Well, you can't keep a good '91 Toyota Corolla All-Trac wagon down! Despite driving through seven states, and pushing the engine over some serious mountains in Maryland and West Virginia (sorry
Maru-chan), my little car got me to my destination like a champ. This was a minimalist road trip; bread, water and a very weak AM/FM radio (on the highway the car is often too loud and the speakers too weak to hear it anyway). Sooo, I just sang road songs for fifteen hours on my first day. Somewhere in Pennsylvania I remembered the theme song to
Sam and Max Hit the Road; possibly the greatest game Lucas Arts ever made. Maru-chan got a bit dusty, and it seemed that every bird and bug south of the Mason-Dixon line hit her, but we barreled along, stopping only for gas and rest breaks.
West Virginia, is all mountains. Beautiful state. Lots of coal trains. Drove through towns with names like
Nitro and
Hurricane (pronounced
Hurra-can). This is Chuck Yeager country (he was born in Myra). On my trip folks didn't pay much mind to me or my car (except in Pennsylvania: I went into a gas station wearing my Red Sox hat and everybody inside had on Yankees caps - got a bit tense). Don't know what I was expecting - armed gangs trying to hijack my fuel and strip my car for parts? Maybe
Duel?
Didn't have any problems with other drivers (18-wheelers or otherwise), and nobody seemed phased by the Ontario plates on my car. Kinda... anti-climatic, actually. Now I'm here in Kentucky, job searching, and staying with friends.
Well, you can't keep a good '91 Toyota Corolla All-Trac wagon down! Despite driving through seven states, and pushing the engine over some serious mountains in Maryland and West Virginia (sorry Maru-chan), my little car got me to my destination like a champ. This was a minimalist road trip; bread, water and a very weak AM/FM radio (on the highway the car is often too loud and the speakers too weak to hear it anyway). Sooo, I just sang road songs for fifteen hours on my first day. Somewhere in Pennsylvania I remembered the theme song to Sam and Max Hit the Road; possibly the greatest game Lucas Arts ever made. Maru-chan got a bit dusty, and it seemed that every bird and bug south of the Mason-Dixon line hit her, but we barreled along, stopping only for gas and rest breaks.
West Virginia, is all mountains. Beautiful state. Lots of coal trains. Drove through towns with names like Nitro and Hurricane (pronounced Hurra-can). This is Chuck Yeager country (he was born in Myra). On my trip folks didn't pay much mind to me or my car (except in Pennsylvania: I went into a gas station wearing my Red Sox hat and everybody inside had on Yankees caps - got a bit tense). Don't know what I was expecting - armed gangs trying to hijack my fuel and strip my car for parts? Maybe Duel?
Didn't have any problems with other drivers (18-wheelers or otherwise), and nobody seemed phased by the Ontario plates on my car. Kinda... anti-climatic, actually. Now I'm here in Kentucky, job searching, and staying with friends.
9 comments:
A dividing line you say? OK, I'll get on one side of it in the interests of healthy debate and come right out and say that I can't find Miami Vice listed under entertainment. CHiPs, Knight Rider and Magnum PI are all in there though.
And just to be clear, I'm talking about the TV show here. I had no idea until now that there was a movie due for release later this year with Mann at the helm. While I've got nothing against Michael Mann, I do believe he is extremely overrated. I've enjoyed his movies, but they never seem to shine as much as they intially promise. If you insist, Ushiku, that there are moments of tedium to be found in Apocalypse, then I must make the same claim with pretty much all of Mann's work. Don't you think he failed to make the most of the opportunity of pitching DeNiro against Pacino? I certainly do.
Mann makes great entertainment, that's no bad thing; but, that's all it is. I agree with what you say Kit ten; we have to watch different films in different ways, and appreciate them for different things. What better example of the difference between 'art' and 'entertainment' than the filmographys of Ridley and Tony Scott? And before you start, I know how easy it is to pull apart some of Ridley's output, but you know what I mean.
Who doubled for Sheen? That would have been his brother, Joe Estevez. But I'll come clean and admit I looked it up. I don't remember that from Eleanor's documentary, at all.
When it comes to driving I'm usually all business - which is a shame, I know. One should stop and admire the sites. It does say something about the quality of the views on this trip that I did stop a few times to smell the roses (you ought to check out Western Maryland - I never knew that the mountain-top vistas there were so incredible!) In 2003 I drove from Sydney to Brisbane and I have to admit that I was terrified, because before that I hadn't really driven a car since... wow, like 1998? Plus the steering wheel was on the other side (kept turning on the windsheild wipers when I wanted to use the directional, and vice versa). Came back to the States, and couldn't get used to driving on the right. Now things are copacetic. Luckily Maru-chan is a very forgiving car!
As to Michael Mann... I am suitably chastized - please both of you forgive me for not making the distinction between art and entertainment. I freely admit that the best parts (usually) of a Michael Mann film are the begining and the end (with a long, drawn-out middle). Heat was impressive, and I don't think that too many directors could get a non-Pacino-playing-Pacino performance out of him, so Mann let him go over-the-top, and relied upon the other actors to reel him back in. BTW: you both were right on the Apocalypse Now trivia (even if Alex did cheat).
As for work, well, I'm just looking for something that lets me use my writing and personal skills. I love drawing and writing and I am always thinking about making another short film or animation, but they don't pay the bills (at least not in Boston). I only came to Kentucky because one of my very good friends insisted that I take the leap and come out here (It's like Of Mice and Men: I'm chasing the dream of the "farm" - a good paying job, livin' off the fat-o'the land...). Hope I don't end up like Lenny, though.
Alex, Kit Ten, thank you for all your wonderful observations: please keep them coming! BTW: Kit Ten I like the new cat logo - did you create it yourself?
Okay, I gotta go (Bill SHatner voice:)
Must... find... work... (-_-)
Wait... I'm back (briefly). Have you guys checked out Homestar Runner? I think it is hilarious, but some people find it a little too bizarre. Hope you like it too!
The windscreen wiper thing still gets me today; even though we drive on the same side of the road in the UK as Japan, all my 'Anglo-Celt' automotive contraptions had the wipers on the right.
Anyway, is that black, evil looking vehicle Maru-chan? I can just see you now cruising across the American outback, dodging crazies with pitchforks. And, what the hell kind of place is Nitro, anyway?
kit TEN, I really like; making satisfying entertainment is in itself an art. It makes me think of another thing I was just reading on this site - Mental engagement + accessibility will always = rewarding art
Your new picture is seriously cute. Maybe it does have a Maneki Neko thing going on, but it still has a character all of its own. Imagination and creativity will always win out over technical skill and software competence.
I just noticed, that car has a 'MAX' plate; can't be Maru-chan. I guess if Maru-chan looked like that you'd call it Maru-kun, wouldn't you?
Hi Alex!
No, that's not a picture of Maru-chan - that's Mad Max's car ("Last of the Interceptor V-8s..."). My car is much less visually imposing, but, like the Millenium Falcon, its got it where it counts!
Kit Ten,
Glad you like H*R - I just introduced him to my friends in Kentucky, but they seem not to quite get it (lots of polite smiles, but they couldn't wrap their heads around the fact that H*R didn't have arms).
And don't forget H*R's girlfriend, Marzipan.
Did anyone notice,BTW, the picture of the 18 wheeler? Okay, spot trivia time! In what movie was this truck seen? Ah... all too easy!
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