First Post: Sunday, August 12, 2012

Sometimes you have insomnia, and that’s when you thank Allah for the channel called Turner Classic Movies. They show real cinema on it, not these poor imitations of motion pictures being sold to us today. Stay up late enough and you’re guaranteed to view something memorable. Maybe something like Rita Hayworth as Gilda or even Catherine Deneuve in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Good movies, with mature, relatable, human stories, not these overwrought, made-up fantasy, teen-angst dystopia flicks of the 21st century.

And just when you thought you’ve seen everything Toshiro Mifune has graced the screen with (even 1941!), the TCM bestows its favor on your sleeplessness. Serendipity is better than Twitbook and Facespace put together! Exhibit: The Rickshaw Man (1958). Not directed by Kurosawa.

The whole trailer is instructive and entertaining, and then you arrive at the 2:40 mark or so, when The Rickshaw Man begins the traditional drumming. This is the versatility and sheer physical presence and talent of Mifune taking over. Genius. Thank you, Mifune-san.

Free ones: Rundown…

Saratoga Race Course 3, 6, 7, 10
Calder 6, 9, 10
DMTC 3, 5, 6, 7

Saratoga has the better racing, but when it rains like it has this weekend, you’re back in NorCal! Ugh!

Pay-side: Today…

Monmouth 2, 6, 8, 9
Woodbine 5, 6, 7
River 2, 4, 7
Ellis Park 1, 4, 6, 8, 9
Arlington 6, 7, 9
Louisiana 6, 7, 8

WMF Report:

Speed
Arapahoe 5½f, 6f
Canterbury 6f
Ellis Park 6f
Emerald 6f
Fort Erie 1m70y
Exhibition 6½f, 1 1/16m
Los Alamitos 4½f
Mountaineer 5f
Monmouth 6f
Keystone 6f, 7f
River 6f, 1m, 1m70y

Nocturnal Submission: Albuquerque! Race 10 (6:57 p.m. EDT / 3:57 p.m. PDT), and #7 Battle Creek Hiway can lead to winner’s circle. …Life on Sunday is never complete without a trip to the GILA (track abbrev. Gil), this time for the ninth (5:36 / 2:36): #3 Monica’s Skirmish, #8 Catch Mountain, #5 Miss Gossip. …Bonus excursion to Wine Country for Race 5 at Santa Rosa (track abbrev. SR) (6:26 / 3:26): #8 Flight of a Dream. …

Thank you. Best wishes. Remember tomorrow is a new “First Post” plus “Monday Boxing”. Until such time, it’s goodbye. Bye-bye.