Mark O’Meara: the blog

When I am paying good money for a DVD, even if I only ever buy cheap ones, I like them to have the film in the original language in there someplace and like them to be widescreen or, better still, in the original theatrical aspect.

But I am not some purist who refuses to watch the Englis dub of things. I know Nicky and I watched a thing called Russian Ark on telly which is meant to be excellent. But because the people speaking are often off camera it is nearly impossible to follow from subtitles alone. In that case an English dub would have meant I would have kept watching.

If I am feeling lazy I will watch something like Brotherhood of the Wolf in English but I do like to have the choice.

So I was a little dissapointed when I bought Jean De Florette and Manon Des Sources and the packet said English audio only. But I bought them because it is the only way I was going to see these films again in a hurry.

So I would surpised in an entirely good way when I put the first film in the machine and found it in the original French with English subtitles. And if you want you can even turn the English subtitles off (ulnlike Amelie).

Lesson for the day - not all mistakes are bad.

My media monitor sent me the following from Beat.

Local songwriter Craig Pittendrigh will be launching his new CD, Yard Salt, on Sunday July 3 at The Empress with support from Leticia Maher and Stuart Reedy. Music starts at 3pm, $5 entry.

Some of you have met Craig at open mics and things. He even used to read this blog I think (and still might for that matter). Anyhow if were interested now you know the where and when (and the what).

Lesson for the day - it is nice to have people keeping their eyes open when I don’t.

I am very envious of people who can speak another language. For a while half year I studied accelerated French but dropped out once it was explained to be that it would require “the direct intervention of the Almighty” for me to pass. This was all my doing of course, there was a hell of a lot of work and I didn’t so most of it.

At around the same time there was a slew of French films showing near uni and where I lived and I saw one or two of them. Not with any pretence to understanding the language but because they were good films.

And now, thanks to consumerism and DVDs, I have a handful of French films to watch at my leisure.

Brotherhood Of The Wolf - excellent romantic kung-foo period mystery flick. The is heaps to like about this film.

The Closet - boring man comes out as gay even though he is not to avoid being retrenched. A really entertaining and good natured film.

Amelie - an overtly chick flick you would be hard pressed not to love. Quirky and vivid.

A Very Long Engagement - from the people who made Amelie. I haven’t seen it yet but have heard good things.

Betty Blue - I remember this as being touching and dramatic. Oh, and the thirteen minutes of the couple having sex in the opening scene. And the disc is the director’s cut and says it has another hour in it. Perhaps it is more sex or perhaps just more upsetting moments.

Jean De Florette - a provincial tale of deception and family. I saw it years ago and loved it.

Manon Des Sources - follows Jean De Florette and every bit as good.

and finally a couple of French flicks I enjoyed but don’t seem to be on DVD here. Romuald et Juliette which was romantic and touching and Au Revoir Les Enfants which is sad but terrific.

Lesson for the day - another language is not much of an issue when you are talking about such good films.

I was just commenting to Nicky (who is feeling too crappy for work today) that the people who invented little tins of flavoured tuna were evil geniuses and she told me that she knew I was going to say that.

Obviously she did.

People only have so much schtick. I might have a smidge more than some people but only a smidge. I guess I perhaps have six months worth and that’s about it. Which means, on a rough estimate, that I am into my twentieth cycle of very much the same schtick as she heard in 1995.

Perhaps this is why women are more interested in sex in those early years. Perhaps it is quite difficult to find someone that kind of atractive wen you have heard everything they say before. I am not speaking for all men but personally I could hear the word “yes” for the rest of time.

And for those who are wondering I just finished my boiled rice and Thai Curry Tuna and it was really really nice.

Lesson for the day - thanks Trevor for simple pleasures and new pleasures.

Since I have a first draft in no state to publish and I have not even done the first pass of the introduction to the real version I am perhaps getting ahead of myself.

But that site that Kristen pointed out, Lulu, does seem like a good option. It is not the same as getting into bookshops but the fact is that getting a book into shops is a longshot for anyone.

Helen has offered to edit. Kristen has offered to help with layout and cover design. I was thinking of two very similar photos of me labelled Before and After.

Just some thoughts. Perhaps I should finish the introduction before I get to ahead of myself.

Lesson for the day - you can publish and be obscure also.

In case anyone is wondering I have know actually written some of this long overdue text. In the words of the former penguin I started at the very beginning with the introduction. It is not finished but I have written thirteen hundred words which sounds longer than it really is.

Using one and half spacing it is about four pages which is not too bad. And an awful lot of those words will probably be summarily deleted if I get anyone to edit this thing. Actually know that I think I am not at all sure I have written anything that shouldn’t be edited out.

But I have done something and, for now, that is better than nothing.

Lesson for the day - some days activity is a perfectly acceptable substitute for achievement.

Kristen came by to drop off a DVD and it was very nice to see her. I am not sure how long it it but it sure feels like a good while. I figured this was good social activity and could entirely reasonably take me away from writing. After all I have three hours to myself and could spare a few minutes.

And, because I talk about very little else, I mentioned Firefly. All Kristen had heard was that it got cancelled in its first season and was not very good. This was, as you would imagine, like a red bag to a bull, especially a bull who was meant to be writing.

So we sat and watched the episode Our Mrs Reynolds which was crackingly good. At least I thought so and I think Kristen enjoyed it or at least didn’t feel like arguing with me about it being otherwise.

So now I am actually going to write for twenty minutes.

Lesson for the day - a quality DVD collecton can be very distracting.

I worked out what was wrong with the feed for my podcast and it is all fixed now. The short version is that I was pointing to one feed when I should have been pointing to another.

So for anyone who might like to subscribe here is the feed.

http://www.markomeara.net/podcast/index.xml

In iTunes it is not super-clear how to subscribe to feeds that are not in their directory (like mine). Just have the browser open with the link visible and drag that link into the iTunes Podcasting Window. That might not make sense reading it but it does work.

Lesson for the day - I might not be stupid but I am not so clever as I wish.

I have three weeks until I g back to Uni again. I expect to be pretty busy back at Uni with a bunch of assignments I will do badly and two lots of school experience I plan to do well. And in those three weeks Finn has childcare three of the days Nicky is at work.

So I am going to write Only You Can Stay The Same once more. Rather than a revision this will be a rewrite. I will certainly read the original and use it as a base. But rather than edit that text I am going to type this from scratch.

My intention is the create something that could actually be published. Not hundreds of thousands of words but perhaps five or ten thousand. I figure a book like this doesn’t need to be long. Actually given the message it should be short and hopefully enjoyable.

So far this is what I have written.

Only You Can Stay The Same
The self-help guide for people who don’t want to change.
By Mark S. O’Meara

I am going to need to write more of course. It’s a good thing I have those nine days at home by myself.

Lesson for the day - it feels more like beginning if you tell someone you are beginning.

I am not all that interested in cars although I do like it if they will work continuously for a few weeks. And while I cannot testify to the reliability of the car above, a Daihatsu Copen, I did see one on the road today and it was cute as a button. If I happened to have thirty grand idle I would certainly keep such a thing in mind.

I am not due for my midlife crisis for another ten years (my current mental meltdown is something different) but perhaps but then I will be able to afford something this cute to help my fail male ego.

Lesson for the day - cute goes along way, even with a 40 litre tank.