Mephistos

This movie is coming out on HBO (and recently was released on DVD) this month and once again I am running this far behind in giving a review of it.  I actually caught this at the theater in probably its last week at the cheap cinema back during the summer sometime.   The movie itself it definitely not for everyone.  First is the fact that is a historical biographical film that is slightly over two hours long.  Ad to that, it was done by a foreign film crew by director Sergei Bodrov, who is Russian.  And lastly consider that the entire movie is filmed using a mixture language, mostly Mongolian, and subtitled. Read more…

I warned you all that I was going to start doing this on a regular basis. I think it helps me to take a few moments and realize just a few of the wonderful things of which I should be appreciative. Been a rough a few weeks of late, between things just be screwed up and other things beyond that, so I think with that it is even more appropriate to have a few things to note that I am thankful about.  A list of those things follows… Read more…

On the way home today I stopped by my favorite place to in theory finish up the work on my 2009 budget for the office.  I should have know better then that, especially given the deep connections of the both patrons and the owner to the horse racing industry and the fact that Keeneland ran today.  So there are are more then a few people in here talking shop about horses.

There was some amazement at my pick on My Best Pal Red Read more…

This is going to be the year for anyone that does American Civil War reenacting to come do the Battle of Perryville (also called battle of Chaplin Hills) and experience it about as accurately as it possible.  No, I don’t necessarily think that this year is going to be less farby that it has been in the past by those that turn out in garb for the event as participants (though over the last twenty years I do think that their have been some major improvements in that regard).  What I am referring to is the authentic weather that someone has ordered for us.

During the time immediately before the war Kentucky did Read more…

I recently noticed over on a blog that I stumbled upon by accident a list of things that the blogger was thankful for during that day or week or some such.  Long story and I am not absolutely sure how I stumbled on the blog, but I know her name is Lori-Lynn Hurley and I am pretty sure I found her on facebook through people I may know.  Anyway, she is a Transy alumni, has artistic tendancies, and is a very active blogger at The Dream Life.  I decided that was a really good idea, especially when I recall that I have category called frustrations here on mephistos, but nothing where I categorize that feel good things as a general rule (though I suppose the ones that are get stuck in the life category generally - but not all of life is a positive thing). Taking her thought process as the lead, I am going to create a thankful category to balance Read more…

Earlier this week, I had another couple of days that had a lot of time occupied with meetings.  This one in particular was with this fellow from API hired to assist us jump start our strategic planning process that we are starting to put together for 2009 and apparently for 2009-2011.  What is relative to this blog though, is a discussion that was had in regards to generations.  The conversation itself was in regards to how that there some general characteristics from respective age groups that tend to influence how they view the news and community around them.

There was a book written not to long ago that talked about a cycle that is seen in generations.  The book is titled, Read more…

I lament that I did not get this post up here in a timely fashion.  A great horse passed from our midst last Monday, August 18th.  Genuine Risk passed away quietly in her old age out in her paddock at Newstead Farm near Upperville Virginia.  She was a true champion athlete, beating not only fillies, but famously beating the boys in the 106th running of the Kentucky Derby back in 1980.

She raced for three years, have a total of fifteen starts, Read more…

I started this blog on mephistos.com sometime late last fall.  I had been doing a bit of blogging off and on another site, as well as the original post that where being initially completed on the wordpress.com hosted version of what eventually became the basis of this blog.

Anyway it occurred to me last night when I was walking through a park near to my new residence with Bitzer on our nightly walk for exercise and some vain attempt to get in shape, look good, and live forever that I had been blogging for a total of just about one year now.  It further struck me that one of the first blog notes I had ever written, maybe the second or third one was about a day that I took Jack, the horse Read more…

Just had an interesting learning experience.  So my favorite pub for a long time, even going back to when I was living in Lexington in the 90’s is called McCarthy’s.  A bit of background:   It is a true Irish pub owned by a Irish horseman by the name of Roddy.  I am not sure of the exact relationship, but I know he had something to do with a Kentucky Derby winner back in the 90’s and hence the ownership of this pub now.   It is decorated in mostly pictures and memorable of fine racing horses, as is probably not surprising.  One of the nicest touches I think is the brass tags that one would usually find on a thoroughbred’s halter and tacked along the front edge of the bar naming both famous horses and famous horse farms, some local some not so much.  Anyway, the pub is a true bar.  Basically any drink you want, including of course draft beer, especially good dark draft beer, cider on tap, lots of Irish and Scottish whiskeys, and about any other drink you want.  However, if you want more then potato chips plain or in salt and vinegar, Read more…

It is now late on Monday afternoon and I have not posted since sometime late Friday night.  My apologies for being such a slacker.  Sometimes being a slacker is the one thing I can be good enough to succeed at the task.  Anyway, I really meant to get a lot more work done on the projects I have at hand and to accomplish at least three or four more posts in the process.  Instead, I ended up just chilling.  Do not get me wrong, I did get some writing work and now I have so many blog idea notes here and there that I find myself having the complete opposite of a writers block.

What exactly do I mean by that.  Well, I have so many good ideas of what I think would make a interesting a blog posting that I tend to get caught up in the moment of reviewing them and coming up with the most Read more…