Friday, October 27, 2017

Rewatched "Breaking Bad"

I recently rewatched “Breaking Bad,” looking for overlooked, thought-provoking items. You may have seen and noted these things before, but I was noticing them for the first time. In particular, I was looking at symbols as they relate to architecture and filming locations.

Earlier this year, traveling with Nick and Deanna Gerlich, I talked to a fellow who lives out at To’hajiilee. He pointed out that there is a kind of fragile, natural, Picasso-like rendition of a face in the stone there. The face looks like an Easter Island head. Sure enough, the film crew used the stone face in the first two episodes – face-on, and in profile. Easter Island heads are sometimes said to symbolize rebirth, and that seems to be how it’s used here. The crew uses Easter Island head symbolism later on, in episode ‘Mas’. When seen from above, the parking islands in Saul’s parking lot look like Easter Island heads. (Several of these parking islands have been removed recently, so this feature is endangered on-site.)

People have noted that Walt teaches at J.P. Wynne High School, and that Vince Gilligan attended J.P. Wynne Campus School in Farmville, VA, when he was young. What I didn’t realize is that Jacob Pinkman, Jesse’s little brother, attends L.C. Byrd Magnet School. Lloyd C. Bird High School is a public high school in Chesterfield, Virginia – where Vince Gilligan attended high school.

People have noted that Walt adopts the manners of the people he kills: for example, cutting crusts off bread like Krazy-8, or folding a towel on which to rest his knees at the toilet, like Gus. What’s less evident is that Hank does likewise. For example, in the Southern style, Tuco has a bottle tree, with hanging bottles, at his country crib. Later, in episode ‘Breakage,’ Hank adopts the bottle tree, but in its alternative design, as his bottle-drying rack in his garage where he makes Schraderbrau. Similarly in episode ‘Green Light,’ Hank is wearing a floral shirt, featuring what appears to be similar flowers as Jesse plants at his recovery resort.

Gentle arches usually appear to be associated with negotiations between a man, and a woman who holds some power or authority. Examples include the arch of the White marital bed headboard, the arch above the head of the clerk at Oncology Associates, above the discussion leader at the cancer therapy group, the arch above the sofa where Skyler rips up Ted Beneke’s $617,000 check, and the TV dinner/video game portable table Jesse gets for his living room once he starts going out with Andrea. My favorite examples are the gentle arches above the entrance to the Crossroads Motel office (the Crystal Palace), and on the rear pockets of Wendy’s blue-jean hot pants.

Standard arches and square arches are used heavily throughout the series.

Certain toys appear repeatedly through the series. Small renditions of horses appear several times: on Tortuga’s shirt, one of Holly’s toys, on the desk at Vamonos Pest, on the table in the White home back yard, and in feathered full gallop on the wall at the Schraders. The writer of the song “Horse With No Name” (‘Caballo sin Nombre’) has expressed the idea that, to him, the horse represents freedom, and that seems to be how horses are used here.

Primate representations appear too: most-notably, Curious George, when Andrea is killed (‘Granite State’). People have found Curious George stories to be disturbing. The antics of Curious George are always corralled by the controlling Yellow Man. (A yellow hazmat-suited Walt?) Saul alludes to Walt’s twin, hazmat-suit mate Jesse, as the rabid dog Old Yeller. As if to warn, the toy car in motion outside Hank and Marie’s house when Walt confronts Hank and warns “tread lightly,” is a bright yellow warning color (‘Buried’).

Tio’s bell first appears in Season 2, and its distinct chime is used several times; for example, for the microwave at Jesse and Jane’s and when Lydia first appears at Loyola’s (‘Madrigal’).

Bells as important visual elements really take off after the middle of Season 3, perhaps symbolizing death or poison. There are several kinds of bell shapes: standard bells, wine-glass bells (in the manner of Lily of the Valley flowers), and cones.

Bell shapes get embedded in desk lamps. Prior to the episode ‘I See You,’ bell-like desk lamps are limited to DEA offices, and even when present on-site (for example, on Jake Pinkman’s desk when Jesse comes to visit), are actively-excluded from the frame. After ‘I See You,’ (the first episode helmed by Set Dresser Michael Flowers) desk lamps are everywhere.

The All-Seeing Eye makes numerous appearances.

Ladders are used several times, and may indicate a siege mentality. Rooms in New Mexico Pueblos, particularly ancient Pueblos, can only be had via rooftop ladders. The Staycation hotel room in the episode ‘Rabid Dog’ features several pictures of precipitous New Mexico mesa edges. Spanish sieges of Puebloan mesa tops occurred all-too-often in New Mexico history: e.g. the Battle of Acoma, or the Battle of Astialakwa in the Jemez Valley.

Twin symbolism occurs several times in Seasons 5a and 5b, as twin mirrors (Live Free or Die), as twin pillars (‘Say My Name’; ‘Buried’), and as twin voids (windows and doors; ‘Felina’). In Navajo foundational mythology, the Twins fight monsters. Other references to New Mexico’s ancient history (the Turquoise Trail) are present too.

Five-pointed stars are very common and are often associated with drugs, but whether they symbolize drugs is unclear. Other associations (e.g., caretaking) may be intended instead. Five-pointed stars can be found, for example on Gretchen’s shirt (‘Bag’s in the River’), Flynn’s PT Cruiser birthday balloons (‘Salud’), and Andrea’s kitchen curtains (‘To’hajiilee’).

Key visual elements are often placed on arches. People often remark about Breaking Bad’s novel penchant for placing the point-of-view near the floor, but they don’t notice the practicality of the viewpoint: that’s often the only way to capture the action as well as the arch - the key target of the camera!

There are far more foreshadowing Pueblo Deco arches than even I suspected. What surprised me most was noting the odd step-up on the metal walkway in the Superlab, prior to descending the spiral staircase. That step-up is not a practical element - it’s only purpose is visual, as a foreshadowing Pueblo Deco arch when seen from below.

The background is a symbolic Catholic riot, full of Marian symbolism, most notably, with several apparitions of Our Lady Guadalupe, usually featuring Jane, starting with episode ‘Breakage.’ Vince Gilligan uses sleight-of-hand to make it harder for the audience to observe and note the Virgin’s first appearance (when Jesse first drives up looking for a place to rent). I’m trying to make these associations now. In the canonical story, the Virgin appears five times - four times to the humble peasant Juan Diego (Jesse Pinkman), and once to his sick uncle (Walt). The final Marian appearance may be as a stuffed toy in episode ‘Half Measures.’

There is more … so much more! For example, in episode ‘Phoenix,’ in contrast to the canonical story, where Juan Diego wears the tilma (the overcoat) and bears the Castilian roses of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Jane herself does the honors.

Monday, October 23, 2017

Sorry For Light Posting

I've been rewatching Breaking Bad, and seeing lots of stuff I missed before.

"It's About Time" - DMTC - October 21, 2017

The last time "It's About Time" played at DMTC was in 2004. I'm hoping they perform annually henceforth.








Leah Frazier vocalist (who will be featured as Simon Zealotes in DMTC's "Jesus Christ Superstar", opening November 4th).





Imagine Dragon's "It's Time" - October 4, 2017, Golden One Arena, Sacramento, CA

Here's a video from the cheap seats at the October 4th concert at Sacramento's Golden One Arena. Imagine Dragons sing "It's Time". What a great anthem!



Imagine Dragons – It's Time

"It's Time" as written by Daniel Coulter Reynolds, Benjamin Arthur Mckee and Daniel Wayne Sermon....

So this is what you meant
When you said that you were spent
And now it's time to build from the bottom of the pit, right to the top
Don't hold back
Packing my bags and giving the Academy a rain check

I don't ever want to let you down
I don't ever want to leave this town
Cause after all
This city never sleeps at night

It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
I'm never changing who I am

So this is where you fell
And I am left to sell
The path to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell right to the top
Don't look back
Turning to rags and giving the commodities a rain check

I don't ever want to let you down
I don't ever want to leave this town
Cause after all
This city never sleeps at night

It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
I'm never changing who I am

It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
I'm never changing who I am

This road never looked so lonely
This house doesn't burn down slowly
To ashes
To ashes

It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
I'm never changing who I am

It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
I'm never changing who I am

Harness Race Qualifiers - Cal Expo - October 21, 2017


Leighton Worthey was in town announcing horse races at Cal Expo - specifically harness racing qualifiers - so he invited me to Cal Expo to watch. Leighton was busy, however, in his booth high up above the grandstands. There were few people at Cal Expo, and even fewer horses. Indeed, I was initially turned away at the door, since the doorkeeper didn't realize qualifiers had started. There was no betting for these races, although I wondered about the televised races from around the country I could see on various TV sets. I was left to wander the mostly-empty facility.


Cal Expo is apparently a Red Cross evacuation site for the fires in the Napa/Santa Rosa/Sonoma area. Interestingly, this is the first time in my life I've ever seen the Red Cross mobilize for anything except for fundraising.




























Sunday, October 22, 2017

Grouplove's "Tongue-tied" - October 4, 2017, Golden One Arena, Sacramento, CA

Here's a video from the cheap seats at the October 4th concert at Sacramento's Golden One Arena. Grouplove sings "Tongue-tied", but my attention was mostly on the teen girls right in front of me. They came late, missed K. Flay, and danced the entire time. I had to move to empty seats nearby to see the show. I was amused the girls knew a lot of Grouplove's songs, and sang "Tongue-tied" entirely from memory.

A Picture of Former Coworker, Wei Liu

Did I Swallow A Placker?

I suppose it was inevitable - that it would have happened one of these nights. In my sleep, I swallowed a disposable, Placker ‘Grind No More’ teeth night guard. It went down smoothly enough, but there’s a whole system there....

Here’s what they look like. Pretty flexible in the middle (but flexible enough?). I’ve been trying to make myself puke. No luck, so far. Heading to the pharmacy to get some ipecac.

Maybe I’m psyching myself out. I just found one in the bed sheets. Ever so slightly moist. Is it the right one? I have about half a dozen floating around. Finding one in the bed is a good sign, but no guarantee. Maybe it’s all a dream? Maybe I’ll go to the pharmacy anyway. Puking is the best.

They don’t carry ipecac at Rite-Aid or Walgreens. Seems odd; they carry greeting cards, but not this health related thing. A woman there recommended salt water - it worked on her child - so I drank some, but I don’t have the will to drink enough to violently hurl - just gag. So, given that I’m not even sure what happened maybe I’ll just wait.

Sleep for most people is restful, but for me it’s a very dynamic process.

I showed one to Elaine, a retired doctor. Her opinion was, if I actually swallowed one, that since it had no sharp edges, it should go through just fine.

I usually have at least 2 in my mouth when I sleep, since I grind teeth. I started gagging in my sleep: it’s possible one got out of place. I thought I felt something in my throat, but it could have been a bit of late night hamburger instead. So, who knows? Actually, I will know, in a day or two.

Blade Runner 2049

I saw Blade Runner 2049. I couldn't follow it that well. Like some critics have noted, if you are old enough to remember the original Blade Runner, you've forgotten the premise, and if you are young, you never knew the premise in the first place. Nevertheless, I could sense some interesting stuff brewing there. If a replicant has manufactured memories, how can a replicant tell what is true? Humans have crappy memories too. Whose memories are better, human or replicant? Are replicants human? Does the distinction matter? All valid questions, as Trumpified Breitbart media reduces Americans to a kind of replicant status.

RIP, Al Hurricane

He defined an entire era of New Mexico!

A Timepiece from Albuquerque

I’ve been sitting inside my room rewatching all 54 episodes of Breaking Bad, cataloging symbols, and getting paranoid. A package arrived from Albuquerque several days ago, a gift from a shadowy organization run by the Mysterious Twins, but I’ve been afraid to open it - probably a bomb.

Today, I opened the package. As you can see, it is not a complete bomb, but merely the timing device for one. Time to complete the package and deliver to the nearest nursing home. Thank you very much for the opportunity. Have an A1 day!

Apple Hill - October 21, 2017


I joined the Isaacsons and the DMTC Crowd for a trip to Apple Hill. For two months every year, this charming Gold Country, Sierra Foothills location near Camino is overrun by city folks from places like Sacramento looking to buy authentic apples. This year, the cosmopolitan crowds were disappointed - apparently 2017 was a horrible year for apples in the foothills - but since Apple Hill is a bona fide, established "thing", mobs overran the place anyway, to the grateful enthusiasm of the locals.


I'm surprised that, even though the place is very popular with young families, and especially popular with teenage girls, it is not very popular with elderly folks. I was reminded that there is a lot of walking involved here, over uneven ground, so the next phase is to bulldoze the Sierra Foothills to make the place more inviting to well-heeled seniors. The apples hardly matter, as Apple Hill 2017 has demonstrated. People want to buy apple peelers anyway.


Not far from the madding crowd.


I've been here before. I still can't remember what it's called.


Every toddler tried to climb this tree. It has an undefinable allure for the kindergarten set.


Visiting the alpacas. You can feed them for 50 cents.











The Isaacsons have boiled down the trip to its essence: short visits to many agricultural stores in a specific order, like Stations of the Cross. The places usually sell apples, sometimes unusual varieties of apples, but this year they were selling mostly anything but. No matter. Nevertheless, I bought a half gallon of apple cider, two frozen apple pies, and a bunch of vegetarian bean-based soups for the coming winter months.


They call this place Rainbow Farm. Somebody punched a hole through the sun's cheek, so they painted a Bandaid over it.








Claustrophobic in the spacious Sierra foothills.





Power lines make me nervous, with places like Santa Rosa burning down not that far away.





A fellow my age was selling his quartz collection. He's been high-grading quartz up here since he was a teenager. $30 - $40 per specimen.





A madhouse at Boa Vista.


This girl has the right idea.




Maybe Trouble in a Week

For the last several days, the computer models persistently have been forecasting a hurricane or tropical storm coming from the southwest, from the western Caribbean, across Cuba, along the Keys, to the Miami area, around the end of the month. The persistence of the forecasts among both models I follow makes me think something will happen, but the disturbance, such as it is, is quite weak right now. So, a heads up for trouble in a week's time from the south (with no indications at this time of a threat to Tampa).