessing, we picked up many more in the same time frame. I thoroughly hope and pray I can get them out quick!
MOVIE REVIEW!! (SOME SPOILERS MAY APPLY!)
Last night Angela ordered up "12 Years A Slave" from Pay-Per-View as she had been dying to watch it for some time. In retrospect, I think there were a few moments there where she wished she had not. If you don't feel you have experienced enough guilt associated with your ancestors possible involvement in, or acceptance of one of the most gruesome, shameful periods of our countries history, then watch this movie! You'll end up donating a months pay to the NAACP, subscribe to "Jet" magazine, then take a really long shower!
First, I have to make an observation. Several months back I reviewed "Django: Unchained", Quentin Tarantino's fanciful take on a slave turned bounty hunter in the south, paid to hunt and capture (or kill) white criminals, all in the pursuit of freeing his wife. The critics at the time panned it, calling it "historically inaccurate (yes, he took a few creative liberties) and unnecessarily, brutally violent in it's depiction of the treatment of slaves.
Then there comes this one.
whoa.
The truly sickening part is the depravity, violence and complete lack of humanity depicted here is all based on a true story! Proving that reality is sadder then fiction.
I had a difficult time getting through it, even though the acting was SUPERB! My problems were a combination of some painfully drawn out scenes , the most striking is when some white plantation workers attempt to lynch the lead character, Solomon Northup (played incredibly convincingly by Chiwetel Ejiofor (no surprise really, he did appear in "Serenity"!) after he defended himself against an unwarranted attack.  They are interrupted by the head overseer as Solomon is almost off the ground in his noose, and driven off. But instead of cutting him down, the overseer leaves him there, stating he is going to fetch the plantation owner. As Solomon struggles to remain upright, with feet slipping in muddy Earth, the camera pans out and you see the slave quarters and the mansion, as other workers and families begin milling about their regular duties, completely oblivious, or accepting of the fact that a man hangs from a tree fighting for his life! As the time lapse continues you even see a group of children paying ball mere yards away. Eventually, close to nightfall, the sympathetic plantation owner (played brilliantly by Benedict Cumberbatch) arrives to cut him down. That scene did brilliantly epitomize the prevailing concepts of the time, that blacks were less then animals. There are a few other scenes in the film, obviously meant to convey an emotion, but seemed oddly placed and rather slow. All in all, though somewhat plodding at times, the brilliant cast (including Brad Pitt, Micheal Fassbender, Paul Giamatti and Lupita Nyong'o (who I have never seen before but is heart wrenching in her pleas for Solomon to end her life and her suffering) among others) carries this movie through to the end.
Every generation needs films like this to remind us of the mistakes we have made in our countries past. A rational man would think "nothing like this could ever happen again?" But they would be wrong. Atrocities happen around the world and in our own back yard, every day. Florida has the distinction of being the top state in underage sex slaves. Ethnic cleansing still is abound all over the world. Discrepancies between the rich and the poor widen every day. It's films like this, along with "Shindlers List" "Saving Private Ryan", "Roots", "Amistad" just to name a few, that need to be made and seen to remind us where not to go. I feel every generation must have one to maintain perspective. No, they won't stop it from happening they just remind us of the consequences of these actions and not to condone, accept or become oblivious to them.
OK, that should bring everyone up to speed, now I need to get back to work.
See ya soon!