Monthly Archives: June 1998

Jun 27 1998

The X Files

Mulder and Sculley head all over the world to try and break a global conspiracy.

##The Truth Is… Somewhere

I’ve been a fan of The X Files almost since the beginning. I love
the way the show is written to keep you on the edge of your seat while
never quite answering anything. How many times are Fox and Dana going to
touch the truth but not quite grasp the whole truth before they give up on
the whole thing?

##The Story So Far

The X Files television show ended last season by shutting down
Mulder’s and Sculley’s investigations into the unknown.

The movie opens up with Mulder and Sculley reassigned to an antiterrorism
unit that’s investigating a bomb threat in Texas.

##Enter: The Paranoid OBGYN

Jun 18 1998

A Note to a Friend

Sometimes friendship is hard

Recently I had to do something unconscienable: I had to shit
on a friend.

Let’s back up a bit and fill in the story. About a year and a half ago I
relocate my family across the country to somewhere in New England (I just
feel weird giving out more info than that). We really liked it here and
decided to stay. A couple of months after we came here I met someone who
would later become my best friend. Now, hold onto your hats. This person
is a *she”! I’m a ”he*. How could we possibly be friends and not
be having an affair?

Well the answer is short and sweet: grow up!

##The Chicken and the Egg

I’ve never been one to make **good** friends easily. Maybe it’s a
shield I have put up around myself to help me deal with a deep seeded
sense of inferiority (which I do have, but we won’t get into that now). I
have to know someone very well before I’ll open up to them, and it’s hard
to get to know someone well if you don’t open up. So this all adds up to
the fact that I haven’t had many close friends in my life. Since my late
teens (now I’m in my 30’s), there’s only been 5 (including my wife).

Now here’s the shocker: 4 of those 5 have been women and only one involved
sex (that would be my wife ;-). I can’t explain why, but for some reason I
identify more with and find it easier to open up to women. Don’t get me
wrong with that statement. I’m neither gay, nor do I dislike going to grab
a beer with some guys from work and watch hockey players tear each other
apart. I like *guy* things, but I also like art and Shakespeare and
poetry. I like high fives, but I also like long involved heartfelt
conversations. I like martial arts but I also like a good “Firing Line”
debate. For some reason, I’ve found it easier to connect with women on
more of these things than with men (i.e. women seem to be able to cross
that stupid gender line easier. Probably because they’re smarter and they
know it 🙂

After that last paragraph, I realize I need to include a note for the more
PC people who might be reading this article: lighten up!!!

##Back to our story

So, in any case, over the course if a year and a half or so, I became close
friends with this woman. Our families did things together. I got along
with and liked her husband and their kids. Our kids got along well (they
have a daughter that’s 9 years old and I have two daughters at 6 and 4).
In short, everthing was in the open because I didn’t want anyone feeling
uncomfortable with us being friends (and neither did she).

But my wife was uncomfortable.

I won’t go into details here, but something ugly happened (keep your mind
out of the gutter, it was nothing sexual!!!), and the unfortunate victim
was my friendship.

Jun 16 1998

The Truman Show

Can Truman find happiness now that he’s figured out that his life is a fantasy?

##Not that far fetched

How much TV do you really watch. I know that I watch much more than I
should (why don’t I read more?). Do you ever watch the “reality” TV shows
like Rescue 911 or Cops? Well, that’s what The Truman
Show is, but on steroids.

Truman is the adopted son of a corporation (yes, you heard correctly). He’s
been raised in total isolation from the rest of the world in a town
created entirely for a TV audience. His parents, friends, lovers, etc. are
all actors hired by the corporation to stand in for real people. There are
over 5000 cameras in his little community watching his every move and
broadcasting it around the world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The only problem is that the world created for Truman is just a little too
perfect, and starts to suspect something is amiss.

##Jim Carrey reigned in

The problem I have with most Jim
Carrey movies is that they are simply way to far over the top. Now,
don’t get me wrong, I like over the top. The problem is when you get
there, and there’s a bottomless pit of mediocrity looming before you.

Here, however, we get the priviledge of watching a virtuoso performance of
a funny man with a gifted ability to tap into his innermost emotions and
deliver them up to us. Remember Jerry Lewis in the original “The Nutty
Professor”? I saw an interview with some of the people that worked on that
film. They said it was downright frightening watching Jerry transform into
the evil professor. I can only imagine the astonishment of the people on
the set when the clown that is Jim Carrey was able to make them cry.

##Peter Weir is simply fantastic

I’ve seen most of Peter Weir’s films, and every one of them is
wonderful. As far back as “Gallipoli” which stars a young Mel Gibson, he
established himself as a director with a vision. The thing is, we don’t
get to see his vision nearly often enough! Since “Gallipoli” in 1981, he’s
only directed 7 other films. It must be some sort of curse. All the
directors that I really enjoy watching (Robert Altman, Terry Gilliam) are
all extremely careful about which projects they sign up for, and therefore
don’t do too many. Peter, are you listening, please do more!!!