Downward Spiral

And things in my apartment building, which I pay a large amount of money to live in, continue to degenerate...

Flashback

I am pretty sure that I can't get enough of this song.

On Philip Marlowe

So, I'm working on my third Raymond Chandler in so many days... I finally requested the few novels of his that I hadn't yet devoured from the EPL and am spending much time losing myself in the wealth of words that man so graciously gave to the world.

Below is a passage I read this morning on the bus to work… I was almost completely thrown over by how perfect a passage it is. Philip Marlow is waiting to meet his client in a country-club bar when a beautiful woman walks in and stuns all the attendant men into silence.

“I stared. She caught me staring. She lifted her glance half an inch and I wasn’t there any more. But wherever I was I was holding my breath.”

I love how with such a careful hand Chandler tells me how his lead character is swooning over a woman he’s not yet met, while maintaining Marlowe’s absolute and indisputable masculinity. This latter achievement is especially important, as Philip Marlow is pretty much the epitome of manliness. He is strong, physical, and assertive when he needs to be, smart, funny in a sarcastic fashion, honest, and surprisingly moral. Naturally,  he doesn’t swoon. He holds his breath, which is more than he’s done for any of the other dames he gets tangled up with. I know it won’t work out for ole Marlow because this lady is already married to the man he’s just been hired to find. But I’m curious to see if he’ll steal a kiss or two before the end of the case.

As a side note, I was just thinking about who would make a perfect Philip Marlowe on the big screen... I know Humphrey Bogart has played him, which is alright, but so has Elliott Gould, Danny Glover, and James Caan. Who made those decisions!? So, the first actor who comes to mind for ME is Clive Owen, of course. And, who is apparently already been tapped to play Philip Marlow in a screenplay by Frank Miller that is currently "in production"? Clive Owen! Yesss! I mean, YES PLEASE! Now, all that's left to do is hope that the movie actually gets made!

Roomies

One minute, she's Scary Spice, the next

just a sweet little pillow-hogger. Sigh.

Bagheera looks like I took a tube of lipstick to half his fur, but that's just the sun bringing out the red in his fur... so handsome :-)

Left Foot

How kids in Edmonton wave to passing traffic. 

Cupcake Fever

I have a very specific idea of what the night ahead is going to include. There will be some window shopping, there will be some good eats, and above all, there WILL be a cupcake. Maybe two. After the hour and a half work meeting I just sat through, I have very well earned the bliss that only a cupcake can award.

Just consider my expertly-wielded nunchuks and my menacing expression (which you can't see, but I'm sure you can imagine) a warning to any and all who threaten to interfere with these plans. 

Highly Relevant

I was floating around in the blogosphere when I came upon the site of one Natalie Dee http://nataliedee.com/. She makes very funny things, one of which had me doubled over in giggles a few seconds ago.