A little of everything for a CrabAppleLane Saturday

I bought Circle of Friends a few years ago on Walmart’s “2 for $11” rack. We’ve watched it three or four times since. It’s a favorite. It is set in Ireland and the scenery is just gorgeous. Minnie Driver is just fantastic in it as is Geraldine O’Rawe. See it if you can. Quite wonderful. There’s something in this film that I wonder about, though. Colin Firth plays a caddish “Protestant land owner”, who refers to the others in the film, all Catholic, as “you people”. His family fortune has dwindled, probably because of their idleness and extravagance, and he is expected to marry for money. How exactly does that work between families? At what point does the needy family ask for money to fix their roof or pay their back taxes? How did that custom ever work?

By the way, Roger Ebert is an idiot. His reviews are so rife with inaccuracies that I wonder what he does when he’s at the movies. Don’t believe me? The next time you watch a movie, go read his review of it while it’s still fresh in your mind. Whether you agree with his review or not doesn’t matter. I read his review of Circle of Friends last night. In it, he quotes from the film: "Young man in confession: "I've had impure thoughts, father." Priest: "Did you entertain them?"". The person who said "I've had impure thoughts, father." was not a young man. It was Minnie Driver, the star of the movie, who is decidedly NOT a young man. I’m not that much of a stickler for detail but how on Earth can he get that wrong?

So I was pulling into the drive-through at Burger King yesterday because I was a little pressed for time and I was flagged down by a man waving an empty coolant container.

Him: “I’m so embarrassed, Mister, but I ran out of gas and I’m broke. Could you give me 3 or 4 dollars for gasoline so I can get home?”.

Me (Very hesitant): “Where do you live?”

Him: “Kenner” - (I grew up in Kenner. $3 or $4 will buy enough gasoline to get him home from the Burger King where we were so I told him to meet me on the other side of the drive-through but I don’t mind saying that I do not like being accosted like that.)

I had about $8 but I needed something to eat and prices and menus at BK change daily in post-Katrina New Orleans. They take credit/debit cards but I will never hand anyone my credit card in a drive-through. I ordered and had about $4 in change left. When I got to the window, my order wasn’t ready. The attendant asked me to pull around and she’d bring it to me. If I don’t, no one else can get through. It’s a single lane drive-through with BK to my left and a tall wooden fence to my right. When I pulled around, there was my assailant. I decided to give him $3 and then I started looking for a place to wait. The parking lot was full so I just drove around for a good 10 minutes waiting on my order. My friend put his container down and went in to BK. When my order came out, my friend came out right behind her with his order. I guess he needed a different kind of fuel. Would have given him $4 had I known that he was just hungry. I’m not really a soft touch in these instances. Sometimes, I do. Sometimes, I don’t. It usually depends on their approach. This guy did it all wrong and I think I regret indulging him. If I hadn’t, though, who would have? The young mother in the mini-van with four kids behind me? The elderly couple behind them?

The CrabAppleLane March Madness Pool continues today and I rejoice that my entries still have a chance.

All eyes on the LSU-Texas basketball game this afternoon. Texas is the defending National Champion in baseball AND football and would like to add the basketball trophy. They’ve got a decent chance to do it but I hope they go no further. Sorry, Kim.

Quote of the Day

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I look like the prow of a ship!

Bennie Hogan, Circle of Friends

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "We see her pack some CDs and some framed pictures, but when she finally leaves, she's carrying only one box. I see this one-box packing a lot in movies and television, and I gotta say it's completely unrealistic for me."