MONDAY MEDITATIONS : 5/2/22

Baby, you and I have a thousand songs that are ours, spanning many decades, cultures, and well, general quality. Each piece of music is linked to a perfect moment in time as we collect and amass memories, in this whirlwind romance we are in. Thank you for all of the ways you have taught me to link art with love. Don't stop. 

- Babes

1. "Forever Young" by Alphaville

2. "Nobody Told Me" by John Lennon

3. "Somedays" by Paul McCartney

4. "Terrorvision" by The Fibonaccis

5. "Torn" By Natalie Imbruglia

6. "Juicy" By The Notorious BIG

7. "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles

8. "The Promise" by When in Rome

9. "Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats

10. "Tarzan Boy" by Baltimore

MONDAY MEDITATIONS : 1/24/22

I woke up Saturday morning, and realized that my sense of smell had finally returned after my early January stint with Covid, by being assaulted by the pungent scent of tainted pork in my fridge. There were three sad remaining uncooked pieces of bacon left that were very poorly wrapped. They were hard and turning green fluorescent colors. I unfortunately had to throw them away, which left a lasting uneasy feeling with me throughout the morning, as we are not a household that wastes food, especially if it comes from the slaughter of an animal. 

   My son came with me to run the daily errands, which included stopping by the library to pick up the date night feature film, and running by Grampy's house to get the package deliveries. Unbeknownst to him, there was a special prize in that mail, that he had been desperately seeking. Something that he had been asking me for since before Christmas, but was not able to acquire for Santa to bring. After returning home, we sat him down, with a bowl full of vanilla ice cream - his favorite - and pulled out a duel copy of Babe and Babe: Pig in the City for him to watch. He exclaimed that it was the best day ever.

  The day was not over yet. A clusterfuck of chores, another Xmas, and a child's birthday party. The damn Coronavirus had made its way through our entire extended family, and so the holidays were put on hold. The day had arrived to get together with the in-laws for the big exchange. My baby was not expecting to get more gifts today, and was over the moon when we he opened up a Hamm piggy bank toy filled with money. He is obsessed with all things Toy Story and this very special character was missing from his vast collection of film-related toys. 

   After pretending Santa had come for a special late January visit to Auntie's house, it was time to spend three hours in a bouncy house/ball pit of hell. It was exhausting. And after finally putting special 'Hamm the piggy bank' to bed in a wrapped blanket, and then our overtired little boy to sleep, we were to retire to our couch for our movie snuggles. Tonight's feature had come highly recommended and had nothing but positive reviews. And this actor is a workhorse. Mostly his output is dreck, but once in a while, he wows. And boy, did he move me in Pig.

These strange things happen to me all the time. 

- Babes

1. "Piggies" by The Beatles

2. "Ohio" by Crosby Stills Nash and Young

3. "Can't Smile Without You" by Barry Manilow

4. "Jive Talkin'" by The Bee Gees

5. "Cherry, Cherry" by Neil Diamond

6. "Dedicated to the One I love" by The Mamas and the Papas

7. "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)" by Otis Redding

8. "Winterlude" by Bob Dylan

9. "Sunshine" by The O'Jays

10. "Blueberry Hill" by Fats Domino

MONDAY MEDITATIONS : 12/13/21

 The spirit of Christmas is different for everyone. For me, it is the joy of giving to others. I have never cared about what I was getting. Not even when I was a child. Being able to choose that special treasure for the person you love, and giving it on that magical morning, raises my serotonin levels enough to last nearly the entirety of the following year. 

   In a time when my love of new cinema is at its all time lowest, one of our most treasured filmmakers has also decided to open his arms, and bestow us with a special gift. On Christmas Day, we will be handed a new PT Anderson film. And I'm very excited to open my present. My hopes are very high and I shan't be let down. I'm tired of lumps of coal.

- Babes

1. "Ave Maria" by Perry Como

2. "Winter Wonderland" By Darlene Love

3. "The First Noel" by Andy Williams

4. "My Favorite Things" by Tony Bennett

5. "Back Door Santa" by Clarence Carter

6. "Santa Claus is Back in Town" by Elvis Presley

7.  "Suzy Snowflake" by Rosemary Clooney

8. "Gee Whiz, It's Christmas" by Carla Thomas

9. "Mistletoe and Holly" by Frank Sinatra

10. "The Tree" by Peggy Lee

MONDAY MEDITATIONS : 12/05/2021

The majority of people, if they look to a specific calendar day to make personal changes, set goals, forgive themselves, and let go of the past, use New Year's Eve. But I do this every year on my birthday. And this time around the sun has left me with a whopper of a list. Both from very personal and artistic standpoints. 

I have never hated movies more. We're talking bottom of the barrel, smelly garbage water, stinky fucking bullshit. So forget you, Covid future film world. I am returning to the Golden Age of Cinema. A fantastic trend has occurred, and that is, that all of the finest classics are being remastered and re-released, for permenent home pleasure. Yes, I am saddened by the loss of the movie theater experience, but I am gaining a giant film library that I can share with my family forever. I know I said a lot there and I will delve more into the emotional weight of these changes at a different time. 

So this year I will be spending my new job monies on boutique blu ray blind buys (say it, it's fun),  hopefully making more than one pilgrimage to The Archive store in Connecticut, and amassing a mighty loot at a future horror movie con. Oh yeah, and this is Christmas. We get the shit. 

- Babes

1. "There's Always Tomorrow" by Janis Orenstein

2. "Christmas" by The Who

3. "Christmas Canon" by Trans Siberian Orchestra

4. "2000 Miles" by The Pretenders

5. "Christmas Wrapping 2020 (All I Want for Christmas is a Vaccine)" by HAIM

6. "All Alone on Christmas" by Darlene Love

7. "December Will Be Magic Again" by Kate Bush

8. "I Like Life" (Reprise) by Albert Finney

9. "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" by Vince Guaraldi Trio

10. "The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole

Monday Meditations : 11/22/21

   

With the yearly food abundance ritual approaching this week, we are heavily immersed in as many Turkey Day-centric films as humanly possible. Even the briefest of presences of said meal, constitutes a viewing. To me, this embodies the holiday; a reason for a themed film festival, coupled with my second favorite thing: gluttony. I tell that inner voice inside, the one that nags me out of growing an extra thigh and ass size, to take its own holiday. And then, I just keep forcing it in. But I never worry. It all comes out in the end. And that, my friends, is truly something to be grateful for. So cheers to you all on this mighty occasion. May you eat plenty and have merriment galore. And please, go watch some movies. Preferably with some gravy and mashed potatoes. 

- Babes

1. "Fumblin' With the Blues" by Tom Waits

2. "The Carny" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

3. "We Are the Dead" by David Bowie

4. "So Long, Marianne" by Leonard Cohen

5. "Songbirg" by Fleetwood Mac

6. "Memo From Turner" by Mick Jagger

7. "If I Only Had the Words (to Tell You)" by Billy Joel

8. "Autumn Almanac" by The Kinks

9. "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" by The Hollies

10. "Call Me Back Again" by Wings