07 February 2004
MOVIE: THE SECRET LIVES OF DENTISTS (2002).
A mild-mannered dentist (Campbell Scott), quietly seething over suspicions that his wife (also a dentist, played by Robin Tunney) is having an affair, is tempted to behave badly by his own bad conscience in the form of an imaginary devil-on-the-shoulder advisor (Denis Leary). After flailing about for a spell, his good conscience wins out. The film ends very pragmatically, full of that classic cautious optimism we've come to expect from such tales of the Angst of Suburban WASPs Who Are Unable to Express Themselves Properly.
("If only we talked more. You know, like really talked.")
SCOOTER RAGE.
There's no such thing. A couple weeks ago the Yamaha Vino 125 became a regular part of my Los Angelean commuter life, and now I weave through traffic like a mouse scurrying among elephant feet.
Previous car travel time: 45 minutes.
Current scooter travel time: 25 minutes.
My commute has suddenly become a thing of joy! Hooray for this two-wheeled scooter dork! Other than the sheer thrill of speed, I'm also amused by watching grown adults scream at each other inside their gridlocked cars. They think no one can see them. "Road rage" really is too glamorous a term, because it implies emotions on an epic scale; "tantrum" would be better.
Anyway, the Vino 125cc is the largest motorcycle engine you can get without having to obtain a motorcycle license. Super zippy. Top speed of 55 mph. Range of 80 miles. I got the silver one:

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