(no subject)
Ok...so I never made it to Amsterdam at all. Just as the embarassing-ass rash was going away by Wednesday, I got some kind of bug and ended up staying home from work on Thursday and Friday. So fuck all that. To make matters slightly more humiliating, I watered the plants on our deck on Friday, and woke up Saturday morning with an even bigger and uglier rash than last time! There's some kind of spore on the pots on the deck because the only thing both events have in common is me handling our hanging baskets. I ended up spending Saturday afternoon in the St. Joseph's ER getting pumped full of steroids and benedryl while a doctor informed me that my body is "becoming sensitized" to whatever it's allergic to, and one more episode could result in my windpipe closing off or something. I don't know how likely that is, but it's always nice to hear that you've come in contact with SOMETHING and doing it again could kill you. Sleep well!
On Friday, after a peeling myself out of bed, I took the opportunity to head to the Charles Theatre for a talk given by David Simon on the story-arc process they use when sketching out seasons of The Wire. Pretty sweet! What I love about Simon is that he is completely unbashful about doling out ugly truths that most people would sugarcoat. In the midst of his talk he got on the topic of there being too many people in the world, and used West Baltimore as proof that the world doesn't need any more - we have too many as it is! In modern society, he said, you're worth less if you live in West Baltimore or East Baltimore or work on the docks or whatever. And it's fucking TRUE! Its ugly, but it's true. (And let me just state once more for the record - please pick up The Corner and read the shit out of that. Or watch the DVD. Or both.)
The highlight of the discussion - in the City Paper's billing - was the promise of some clips of the forthcoming Season 4 of the Wire, due out in September. He only got clearance to show two short ones: one depicts two of Marlo's triggermen - including that cold-blooded teeange girl who's drive-by on one of Avon's corners sparked Season Three's drug war (and who scares me shitless) - teaching three young hustlers how to properly kill someone by aiming for where the kevlar isn't and finishing off with head shots while they're on the ground; and the second showed Bunk hazing Greggs at a crime scene by spouting off ridiculous lab jargon in a mock of CSI. One of the audience members asked how the Barksdale Crew was going to reemerge after the end of the last season, and Simon said they really don't - the loose ends are tied up, but by and large they're not big players in the next season. (I also heard this about the entire Major Case Unit as well, especially McNulty.) Simon said the focus is going to be on education in the inner-city, and the arenas in which this education is dispensed, be it school, the corners, a boxing ring (meaning plenty of Cuttty!), or somewhere else. He said in a recent interview that the season will largely follow four or five kids as they navigate the streets and become educated in their own ways.
After watching the Sopranos last night and thinking back on the Wire - I know it sounds juvenile, but it just makes me think so much more of the Wire when to compared to other great shows, like the Sopranos. Is anyone that's been following this season terribly excited? This might just be the most boring fucking season yet, and thats saying a ton after last year...so little has happened it seems like we're on episode 5 or 6, but it's been ten fucking episodes! It's definitely building to some major climax - especially with Vito headed back to town - but by David Chase's account, we still have 9 more episodes left - 3 this season, then another 6-episode mini-season to tie up loose ends. Ye Gads!
On Friday, after a peeling myself out of bed, I took the opportunity to head to the Charles Theatre for a talk given by David Simon on the story-arc process they use when sketching out seasons of The Wire. Pretty sweet! What I love about Simon is that he is completely unbashful about doling out ugly truths that most people would sugarcoat. In the midst of his talk he got on the topic of there being too many people in the world, and used West Baltimore as proof that the world doesn't need any more - we have too many as it is! In modern society, he said, you're worth less if you live in West Baltimore or East Baltimore or work on the docks or whatever. And it's fucking TRUE! Its ugly, but it's true. (And let me just state once more for the record - please pick up The Corner and read the shit out of that. Or watch the DVD. Or both.)
The highlight of the discussion - in the City Paper's billing - was the promise of some clips of the forthcoming Season 4 of the Wire, due out in September. He only got clearance to show two short ones: one depicts two of Marlo's triggermen - including that cold-blooded teeange girl who's drive-by on one of Avon's corners sparked Season Three's drug war (and who scares me shitless) - teaching three young hustlers how to properly kill someone by aiming for where the kevlar isn't and finishing off with head shots while they're on the ground; and the second showed Bunk hazing Greggs at a crime scene by spouting off ridiculous lab jargon in a mock of CSI. One of the audience members asked how the Barksdale Crew was going to reemerge after the end of the last season, and Simon said they really don't - the loose ends are tied up, but by and large they're not big players in the next season. (I also heard this about the entire Major Case Unit as well, especially McNulty.) Simon said the focus is going to be on education in the inner-city, and the arenas in which this education is dispensed, be it school, the corners, a boxing ring (meaning plenty of Cuttty!), or somewhere else. He said in a recent interview that the season will largely follow four or five kids as they navigate the streets and become educated in their own ways.
After watching the Sopranos last night and thinking back on the Wire - I know it sounds juvenile, but it just makes me think so much more of the Wire when to compared to other great shows, like the Sopranos. Is anyone that's been following this season terribly excited? This might just be the most boring fucking season yet, and thats saying a ton after last year...so little has happened it seems like we're on episode 5 or 6, but it's been ten fucking episodes! It's definitely building to some major climax - especially with Vito headed back to town - but by David Chase's account, we still have 9 more episodes left - 3 this season, then another 6-episode mini-season to tie up loose ends. Ye Gads!