I like them French Fried Potaters

I made it through my 8-hour journey in a flying Pringles can, and have since started our collective last fall semester (knock on wood) as students. Lately I’ve been on a kick of watching the great mid 90’s movies that I hold so dear to my heart. One such heartfelt flick that I’ve been wanting to see is the great Sling Blade. Easily one of Billy Bob’s best performances, mostly because it was so easy to believe he was a redneck psychopath, with a soft spot for children. Don’t get me wrong, I really dig Billy Bob. If for no other reason than his ability to play really skuzzy roles brilliantly. And any guy who can put Brad Pitt in the “sloppy seconds” crowd deserves a certain bit of respect. He was pretty good in Bad Santa, the writing wasn’t top notch, but again believable.. (Billy Bob as a creepy mall Santa with a drinking problem.) But I have strayed from my original point. Sling Blade was a great movie and character. He was just misunderstood. I mean damn, he wasn’t retarded, he just wanted so biscuits and mustard. Is that so wrong? What stems this thought is this.. I’m sitting in my International Music Business class, trying to pay attention and write this, and I am being distracted by the professor who I can’t help but think is Karl Childer’s (Sling Blade’s) brother. He’s tall, bald, has a bit of an under-bite, stands oddly erect, and his vocal inflection is dead on. His sense of humor just about sends me over the edge. Karl’s (Billy Bob’s character) sense of humor was great, awkward and creepy, but great. He laughed at his own jokes, and seemed quite entertained with himself. My professor could sit down at a family reunion with ol’ Karl, throw back a few Dixie cups of O.J. and the morning sedatives, all the while entertaining each other with their whit and intellect. I’m looking quite forward to this semester… I wonder if he knows how to fix lawn mowers like his brother?

For all three of you readers, we are playing 2 shows on Friday (August 28). The first being at Belmont at 9:15pm on Belmont Blvd, and the second being at The Closing Bell on Demonbruen at around 10:15. The Closing Bell is 21+, but should be a lot of fun and will have some sweet drink specials. Come out and drink with us.

_Ben Ringel