The French Connection

This movie won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1971. It won it against "A Clockwork Orange", a landmark Stanley Kubrick film. To me it always seemed that the decision to give the Oscar to "The French Connection" was one of the biggest mistakes in Academy award history. Well, I saw it today again and well, I am not so sure whether I can still think that way.

This is one great movie. I know realize how it combined an European style of filmmaking with an American film noir sensibility. Gene Hackman is absolutely stunning as cop Popeye Doyle, a racist, hateful man that became one of the great antiheroes of the 1970's. The movie has a gritty realism that all action movies lack today. And, it has the best car chase in movies. No CGI. Just amazing stuntwork.

And the movie keeps you glued to your seat. It works as an action film, it works as a character study. It is an amazing movie.

on friends

The other day I realized something. Of all the friends I had in high school I only keep in touch with one. Only one. Something truly amazing in this world of easy communications thanks to cell phones, e-mail and instant messaging. I guess I lost touch with all of them prior to the coming of the internet. But it is still an interesting thing.

Our high school group consisted of 10 really close friends. We used to meet 4 nights a week and go here and there. When we all went to college, we saw each other on Summer and Christmas breaks, then we saw each other less frequently.
After college, one ended up in Chicago, another one in Detroit, one I have no idea where he is, another went to Boston. I have no idea whether they visit the island, but they don't call if they do.

Then there are others who still live in Puerto Rico. I may run into them at the mall. We say hello,promise that this time "we are really going to get together after work and have a beer".We never do. Once we almost had a four person mini reunion. At the last minute, two of them had to cancel. Then we all did.

Anyway, I wonder if the same thing will happen to the friends I have now. If they will one day dissapear too. If everything is temporary like that. A good friend of mine is now moving to NYC to study and I wonder whether I will see her once or twice and exchange a few e-mails and then, we will lose touch. I hope not. I want to keep the friends I have. Even if they are far away. I want to know how they are doing. And the ones here, well,I would like to keep them close to me. And maybe, if Fate would have it, years from now, to grow old and sit in a park bench together and watch people go by. Life may have other plans, of course. But, damn, I hope not.

The government- doing its part to keep us humble

Just to remind us that we haven't made it just yet to the First World, the Water Authority, will cut the water supply for the whole weekend in order to make "improvements" in the system.

The sports event-party begins

The biggest party-sport event in the world begins today. I am not a big soccer fan, but it's hard not to get involved in all the excitement. Years ago, when the Cup was held in the United States, I went to a couple of games in Chicago to see Spain play. It was a truly exciting time. The fans at the CUp are unlike any other fans, there's more in play than a simple game, it's their national pride that is at stake.
Another time when the Cup was held I was in Majorca and well, you had to stay clear of pubs full of English tourists, they were the rudest people in the world. And another time, when Brazil won I was in Miami and there was an improvised parade around Miami Beach. I don't have to tell you that it featured the sexiest women in the world wearing next to nothing. Quite an unforgettable day.
This year I won't be traveling around the time of the Cup.I'll catch some games on ESPN and Univision. Most of them are during working hours, which is a shame. In this kind of things I usually root for the underdog. So you won't catch me rooting for Brazil, Germany or Argentina.I'm going for Spain(a great team that NEVER wins), the United States (wouldn't the Europeans be pissed if the USA won!!!) and of course, Trinidad and Tobago, the million to one shot.
One more thing , thank god, there's no Ricky Martin song for this World Cup!!!!!

Yogi's quotes

Yogi Berra was a baseball player with the New York Yankees. He had the ability to say the most amazing things. He was the one who coined "It ain't over till it's over." He had a reputation for being dumb, but if you look closely, some of these quotes are truly brilliant. Here are some I like.

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# "This is like deja vu all over again."

# "You can observe a lot just by watching."

# "He must have made that before he died." -- Referring to a Steve McQueen movie.

# "You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there."


# "I knew I was going to take the wrong train, so I left early."

# "If you don't know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else."

# "If you can't imitate him, don't copy him."

# "You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six."

# "Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded."

# "Do you mean now?" -- When asked for the time.

# "If you come to a fork in the road, take it."

# "You give 100 percent in the first half of the game, and if that isn't enough in the second half you give what's left."

# "Why buy good luggage? You only use it when you travel."

# "I never blame myself when I'm not hitting. I just blame the bat, and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn't my fault that I'm not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?"

# "It ain't the heat; it's the humility."

# "The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase."

# "You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours."

# "I didn't really say everything I said."

and my all time favorite and a quote that I pasted in my office cubicle because it explains everything:

"We're lost. But we're making good time."

a dolphin out of the blue

I was taking pictures of the bay when suddenly I hear a spash. For a moment I thought someone had jumped from th bridge into the bay. Then I realized it was a dolphin jumping out of the water. I tried taking a great photo, but this was the best I could do.

Cross of Iron

One of the most interesting and unknown channels on cable is FLIX. It's part of the Showtime package and it features an eclectic lineup of movies from the 60's, 70's and 80's. And last night they showed a forgotten movie by legendary director Sam Peckinpah ("The Wild Bunch", "Straw Dogs"). It's called "Cross of Iron" and its a unique war movie. First, because we see war through the eyes of a German platoon, but mostly because it says that soldiers, when in the middle of battle. are not thinking of country and ideals like old movies used to tell us. They are thinking of staying alive. That's all. This being a Sam Peckinpah movie, it also features great battle scenes and some scenes that will make you cringe. FLIX will also show "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia", a truly weird Peckinpah movie about a bounty hunter that carries around, well, the head of Alfredo Garcia (flies buzzing around and all). Not one of my favorite movies, but it it amazing that studios in the 70's would give money for such a bizarre concept.

Mrs. McCartney's long and winding road

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006250730,00.html

When I see something like this, part of me says " I want to see this." and another part of me says "Why should anyone care about what someone did many years ago?"

the other day

The War Wagon

I know a lot of people don't like John Wayne. Especially non-Americans to whom he symbolizes American right wing arrogance. But politics aside, one has to admit Wayne was one of the great movie stars ever and that many of his movies are bona fide classics. While he made some serious movies such as "The Searchers", he also made some really fun movies like the one I saw last night on Encore Westerns. In it Wayne and Kirk Douglas (another amazing screen presence) team up to rob a wagon full of gold. The movie has suspense, but mostly it is a spoof of Western cliches, in a way much more clever than something like "Blazing Saddles". I really enjoyed this movie. And it was great to see someone like John Wayne and Kirk Douglas now that we live in an era when Orlando Bloom passes off as a screen star.

cool place

I remember when this shop opened more than 10 years ago. This was way before Borders. When bookstores here were the likes of Thekes (remember trying to find a book there?) and Bell, Book and Candle. So I went in and suddenly I was in heaven. The place had an entire section on movie books!!!! And not only mainstream movie books. Books on film noir, Italian horror movies, Asian cinema. In there I also found amazing magazines like Video Watchdog and many more. I recall thinking that a place like this couldn't last long. It was too specialized for its own good. I was wrong.
Then Viva Video came along, the coolest video store in Puerto Rico. A place where you could find Truffaut, kung fu movies, Tinto Brass flicks and silent movies! I would never have to go to Blockbuster again.
Unfortunately, it closed down.
But Visual Arts is still open, and it's the greatest place to browse, and you always end up finding something interesting. A small book, an offbeat movie. Check it out.

Ocean Drive

back from a few days off

I am back from my 4 days in Miami. It was a nice combination of fun and relaxation. Did some shopping, had a some drinks with a friend (was hoping she would be more, but that's another story) from Venezuela who lives there, did some serious eating at Azul restaurant, supposedly one of the best restaurants in the USA, had a massage at the hotel spa,went to South Beach for the obvious reasons you go there. It was a really cool,short and sweet vacation.
Anyway, tomorrow it's back to work and office politics and all that. But I should not think of that..I should enjoy the last few hours of a great vacation.

Mango's

Mango's Tropical Cafe. Bartenders who dance. Ok. Sexy bartenders who dance.
A party from noon till 5am. Thousands go there every day. Amazing that they haven't opened up one here in Puerto Rico or why nobody has ripped off the idea and made a ton of money.

dusk in Miami

I love that time when it's not quite daytime, not quite nighttime.

to a friend

Here are your favorite cartoon characters.

will be here this afternoon

Miami Beach...reason why my posts today are kind of short.

The day I met Pacheco

When I was a kid I always wanted to go to kiddie host Pacheco's tv show. But for one reason or another, I never did. Still, his show "Cine Recreo" was still a big part of my childhood. Not only because I like the cartoons that were shown but also because I really liked Pacheco. He seemed like such a nice man. There was an honesty to him. You could tell that he really liked the kids at his show. He projected a warmth which was really special. Anyway, I grew up and although I did not watch his kiddie, I would occassionally see him while switching channels. And it was good to know kids were still enjoying his advice.

Well,one day, it must have been 1994 or so, a friend of mine tells me "let's go have some pizza, but first let me drop something at Pacheco's house." It seemed his family was friends with Pacheco. I could not believe it. I was finally going to meet Pacheco. Me, a thirty something, was finally going to see him. So we dropped by his house, he said hello to me and I was a little kid again. It was such an emotional moment, the only thing thing I could tell him was "I finally meet you.". He must have noticed how I was feeling, and he simply smiled.

Finally when were about to leave, he waved us goodbye, saying "Portense bien" (Behave well). I'll never forget that moment. Pacheco was waving goodbye to me. I waved back, feeling like the luckiest 8 year old in the world.

Oscar Wilde quotes

The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.

There are only two kinds of people who are really fascinating: people who know absolutely everything, and people who know absolutely nothing.

We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities.

The secret of life is to appreciate the pleasure of being terribly, terribly deceived.

When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers.

One's real life is often the life that one does not lead.

My own business always bores me to death; I prefer other people's.

I can resist anything but temptation.

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
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What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Only the shallow know themselves.

there ought to be a law

It's Sunday. You go to the beach. It's kind of crowded but you find your perfect spot.You take out your book. You want to relax. To feel close to nature.You want to breath the amazing ocean breeze.
That is until an asshole is smoking at the beach. Some stupid person has decided that the beach is a perfect place to smoke. So suddenly YOU are inhaling his fucking smoke. For 10 minutes, there's no ocean breze. You don't feel close to nature. You feel you are in a cheap bar with no ventilation. Then,for half an hour, everything's fine, until the asshole gets the urge to smoke again.
Now that they are passing legislation, why not ban smoking at the beach? The beach would be free of cigarette stubs and our lives would be better. How about it?