Slarty's World

On the way home from a spirited card game, I stopped at McDonald’s to get a double cheeseburger and medium fry (both on the $1 menu). Whenever I go to McDonald’s, I have conflicting feelings about the people that work there. On the one hand, I have the typical view about how you have to be at the end-of-the-rope to take a job at McDonald’s. On the other hand, I really admire the people that work there. They must get decent benefits and they probably have a good work ethic. Everyone has to work, that is why the glass is half empty.

On a side note, I am watching vintage Letterman and Joe Jackson is on as a musical guest. You might know of Joe, he scored the Francis Ford Coppola movie Tucker. Anyway, his live act on this show is absolutely horrible. The band looks like a bunch of 80s freaks that resemble a band member of Depeche Mode crossed with the dorky DJ kid from 90210. The only redeeming aspect is that they had one of those keyboard players that plays a tiny keyboard that sort of looks like a guitar and they had an electric sitar player. (If you followed that, you ARE amazing and probably deserve more money that you are making now)

On a second side note, these old Letterman shows seem much better than the current ones. He has a special effects guy on doing stupid, but entertaining, movie magic, such as exploding cottage cheese or bratwursts. They are now blowing up a GE Boom box. (It makes no sense that this is movie magic, but that is how it was hyped in the intro.) The point is, that it seems like Dave rarely gets out from behind his desk anymore.

Tomorrow night at 8PM on TNT (I think) there will be an airing of the movie Waterworld. The classic movie bust starring Kevin Costner, which I have not seen it since it appeared in theaters. I remember being slightly disappointed, although not surprised, because I had felt the street-vibe about the movie. Puzzlingly, after learning about the TV airing, I find myself wanting to watch the show. Dennis Hopper is in it and I thought to myself, “Hmph, don’t remember him in it, must have been better than I remember.” It takes a genius to make a movie so that it is a spectacular flop when it originally airs, but 15 year later people will still go out of their way to watch it on the TV.

Humans relate at all different levels. Today, as I left for work, I was leaving my garage behind a pearl Audi A4. I happen to know the person that drives it, I don’t know here name, I have probably said a total of 10 different words to her. That being said we know each other. When we got out of the garage and onto the street, we exchanged glances, smiles, and a quick wave. It is one of those relationships that is based on eye contact. When she drives by while I am walking, she will smile or wave; if we meet in the mail room of my apartment building, we exchange hellos. That is it, there is no need for conversations or complications. It is one of those comforting things about home, familiarity, yet anonymity, with your neighbors.

Labor Day seems to have different meanings to different people. For lake country folk, it often is the last weekend up at the cabin, for school kids, it is the last day of freedom. I spent a few hours in a small pub in northern Minnesota on Labor Day and experienced why it is special to one of our proud drunken citizens.

While playing Ms Pac Man (the fast one), I overheard an obviously drunk man calling his kids on his cell phone. He made at least 3 different calls (presumably to 3 different mothers) while I was playing the game. To each kid, he told them to behave in school, asked if the kid’s mom had used the money he sent to buy school supplies, and assured them that he would buy them anything else they needed, no matter the price. Lastly, he told the kid to listen to their mothers. How touching.