Saturday, September 18, 2004

Foo' Tang

My reactions to this* (via The Morning News), by instance of viewing:

1st: Laughter

2nd: Laughter

3rd: Initially suppressed but ultimately overpowering laughter

4th: Head-down-on-desk-and-almost-drooling laughter

5th: What can only be classified as "uncontrollable cackling"

6th: Concern that I'm laughing too hard.

7th: Favorite part: the secondary attempt at recovery, resulting in the subtler, off-camera comedy

8th: New favorite part: the tough, "'Sup?" head snap at the very beginning.

9th: A wistful understanding that, as with life, this link will disappear before I know it. The future washes over me, aided by time-lapse imagery of the seasons. Leaves fall. Snow flies. The "oregonstate.edu/~blackd/castin.mov" link eventually dies under the crushing traffic of hungry viewings like my own.* Or perhaps "Blackd" graduates from, or otherwise leaves, Oregon State. I forget this movie and the delightful Saturday morning it provided. I never clearly learn this guy's name: John? Rod? Deflected by this mishap from his burgeoning action-star career, JohnRod continues to finish his communications degree. He nabs an internship at a huge advertising agency. It leads to a solid job with a direct-mail marketer. By age 45, JohnRod thinks more about 3-digit ZIP presorts than he ever imagined a person could. Over the cup of mediocre coffee in the office kitchen, he remembers that long-ago day in front of the video camera. If only I'd been less cocky, he thinks. If only I'd spent less time looking tough for the camera, and more time concentrating on my motion, I'd have completed that flip. I'd have been noticed in that student film. Who knows where I'd be now? He dumps another packet of Equal into the bitter coffee and tries not to think of it. I'm married, I've got a great kid, and I'm successful. At that, I've done a hell of a lot more than my father ever managed. I'm doing a lot.

10th: Softer cackling.

Today's FOCR:
"No Time," The Guess Who, Canned Wheat

[ Don't have iTunes? There must have been a hole in the net.]

*Yep. Links since updated.

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