Wuxi Tony Update #316: the last WTU for a week.

My son Tony and my wife Jenny are in Beixing, my wife's hometown, right now. They took a four p.m. bus home. I help send them off. I stared at Tony and Jenny as they sat in the bus waiting for it to depart. Much as I chafe against the restrictions that being a husband and father require, I wished my wife and son would return tomorrow. Now, I have to keep myself occupied. I want to instill some discipline in myself, I don't want this freedom to cause me to go to seed. Wife and children keep one from going to seed.

Here is a video I took of Tony this morning. Pardon my French to those who decide to watch it.

Wuxi Tony Update #316: Tony gets his pants dirty. @ Yahoo! Video

This will be the last video of Tony you will see for a week. I can be thankful that my wife changed her mind and didn't decide to stay in Beixing for two weeks.

An ominous occurence in Tony's development: Tony, not happy at being forbidden something decided to physically go after the authority. Not letting Tony take something from the drawer, I picked him up, and he slapped and grabbed at my face.

I will spend my free time watching DVDs. I have just finished watching The Wrestler starring Mickey Rourke. I figured I should watch something from the current cinema. Seeing Rourke's crazy acceptance speech at some awards ceremony where he was named the best actor for his role in the Wrestler caused me to buy the DVD. Seeing the acceptance speech and then watching the film, I wonder if Rourke was just being himself in the film. Scenes taken of him working in a supermarket could just have easily have been him working in a supermarket for a late night t.v. show. Of course, Rourke must have beefed up for the film. But, Rourke is a charming guy who lets people down. He is a walking, charming disaster. From what I have heard of his film career, that seems to be the kind of guy Rourke is. And that is the character he portrays in the film. A wrestler with a brief moment of brilliance turned wash-out because he can't stay responsible. Right after a touching reunion scene with a daughter he had abandoned, he is shown doing something nasty with a young groupie.

The previous DVD I watched was of the the film Top Hat starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The contrast between the Wrestler and Top Hat needless to say is huge. But I think I can come up with a parralel from the two films. Astaire and Rourke both have great screen presence. But Astaire can not only act, he can sing and dance. Rourke does a brief sing and dance to a 1980s heavy metal song in the Wrestler that is nothing special except for the observation the character makes. According to the Rourke character, eighties music was great because it was about having a good time. Cobain, Rourke's character continues, ruined this feeling. I have a similar observation to make about movies. Older films like Top Hat were escapist and fun. Many current films like the Wrestler aren't at all escapist but big downers. Rourke's wrestler character decides that a job at the Supermarket isn't good enough for him and it is better to risk a heart attack in the ring just one last time...

I have made mention in my vidoes, but I haven't yet in type till now: Happy Birthday to my mother Aina in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada.