George Will's op/ed piece in today's NY Post listed absurd reasons to be thankful this holiday season. This was the one I enjoyed most: "A market-research firm found that people who buy the $43,000 Chevy Volt (seats four in space not taken by its 400-pound battery) or the $34,500 Nissan Leaf, and who get a $7,500 government bribe (aka tax credit) for doing so, have average annual incomes of $150,000, and half of the buyers own at least two other vehicles." It's just more proof of who the real enemy is. Is there anything more absurd than the American government?
It is believed humans use only 20% of the capacity of the brain. What if there were a pill that allowed the usage of 100%? This is the premise of Limitless (2011), which I caught up to last night courtesy of Netflix. I went in with low expectations, as the reviews upon its release were tepid. Since I find the idea so fascinating, I decided to give it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised. Based on the novel The Dark Fields by Alan Glynn, who co-wrote the screen play with Leslie Dixon (Mrs. Doubtfire), the story was kept simple and logical. Neil Burger (The Illusionist) directed. Bradley Cooper was fine as the lead. Robert DeNiro played a powerful mogul. He was okay. It seems he will never again approach the heights he did in Raging Bull, The Deer Hunter, Goodfellas and The Godfather Part II. Anyway, on a scale of five, I rate Limitless three-and-a-half.
I set up shop in Park Slope today and had a bit of luck, selling The Great Pianists and a children's version of Oliver Twist to a woman who teaches English to immigrants. A gentleman purchased a book on power and influence, and another bought a beautiful pictorial on New York, both from Abdul's donation yesterday. And I sold A Hitch in Twilight to Judy, who was decked out in a Jets sweat shirt, pessimistic about her team's chances of making the playoffs let alone the Super Bowl. Since she is such a big football fan, I expected her to take Adjustments, but she changed her mind at the last minute. Regardless, thanks, ma'am.
Live 365 is currently playing Joanie Summers' Johnny Get Angry, a bouncy pop song whose break is dominated by kazoos! It also contains a lyric that would be frowned upon these days: "I want a brave man/ I want a cave man...." It's a different world than the one I grew up in.
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