They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. For as some were thus employed in affairs abroad, others were exercised in fishing, about cod and bass and other fish, of which they took good store, of which every family had their portion. All the summer there was no want; and now began to come in store of fowl, as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they can be used (but afterward decreased by degrees). And besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc. Besides, they had about a peck a meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to the proportion. Which made many afterwards write so largely of their plenty here to their friends in England, which were not feigned but true reports.
William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation (1620-1647)
Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruits of our labor. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which we brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty
Edward Winslow, Mort's Relation (1620-1621)
5 comments:
Help please! I have a trial in Morphonious and a bond hearing before Goodheart. The bond will be lowered to 20K (wink wink a done deal if you know what I mean). Any help on coverage?
The great brining debate begins! NY Times says "DON'T BRINE"
Rump say brine.
Who is right (write)?
From our dear stylish and handsome South Beach lawyer couturier ... a reminder to get to The Bal Harbour Shoppes EARLY on Friday.
Zegna and Van Cleef and Arpels are knocking 2% off of last years wares. Perhaps pick up an 18 karat charm bracelet for the love of your life or a classy rep tie to wear to your next calendar call?
Best bet? Park near where the old Church by the Sea. If no one is watching, use the handicapped spot with your deceased mom’s placard that hasn’t yet expired. It’s better to park in those wide spots so the Porsche doesn’t get dings on the door. Right?
9:48----Put a certain bail bondsman in a certain seat in the courtroom and get a bond for a reasonable premium.....
At the Cinema
By Fake Freddy Moldovan
“We’ve been here before” my fellow cinema attendees seem to say as they settle into their reclining seats to view “Knives Out” Rian Johnson’s ensemble “who-dun-it”. Maybe we have, and then again, maybe we have not.
Which disgruntled family member killed patriarch-writer Harlan Thrombery (Christopher Plummer) in his twisty-turney mansion at the end of his 85th Birthday party when he is discovered with his throat gashed open? One of his disgruntled and recently disinherited children? One of their dysfunctional children? Did the butler do it ??? Except in this story the butler is played by ingenue Ana de Armas, the coquettish nurse who, by the time the movie is over, is from every country in Central and South America.
First the clumsy part- the introduction of “famed” private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), Johnson’s Hercule Poitrot. Blanc appears instantaneously, inexplicably assisting a couple of inept local detectives, one of which is inexplicably identified as a state trooper. Why is a traffic ticket writer assigned to a death? It’s never explained and it doesn’t matter.
The real question in this movie is not who did it, but what Craig and Johnson are doing with us? Do they think we are buying Craig’s putative southern gentleman accent and are cringing, or is the joke on us? There is everything but Craig breaking the fourth wall ala Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cops and pausing to wink at us.
Eventually the will is read (did you think you were going to escape that tired old ploy?) the family gasps, and then the movie takes off in earnest. “Cui Bono” we ask in our criminal cases and in our murder mysteries. Craig/Blanc stops pinging one note on the piano, and in the penultimate and ultimate scenes Craig ala Poirot ala Ms. Marple ala Holmes explains all. Don’t bother trying- you won’t be able to do it and Johnson doesn’t give you chance. It’s all a wink and nod- you pay for your ducat and some Snocaps and he takes you for a two hour ride (there’s even a mild car chase). But even when the killer is unmasked- then as the infomercial says-“wait there’s more!”.
Because in the end is it about life and morality and catching a killer… or in the end is it about the money? And this is where Rian Johnson wants to take us. Not to Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur C Doyle, but to Akira Kurosawa Ingmar Bergman. Johnson has his popular vox popoli hits behind him- Star Wars and the like. Now he’s writing and directing for something bigger.
Johnson wants his Seven Samurai, and Knives Out is his first attempt.
The question at the end of this two-hour romp is not who did it? Intelligent viewers will leave the theater pondering what Knives Out will do to the genre? As Seven Samurai begot the Magnificent Seven, what will Knives Out beget?
In Cinema Veritas… and next time the popcorn is on me.
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