The Departed

'Heaven Holds the Faithful Departed'  is what Costigan read on his mom's grave blanket in one of the opening scenes from Scorsese's Masterpiece.   I just watched it again and I am not feeling so great.  I lost a friend last week to a strange neurological disease.     Now, it is Midnight on Monday (Tuesday now) and I don't want to be Baron Von Munchausen (A joke Jules would appreciate.)   I just wanted to write about the impact that peoples lives can have on each other if you take the risks to get to know them.  I mean everything from (to quote Ric Ocasek) 'It doesn't matter where you've been as long as it was deep' to creating something, to starting something, to ending something.   I guess what I mean is that I have been really lucky to meet people who have let me reach out to them and become part of their lives.   Its not always easy and its not always fun to know people but it is always worth it.

Some cool things about The Departed that I love to think about.   First, a few years ago a group of friends of mine befriended Toshi (the Chinese Spy who was negotiating with Jack Nicholson for the Computer Chips)  We met him for lunch at Peter Luger's and then went back to his office in Williamsburgh.   [toshifilm.com] His office was like some strange James Bond set.   There was a gorgeous secretary a white bearskin rug and a buzz about the place with photographers getting ready for his next event.   He was a really cool guy.   Secondly, My friends Tommy Lombardozzi and Joseph Milazzo recently started playing shows at the Irish Haven on 4th Ave. in Brooklyn.   This bar makes everyone that goes there feel like they are coming home.   Its a great place with cool people.   Anyways, the Haven was Nicholson's hang out bar in the movie and was were they shot the "cranberry juice it's a natural diuretic" scenes.   MINT!  

Finally, The Dropkick Murphys 'I'm shipping up to Boston' is all over the soundtrack.   They are a force and an amazing band to see live.  I used to see the Bosstones a lot and I have heard some recordings with Dicky singing with the Murphy's that rock.

The last song they played for Jules on Friday, was Willie Nelson singing "Angels flying too close to the ground."  'If you had not fallen, I wouldn't have found you.   Angels flying to close to the ground.'   People will come in and out of your life in so many ways.   We're all in this for a short ride.  I love making it count.

Ah Fuck it, in closing to quote my good mate Andrew:

Here's to us!

More Like us!

Damn few!

and they're all dead!

Slainte' Jimmy