Baby and Bear Chambers have officially tied the know. They had a beautiful ceremony in rural Walkerville, MI back on September 6th. The Chester Street Five were back together again to stand aside Baby on his special day. Bear looked stunning and Baby looked dashing as was expected. Although it is rumored that Baby & Bear have been married for a number of years, the reality is they were originally married by a riverboat ship captain, who turned out to not really be a ship captain making their marriage null & void in the eyes of the law. So they finally decided to do it on land and now by heaven and earth they are married.
It was a beautiful ceremony, location reminded me of the wedding in Robinhood: Prince of Theives. Although Sean Connery was not there, the minister "Lucky", as he is called, had equal gravitas.
Conclamo Ludus - The F Word, Sex in Space, and Monkey Thugs
August has flown by. Where did the summer go? Its almost time for another wedding. Next on the block is Baby and Bear Chambers. Technically they are renewing their vows, but they're doin' it in style. They have rented the entire town of Walkerville, MI for a weekend. All the usual hooligans will be there. No word yet on whether or not they are going to make Beam be the ring-bearer a la Meet-The-Parents.
In other news Domino now has his own website. He is working hard selling Xango and everlasting life. He passed a bottle to Madison and I a few weeks ago as a gift. It reminded me of that commercial from the "Just Say No" '80's campaign. Close-up of the drug dealer, "The first time its free, after that they have to pay." Xango is supposedly so healthy it may be dangerous. It can cure irritable bowel syndrome, rickets, jock-itch, most cancers, feelings of inadequacy, hunger, and possibly even death. If you are interested in becoming a wholesale pyramid-style distributor talk to Domino. He'll help get you started as long as you kick a couple points up to the boss.
Dr. T Berry Brazleton is hard at work in Iowa. He is still putting together one of his many side-projects with the help of his lovely wife. They are roasting coffee beans. I haven't tried any yet but I hear they've made some waves. The good Dr. has been making numerous trips down to his all ape-employed coffee plantation on an undisclosed island of the coast of Costa Rica to over-see the chimp training. The locals are starting to call it The Island of Dr. Brazleton. He's even got gorillas on horseback, Planet of The Apes style. They grow and harvest the beans and Doc pays them well. Its all Fair Trade and organic, hell most of the time the beans don't even touch "humon" hands until they reach you.
Time for the rest of the news:
Lingustics
In a new study in Linguistics, scientists have discovered that people can understand an entire film when the only word spoken is an expletive. Even if the movie is a complex plot-twisting character-driven comedy like The Big Lebowski. They edited together a version of The Big Lebowski in which the only word spoken is the ever-popular F word. Warning the following film contains lots of bad language. If you have kids nearby or are trying to watch it at work, please remember to have some manners and decency, you f-ing idiot.
Outer Space
So NASA has finally decided to take a serious look at having sex in space. Apparently it is a very complicated affair. In the Blog Transterrestrial Musings, blogger Rand Simberg shares his notes on the panel he attended on the subject. There are a number of ideas on the table to face some of the zero-g issues. My favorite line of the posting? "What happens in space, does not stay in space. People are closely monitored." They even came up with an official TLA (Three Letter Acronym) for the act ECA (Extra-Terrestrial Copulatory Activity). Science is so sexy. Check out the whole story here.
Also, if you haven't heard yet Pluto is no longer a planet. But it is still a dog. There are now only 8 planets after the International Astronomy Union destroyed it with their giant sword of semantics. Oh yes, their Death Star is fully operational.
And they found Dark Matter too! The concept of Dark Matter has been around for years but it always sounded like a scientific macguffin to explain things that scientists couldn't prove. This is big news. Its like discovering the tooth fairy creeping into your room at night.
Primatology
This is an unbeleivable story. Well its at least right up there with The Island of Doc Braz. A train company in India has essentially hired badass monkeys (langurs) to fight off the annoying monkeys who keep terrorizing the passengers. Apparently this is not unusual at all in India and they have langurs guarding other government buildings where monkeys have become a nuisance.
I bet this poor dog wishes it had some langur friends. Check out the short video below where we see a monkey bullying a dog. You can't make this stuff up. This is why I will never pay for cable television again. I'd much rather watch clips like this for free, than some commercial-laden prime-time reality-soap for $85.00 a month. Thank you internet. Enjoy:
I am a shameful blogger. It has been over six months since my last post. Pathetic! But just when you thought I was going to fade away forever. I am back again to deliver a little piece of Conclamo Ludus back into the blogosphere. Now that I have officially lost all of my audience, and all of my corporate sponserships, and huge endorsement deals. I figure now I can get a fresh start again.
Conclamo Ludus is dead now as an orginization and we have been scattered across the map. We are a but a blip in the endless stream of ones and zeroes. Our time on this planet was brief and beautiful. We were once a strong group, but we have now become individuals. We remain in contact with each other, but as a group we are rarely able to convene.
Where Are They Now? Dr. T Berry Brazleton and Rosalita De La Cruz have moved to Iowa. The good doctor has opened up a small part time practice which gives him time to spend on his true passion, installing swimming pools. Rosalita now works for NASCAR as Richard Petty's number one go-to gal. Occasionally she drives a lap or two for him with Doc Braz filling in as her spotter. We miss them dearly but a bustling metropolis like Des Moines can offer so much more than a backwoods hamlet like Grand Rapids. I'm sure they are in the right place for them. Domino Brooks and Kitty Kowalksi have become inseparable life-partners. They started out living together as friends and then nature took them over. They grew up together and their families are quite close. Kitty is finishing up Dog-Grooming school. Domino has found himself traveling quite a bit for his job. He has been busy busting drivers for not playing by the rules. He gave up on his government juice trafficking racket, but has not gotten out fo the juice game altogether. He is now working hard bringing the wonders of anti-oxidants to anybody that will listen. Xango is the new "purple stuff". Its sort of a cure-all snake-oil pyramid scam that just might save us all. He passed a bottle to Madison and I recently and we quickly drank it up. Its not the greatest tasting but it may cure anything from irritable bowel syndrome to laziness to death. Baby and Bear Chambers are closer to renewing their vows later this year. They are also looking for a house. Beam is still alive and well and still not housebroken. Baby may have found himself in a little hot water with the boys in blue again, but he always manages to get out. He may have been framed for driving while intoxicated. We aren't sure yet and the details are scarce. No doubt attorney Jack Scheffield is busy working on the case right now. We wish him the best. Mr. and Mrs. Porter Langley have officially tied the knot as of May 20th 2006. Madison and I had a nice little outdoor ceremony with all the usual suspects there. It turned out to be picture perfect for us thanks to a lot of help from our friends and family.
We bounced names around for a while: Madison Greene-Langley, Madison Greene Langley, Madison Langley Greene, Greene Langley-Madison, Madison Greene Hyphen Langley. Finally we just settled for Madison Langley. I've been working like a dog, but I can't complain too much. Life is pretty good. Madison and I have been busy working on our budgeting and personal finances so that hopefully we can buy or build a house someday and then make a family.
Research & Development
At conclamoludus R&D has always been important. Just because we aren't an institution any more doesn't mean we aren't still trolling the world for new ideas. If you would like to see what Dr. Brazleton has been brewing in his homegrown laboratory take a look at this entertaining and informative video.
We look forward to reading Dr. Brazleton's latest research on Pac-man Primatology. I'm not sure where he hired that young lady in the lab, but she is really good with that chimp!
Sports
There really is no limit to what kids can do with some rollerblades and too much time on their hands. Check out this entertaining clip of what happens when the Black Market Skating crew break into the ATL Waterpark. The music accompaniament is a playful old song remixed a bit. Have a look.
Health
Ever wonder exactly how many Red Bulls you would have to drink in one sitting to die from it? Ever wonder how close to death you were when you decided to grab that 3rd cup of coffee and your hearts beginning to race? Well thanks to Energy Fiend it is now easily for us to calculate. Check out this handy tool called simply, "Death By Caffeine."
Conclusions
I have no delusions that everyone is going to start reading the blog again since I have a history of leaving gigantic half-year gaps in the postings, but I feel like I have to share some stuff that I find.
It was just a couple weeks ago I had described the sultry voice of Lou Rawls and how stimulating his Christmas Album is. Now sadly we bring the news that Lou Rawls has died at age 72. Its far too early for this Natural Man to merge with the infinite. Lou Rawls gave us a life of sweet soulful music and worked hard to help raise money for the United Negro Collge Fund. You can read a short memorium here
I find it appropriate that this month's official chairty be the UNCF in honor of Lou. So cough up a couple of bucks for The United Negro College Fund because "A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste". Their donation page is located here. Do it for Lou.
As most of you know I recently got sent to NYC for 6 day Security Extravaganza. Myself and a couple of other co-workers including, Moe Smithee, got trained up by some of the best security wonks in the world. We were able to do a little bit of sightseeing as well. I've been meaning to get these pictures up for a while but its hard to find extra time for it especially during the holidays.
Although our training took place out in Port Chester, north of Manhattan, we were able to catch a train to Grand Central Station. They don't make buildings like this anymore. Its a shame. It is an architectural joy.
Where do you start? Times Square of course. There is no better place to hang out with a sign that says I love Carson Daly. Times Square is the mecca for People-Watching. Its a bit overwhelming even at 10:00 AM on a Sunday.
We decided to hike south from Times Square down to Ground Zero and the harbor area, stopping a long the way for souvenirs and beers. Our next stop was the NY Public Library.
You'll recognize those lions out front. This is of course the where the opening of the film Ghostbusters takes place.
We next found ourselves at the base of the Empire State Building, which of course is where King Kong met his death in 1933 when he tumbled down 102 stories after being blown away by airplanes...true story. We stopped in and had a beer at the Heartland Brewery in the basement of the ESB.
Just on the horizon was the Chrysler Building. I've always been fond of its ridiculous silver eagle gargoyles jutting out from its corners.
We meandered our way through the Village and found where the Huxtables live. Rudy was not home. We stopped in at Greenwich Brewing Co for another refreshing microbrew.
Just a little further South was the Moondance Diner where Mary Jane works. Mary Jane is Spiderman's girlfriend. Neither Mary Jane or Spiderman were there. But Moe Smithee was parked on the bench out front.
We eventually arrived at the gigantic void that is Ground Zero. They had a display up showing the timeline of the events. There were demonstrators there claiming that George Bush blew it up with bombs. They had very loud megaphones and a giant banner. Free speech is awesome. They were really mad.
After a while it was easy to tune out the crazies and listen to this guy play Amazing Grace on his flute. There were quite a few people there. Its a pretty somber place.
It still blows your mind when you think about it. This is all that is left of the building structure. I never saw it when it was there, other than in pictures, but it dwarfed most skyscrapers in New York, I couldn't even imagine it.
A big-Ass bull came barrelling down Wall Street nearly taking out this crowd of people.
We made it to the harbor just as the sun was setting. It was beautiful. We walked around the park. There were African refugees from somewhere all over the park. Each one had a big box and a stack of cloths on a cart, there must have been a hundred of them. I wasn't sure where they were from but they must have literally just gotten off a boat and this was the only place to sleep. My guess is they were Sudanese maybe, or Ethiopian. Many of them shuffled around quietly, looking very tired and confused.
We hopped on a boat for a tour of the harbor. I got to see Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty the way my grandfather got to see it when he came over from France. He was 8 years old and didn't know any English. I couldn't imagine trying to do something like that. What a journey!
She is so hot. Giant green metal french babes are awesome.
After the boat tour we took the subway back up to Times Square for the light show.
They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway. They are right. Its very bright. We just sort of sat there mesmorized before almost getting run over by a taxi.
"Just set her down right over there Atlus. Don't drop it though!"
St. Patrick's Cathedral is a great example of gothic architecture. It looked a little displaced surrounded by the art deco buildings of the Rockefeller Center.
My trip to NYC was memorable and I would love to go back again sometime. We didn't get to see much of Central Park and didn't end up in any museums this time around so there is plenty left to see. New York City really is an amazing place, one of the capital cities of the world so to speak. Everywhere you turn you see a famous landmark or place referenced in every root of American culture. It is the epitome of America's urban ingenuity for better and worse. The sheer size of it gazing out from one of the skyscrapers is immeasurable. New York city is one of the countries oldest living systems, random, chaotic, yet rich with ideas, energy, people, and possibilities. Its Pure American Concentrate, that is an explosively energetic mixture of cultures and creatures from all over the world. Its a simoultaneously inspiring and overwhelming place to visit.
The Rumor Mill
The Conclamo Ludus Christmas Special was a success last weekend. Unfortunately Madison and I had to leave a little early. Madison has such an aversion to feline company that she ceases to breathe and her brain begins to shutdown. The Brazleton's and Rockwell's cats quickly picked up on her human weakness and triangulated an attack on her respiratory system. The doctor's call it allergies, Madison calles it a living hell. We look forward to being able to entertain guests some day in an allergy free plastic bubble. Christmas is almost here which means you better be watching Christmas movies and listening to Christmas carols.
We at Conclamo Ludus highly recommend the following Christmas Movies:
Scrooged A Nightmare Before Christmas A Christmas Story Its a Wonderful Life National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Gremlins Die Hard
We also recommend the following Christmas Music:
Lou Rawl's - Christmas Is the Time - this is the sexiest christmas album you'll ever here. When you hear Lou's buttery voice singing God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, you'll be jumping for the mistletoe.
If you think of some more to add to the list drop me an email at porter.langley@gmail.com or leave a comment. To insure that we no longer get comments from spammers and advertisers and other maladjusted individuals, I have turned on a word-verification. You'll see it when you leave a comment, it asks you to type what you see in a little box, just so it knows that it is a real person leaving the comment and not a machine. Do You Hear What I Hear? Porter Langley
Conclamo Ludus Reviews: Walk The Line, Sin City, and The Ice Harvest
Its been a while since I commented on a sampling of the river of entertainment pouring through our senses. Conclamo Ludus has a long tradition of seeking out new entertainment in all of its forms. Today I present a quick review of three films that have recently caught our attention.
Walk The Line
Comparisons were quickly made between Walk The Line and Ray before the film even came out. Ray has become the de facto king of musical biopic films. It has earned its place when you look at the strength of the story, the characters, the acting, and the total package of the film. Walk The Line starts out feeling very similar to Ray, but eventually becomes a very different story. While Ray took us from cradle to grave, Walk The Line tells a more focused story. This is not the story of Johnny Cash, this is the story of Johnny and June. The film is much more about the story of Johnny's hard falls, his recovery from addiction, and the love that helped him get there. This would explain the title. This is not the movie "Cash", it is "Walk The Line". At first I was somewhat disappointed by this. I really wanted to see a few glimpses of the old has-been Johnny Cash. The Cash that nobody wanted. I wanted to see just a couple scenes of Rick Rubin's Johnny Cash. I wanted to see him flipping the bird to Nashville. I wanted to even see Hurt Johnny Cash. But I recognize that these could be entire films unto themselves.
Joaquin Phoenix does a wonderful job of portraying Cash, and there are times that you forget that it is Joaquin Phoenix, just as Jamie Foxx was able to do with Ray. When I had first heard that Reese Witherspoon was going to be June Carter Cash I couldn't picture it at all. How is Legally Blond Reese going to pull off the sassy brunette with the country-girl charm? She very quickly changed my mind and gave me a newfound respect for her.
Walk The Line is a great story and comes together in the end to be a great film. If you go into this film thinking that its going to be an epic story of Johnny Cash's entire life, you will be disappointed. However, if you go into the film wanting to see the story behind many of his most famous songs and the romance, courtship, and recovery of the man in black, then you will find it to be an exceptional story complete with the footstomping two-steps you can't help but to sing along with.
Sin City is disgusting, shocking, grotesque, and very impressive. The film is literally a comic book on the big screen. The dark noir stories of Frank Miller were originally published as graphic novels in the late 90's. With the help of Quentin Tarantino's protege and cult film-maker Robert Rodriquez, Frank Miller has brought his series of intertwined stories to the big screen. The cast spans some of the usual suspects for a film like this: Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Benicio Del Toro, as well as a few unexpected performances from Elijah Wood, Clive Owen, Jessica Alba, and Rosario Dawson. Josh Hartnett even makes a brief appearance.
The film is full of horrific events spilled before your eyes, cannibalism, dismemberment, castration, all of the things you would never want to happen to you. What's interesting is how the medium changes these frightening themes. Comic Book violence has always been more theatrical than filmic. This is pure theatrical comic book violence. Critics would argue that this is a desensitizing of this violence, to show it in such a theatrical way. I would argue that it doesn't necessarily desensitize the viewer as much as it detaches them from it. Detachment and desensitization are very different. I believe that the detachment can actually make one more sensitive to the meanings behind such occurances. The portrayal of these violent acts is more surprising than it is shocking and has a darkly humorous edge to it. What we see are highly stylized images of these acts. It takes away the shocking realism and allows the viewer to examine them at a different angle. It makes you less apt to say "Oh God, I can't watch!" and more likely to ponder what lies behind the fears of such events. What does it mean to be castrated? What does cannibalism symbolize? This is the heart of what someone would call "comic" violence. It isn't meant to be real, its meant to trigger the meaning behind it. This has been a tool of theatre since the Greeks.
Sin City is a must see for fans of graphic novels. The pages of the comics were so easily transposed to film. The editing is a feat in technical wizardry as well. Its hard to tell where the influences end with eachother. The graphic novels were so heavily influenced by the dime-store pulp novels and dark films of the 1930's and 40's, and the film is so heavily influenced now by the comic-book medium. If it was ever in doubt that these mediums could be mixed together, love it or hate it, this film proved that they were a are a match made in heaven.
From the comic mind of Harold Ramis comes a neo-noir film that attempts to merge a few different styles. Althought Conclamo Ludus has been a fan of Harold Ramis' unique sense of humor for years, Ice Harvest doesn't ever quite get there. It attempts at times to be a dark comedy, and it acheives it. At other times it attempts to be a film noir, and it acheives it. However these two things are not acheived at the same time. The cast is actors everyone knows, John Cusack, Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, Oliver Platt, and Connie Nielson. But most of the characters are slightly off from their normal roles, and I would say that none of them quite feel right in their roles besides Oliver Platt. Connie Nielson attempts to play a femme fatale, but this is not her usual character and it feels a bit forced. Billy Bob Thornton, one of the greatest actors to ever play desperate pathetic characters, plays more of a stone-cold murderous backstabbing psycho. Which once again feels forced at times. Cusack plays himself, as he does in every role. He walks off one set and onto another, film after film, and you always like him. Oliver Platt has perhaps the only breakthrough role. He plays the Falstaffian drunk best friend of Cusack. He really comes out the winner of the film. I think everyone left the theatre thinking "Who knew Oliver Platt was so hilarious?"
The movie spins and turns taking the audience through the aftermath of an embezzlement-from-the-mob-job-gone-wrong plot. It was an ardent attempt at marrying dark comedy and film noir, but it perhaps ended up more of a dimly lit chuckle. See it if the Chrismas Carols start to drive you nuts.
The holidays are upon us and I have been unable to update the site as much as I'd like. I started writing these reviews on 11/23/05, and I'm finsishing it on 12/08/05. So what's in store for Conclamo Ludus? We are currently working on a plan to have monthly meetings to discuss the ever-evolving mission of Conclamo Ludus. The meetings will begin in January 2006 and may eventually be opened up to the public. I've still got a million pictures to share from both Hurricane Wilma and my trip to NYC. I plan on putting together an in-depth feature on the hurricane in Cancun. The Conclamo Ludus Christmas Special is this Friday evening. It starts off with a gift exchange at the Brazletons and then on to a Christmas party hosted by the Rockwell's. Happy Holidays Porter Langley
Conclamo Ludus News: Walk The Line, Shining, and Domino's Day
Domino's Big Day
Where has Porter Langley gone? Abandoning his post at its most crucial hour? No! While everyone was feasting and partying and carrying on to celebrate Domino Brooks' 26th birthday party, poor Porter Langley was exiled to the confines of New York City. Here on this wretched wastland known as Manhattan he was forced to endure King Kong, ghosts in the NY Library, and dismal views of the skyline from the maelstrom known as new york harbor. Pictures will soon follow.
Okay, okay, I had a great time in the big apple. I am sorry I missed Domino's birthday celebration, but it was for a notable cause. I just got off the phone with Domino for our weekly debriefing. The 26th year old Domino Brooks has found a new lease on life since his dance with Katrina. I was just explaining to Domino about the glut of material that I have for the blog. Its always either feast or famine. When I have time to update the site I don't have any material, and when I have loads of material I don't have any time to update it. C'est la vie.
Walk The Line Friday night is the premiere release of Walk The Line. Conclamo Ludus plans on a special screening of the film starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon in the biopic film about Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. The previews for the film look exceptional. What I can't figure out is how Joaquin, famous for his slithering whiny voice as emperor Commodus in Gladiator, got his voice so deep. In the trailer he comes off as the real McCoy down to the gravel in his gut and the spit in his eye. For those attending Friday nights Conclamo Ludus premiere of the film, please remember that all black attire is required, at least for the men. Ladies come dressed in your best June Carter clothes. If you haven't caught the buzz about walk the line: Check out the film's official site here. You can view a trailer for it here. And for all your trivia and other facts check the imdb file here.
Shining As many of you know I am a very big fan of trailers. No, not the double-wide manufactured homes that shine like beacons for all the lost tornadoes out there, I am of course speaking about movie trailers. I love movie trailers. I always try to make it to the movies a little early just to catch a new dose of trailers. It has become the custom lately, at least for bad action movies, for the trailers to explain pretty much everything that happens in the movie. When you see these, you know that they are doing you a favor. Its like when you include an Executive Summary at the top of that 300 page report you typed up for your boss. The summary tells you everything you need to know so that you don't have to see the rest. Some trailers are known as teasers. Be careful of teasers. Teasers are so good at what they do that they can make any film look like the greatest thing ever. A few of my friends and I fell for this with Battlefield Earth. A film so abysmal that it has become the punchline of any joke regarding Scientology, or John Travolta. The film is often referred to Battlefield: Scientology, or Battlefield: Worst Movie Ever Made. Don't take my word for it, go out and rent it, I dare you! Anyway, the power of editing is never so apparent as it is in trailers. Here is a link for a film called "Shining". http://www.ps260.com/molly/SHINING%20FINAL.mov Most of you have seen this film before. Watch the trailer and behold the incredible power of editing. It will blow your mind.
Well Halloween is upon us. For Conclamo Ludus this is usually the most intense holiday of the year. Its our one day out of the year where we have an excuse to "Go Ape". This Halloween was drastically different. It felt like that Christmas where nobody can afford presents for each other so instead you all get together and feel greatful for one another, and for good reason.
In the days just before Halloween Conclamo Ludus was struck with 2 Epic Tragedies that nearly claimed its entire existence. The first being Hurricane Wilma, and the second being Dr. Brazleton's brutal battle with a table saw.
Wilma Vs. Cancun
Hurrican Wilma, the strongest on record, slammed into Cancun, Mexico like a 10-ton Luchador. A recently dispatched envoy from Conclamo Ludus found themselves at the mercy of the beast. The Conclamo Ludus Expeditionary Team included:
Domino Brooks, Skipper Baby Chambers, 1st Mate Junior Rockwell, Boatswain Taffy Rockwell, Ship's Doctor Bear Chambers, Lady of the Night Go Go Peterson, Gunner
The team's mission was simple. Travel to the Mayan Riviera, make contact with the locals, initiate trade and exchange of customs and traditions, and return to Grand Rapids a week before a great Halloween Party. The team had just enough provisions for the week-long excursion. They did not count on Wilma.
The ensuing story is one of great tribulation, high adventure, and swashbuckling valor. It will be told in a serial feature in the coming weeks as we begin our full-tilt rush into the holiday season.
Dr. Brazleton Vs. Table Saw
The second tragic setback in the evenings just before Halloween was the loss of the good Doctor's digits. It would appear that Doc was back at his old woodworking hobby last week. If idle hands are the devil's play-toy, then Doc Brazleton's hands are the good tools of the lord. Doc is always working on all kinds of projects, from new forms of bat-repellant, to swedish furniture. Last weekend it was cedar siding for the Father-In-Law's homestead. While ripping the lumber into siding on the table saw, one of them seemed to get away from him. The result was 3 less fingertips then he once had. The good news is they were on his left hand, the bad news is he lost the tips of his thumb, forefinger, and middle finger. You can't keep a good Ape down, so I imagine Doc will be back at it before long. In the mean time we are working on crafting a prosthetic hand. Our greatest fear though is that he may become more machine than man.
A Quiet All Hallow's Eve
We all managed to get together on Halloween and we were just so grateful that we were all alive and in one piece. It was a homecoming of sorts. There were obviously ape masks there, but no strangers, no parties, no chaos, just good friends, good pizza, and one of the greatest movies of all time, Ghostbusters.
A recreational trip to Cancun Mexico has no doubt turned into a living hell for Baby & Bear Chambers, Domino Brooks, Junior & Taffy Rockwell, and Go-Go Peterson. They are amongst the 30,000 tourists trapped in the Mexican Riviera which has been battered by 3 days of the strongest storm on record.
I have attempted cell phone contact with the crew and have gotten nowhere. According to news reports they are most likely sitting in a shelter with no electricity or running water. Rumors are flying around that they'll have to be bussed out of the Yucatan as flights will not be ready for a while.
My most immediate fear goes out to Domino Brooks. While he does pretty well in states of Martial Law, he does very poorly if not properly fed everyday. Combine this with a draught of pacifying booze, and he may turn on any and all who are with him. It will be up to Baby and Junior to contain him and keep him from creating a mass state of panic and hysteria.
The above picture hoisted from the National Hurricane Center's page about Wilma, shows the predicted path of the monstrous storm. I haven't been watching any television coverage of the storm. I'm so burnt out on Katrina. Wilma is a whole other animal though. Wilma is more personal. I have my dearest friends getting pummelled by it. I feel that instead of watching footage of the mess, it is more personal to me to just think about the situation and have my thoughts be with my friends who are probably very tired, very scared, and very hungry.
For this reason Wilma will become legendary to Conclamo Ludus. Who knows what Wilma will come to mean. Wilma may become the new Therisa, the mythic name applied to all ex-girlfriends, ex-wives, and ex-lovers. Wilma may become the new term for a hangover. That storm of a day after a vacation of partying. Wilma, once a delightful caveman wife, could now become an unforgiving indiscriminant land-slayer. A slow-moving spiritual deppression that uproots the world, batters the mind, shatters facades, and leaves the eyes flooded. Wilma is a mass of angry winds, slurping water, and punishing rains.
Wilma will no doubt leave a path etched through the very soul of Conclamo Ludus. She will pass through our lives and will become the embodiment of mysterious danger. Wilma will be the boogieman in our closets, the gargoyle o'er our heads, and the thing that goes bump in the night. I foresee the day that Domino old and gray, timeworn and ragged, but wise and jovial will sit with a bustling grandson on his knee and tell him of the time he faced "Wilma, the Evil Bitch of the Sea".
