Bouquets and Brickbats
The Eras Tour concert film by Taylor Swift brought in $92.8 million in its opening three-day weekend. The film, which captures a live concert by Taylor Swift, who grew up on a Christmas tree farm in Cumru Township, Pennsylvania before moving to Henderson, Tennessee, shook the paper-thin walls of our local cinemas, which are places where older people are supposed to be able to enjoy afternoon matinee showings of cinematic offerings like Meg II: The Trench without being blown out of their sneakers.
If you haven’t seen the original Meg, starring a giant shark whose mouth opens even wider than Taylor Swift when she is caterwauling like a bobcat impaled on a fence-pole, you are in for a treat. Next summer, we will be looking forward to Meg III: The Eras Tour, starring a 75-foot-long Taylor Swift of the deep who bloodies the waters off the coastal town of Watch Hill, Rhode …
Boundaries
Nature is fluid in nearly every expression
There is nitrogen from the ocean in the trees
Where do I stop, and you begin?
Walk along a ridgeline in summer, and waves of heat contort your view. Distant trees shimmer in the hot air separating you and them. High overhead, a hawk rides the thermals. Below, a silvery strand winds through the valley, large lazy curves of water that have found the path that is easiest, for now.
It is hot out here, exposed. Your feet catch on the uneven ground, and you kick up dust. A rock slides out from under your shoe and bounces down, down. Your feet carry you onwards. You pay good enough attention to them, but more so to the trees, and the river, and the hawks. The longer you walk, the more attention you pay to the thoughts in your own head.
In reverie, you soon realize that you are cool for the first time in a while. You are not on the ridge anymore, but in its shadow, indeed, in the valley. The stark horizon is gone, as are the waves of heat, replaced with a softness, trees muffling …
Canceled Roadside Attractions by State
Alabama — Rocky the Cracker-Eatin’ Coon – Statue of rascally-masked critter eating white people CANCELED
Alaska — Sockeye the Battlin’ Salmon – Angry mechanical fish gave black eyes to children in downtown Anchorage CANCELED
Arizona — Euthanasiaploratorium – Children’s science hall promoting death for the elderly CANCELED
Arkansas — Rodney the Razorback Hog – Giant metal hog made out of discarded razor blades CANCELED
California — Dr. Humboldt’s Magic Forest – Set amidst the splendor of America’s legendary redwood forest is a psychedelic cornucopia for mushroom-lovers of all ages to explore CANCELED
Colorado — Doc Holliday’s Wild West Dispensary – 19th century remedies like raw opium and uncut cocaine available in a period …
