The Hyperion Chronicles

#50 Potpourri, Volume IV

The other day I was flipping through the channels, and I stopped on “You’ve Got Mail” a film with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, about two people who meet on the Internet. I remember seeing it with my mother to make her happy; the movie just screams “Chick Flick!” Anyway, there were not any sports on, so a couple more times through the channels, and I ended up watching it again. Wouldn’t you know it, they get to the sentimental and somewhat sappy ending, and I am crying! You know your emotions are on edge when you find yourself crying at a movie you have already seen, on a Saturday, in the middle of the afternoon. Then again, how many of you have found yourself overemotional at some syrupy movie? Come on, raise your hands! I don’t want to be the only one!

June 23 was my parents’ 28^th anniversary. I was pondering that, and it occurred to me (because I hadn’t thought it through yet) that my parents had been married longer than I was alive. When I thought about it, I laughed. I don’t know what I’m more impressed with, that they have been married 28 years, or that they first dated for four years without any fear of having children, if you can read between the subtle lines. Either way, I am in awe.

About the same time, we also passed the longest day of the year. From now on, the days will get shorter and shorter until late in December. For some reason, I am always a little sad on this day. It seems like the world has worked so hard to get here; each day turning out a little more daylight, and then it is gone. Sort of like the day after Christmas, when you know it will take 364 days to get back to this point. Then again, maybe with all this sentimentality, I am turning into a woman…

It is fashionable these days to make fun of teen groups like the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. Get a life, people. These groups are no different from the early Beatles. Before you send me flaming email, think about it. It was not until later in their careers that the Beatles came up with songs with deep lyrics. When the Beatles first came over to America, they sang songs like “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” and “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Help”. These are great songs, but they are just pop songs, the same as the current groups are putting out. I am not saying NSYNC will turn into the Beatles, but give them a break. At least they do not all dress the same and have the same haircut…

I am gearing up to write a column on all the summer movies, but in the meantime, there are many good rentals out there. I recently tried to winnow down just the best movies of the 90s. This proved to be very hard. However, I was able to place the top three, and then the next ten, in my opinion, of course. If you are a movie fan, try one of these, and let me know if I have steered you wrong.

The Best Three

Schindler’s List

Saving Private Ryan

Pulp Fiction

The Next Ten

American Beauty

The English Patient

L.A. Confidential

The Piano

The Player

Sense and Sensibility

The Shawshank Redemption

Titanic

The Usual Suspects

Have you every wondered what a “spot” of tea was? I have heard English people say this, and I always wondered exactly how much tea comprised a spot. Then again, my father used to send me to Taco Bell for a “Slug” of tacos, and I never figured out what the hell he was talking about.

I noticed that New York has banned talking on a cell phone while driving. Part of me cringes at the infringement of personal freedom, and part of me wants to cheer, for who hasn’t been almost run down by some maniac talking obliviously on the phone? I realize that the majority of phone users are safe, and it is the bad example of a few that gives the practice a bad name. However, cell phones go further than that. It seems every time I am at a movie these days, someone gets a call. The same thing happens often in a restaurant, when I am trying to hold a quiet conversation with friends. I don’t want to impede anyone’s right to talk, but it seems that often the cell phone users don’t care a whit about the people around them. I predict that one day using a cell phone will be like smoking; there will be a certain area where all the phoners go to do their calling, and the crowd will avoid them with distaste. That is, of course, until they put computer chips in our head, and then we will not need phones anymore.

On that note, I am outta here

Hyperion
June 27, 2001

Author’s note: soon I will be writing a column of words that do not exist now, but should. If you have any entries, send them to me, and I will include them, if they are worthy.