Crash
This movie was about cars. Or racism. Or some combination thereof. It was good, I guess, if not particularly thought provoking. On the plus side, it was obviously worth more of my money than any movie I've seen in the theater in almost 9 months. In the interest of full disclosure, that list runs as follows: Kingdom of Heaven, Star Wars Episode 3. This movie was too artful by half. More than half, even. But you should see it, I suppose. Or don't. Suit yourself.


Cafe Solé
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
2929 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, 94705
510.843.5536
I should have been upset when my waitress told me that they had no homemade meatloaf with which to make the meatloaf sandwich I requested. As one of only two patrons in the restaurant at 7PM on a Thursday (and the proximate cause of the presence of that one other patron), I find it hard to believe that they had run out of meatloaf. The more that I think about it, either the waitress was lying to me or the menu that offered me a 'homemade meatloaf sandwich' was. And the Reuben that I did get served was approximately 75% Thousand Island dressing.

Still, I find it hard to be angry at you, Cafe Solé. Perhaps it's because I feel sorry for you, what with your restaurant lying empty at dinner time and your menu containing approximately 10,000 items from at least 3 continents, all of which will be prepared on the same grill. And the ambiance was pleasant, even if I did see the same lonely tumbleweed blow by our table three times during the meal. As far as the food goes, Dirtina pronounced her noodle bowl "satisfactory". The lemonade was great, which means odds are good I will find my way back here. My food was good, I think.

As a caveat to this review, I must tell you that I can't be sure how my food was, because I only ended up at Cafe Solé because I was tired of walking and ready to gnaw my own arm off. I was about 5-10 minutes from getting in a hunger- and fatigue-induced fight with my date, and decided to head the nearly-inevitable "What do you want?" "No, what do you want?" fight off at the pass by trying to mind-read Dirtina on whether she would prefer to eat some anonymous Taquería or at Solé, which was right next door and then sticking to my guns. So by the time I ate, I was so happy just to be eating that I was in no shape to pass judgment on much of anything.


The 'Operation: Iraqi Freedom' t-shirt I saw on some guy at the airport
I am all about self-expression and the open wearing of controversial and/or politically charged apparel. For other people, that is. But the knight/crusader figure on the back of his shirt reminded me vaguely of Captain America in chainmail. Also, I'm not sure what message the phrase "It's time to fight fire with fire" scrawled across your shoulder-blades in fire and stone was supposed to convey. But regardless of the content, this shirt reminded me of nothing more than a comic book. If you want to support the war in Iraq, good for you. I fully support your right to do so. If you want to tell everyone else about that support, you should feel free to go right ahead. But it does worry me to think that, to some of its supporters anyway, our invasion war thinly disguised imperialist project state building exercise liberation themed military action/fashion show involvement in Iraq is no more serious than a comic book. Somewhere, Bucky is crying.

United Airlines
Some words you might not like to hear from the pilot of an hour-plus late airplane to which you are currently strapped: "...and soon we'll be out of the gate like a herd of turtles." I am all for treating flight delays with a philosophical attitude, but goofy glasses and gallows humor will do nothing but put a band-aid on the fact that flying these days sucks all the joy out of life. Still, I cannot blame United Airlines for this. I can, however, blame them for the fact that their snacks stink. What's wrong with regular old pretzels, United Airlines? Huh? You too good for pretzels, you pretzel-hating masonic fascist carpetbaggers?