Tune into the second part of Finding a Home.  Follow this link to Vocalo to listen

I was always taught that if you’re going to do something, you might as well do it right. And in my mind, there isn’t a more apt application for such a life theory than in the adaptation of popular novels into films. When you think about these popular literary franchise — many of whom have rabid fan bases — it is hard to imagine making a movie (or in this case, two) out of them that are subpar. As we’ve seen with the Harry Potter franchise, the key is to take the story from the books and build upon it. Find good actors, dazzle the fan base with great special effects and make the film’s accessible enough so that folks outside the fan base will be drawn in, and ultimately drawn into the world of the books as well. It’s a reverse method of getting people to read more — make the movies interesting enough, and folks will go after the rest of the story.

Not so with the Twilight franchise, at least not up to this point. With the release of New Moon, the second in a line of four films to be released by Summit Entertainment, the Twilight franchise has succeeded in doing only one thing: appeasing its built-in fan base. Which is sad, because such a rabid fan base deserves something better — something that will reach out to the rest of the world and invite others to see what they see. Sadly, this is not that case — and while its easy to say that some people just won’t “get” this operatic tale of love seen through the eyes of a teen girl, I would rather blame lazy filmmaking.

New Moon picks up where the first Twilight film left off, with Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) locked in a heated, yet abstinent, love affair. But after a freak accident at Bella’s birthday party puts her life in danger, Edward leaves her in hopes of giving her a chance at a normal life — one that doesn’t involve brooding over a vampire. Left with emptiness in her heart, Bella weeps for Edward for several months, eventually emerging slightly from her depression to forge a new friendship with the constantly shirtless Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), a now-meaty friend who is going through a few odd changes himself. As Bella digs deeper into Jacob’s life, she soon finds out that he isn’t all that he seems either.

From there, we find out about the true nature of Jacob and his tribe and — spoiler alert — their sweet ancestry of being werewolves. At this point, director Chris Weitz sets in and delivers two of the few shining achievements of New Moon. One is the development of Jacob as a character, aided by a solid performance from Taylor Lautner. After a movie and a third of watching Bella with Edward, it is almost sweet to see her engaging with someone who might have some depth to them, even if he does turn into a giant wolf from time to time. As well, Weitz delivers a wolf-on-wolf action sequence during Bella’s discovery of the wolf pack that is quite awesome, and reminiscent of his crowning achievement in The Golden Compass, the epic polar bear fight scene. It was the only point in the film when New Moon was exciting, and not bogged down with slo-mo action or brooding, hollow shells of romantic archetypes.

newmoon-review2

The rest of the movie is about as moving and engaging as watching a 24-hour golf marathon on television, in French. Sure, there is something there if you’re really interested in it and you speak the language, but to anyone sitting on the outside it is just another surface-level romantic melodrama that is poorly paced. On top of that, the Twilight films (can’t speak for the books) give us two main characters who are increasingly difficult to like, let alone adore (let alone root for). Bella is a whiny, weak-willed character whose sole preoccupation is finding a man through which she can define herself, and Edward is a creepy 109-year old vampire who is trolling the high school halls for young girls.

On top of that, Robert Pattinson’s performance is excruciatingly stale. I get it, he’s playing a vampire who is supposed to be without emotion. But he’s also playing the exception to the rule, the vampire who falls madly in love with this beautiful human girl and will do anything and everything to keep her safe. There should be something beneath the surface, something added to Edward to make him feel like the exception — and in Pattinson’s incredibly hollow performance, we see none of that. The same can be said for Kristen Stewart, who delivers once again a performance that makes Bella feel like a caricature of an overly dramatic, perpetually confused teen. If she is to become an icon for young girls everywhere, then I weep for an entire generation.

Beyond character problems and failure to craft an engaging, purposefully paced narrative, New Moon mostly suffers from an insider baseball complex, in which the only folks who can truly engage in the story are those who have intimate previous knowledge of these characters, whether it’s from the first Twilight film or Stephenie Meyer’s series of books. This fact cripples the film’s ability to reach out beyond its core audience, leaving many an audience member confused, bewildered and downright bored.

But as someone who has seen both films and read enough of the books to know what it going on, I can tell you that the most disheartening thing about this film is that while its fan base will be satisfied with it — especially the hanging ending that feels tacked on — they really aren’t getting their fandom’s worth with these movies. There is a story within Stephenie Meyer’s books that could make for a good movie, and a method by which these movies could be accessible and engaging. It just seems as if Summit and their respective creative teams can’t find it. That said, thanks to the nature of the story (the added action of the werewolves and the rush to find Edward in Italy), director Chris Weitz has lucked out — and in turn he has found himself the director of a movie that, while not good in the least, is at least more engaging than Catherine Hardwicke’s first film. Should this trend continue, the infinitely more capable director David Slade may actually give us something worth watching with the next installment, Eclipse.

The Upside: It plays to the fans, and does have a few action scenes (mostly with the wolves) that are pretty fun to watch.

The Downside: Poorly structured, poorly paced, poorly executed CGI in places and characters that are unlikeable, despite the fact that we should be rooting for them. An inaccessible mess.

On the Side: Each member of the wolf pack had to have papers proving their Native decent. Spencer is Lakota (Sioux), Pelletier is Cree-Metis, Meraz is Purepecha (Tarasco), Gordon is Hualapai, and Houseman, who was discovered at an open casting call, is Cree

Take this TARP and shove it!

Bloomberg recently  invited  reactions to Kenneth Feinberg’s plan to cut compensation at companies that received federal bailouts, and to the Fed’s proposed rules that included reviewing pay at large banks.

Kenneth Langone is the first guy on the Bloomberg mini survey. Channeling Mr. Dithers from the Blondie cartoon, the co-founder of Home Depot demonstrates why CEOs should NEVER be public servants:

“If you want a graphic example of why government will never succeed in business: If I had a $50 billion investment in a company, I would want to make damn certain I had the very finest managers I could get, no matter what I have to pay. This is sheer stupidity. Just think about the investment that our government has got in all these companies. This is not a government job. The taxpayers have an enormous financial risk in these companies, and very simply stated, I want the best person. If I needed neurosurgery, I would want the finest doctor I could get, no matter what I had to pay for it.” “These people are thinking like they are bureaucrats, or academics, or whatever the hell you want. Look at their track record in business. If a guy like Jack Welch were making these decisions, or Larry Bossidy, or Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, I’d buy it.”

Langone sounds like he wants to fire everybody in Washington, but– correct me if I’m wrong– isn’t one of the main lessons of the credit crisis to keep people like Welch, Bossidy, Gates and Buffet far, far, far away from public policy?

Thomas Grillo of the Boston Herald writes about Jack Welch’s speech:

Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, blasted the Obama administration and Congressman Barney Frank this morning telling a banking audience that the Democrats’ actions to restructure the entire economy are “insane.”“I hope that the New Jersey and Virginia governor’s race will put some realism into this administration,” Welch told an enthusiastic crowd at the Bank Administration Institute convention at Boston’s Convention and Exhibition Center. “I hope it will cause them to pause and not just jump into anything they encounter.”

Welch was referring to the races on Tuesday where Republicans bested Democrats, a sign some say that voters are unhappy with President Barack Obama’s handling of the country.

umm-m -m -m

hyped enough?

Florence and The Machine built their reputation and plenty of hype on the UK boutique festival circuit and anyone who has witnessed the awe-inspiring live performance of  Florence Welch understands why. The auburn songstress along with a skilled line-up of musicians creates a set list that is alternately delicate and raucous, but always enthusiastic and engaging. Welch has a powerful voice and exuberant presence and she is undeniably entrancing and seductive in person, unfortunately she fails to translate all this onto her debut album.

Welch is a remarkable talent, but excessive production glosses over the natural beauty of the tone and musicianship of her music. Intense production has become ubiquitous in modern pop music to make pop starletts and boy bands sound like half decent musicians, but with someone as adept as Welch it subtracts from playfully dark lyrics and heavy percussion rather than enhancing it. In spite of the thick layer of lacquer it is a compelling album with plenty of standout gems. Lungs is alternately joyful, aggressive, mystical and morbid.  ’Kiss With A Fist ‘is a lively and spirited account of a a violent and turbulent relationship. ‘Girl With One Eye’ (a cover of a song by a punk band that Welch used to follow) is a grim yet toothsome ode to psychotic jealousy and darkly delightful. ‘My Boy Builds Coffins’ is an intoxicating ballad, but on the album version there are too many layers to fully appreciate Welch’ s vocal power. The final track on the album is a lavish cover of Candi Staton’s ‘You’ve Got The Love.’  The original version is intensified by piano and harp and the raw quality of Welch’s voice adds depth to the 1986 dance hit.

The worst that can be said of this album is that it sounds slightly too clean. It is supremely listenable and Florence and The Machine’s popular appeal is undeniable, but so too is her entirely unique and somewhat indefinable quality that sets her apart from any generic sweet and soul inflected singer-songwriter of the moment. Lungs is polished to a bright glow which sadly does not do justice to the diamond in the rough at the centre of it, but fortunately in the case of  Florence and the Machine all that glitters is in fact gold.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

27 Oct Bowery Ballroom, New York

30 Oct Troubadour, Los Angeles

2 Nov Mod Club, Toronto

Lungs is currently available on iTunes and shops across North America.

http://www.myspace.com/florenceandthemachine

As we conclude our study on the “Gospel Centered Home” a few people have asked me what books I would recommend for further study. Here are some of my recommendations-

Earlier today, the Dow nosed about 10,000 given some a sign for optimism.  (We still have to create jobs to go with it, though.  See the comment on the CNN story on energy-efficiency and jobs.)  Most certainly wouldn’t have expected that six months ago.

And just in and perhaps even more unexpected, Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski–who happens to be the ranking Republican on the Senate Energy committee and an opponent of climate change legislation, seems to have come out in support of the framework laid out earlier this week by Senators Kerry and Graham in a NY Times Op-Ed piece, “Yes We Can (Pass Climate Change Legislation)“.

The lynch pin may well be the the jobs created by a focus on energy-efficiency, especially retrofitting existing homes, make this even more urgent and commonsensical.  And as I’ve said here before, you can forget the climate stuff if you want–we should be taking all the energy-efficiency steps anyway because it helps families, creates jobs, protects the environment, makes our country more economically competitive, and the nation more secure.  That’s a lot of wins.  And Washington may be figuring it out, now!

Thanks,
Mike

Florence + The Machine: Lungs                                                           (Island/Universal, 10.07.2009)

Lügen, Missverständnisse, Erwartungen, Enttäuschungen, Eifersucht, Rache und Blindheit sind nur einige aufzuzählende Attribute, die Florence Welch von Florence + The Machine in ihrem Debütalbum „Lungs“ metaphorisch präsentiert. Um nicht zu sagen orkanisiert, denn von dem Stimmvolumen der jungen Londonerin können sich so manche Kates, Katys, Natashas oder Lillys noch etwas abgucken. Keine andere Frau bringt derzeit so emphatisch und energisch eigens geschriebene Liebes- und noch besser, Hasslieder auf den internationalen Pop-Markt. Dabei lebt sie doch eigentlich in einer glücklichen Beziehung, ist sowieso der totale Familienmensch und vermisst eben diese nichts sehnlicher, wenn sie durch die Länder tourt. Von sich selbst sagt sie, ein Extrem zu sein. Entweder hochmotiviert, überglücklich und kreativ, oder am Boden zerstört, frustriert und schlecht gelaunt. Das Glück der Welt liegt ihr -  zumindest im Moment – zu Füßen. Das beweist der kürzlich erhaltene  Brit Award, der Plattenvertrag und natürlich der Hype, der Florence + The Machine auf die Bühnen Europas bringt.

Bereits zu Beginn des Albums wird schnell klar, dass es sich bei Florence um eine starke, toughe und vor allem lebhafte Frau handelt, die alle mit ihrer Stimme niedersingen könnte. Da bekommt das Wort „Stimmgewalt“ gleich eine neue Bedeutung, geht es doch im Verlauf des Albums immer wieder um Rache an der Liebhaberin des Freundes und am Freund selbst.

„Dog Days Are Over“ beeindruckt dennoch entgegen aller jetzt entstandenen Annahmen über Misere und Leid der Florence Welch mit ganz viel Pathos und geradezu fröhlichen Melodien, preschenden Drums und der endlosen Energie der Sängerin. Mit dieser so gesehenen Leichtigkeit erinnert die Band glatt an die fünf Schwedinnen von „Those Dancing Days“, die ihre Songs ähnlich resolut angehen. „Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)“ hingegen tendiert mit enthusiastischer Mehrstimmigkeit eher in Richtung Bat For Lashes und zieht weiter zum ebenso poppigen „Howl“, dem man die Verärgerung über betrügerische Ex-Freunde deutlich entnehmen darf.

„I’m Not Calling You A Liar“ scheint zunächst eher von ruhigerer Natur, trohnt dennoch bald wieder mit der bereits obligaten und hier besonders anklagenden Stimmenvarianz auf. Florence ist wütend auf ihren Partner, er hat sie betrogen, aber sie will ihn dennoch nicht verlassen, hat sogar Angst davor: „There’s a ghost in my lungs/ and it ties in my sleep/ wraps itself around my chest/ as it softly sleeps/ then it walks with my legs/ with my legs/ to fall at your feet“.

Weiter geht es mit der Singleauskopplung „Kiss With A Fist“, was kurz und schmerzhaft ist, also gerade richtig für den ultimativen Geschlechterkampf. „Girl With One Eye“ hingegen richtet sich an die verhasste Affäre des Freundes. Ruhig, aber bedrohlich ist hier anfangs noch das Motto, doch was einigermaßen lange währt, wird trotzdem nicht gut, denn so richtig beherrscht sein kann sie einfach nicht. So geht es Song für Song. Das macht aber nichts, denn manchmal muss man eben etwas lauter werden, um sich genügend Gehör zu verschaffen.

„Between Two Lungs“ ist mit Abstand die am interessantesten formulierte Liebeshymne des Albums, wird doch ein nebeneinander schlafendes Paar mit dem Fluss des Atems zwischen den Lungen unsichtbar miteinander verbunden. Es schlicht das „Band der Liebe“ zu nennen, wäre an dieser Stelle wohl vermessen und weitaus weniger poetisch.

Schön auch, dass es ein The Source ft. Candi Staton-Cover von „You’ve Got The Love“ gibt, das unverschämterweise auch noch zehn Mal besser als das Original klingt und absolut Spaß macht zu hören.

Trotz ihrer sehr markanten Stimme gelingt es Florence nicht ganz, die experimentelle und teilweise folkige Art der „Machine“, also im Prinzip den Rest der Band,  in den Hintergrund zu stellen. Mehr noch bildet sie ein zusätzliches Instrument, das wunderbar mit den anderen harmoniert. „Lungs“ ist eine Spielwiese vieler verschiedener Klangfarben und -formen und gerät durch den zauberhaften Einsatz sämtlicher Instrumente wie Klavier, Harfe, Percussions, Schellen oder Sythesizern zu einem 13 Songs langem Gesamtkunstwerk.

Julia Fischer für Valve-Magazine.net

Bewertung: 4/5

Tracklist:

01. Dog Days Are Over
02. Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
03. I’m Not Calling You A Liar
04. Howl
05. Kiss With A Fist
06. Girl With One Eye
07. Drumming Song
08. Between Two Lungs
09. Cosmic Love
10. My Boy Builds Coffins
11. Hurricane Drunk
12. Blinding
13. You’ve Got The Love

Highlights: Kiss With A Fist, Howl, You’ve Got The Love
Lowlights: I’m Not Calling You A Liar, My Boy Builds Coffins

Web:
www.myspace.com/florenceandthemachinemusic
www.florenceandthemachine.net

Joseph Walsh in Stanton Welch's Swan Lake // Photo: Amitava Sarkar

Houston Ballet corps de ballet member Joseph Walsh is having a great season so far.

This summer it was announced that he had been recognized as an emerging talent in dance with a Princess Grace Award. As a recipient he’ll be joining the esteemed company of past winners such as Ethan Steifel, Robert Battle, Gillian Murphy, as well as five previous winners from Houston Ballet (Yin Le, Carlos Acosta, Tiekka Schofield, Li Cunxin, and Martha Butler).

Now, hot on the heels of a performance in Manon which kicked off Houston Ballet’s 40th Anniversary season, Walsh will perform this weekend as the company unveils Without Boundaries. The program features three works that traverse that sometimes tenuous line between classical ballet and modern dance and will include the world premiere of Artistic Director Stanton Welch’s Elements, as well as company premieres of Twyla Tharp’s In The Upper Room and Jiří Kylián’s Falling Angels. Despite his busy schedule, Walsh took a moment to speak with me about developing as an artist, performing classical versus contemporary works, and attracting young audiences to ballet.

Dance Advantage: First of all, congratulations on being honored with a Princess Grace Award.

Joseph Walsh: Thank you so much! This has been quite the whirlwind start to the season. I cannot say enough about how honored I feel to have even been nominated for this award by our artistic director, much less how amazing it feels to receive it! I will be attending the award ceremony in New York City next month, which is extremely exciting.

Joe Walsh in rehearsal // Photo: Amitava Sarkar

DA: I read your essay which was part of the application process for this award and was impressed with your candor. You describe the feeling that the stage sometimes feels safer than the studio. It is said that we are our own worst critics, do you think that is particularly true for dancers?

JW: Absolutely! Dancing professionally, there is not as much instruction or coaching on a daily basis as there might be in the school in terms of really showing the dancers exactly what to do. In that respect, self-critique is important because there are so many company members and our instructors can’t possibly focus on every individual as much as they would like. As a student we become accustomed to getting critique in class, but in a company you are in charge of your development; it is up to the dancer to understand how their body is working, what he or she needs to work on. The mirror is sometimes the tool that helps us to understand that.

“The lesson for me to learn is how to bring the stage to the studio. It is finding the same level of confidence that I have on stage even with all of those “faces” in the studio standing before me, including the one I see in the mirror.” — To view Walsh’s essay visit Houston Ballet’s blog.

DA: You give examples of lessons you are working to internalize so that you can more fully trust your instincts as an artist. Are there steps you take or things you say to yourself to stay focused and confident when doubts creep in?

JW: Although I am still figuring out better ways to keep my focus throughout the process of rehearsing and performing in roles, something like the Princess Grace Award has really shown me that I can have confidence in myself and in the choices I make in classical or contemporary roles, so long as I deliver them in a way that I understand. Also trying to really open myself up to feedback from the artistic staff and other dancers from Houston Ballet has helped tremendously.

DA: In your essay you also mentioned overcoming a fear of leaving home to attend a boarding school for the arts in Massachusetts. I’m a Pennsylvania native and to my younger self, I might well have gone to school on the moon as to leave home for Boston. How old were you?

JW: I was 15 at the time. I knew ballet was what I wanted to do. I also knew I had to leave home to achieve my goals in dance by getting exposure to the best training I could. The initial fear was really a perceived fear. Once I became fully involved in the program there was no time for fear, only hard but exciting work and a chance to perform in a significant way.

DA: Where did your interest in ballet originate?

JW: I have been attached to ballet for virtually my whole life, starting at age three when I was exposed to it while my sister was dancing. It is actually hard for me to think that there was a time in my life when I did not dance. My interest in dance flourished over the years through intense training and exposure to amazing instructors and great people in the profession.

DA: You are certainly flourishing at Houston Ballet, this weekend you’ll be dancing in two of the three works on the Without Boundaries program; Stanton Welch’s world premiere of Elements and Twyla Tharp’s acclaimed In the Upper Room. Can you tell me a bit about your role in Elements and how it differs from the more classical works you’ve performed?

JW: I am the Element “Air.” As Stanton Welch recently explained to us, Elements is a minimalist ballet piece, where character is not conveyed so much through acting, but through dancing. When I contrast that to classical ballet pieces where there is a story line, the dancer thinks of giving more in terms of acting. In Elements we are trying to give exactly what the choreographer wants. If we give any less or any more, it will lessen the integrity of the piece.

Elements — Choreography by Stanton Welch

Dancer: Ian Casady // Photo: Pam Francis

Dancer: Jonathan Davidsson // Photo: Pam Francis

Dancer: Peter Franc // Photo: Pam Francis

DA: In the Upper Room was originally premiered in 1986 and is one of Tharp’s signature works. Why is it significant for Houston Ballet to finally have a Tharp piece in the repertory? And how is this opportunity significant for you personally?

JW: In my view, the introduction of Tharp’s work continues the efforts to bring to Houston Ballet world-class choreography. Tharp is in that category and it is great to have her work as part of the resume of the company. For the same reason, it is just as important for a dancer personally, to dance in pieces of as many great choreographers as possible.

DA: The work can be pretty fast and furious, driven by the Philip Glass score. What has been the biggest challenge in learning and executing the choreography?

JW: As in most Philip Glass scores it is minimalist, but with much repetition. Tharp also went along those lines In the Upper Room by introducing a lot of repetition and speed to go along with the score. There are many moments throughout when I will almost lose my place in either the choreography or the music purely because of the repetition in both. It can be a little disconcerting at points, but as we have started to put the piece on stage it has become much easier to handle. It is an exciting and challenging piece.

DA: Do you think works like those being premiered in Without Boundaries can serve as a gateway for younger audiences to discover and delve deeper into the art of ballet?

I think what you are saying is really the basis of our company at this point; keeping the integrity of the art form while improving on it by bringing new life and energy through these types of pieces.

DA: Offering a little incentive doesn’t hurt either. In fact, Houston Ballet has been trying some new things lately to reach out to a younger audience. They recently launched their Young Professionals program for the “under 40″ crowd. And they have Under 25 Friday night performances for which 18 to 25 year-olds get a steal on tickets – $15 for one or $25 for two. I don’t think it is a secret that patrons of ballet and often dance in general are a more “mature” crowd. Why do you think it is harder to get younger “butts in the seats?”

JW: Young people are simply not as exposed to ballet as they are to popular sports and other forms of entertainment. There is not the same level of cultural awareness of ballet. Many younger people still see ballet as a stale art form. This is one reason Houston Ballet is doing exciting and fast paced ballet pieces like the triple bill next weekend. And of course, approaches like the Under 25 program are helping to make it much more affordable.

Walsh in William Forsythe's The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude // Photo: Amitava Sarkar

Originally from Pennsylvania, Joseph Walsh trained at Walnut Hill School for the Performing Arts near Boston, American Ballet Theatre and Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy. He was a member of Houston Ballet II prior to joining the professional company in 2007, and since then has been featured in a variety of contemporary and classical roles including Lensky in John Cranko’s Onegin, Charles d’Artoise in Stanton Welch’s Marie, and William Forsythe’s The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude.

Houston Ballet will give six performances of Without Boundaries at Wortham Theater Center in downtown Houston. Tickets may be purchased by calling 713 227 2787 or by visiting www.houstonballet.org

Four more events with author appearances, readings, and book-signings at New Dominion Bookshop

Wednesday, September 23 at 12:15 PM

Michael Rosen, What Else But Home: Seven Boys and an American Journey Between the Projects and the Penthouse

Thursday, September 24 at 5:00 PM

Edward R. Ford, Five Houses, Ten Details

Friday, September 25 at 12:15 PM

Josh Weil, The New Valley

Cliff Garstang, In an Uncharted Country

Tuesday, September 29 at 5:30 PM

The Welch Family, The Kids Are All Right

September 23 (Wednesday) at 12:15 PM

Michael Rosen, What Else But Home: Seven Boys and an American Journey
Between the Projects and the Penthouse

What Else But Home: Seven Boys and an American Journey Between the Projects and the Penthouse is about Michael Rosen’s family’s improvised journey across the divide of race, class, and economic opportunity in the Lower East Side of New York. It’s an unflinching and compelling first-hand account of how his family—himself, an investor and real estate developer, and his doctor wife and their two kids, living in a luxury penthouse on Tompkins Square Park—evolved to include five black and Latino boys from the neighborhood.

Adults agonize about crossing boundaries of ethnicity and class. Seven-year-olds do not, especially when there’s a baseball game to join. When Ripton Rosen, Michael and his wife Leslie’s adopted son, joined a pick-up game in 1998 with kids from the nearby projects, and then invited the kids home to play Nintendo and have snacks, he wasn’t interested in a compelling social experiment or family drama. He was just doing what kids do—playing with other kids. But as a group of the boys from the projects grew close to the Rosen family, an extraordinary chronicle of improvisation and experimentation began for all concerned. Eventually five of them began to refer to Michael and Leslie Rosen as Mom and Dad, and the couple took on much of the emotional and many of the practical responsibilities of parenting teenage boys through school, into work and, hilariously, out of their local world and into the history and culture of America from colonial Williamsburg to Miami.

Michael Rosen has written the story of his “random family.” He’s a central participant but also a wonderful listener to the conversations of his newly compiled family. He’s honest, unsparing, and passionate—a flawed but utterly engaged parent. He and Leslie do not theorize about the rights and wrongs of what they have by accident taken on; they—like any devoted parents—keep moving forward. They encounter all the bumps and switchbacks on the road of inner-city adolescence, with kids whose needs are at first unguessable and whose histories all contain a measure of tragedy.

An article written by Corey Kilgannon for the New York Times on Thanksgiving Day 2006 (nytimes.com) introduced the Rosen family to New York. In What Else But Home: Seven Boys and an American Journey Between the Projects and the Penthouse , Rosen takes us deeper into the story and provides an incredibly rich narrative bound to spark lively debates and discussions nationwide about class, race, family, education and what it takes to open opportunities for our peers and neighbors.

Michael Rosen, a community organizer, is a former real estate developer and investor, former CEO of a Wall Street firm, former CEO of a publicly traded company destroyed on September 11, 2001, and a former assistant professor at New York University. He lives in New York, and with his wife, Leslie Gruss, and the ”the Rosen family extended.”

September 24 (Thursday) at 5:00 PM

Edward R. Ford, Five Houses, Ten Details

Five Houses, Ten Details—Edward Ford’s forty years of practicing and teaching architecture have focused on one area: the architectural detail. Yet, despite two hugely influential books (The Details of Modern Architecture, volumes 1 and 2), numerous articles, and lectures given from Vancouver to Vienna, there are two questions Ford has, remarkably, never answered: “What is a detail?” and more importantly, “What is a good detail?” Ford is an architect as well as a writer, so it is not surprising that rather than answering these questions in a third book, he spent six years on the design and construction of a house. Building it was not an exercise in the application of ideas about detail; it was, rather, a mechanism for answering those two simple questions.

Five Houses, Ten Details presents five designs—all by Ford, all for himself, all for the same site—only one of which was built. Each unbuilt design evolved or was abandoned for a variety of reasons. Many simply cost too much; others were based on presumptions that proved inaccurate or unproductive. All, to some degree, are present in the final design. Each of the five designs explores a different aspect of architectural detail: how it acts to connect to or disconnect from a site; how it is expressive of material; how it acts to reveal structure; how it articulates the act of construction; and how it can be inconsistent, in a beneficial way, with the remainder of the building. Detail for Ford is not an accessory to architecture but its essence. Each design in Five Houses, Ten Details explores and articulates one aspect—site, structure, material, joinery, or furniture—at the expense of the others. Each architectural exploration leads to a larger understanding of construction and a larger understanding of how details communicate. Woven throughout with historical references and specific examples of his design process, Five Houses, Ten Details is an accessible and at times personal account of one man’s exploration of architectural detail.

Edward R. Ford is the author of numerous books on architecture. He is a practicing architect in Charlottesville, Virginia, and associate professor at the University of Virginia School of Architecture.

September 25 (Friday) at 12:15 PM

Josh Weil, The New Valley

Cliff Garstang, In an Uncharted Country

Josh Weil, The New Valley

The three linked novellas that comprise Fulbright-winner Josh Weil’s debut bring us into America’s remote and often unforgiving backcountry, and delicately open up the private worlds of three very different men as they confront love, loss, and their own personal demons.

Set in the hardscrabble hill country between West Virginia and Virginia, The New Valley is populated by characters striving to forge new lives in the absence of those they have loved. Told in three varied and distinct voices—from a soft-spoken middle-aged landscaper and beef farmer struggling to hold himself together after his dad’s suicide; to a health-obsessed single father desperate to control his reckless, overweight daughter; to a mildly retarded man who falls in love with a married woman intent on using him in a scheme that will wound them both—each novella is a vivid, stand-alone examination of uniquely romantic relationships. As the men struggle against grief, solitude, and obsession, their desperation slowly leads them all to commit acts that will bring both ruin and salvation.

Written with a deeply American tone and in empathetic, meticulously crafted prose, The New Valley is a tender exploration of resilience, isolation, and the deep, consuming ache for human connection.

Josh Weil was born in the Blue Ridge Mountains of rural Virginia, to which he returned to write the novellas in his first book, The New Valley (Grove, 2009).

His short fiction has been published or is forthcoming in Granta, New England Review, American Short Fiction, Narrative and other journals. He has been a regular contributor to The New York Times and written for Poets & Writers, Guernica, Orion and Nylon Magazine. Since earning his MFA from Columbia University, he has received a Fulbright Grant, fellowships and scholarships to the Bread Loaf and Sewanee Writers’ Conferences, a fellowship to the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the Dana Award in Portfolio. As the 2009-2010 Tickner Writing Fellow, he will be the writer-in-residence at Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland.

He currently divides his time between New York City and a cabin in southwestern Virginia, where he is at work on a novel.

Cliff Garstang, In an Uncharted Country

The award-winning stories that make up the linked collection In An Uncharted Country showcase ordinary men and women in and around Rugglesville, Virginia, as they struggle to find places and identities in their families and the community. They experience natural disasters, a sun-worshipping cult, Vietnam flashbacks, kidnapping, addiction, and loss. The book’s opening story, “Flood, 1978,” follows Hank, who comes to understand his father’s deep sense of grief over the death of his wife. Later, in “Hand-painted Angel,” Hank’s sons see the family spinning apart as their father ages and family secrets are disclosed. In “The Clattering of Bones,” Walt mourns the collapse of his marriage after the loss of a child, but in the collection’s title story he recognizes his emotional need for family. The concluding story, “Red Peony,” unifies the collection, as many of the characters from other stories come together for a tumultuous 4th of July Celebration.

Cliff Garstang received an MFA from Queens University of Charlotte. His work has appeared in Virginia Quarterly Review, Shenandoah, Cream City Review, The Baltimore Review, and elsewhere and has received Distinguished Mention in the Best American Series. He won the 2006 Confluence Fiction Prize and the 2007 GSU Review Fiction Prize, and has had scholarships to the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and the Indiana University Writers’ Conference, as well as residencies at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts. He currently lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

September 29 (Tuesday) at 5:30 PM

The Welch Family (Diana, Liz, Amanda, and Dan), The Kids Are All Right

“Perfect is boring.”

Well, 1983 certainly wasn’t boring for the Welch family. Somehow, between their handsome father’s mysterious death, their glamorous soap-opera-star mother’s cancer diagnosis, and a phalanx of lawyers intent on bankruptcy proceedings, the four Welch siblings managed to handle each new heartbreaking misfortune in the same way they dealt with the unexpected arrival of the forgotten-about Chilean exchange student—together.

All that changed with the death of their mother. While nineteen-year-old Amanda was legally on her own, the three younger siblings—Liz, sixteen; Dan, fourteen; and Diana, eight—were each dispatched to a different set of family friends. Quick-witted and sharp-tongued, Amanda headed for college in New York City and immersed herself in an ‘80s world of alternative music and drugs. Liz, living with the couple for whom she babysat, followed in Amanda’s footsteps until high school graduation when she took a job in Norway as a nanny. Mischievous, rebellious Dan, bounced from guardian to boarding school and back again, getting deeper into trouble and drugs. And Diana, the red-haired baby of the family, was given a new life and identity and told to forget her past. But Diana’s siblings refused to forget her—or let her go.

Told in the alternating voices of the four siblings, their poignant, harrowing story of unbreakable bonds unfolds with ferocious emotion. Despite the Welch children’s wrenching loss and subsequent separation, they retained the resilience and humor that both their mother and father endowed them with—growing up as lost souls, taking disastrous turns along the way, but eventually coming out right side up. The kids are not only all right; they’re back together.

Its Wednesday morning over here in Prague, around 11:30.  It has been hard getting online over here and I think there is one power adaptor for the whole team, so if your battery runs out you are out of luck.  I managed to get my hands on it, so i am locked in my room trying to get some emails out and find out what has been happening back home.

Im a little worried because football is about to start and im trying to set my Fantasy Team roster but wouldnt have a clue who is hurt, benched, etc….. my team is legit anyway so it shouldnt matter.

Anyway since we arrived here a couple of days ago, we have had a couple of practice sessions on the tiny little field we are going to playing on. The ball flies here as is, but with the corners being 290 and centre like 370 im thinking it is looking like a hitters park.  I originally thought i was going to be pitching against Mexico in the third game, but i a not pitching against the Chinese (Friday).  We have our 1st game today against the “Checks”…. or however you spell it. Game starts at 4:30; It was supposed to be at 6:30 but the lights here sucks so the bumped it to 4:30.

We have done some sightseeing, dont have a whole lot of time to talk about it now, but it was incredible. We got a train into the centre of the city which was harder than it sounds. We had trouble getting the correct tickets for the train and then an even harder time figuring out which way to go.  I took a ton of pics, and had a great day and will post them when I get back.  Now, I got to go eat lunch; will write more tomorrow.

Welchy

Raquel Welch

 

 

 

Raquel Welch (born Jo Raquel Tejada, September 5, 1940) is a Golden Globe-winning American actress.

In 1959, Welch played the title role in the famous Ramona Pageant, a yearly outdoor play at Hemet, California, which is based on the novel Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson and Bob Biloe.

She became a weather forecaster at KFMB, a local San Diego television station. Because of her heavy schedule, she decided to leave college. Her marriage broke up and she moved with her two children, Damon and Latanne, to Dallas, Texas, where she modeled for Neiman Marcus and worked as a cocktail hostess, intending to move on to New York City from there.

Instead, Welch moved back to California and found a place in Los Angeles and started making the rounds of the movie studios. She was cast in bit parts in two films and in the television shows Bewitched, McHale’s Navy, and The Virginian, as well as on the weekly variety series The Hollywood Palace as a billboard girl and presenter of acts.

Welch’s first featured role came in the beach film A Swingin’ Summer, which led to a contract with 20th Century Fox. She was subsequently cast in a leading role in the sci-fi hit Fantastic Voyage (1966), which made her a star. She was the last star created under the studio system.

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On loan out to Hammer Studios in Britain, Welch starred in the remake of One Million Years B.C. striking an iconic pose in a prehistoric animal-skin bikini. After her appearance as lust incarnate in the hit Bedazzled, she returned to the U.S. and appeared in the Western film Bandolero!, with James Stewart and Dean Martin, which was followed by the private-eye drama Lady in Cement with Frank Sinatra.

Welch’s most controversial role by far came in the notorious Myra Breckinridge with Mae West. She took the part as the film’s transsexual heroine in an attempt to be taken seriously as an actress, but the movie turned out to be a dismal failure.

Welch became one of the leading sex symbols of the 1960s and 1970s. Her most memorable publicity still for One Million Years B.C. became a bestselling poster. Playboy called her the “Most Desired Woman” of the 1970s.

In 1970, Welch teamed up with Tom Jones and producer/choreographer David Winters of Winters-Rosen Productionsfor the TV special “Raquel!”, considered by some viewers to be a classic pairing together of 1970s pop-culture icons in their prime. The multi million-dollar TV song-and-dance extravaganza was filmed around the world, from Paris to Mexico. The show featured lavish production numbers of classic songs from the era, extravagant costumes, and notable guest performances, including John Wayne and Bob Hope in the Wild West.

In 1974, Welch won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical or Comedy for The Three Musketeers.

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The actress was due to star in an 1982 adaptation of John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row, but was fired by the producers a few days into production (allegedly, she was taking too long to get ready each day). She was replaced with Debra Winger. Welch successfully sued, collecting a $15 million dollar settlement.

In addition to her break out special, Raquel!, her television appearances include the TV movies The Legend of Walks Far Woman and Right to Die in which she turned in a stirring performance as a woman stricken with Lou Gehrig’s disease, and in the PBS series American Family, about a Mexican American family in East Los Angeles. She has appeared in the night-time soap opera Central Park West and made infomercials and exercise videos.

In 1987, she flirted with a pop singing career, releasing the dance single “This Girl’s Back In Town.” She has performed in a one-woman nightclub musical act in Las Vegas and has starred on Broadway in Woman of the Year, receiving praise for following Lauren Bacall in the title role, and in Victor/Victoria, having less success following Julie Andrews and Liza Minnelli in the title roles.

She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the TV drama Right to Die (1987).

In a 1997 episode of the comedy series Seinfeld entitled The Summer of George, Welch played a highly temperamental version of herself, assaulting series characters Kramer and Elaine, the former because he fired her from an acting job and the latter because Welch mistakenly thought that Elaine was mocking her.

She also appeared as a guest on the popular American TV series Sabrina the Teenage Witch, as Sabrina’s flamboyant Aunt Vesta.

She appeared in Welcome to the Captain, which premiered on CBS television on February 4, 2008.

Trivia:

Graduated La Jolla High School, La Jolla, California. [1957]

Miss Fairest of the Fair, San Diego, Ca. [1957]

Mother of Tahnee Welch.

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#18). [1995]

Her father is Bolivian.

Turned down the lead in Barbarella (1968) – which eventually went to Jane Fonda.

Husband Richard Palmer is a restaurateur.

She was fired from Cannery Row (1982) and replaced by Debra Winger. She then sued MGM and won a $10 million judgement.

Among her many beauty contest titles were “Miss Photogenic”, “Miss Contour” and “Miss Maid of California” – all won while she was in her teens.

30 August 2003 – Broke her wrist in a Los Angeles car crash.

Measurements: 37C-22 1/2-35 1/2 (measured in 1967), 37-23 1/2-35 1/2 (from 1980 fitting), 37D-26-36 (@ age 43 in 1985), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)

Mentioned in the theme song of the 1980s TV hit “The Fall Guy” (1981).

Had a notorious backstage feud with the indomitable Mae West on the set of Myra Breckinridge (1970).

Auditioned for the role of Mary Ann in “Gilligan’s Island” (1964).

Mother of Damon Welch.

Was a former cocktail waitress.

Has a home on the private island of Mustique

Dated producer Robert Evans with whom she attended Super Bowl (X) at Miami’s Orange Bowl in 1976

Son Damon Welch married the daughter of England and Yorkshire cricket legend Freddie Trueman.

One of the bombshells shown in The Shawshank Redemption (1994). (The other two were Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe.)

In 1970, she accepted the Oscar for “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” on behalf of Goldie Hawn, who wasn’t present at the awards ceremony

Second husband, producer Patrick Curtis, reportedly was one of several infants who took turns playing the baby of Olivia de Havilland in Gone with the Wind (1939).

Profiled in the book “Film Fatales: Women in Espionage Films and Television, 1962-1973″ by Tom Lisanti and Louis Paul (McFarland, 2002).

Need I add that Charlie Rangel is currently under investigation by that committee?
Charlie’s “angels” on the committee include Congressmen Ben Chandler of Kentucky, G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina and Peter Welch of Vermont. All have received donations from Rangel. Two of them – Chandler (KY-06, R+9*) & Butterfield (NC-01, D+9) – are apparently keeping it, too.  Considering that Rep. Rangel has given money to 119 Congressmen since the ethics probe began last year, you could almost not blame them.  Or almost not blame Rangel for acting as if he was above the laws that he writes:

Congressman Rangel has been arrogant in refusing to discuss how, as the man who writes this country’s tax laws, he failed to report over $1 million in outside income and $3 million in business transactions as required by the House, lapses under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

“I recognize that all of you have an obligation to ask questions knowing that there’s none of you smart enough to frame it in such a way that I’m going to respond,” Rangel said.

The other day I was berated for saying the phrase ’slim-pickin’s’, they said it was – to quote:

“… so nineties…”

That basically epitomises today’s Joint Review pick for our Sunday today.

Slim-pickin’s.

Not “… so nineties…”

My counterpart has been the driving force behind finding – on occasions decent, on others average – albums that have been reviewed. We’ve had some killers, like “Lungs”, and occasionally some strong adverse views, like ‘Jarvis Cocker’s’ “Further Complications” [oh, the irony!]. Some might be asking:

“… So, TEG, why don’t you pick an album for once?”

Good question – if I manage to find something worth reviewing for both of us, I’ll not hesitate to mention. My counterpart’s music knowledge seems second-to-none, and I’m still learning all the ropes. Now to today’s album, and, disappointingly, it is a side-project. Fans of ‘Something For Kate’ will have already heard of ‘Paul Dempsey’s’ side-project at current, and that’s “Everything Is True”. Any good?

Let’s take a look at:

"Everything Is True" - 'Paul Dempsey'

Back a few months ago, if any of you can remember that far back, we both took a crack at “Julian Plenti Is… Skyscraper”, the side-project for ‘Interpol’s’ lead. It wasn’t a masterpiece by any standard, or at least, I found I got caught up in its repetitive style, and it’s lack of ‘Interpol’ standard. Although I always expect side-projects to be different from the main-band affiliate, this was totally off the scale. Though ‘Interpol’ had been spiralling out of control after “Turn On The Bright Lights”, I felt that they had found their spark after all at “Our Love To Admire”. It brought back that classic ‘Interpol’ and it was totally understated. And you’re wondering where I’m going with this: ‘Interpol’ is just an example for how side-projects seem to ‘hinder’ positive growth in main-band affiliates. By that, I mean, ‘Interpol’s’ lead and drummer decided to go off and play with the fairies, make their own music, and come back only to ‘Interpol’ when they had exhausted all their musical talents elsewhere.

It’s no different to “Everything Is True”. ‘Something For Kate’ were a band that I hadn’t taken interest in for the better-part of three years. I was introduced to them back when they were apparently at their height, and I just couldn’t find a connection between them and myself. I thought the music was a tad ‘wishy-washy’ and predictable, and I was expecting a bit more. To be honest, I really couldn’t make it half way through “Everything Is True” because it was really eating away at me. I frown on side-projects for the simple reason: guys/gals, if you’ve got spare time on your hands and you’re already in a band, put that focus to your main-band before you go off and do something yourself – improve what you have, don’t start anew.

‘Interpol’s’ side-projects, in my eyes, were laughable, they’ve really earned themselves a reputation as the pessimist from their three albums, and when they broke that mould, they were – sorry to be so blunt, but – hideous. ‘Paul Dempsey’ seems to have taken the elements from ‘Something For Kate’, and has only reworked the sound here and there to produce acoustic/alternative style songs that aren’t explosive, that never really vary in grades of layers or pitch, and aren’t overly lyrically appealing. And if that wasn’t a hint for genre-alone, I’ll underline the fact that you’ll expect acoustic, more acoustic and even more, acoustic. It’s that classic – yet overused – style of male-and-guitar, with only a hint of percussion here and there and vocalisation that doesn’t quite grab and hypnotise you. Where ‘Florence Welch’ had power, had soul in her voice for “Lungs”, “Everything Is True” has this persistent volume that makes songs melt into each other unrecognisably.

For this, I hate it.

We’ll take a look at the opener, which isn’t overly-grand: “Bats”.

… Well:

Opening organ, very soft, the soon-to-be consistent acoustic guitar, ‘Paul Dempsey’ himself. I suppose it builds a little with the inclusion of other string-instrumentation, but ‘Dempsey’ has two volumes: loud and louder. Not to such an extent as screamo, but as loud as he can muster it. Those girlish-highs which are supposed to heighten emotion on the chorus, or accent a specific lyrical-phrase just don’t make things any better here. I don’t feel like including any lyrics because I don’t feel that anything is especially notable. They’re the typical love-based lyrics, or situational-lyrics that I find give the basis for most acoustic-style bands. Take for instance ‘Lifehouse’, which I think overshadows this and ‘Something For Kate’. Same wish-wash, just some of their songs clicked more with me than others. Not to say that I like them to the same degree as ‘Interpol’, though – ‘Interpol’ epitomise kick-ass. I think all this experimental, all this trip-hop, this rock, this ambience, has really inured me to acoustic because after a while, you kind of know what to expect.

Yes, yes, I know ‘Dempsey’ is a multi-instrumentalist, but the music doesn’t sound multi-instrumental. I guess if you like that ordinary, somewhat mundane, sound of acoustic, you’ll be right at home. But I’m looking for a little more spark. I’m not hearing any favourites or any stand-out tracks, so I’ll let you be the judge for the rest. Feel free to disagree, but I just cannot and will not like this. I guess it’s a great Joint Review album because I suspect my counterpart will take the opposition. And that’s even better, because then you guys get to see – since last time’s “Further Complications” – hopefully, some clash of disagreement.

That should be interesting.

Because I really haven’t been interested in this album, I haven’t given it a thorough listen – and whenever I rate an album poorly, just off firsthand, I don’t think it does anybody any justice. First-hand, I’m tempted for the lowest rating I can give it – need I write it out? But I’m not going to bother this time round. If you want a more enthusiastic opinion, check out my partner’s review and perhaps you can find for yourself, some notable tracks or otherwise.

Until when,

The Enantiomorphic God

In his book, Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave, Ed Welch reminds us that addiction is a universal human experience, not limited to chemicals.  Therefore, every Christian is susceptible to an addiction of one kind or another.  Every addiction is built upon the foundation of internalized, unconfessed sin.  

Sin by its very nature is more often quiet and secretive than loud and public.  For every overt episode of rage, there are dozens of jealousies, manipulations, white lies, and malicious thoughts, one of which immediately register on the conscience.  And, according to Scripture, the greatest sin of all is even more covert: I do not love the Lord my God with my whole mind and heart.  If our failure to consistently worship the true God is the key feature of sin, we are sinners all (Ed Welch, Addictions, 21).

As Christians, we are too often willing to harbor covert sin.  Before we know it, we are under its dominion.  A sensitivity to covert sin is one spiritual discipline to protect us against overt life-dominating sin. 

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires (Romans 13:14)

Ouh la la, j’en salive d’avance ! C’est du lourd, du très lourd !! Le Kinépolis de Lomme … Lieu de tous les vices, certains plus sains que d’autres

Sur le fond, le Kiné repose sur le concept bien rodé des grands centres cinématographiques de France : Une dizaine de salles bien grandes, un hall d’accueil pouvant accueillir tout un camp de Romanichel, ses stands pour acheter des Nachos sauce fromage, des big paquets de pop-corn et bien sûr des Magnum (mmmmh), la plupart des films en VF (c’est malheureusement le cas dans la plupart des grands complexes), son lot de djeuns qui se croient à un concert de Patrick Bruel en allumant leur téléphone portable alors que la salle est obscure, le bruit du papier du Magnum qui se froisse avant que son contenant soit englouti bruyamment par la gourmande voisine du siège d’à côté … Oui le Kinépolis est plutôt classique.

Mais là ou ce complexe est devenu un véritable phénomène dans la région, c’est son parking … Les lobotomisés du tuning et les jeunes big lover kisser se donnent rendez-vous tous les week-end, non pas pour se mater un bon film, mais pour se la jouer grave.

Et bien oui, très souvent, le premier rendez-vous amoureux d’un(e) jeune lycéen(e) qui vient d’avoir le permis se déroule au Kinépolis. Dans le Nord, comme dans la plupart des régions françaises, il n’est pas rare de se donner rendez-vous sur un parking, plutôt que d’aller chercher son acolyte chez lui (on habite très souvent à quelques kilomètres l’un de l’autre). Alors au moment de la scène d’adieu, après s’être retenu pendant les 2 heures de films (ils sont beaucoup, beaucoup trop longs les films modernes) les amoureux s’en donnent à coeur joie. Concours du plus long palot (de temps en temps il y a une troisième personne qui tient la chandelle, seule et célibataire, dégoûtée de ne pas pouvoir en faire autant et qui attend impatiemment de rentrer), et on se dit que c’était génial, qu’on a pas envie de se quitter, qu’on pense qu’on est fait l’un pour l’autre, mais il est malheureusement temps de partir chacun vers sa portière de voiture, d’allumer le contact et de se faire quelques appels de phare pour se dire bye-bye. Sniff !! “J’t'envoie un sms quand j’arrive hein ?”

Du côté des fans de XXX, la scène finale se  conclue souvent par le vrombissement de moteurs, les démarrages en whooling, la sono de la caisse où l’on se croirait dans une Rave-Party qui est déjà connectée à Contact FM, ou encore la dernière caresse du capot de son pote. “J’t'aurais toi un jour“, dit-il avec véhémence à la 104 GTI tunée de son copain.
Car oui, si le fan de tuning n’a pas de tunes pour aller voir un film au cinéma (il n’est d’ailleurs pas là pour ça), il en a pour s’acheter le super phare en losange de la marque Momo qui remplacera le clignotant de sa Fiat Tipo cabriolé.

Si, pendant l’espace de quelques minutes, voire quelques heures, ces deux mondes ne cohabitent pas, il y a un instant dans la soirée où tout le monde se retrouve au même endroit, c’est après le film, quand la séance est celle de 20h00, ou avant quand on préfère celle de 22h30.

Billard, bowling, jeu vidéo, petite bière sur un tabouret, et karaoké même, ça se passe au Planéte Bowling !!! Quand on est jeune, on ne pense pas un seul instant qu’on a l’air d’un total has-been de passer sa soirée dans cet endroit. Car il faut bien dire que c’est l’endroit des apeurés de Lille (“Trop de monde sur Lille un samedi soir“, “On peut pas rentrer en basket dans les cafés de Lille“, “Ca fait longtemps qu’on s’est pas fait un bowling” – “Mon oeil t’y vas tous les week-end !”).
Et quand on a faim, on a le choix entre Los Ranchos, les 3 Brasseurs, l’Hippo, le Mac Do et d’autres chaînes qui paraissent plus des cantines les vendredi et samedi soir que des restaurants à part entière.

Malgré ce dessin peu flatteur et pour le moins atypique du Kinépolis de Lomme, il faut bien se poser la question que tout le monde occulte une fois les 23 bougies soufflées : Qui ne s’est jamais rendu au Kinépolis quand il était étudiant ? Et bien la réponse est personne à 98 % !!
Car, moi aussi j’ai déjà amené ma petite copine de l’époque à une séance de cinéma, et moi aussi j’ai déjà joué au bowling deux week-end de suite. M**** je me suis vendu Et pourtant j’en garde des excellents souvenirs.

C’est pourquoi le Kinépolis est devenu un lieu incontournable de la région. Bien sûr les plus élitistes iront plutôt au Gaumont ou l’UGC de Lille, ou encore au cinéma des 4 vents à Villeneuve d’Ascq. Et ceux qui veulent passer une soirée tout-en-un, iront au Kiné
Mais pour moi, cet endroit restera un lieu empli d’anecdotes de jeunesse, là où j’ai rencontré la femme de mon pote pour la première fois, ou lorsque j’ai mangé un Welch sous 35° aux 3 Brasseurs … Plein de souvenirs qui restent au fond de ma mémoire, mais que je serais incapable de revivre tant cet endroit m’est devenu inaccessible …