Jon's Observational Site

It's been about 5 years (!) since I posted here, but I still exist! So I may post more things. Enjoy your things that you wish to enjoy.

My friend, let's call him Steve (wink), inspired me to write another post. It's going to be in two sections today. 1. First is what I will call "Thanks and Unthanks", where I express some things I liked and didn't in the day, or recently. Thanks to Steve for the funniest conversation I had all day, I absolutely needed it. I'm glad to sometimes entertain him as well. Unthanks to the guy who ran up the work stairs two at a time after we opened the door to the stairwell. It was great watching you get up that much faster and letting the door close practically in my face. Good job your parents did raising you buddy! Thanks to Jack for passing out candy, and nicely thanking me for my praise at his recent presentation. Well played, sir. Unthanks to the guy driving in front of me in the left turn only lane, which is clearly marked (including a left turn arrow) and had people signalling left, who urgently had to turn right instead at the last second. Your di...

I re-learned some important lessons about listening last night, I don't do it enough. Fortunately there were patient people who let me yammer on a bit. Without getting into details, I think the political result of the day may surprise some people with the ultimate result. Not the immediate one, but what comes later. I didn't accomplish everything I had planned today, but I did pretty well. Who could ask for anything more?

Initially this was going to be a post about some bad drivers in traffic today, who got my goose a bit. Fortunately, life has a way of balancing out, so it's reunion night with castmates from my last show! Much fun to be had there. To quote a movie: "End of line."

My upstairs neighbors do not appear to be aware that sound propogates not just through air, but also through materials such as... windows, floors (especially here), ceilings. Young kids I understand. Always having them performing their shouting and screaming and stomping upstairs or just outside my back windows? Not so much. When I had to ask them to quiet down on New Year's (a few years ago) because I was trying to sleep? I felt bad and old, but what could I do. Now, when they make noise at every hour of the day or night... I don't feel bad at all. If anything, I have been more "patient" than I should have been. Next stop, noise complaint.

No significant plans for today. Heard from a former castmate, looks like Acme Theater will be getting some new life from a very floppy plastic knife. "Slasher" is pleased.

Just got back from seeing Brave with a friend of mine who greatly resembles the main character of the movie in appearance, as well in many of the character's good qualities. It's a terrific movie, in my opinion. Firstly, the story is excellent. It has a richness that conveys the setting, a mix of Celtic elements remembered from history with those legends which formed the backbone of the culture. The characters were believable in this setting, I never felt that they were acting outside of "the dictates of one conscience". They were likeable characters, which is not always the case, likeable with good and bad qualities as is found in reality and fiction alike. Secondly, the visuals are also excellent. This is not in a way that detracts from the story, but highlights it. There is an early scene that informs the main character's path, and is echoed in one of the closing moments of the film. This scene has a beauty of artwork that is becoming more interwoven with c...