Experiencing Purple Rain for the first time

May 02, 2016 by Soul On Ice

Two pieces appeared on this site over the past 12 days which are central to what is going on with today’s post: one piece was about going to the movies and the other was about Prince. Going to the movies, while fun, is not what it used to be and some of the reasons why are highlighted in the piece. As it pertains to Prince, the theme was Prince being appreciated from afar, realizing the talent and gift he shared with the people, and realizing that joining the party late was one of the biggest regrets topping the personal list of regrets.

One thing that never took place, until last Saturday night, was seeing Purple Rain. Sure, there were opportunities to watch the movie in the past, but those opportunities mostly consisted of the movie coming on television. When a movie is scaled down for television consumption, the drawback is usually an abbreviated, bastardized and compromised version of the authentically-told film that was in theatres or elsewhere that is not constrained by being on TV. As much as there was a desire to watch the movie, watching it on TV wasn’t going to work. Luckily, movie theatres around the country realize the magnitude of the loss of Prince and brought it back to the big screen. A local theatre in Dallas with some history of its own advertised a 9 P.M. showing for Purple Rain a week in advance, and plans were set in motion to make sure to be there.

Necessity or no thanks: Cable TV and live streaming in the 21st century

April 27, 2016 by Soul On Ice

It’s the end of the month, aka “time to pay some bills.” The end of the month rarely ceases to amaze, but there are exceptions. About two months ago, per the usual at every month’s end, the time arrives to pay the bills. Rent? Check. Electricity? Check. Phone bill? Check. Car insurance? Check (well, that comes out automatically on the 1st of every month, but you get the point).

Next, the cable+internet bill. After typing in the cable’s official website, and clicking “Pay Bill,” the monthly total left me absolutely floored: $183.99. In a state of disbelief and boiled-over fury, I paid the bill first (because no matter how upset one gets, there’s still an obligation to pay what you owe) and immediately called the cable company second. That recent bill was the day when the hijinx would stop, the robbery would end, and the proverbial shit was going to hit the fan. After being on a brief hold, the exchange with the customer service representative at the local cable company went a little something like this:

“How much would the monthly bill be if cable is moved and internet is kept?”

“Let’s see, sir.” *customer service reps punches keys on a keyboard smoothly for a few seconds* “Okay, sir. Your monthly bill would go from $177 a month to $65.”

“It would go to WHAT????? Oh, that cable’s got to go. Get rid of that now.”

Let's go to the movies...or not

April 20, 2016 by Soul On Ice

A trip to the movies in the latter part of 2015 was far different than any trip taken prior. At one time, the process of buying a ticket was fairly simple and uneventful. In person, the process was straight-forward: Say hello to the cashier (because it is always good to be polite), inform the cashier of what you want to see and pay the price of admission. If there’s a student discount, use a student ID, because there’s no need to let a perfectly good discount go to waste. Anyway, it was all very routine, and as someone who likes routine when it comes to hobbies and interests, much appreciated. This trip, however, was different. There was still the usual of going to the cashier, saying hello, and informing the cashier of the movie of choice. After that, things got weird:

Cashier: “Okay, sir. Two for Creed. Where would you like to sit?” The question was strange, and the response must have been strange to the cashier when the answer from me was “I don’t know. I’ll figure it out when I walk in.” At that point, I extended some money to the window to pay, but the cashier wouldn’t take it. Instead, he said seats had to be chosen before paying. There was an urge to reply with something along the lines of “I’m not going to a damn rap concert. I’m going to the movies. What’s the big deal?” However, that was quickly shot down. For starters, there was no need to cause a scene and, for two, rules are rules. Instead of acting a fool, I briefly scanned the seating chart, looked at the remaining seats, and chose two. The cashier took the money, gave me two tickets and told me to enjoy the show.