A lot!
This site informed me that my score as a human is 90.05, and: "You are a pleasure to be with and a pleasure to be. Your friends do not envy so much as admire you, and you lead your life with grace, honor, and dignity. This site is humbled to have you take a test on it.
Which brings one to wonder, what are you doing goofing off on the Internet?"
Now that I have you wasting your time with that (thanks to bailunrui of The LiveJournal), you can ponder my other truly fabulous human qualities (the first being that I know you'd be too bored to read my results to all the quizes, so I'll just tell you what result names I got for each):
Better Sense of Humor - Sly Boots
Better Relationship - Rock of Gibraltar
Better Personality - Paul Begala (?)
Better Person - (see above)
Saturday
Wednesday
In which I review a television show!
And it's "Lost"! See, last week, I was so bored and desperate for ... something, that I started posting on the TWoP message boards. Having been registered there for some 4 years and change. "What?" "Why?" and "Why?" are all valid responses. I won't go into it here, but suffice it to say, I don't plan on repeating the experience. Hopefully ever, but at least for another two or so years. [shudder ]
And then it occurred to me! Just as few people will read my thoughts on my blog! So why don't I write crap there? I'll release much less cortisol!
Short summary: I liked this episode very much. For a couple episodes, I was much dismayed, because it seemed like the show had broken its promise to keep on rocking. But this episode reassured me, though I don't know if I've had sufficient redress for the injuries done me. We shall see.
[Begin Spoiler for "Special" — Highlight to view]
"THAT CHILD IS OF SATAN!"
I screamed this at my television when Walt was giving Mercutio the evil stink eye. I knew it! I knew the child was off! Of course, I say this like it's a big miraculously intuitive observation, when really, in hindsight, the show's been as direct about it as it's been about anything. Lucky my foot! John Locke knows where it is.
Speaking of which, I love Locke. He's totally not evil. Totally not. He's just misunderstood! He'll probably have to wind up facing off against whichever island child turns out to be the evil one. (My money's on Walt!) And hooray for Boone! Getting all "...nah" with Shannon. You don't need her, she a ho! Of course, one might say he's just traded one person to follow around for another. I mean, you could say that, but Locke is a much nicer master. Yess, precious. On that note - what was with the serious case of elf-ear Terry O'Quinn was sporting this evening? What's up with that? Do his ears normally look like that? On a similar note, it seemed like Harold Perrineau had pink eye or something funky going on in a few of the early scenes. Flashbacks and island scenes, so it's not any show-based injury. Aww. Poor guy. You rocked it with pink eye, dude! You can feel good about that!
Seriously, I really liked this story. If we set aside Walt's Stephen King inspired weirdness (his "shinn" let's say) no weird crap happens, which, honestly, is nice. I actually found Mercutio's and Claire's (ooh, and Locke's!) to be the most rewarding backstories. They actually focus on explaining the character rather than on confusing bank heists that are actually stupid. Who'd have thought? Stories focusing on normal people who have weird shit happen to them are more interesting than stories about hyper-special people who have weird shit happen to them. And I really felt like this explained a lot. Not all that much about what's going on on the island, though there was some of that too, but explained a lot about Mercutio and Walt's interactions, which then explains their interactions with others, and it's this whole nice illuminating experience that really makes me feel like this is a planned-out story, rather than some random shit and plot twists. I like that. As long as something is getting explained in a subtle and non-annoying way, I'm good.
Mercutio's ex-wife was kind of a dick, eh? And her husband was rather dicktactular himself. But Mercutio allowed Walt to believe that he, in fact, was the dick. Sacrificing for his son! The thing that no one thought he was doing was the thing he was doing all along! He was, in fact, the biggest person in the whole storyline! I sure hope Joss Whedon wasn't watching this. His head would have damn exploded. A biological father acting like a decent human being? You can't build good television on that!!!!
The ending riled me for the following reasons: 1. Locke, I love you. Boone, I love you too. But you are both fucking retarded. "Let's go wander around in the jungle at night blowing a whistle and calling for the dog! That's sound thinking! It's not like there's anyone out here who might abduct us and hang us, and there are certainly no WILD ANIMALS INTENT ON GUTTING US!" Jesus! I also like how the one time it actually is a person wandering through the forest making noise, they assume it's an animal. Well, at least it's not the other way around, for a refreshing change of pace. Seriously, though, these are some stupid castaways. There must be a mysterious mystical force on the island, because that's the only way to explain why they aren't all dead yet from their own stupidity.
2. And oh, look. There's Claire. Hey Claire! We've really missed you! Only not that much since no one's really been looking for you, and even your hobbit boyfriend seems pretty unconcerned about your week-long abduction by crazy people! How'd that work out, by the way?
Seriously, this is where I feel the show let me down. I don't care about two fake-out deaths. I liked last week's episode, and I didn't mind the hallucination thing, because I think it worked in well with the story. And I'm fine with the unsettling sex, because the "step" in front of "sibling" really does make all the difference. It doesn't make it better, but it does make it, you know completely different . I was actually musing to myself and considered writing why Boone is, perhaps, the most psychologically interesting character on the show. So I'm fine with that. I was mildly irritated that there was another Kate episode, and that it turned out to be pointless and nonsensical, and that Kate and Jack had a big fight one day, and then the next day are back making kissy-faces at each other. Can someone smack her, please? Charlie - don't encourage. Though I did like his hitty-fight with Sawyer. Dominic Monaghan really did play it like it was not an unusual experience for him, which was nice and fitting given his character. He's good hobbit. I was not, however, pleased with the maddening non-concern of everyone for Claire. No. Just, no. The ball is down. It is in the sand. Because the ball has been dropped. If she needs to stay away that long, either for contract or purely story-based reasons, then that's fine. But it pisses me the hell off the way they treated it. No one looked for her. And okay, maybe they couldn't for logistical reasons. But they could have planned to look for her. Someone could have tried to look for her. Someone could have expressed some more dramatic concern for her well-being, including perhaps some discussion about what they think might be happening to her. And what does Charlie have to say about all this? "It's funny." Yeah, it sure as fuck is, my friend. Just like your non-existant heroin withdrawal. If you mention it, that's just like dealing with it! Honestly, Charlie looks like he just got back from the Gap, not from cold sweats in a jungle. Honestly, Charlie looks like Claire left the vacinity for a little bit to go have a bath, not like she was taken prison by the same people who strung him up by the neck and left his corpse to rot. What is that about, Lost people? Please explain to me what that is about.
So, I liked this episode up until the end, which is not the fault of the ending so much as it is the fault of the past five or so episodes building up this disappointment in me. In two weeks time, I expect to see a formerly pregnant young lass letting verbally and maybe physically loose on these bitches. ... And I don't mean Stephanie!
I am interested in learning what this black rock business is all about though. Do they have some Oathbreakers on this island or something?
[End Spoiler]
So, there.
Oh, but before I forget: Blogger? Pat has asked that I kill you. No, it's for the best. You do tend to suck ass sometimes. I know, you thank me for my feedback.
And then it occurred to me! Just as few people will read my thoughts on my blog! So why don't I write crap there? I'll release much less cortisol!
Short summary: I liked this episode very much. For a couple episodes, I was much dismayed, because it seemed like the show had broken its promise to keep on rocking. But this episode reassured me, though I don't know if I've had sufficient redress for the injuries done me. We shall see.
[Begin Spoiler for "Special" — Highlight to view]
"THAT CHILD IS OF SATAN!"
I screamed this at my television when Walt was giving Mercutio the evil stink eye. I knew it! I knew the child was off! Of course, I say this like it's a big miraculously intuitive observation, when really, in hindsight, the show's been as direct about it as it's been about anything. Lucky my foot! John Locke knows where it is.
Speaking of which, I love Locke. He's totally not evil. Totally not. He's just misunderstood! He'll probably have to wind up facing off against whichever island child turns out to be the evil one. (My money's on Walt!) And hooray for Boone! Getting all "...nah" with Shannon. You don't need her, she a ho! Of course, one might say he's just traded one person to follow around for another. I mean, you could say that, but Locke is a much nicer master. Yess, precious. On that note - what was with the serious case of elf-ear Terry O'Quinn was sporting this evening? What's up with that? Do his ears normally look like that? On a similar note, it seemed like Harold Perrineau had pink eye or something funky going on in a few of the early scenes. Flashbacks and island scenes, so it's not any show-based injury. Aww. Poor guy. You rocked it with pink eye, dude! You can feel good about that!
Seriously, I really liked this story. If we set aside Walt's Stephen King inspired weirdness (his "shinn" let's say) no weird crap happens, which, honestly, is nice. I actually found Mercutio's and Claire's (ooh, and Locke's!) to be the most rewarding backstories. They actually focus on explaining the character rather than on confusing bank heists that are actually stupid. Who'd have thought? Stories focusing on normal people who have weird shit happen to them are more interesting than stories about hyper-special people who have weird shit happen to them. And I really felt like this explained a lot. Not all that much about what's going on on the island, though there was some of that too, but explained a lot about Mercutio and Walt's interactions, which then explains their interactions with others, and it's this whole nice illuminating experience that really makes me feel like this is a planned-out story, rather than some random shit and plot twists. I like that. As long as something is getting explained in a subtle and non-annoying way, I'm good.
Mercutio's ex-wife was kind of a dick, eh? And her husband was rather dicktactular himself. But Mercutio allowed Walt to believe that he, in fact, was the dick. Sacrificing for his son! The thing that no one thought he was doing was the thing he was doing all along! He was, in fact, the biggest person in the whole storyline! I sure hope Joss Whedon wasn't watching this. His head would have damn exploded. A biological father acting like a decent human being? You can't build good television on that!!!!
The ending riled me for the following reasons: 1. Locke, I love you. Boone, I love you too. But you are both fucking retarded. "Let's go wander around in the jungle at night blowing a whistle and calling for the dog! That's sound thinking! It's not like there's anyone out here who might abduct us and hang us, and there are certainly no WILD ANIMALS INTENT ON GUTTING US!" Jesus! I also like how the one time it actually is a person wandering through the forest making noise, they assume it's an animal. Well, at least it's not the other way around, for a refreshing change of pace. Seriously, though, these are some stupid castaways. There must be a mysterious mystical force on the island, because that's the only way to explain why they aren't all dead yet from their own stupidity.
2. And oh, look. There's Claire. Hey Claire! We've really missed you! Only not that much since no one's really been looking for you, and even your hobbit boyfriend seems pretty unconcerned about your week-long abduction by crazy people! How'd that work out, by the way?
Seriously, this is where I feel the show let me down. I don't care about two fake-out deaths. I liked last week's episode, and I didn't mind the hallucination thing, because I think it worked in well with the story. And I'm fine with the unsettling sex, because the "step" in front of "sibling" really does make all the difference. It doesn't make it better, but it does make it, you know completely different . I was actually musing to myself and considered writing why Boone is, perhaps, the most psychologically interesting character on the show. So I'm fine with that. I was mildly irritated that there was another Kate episode, and that it turned out to be pointless and nonsensical, and that Kate and Jack had a big fight one day, and then the next day are back making kissy-faces at each other. Can someone smack her, please? Charlie - don't encourage. Though I did like his hitty-fight with Sawyer. Dominic Monaghan really did play it like it was not an unusual experience for him, which was nice and fitting given his character. He's good hobbit. I was not, however, pleased with the maddening non-concern of everyone for Claire. No. Just, no. The ball is down. It is in the sand. Because the ball has been dropped. If she needs to stay away that long, either for contract or purely story-based reasons, then that's fine. But it pisses me the hell off the way they treated it. No one looked for her. And okay, maybe they couldn't for logistical reasons. But they could have planned to look for her. Someone could have tried to look for her. Someone could have expressed some more dramatic concern for her well-being, including perhaps some discussion about what they think might be happening to her. And what does Charlie have to say about all this? "It's funny." Yeah, it sure as fuck is, my friend. Just like your non-existant heroin withdrawal. If you mention it, that's just like dealing with it! Honestly, Charlie looks like he just got back from the Gap, not from cold sweats in a jungle. Honestly, Charlie looks like Claire left the vacinity for a little bit to go have a bath, not like she was taken prison by the same people who strung him up by the neck and left his corpse to rot. What is that about, Lost people? Please explain to me what that is about.
So, I liked this episode up until the end, which is not the fault of the ending so much as it is the fault of the past five or so episodes building up this disappointment in me. In two weeks time, I expect to see a formerly pregnant young lass letting verbally and maybe physically loose on these bitches. ... And I don't mean Stephanie!
I am interested in learning what this black rock business is all about though. Do they have some Oathbreakers on this island or something?
[End Spoiler]
So, there.
Oh, but before I forget: Blogger? Pat has asked that I kill you. No, it's for the best. You do tend to suck ass sometimes. I know, you thank me for my feedback.
Is it okay for me to like music again?
I mean, music on the radio. I want to be cautious.
I was listening to 95.5 PLG on my way back from my useless doctorb's appointment, and apparently they were having some sort of "all those bands people have been talking about but you've never heard because you never listen to the radio" hour. Here are some thoughts on the new popular music I have recently encountered (not all from today):
Franz Ferdinand & Afghan Whigs - Both courtesy of Katy. According to the boy, they get played on the radio, not that I'd know. But I like both! Both that one song that Franz Ferdinand has
and whatever song the other one is. For me, this is bordering on high praise. I can't find anything bad to say about them.
"Blvd Of Broken Dreams" (according to the radio readout) by Green Day - Having heard it now twice (and both times on the radio!) I say, "Yay!" Hooray for Green Day. I would really like to listen to their rock opera now, please.
Some song by Jet - So that's Jet, eh? Not bad, not bad. The radio people enthused afterwards that they really sounded like the Beatles. Well ... sort of. It really struck me during the song that they sounded like Oasis sounding like the Beatles, which is almost but not really the same thing. But I wasn't offended or anything. I thought it was pretty good.
Some song by The Killers - Likewise. I don't think I was paying a lot of attention to the song, but I do remember thinking both, "So this is the Killers" and "This doesn't suck."
That song by Santana and ... Alex Band? - OH! The dude from The Calling! Holy crap, I feel so much better. I've liked this song since I first heard it. It's one of those songs that I just like, and there's not much more to it. I just like it. But I was greatly worried that it was a song by Nickleback. And then I would have felt dirty, so I never endeavored to find out. But I enjoy the musical stylings of The Calling. Even though the dude does sound a bit like Chad Kroeger. But without becoming annoying! Which is what makes the difference. Because if Chad Kroeger and his musical cohorts didn't have that tendency to become extremely annoying, I'd have no problem with them. And good for you, Santana. +5 points. You had been slipping in my estimations of late, sir.
"Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane - I think that's the name of it. You know what I mean. That song that's already used as background music for every tv station's upcoming-season montage. I actually don't think I've ever heard the whole song all the way through. But I'm cool with it.
Sahara Hotnights - I got to listen to their whole album on the drive up from Maryland, and ... eh. I don't really see what all the fuss is about. The thing taken as a whole was kind of boring, and most of the songs were kind of the same. Crashing instruments and hard edged voices taking precedence over actual songcraft. Not to say that some craft wasn't there. Some of the songs I really liked. But they made me wonder why they are successful when there are so many bands like them who are not. Because it's weird to hear it coming out of Sweden? From chicks? I don't know.
I don't know why I've been blogging so much and so hapharzardly. My brain has been moving quickly and jumbly and I need an instant outlet. Figures that now there's no one to read! And by the time they filter back, my brain will have lulled again. Typical.
I was listening to 95.5 PLG on my way back from my useless doctorb's appointment, and apparently they were having some sort of "all those bands people have been talking about but you've never heard because you never listen to the radio" hour. Here are some thoughts on the new popular music I have recently encountered (not all from today):
Franz Ferdinand & Afghan Whigs - Both courtesy of Katy. According to the boy, they get played on the radio, not that I'd know. But I like both! Both that one song that Franz Ferdinand has
and whatever song the other one is. For me, this is bordering on high praise. I can't find anything bad to say about them."Blvd Of Broken Dreams" (according to the radio readout) by Green Day - Having heard it now twice (and both times on the radio!) I say, "Yay!" Hooray for Green Day. I would really like to listen to their rock opera now, please.
Some song by Jet - So that's Jet, eh? Not bad, not bad. The radio people enthused afterwards that they really sounded like the Beatles. Well ... sort of. It really struck me during the song that they sounded like Oasis sounding like the Beatles, which is almost but not really the same thing. But I wasn't offended or anything. I thought it was pretty good.
Some song by The Killers - Likewise. I don't think I was paying a lot of attention to the song, but I do remember thinking both, "So this is the Killers" and "This doesn't suck."
That song by Santana and ... Alex Band? - OH! The dude from The Calling! Holy crap, I feel so much better. I've liked this song since I first heard it. It's one of those songs that I just like, and there's not much more to it. I just like it. But I was greatly worried that it was a song by Nickleback. And then I would have felt dirty, so I never endeavored to find out. But I enjoy the musical stylings of The Calling. Even though the dude does sound a bit like Chad Kroeger. But without becoming annoying! Which is what makes the difference. Because if Chad Kroeger and his musical cohorts didn't have that tendency to become extremely annoying, I'd have no problem with them. And good for you, Santana. +5 points. You had been slipping in my estimations of late, sir.
"Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane - I think that's the name of it. You know what I mean. That song that's already used as background music for every tv station's upcoming-season montage. I actually don't think I've ever heard the whole song all the way through. But I'm cool with it.
Sahara Hotnights - I got to listen to their whole album on the drive up from Maryland, and ... eh. I don't really see what all the fuss is about. The thing taken as a whole was kind of boring, and most of the songs were kind of the same. Crashing instruments and hard edged voices taking precedence over actual songcraft. Not to say that some craft wasn't there. Some of the songs I really liked. But they made me wonder why they are successful when there are so many bands like them who are not. Because it's weird to hear it coming out of Sweden? From chicks? I don't know.
I don't know why I've been blogging so much and so hapharzardly. My brain has been moving quickly and jumbly and I need an instant outlet. Figures that now there's no one to read! And by the time they filter back, my brain will have lulled again. Typical.
It is the thyroid!
The reason I have become an inflated balloon with random muscle cramps, is, indeed, because of the thyroid, my doctor confirmed this morning. I am at the moment, apparently, "a little hypothyroid" because all the radiation I had all that while ago (which, incidentally, should be all out of my system in ... Two Days?!?! You know what that means! Spish) is all right now "kicking in." I'm sorry if that last sentence was confusing.
Anyway, there is a possibility that it will stabilize, but until then, I'm going to be on some fake thyroid hormone. Ha! So we'll see how that goes.
In other news, all technology sucks and I hate it. Stupid technology.
Anyway, there is a possibility that it will stabilize, but until then, I'm going to be on some fake thyroid hormone. Ha! So we'll see how that goes.
In other news, all technology sucks and I hate it. Stupid technology.
Tuesday
Um. Okay.
How can we keep this site alive and viable?
[-] Don't be such a fucking alarmist?
[-] Be more interesting.
[-] Be at least somewhat interesting.
[-] Be more entertaining.
[-] Be more intelligent.
[-] Stop being boring. You're boring. Quit boring everyone.
[-] Don't be such a fucking alarmist?
[-] Be more interesting.
[-] Be at least somewhat interesting.
[-] Be more entertaining.
[-] Be more intelligent.
[-] Stop being boring. You're boring. Quit boring everyone.
Sunday
What does this mean?
15% scored higher,
1% scored the same, and
85% scored lower.
I must protest that this quiz is highly biased towards science. Also, the site design and award graphic are ... less than satisfactory. Ha! Put that in your nerd pipe and not know what to do about it!
1% scored the same, and
85% scored lower.
I must protest that this quiz is highly biased towards science. Also, the site design and award graphic are ... less than satisfactory. Ha! Put that in your nerd pipe and not know what to do about it!
Friday
Revenge of Zombie Foot!
I had a nice entry planned out yesterday, but unfortunately my first foray into making a Yahoo! photo album became an exercise in frustration and ultimate patience. You suck so bad, Yahoo! !
Anyway, without any more ado, ZOMBIE FOOT!
That's a damn lot of pictures of a creepy foot. The descriptions pretty much explain everything. I forget at this point which pictures I took to show progress or just, like, a change in the flash and composition. Also, Zombie Foot is fine now. I forgot to include a follow-up picture. Just assume it looks like my other, normal foot. There's still a little dark spot where the impact was, though.
Also! These pictures are thanks to my wonderful boyfriend, who got them off my camera and onto a CD for me. He's so useful. Like, say I really wanted to identify a model flying craft for geektactular (but possibley important - you never know!) reasons, he could instantly provide me with that information. This is not a complete list of reasons.
In other news, I am greatly concerned with the state of my body. It's all ... puffy. My face and various limbs seem far more ... round. Than before. Which I've noticed only in the past week. At first I was alarmed, because I thought I had gained a million pounds, and was ready to lay the blame at the thyroid (it's at about this time after the procedure that the whole slowly down thing is supposed to "kick in"). But, I don't know. Today I noticed that my hands seemed puffy. The ring that I occasionally wear and is typically loose left a pretty good mark when I took it off. That's ... something going on. Hopefully not something Chocolate Factory-esque. My mother suggested that it might be from sodium due to eating out and taking in most of my food of late. I've been drinking lots of water today. It still could be the thyroid. I hope it goes away.
In other body news, I've been getting a lot of muscle cramps, mostly in the hip area, but also in my shoulders and back. As mayhem will tell you, I am Bendy like a circus freak. So, in any given day, I arrange my limbs in many ways that most people typically wouldn't. But they're not unusual motions for me. But for the past couple weeks, I'll do something, swing my leg up, or stretch my arms, and some random muscle around a joint will seize up. The worst yet was today when I was setting up my Brand New Christmas Present DVD Player (note to above discussion: presents). I sat down into a somewhat tight space, and my entire right hip cramped. It wasn't really painful as much as it was hilariously and alarmingly incapacitating.
It occurs to me that this started soon after my birthday. I think my body is now officially Old. Or perhaps I could ask my useful boyfriend if I have some tropical disease. Or, I had blood work done today, so maybe that will turn up something.
Also, I need a ... internet money card. Thing.
Anyway, without any more ado, ZOMBIE FOOT!
That's a damn lot of pictures of a creepy foot. The descriptions pretty much explain everything. I forget at this point which pictures I took to show progress or just, like, a change in the flash and composition. Also, Zombie Foot is fine now. I forgot to include a follow-up picture. Just assume it looks like my other, normal foot. There's still a little dark spot where the impact was, though.
Also! These pictures are thanks to my wonderful boyfriend, who got them off my camera and onto a CD for me. He's so useful. Like, say I really wanted to identify a model flying craft for geektactular (but possibley important - you never know!) reasons, he could instantly provide me with that information. This is not a complete list of reasons.
In other news, I am greatly concerned with the state of my body. It's all ... puffy. My face and various limbs seem far more ... round. Than before. Which I've noticed only in the past week. At first I was alarmed, because I thought I had gained a million pounds, and was ready to lay the blame at the thyroid (it's at about this time after the procedure that the whole slowly down thing is supposed to "kick in"). But, I don't know. Today I noticed that my hands seemed puffy. The ring that I occasionally wear and is typically loose left a pretty good mark when I took it off. That's ... something going on. Hopefully not something Chocolate Factory-esque. My mother suggested that it might be from sodium due to eating out and taking in most of my food of late. I've been drinking lots of water today. It still could be the thyroid. I hope it goes away.
In other body news, I've been getting a lot of muscle cramps, mostly in the hip area, but also in my shoulders and back. As mayhem will tell you, I am Bendy like a circus freak. So, in any given day, I arrange my limbs in many ways that most people typically wouldn't. But they're not unusual motions for me. But for the past couple weeks, I'll do something, swing my leg up, or stretch my arms, and some random muscle around a joint will seize up. The worst yet was today when I was setting up my Brand New Christmas Present DVD Player (note to above discussion: presents). I sat down into a somewhat tight space, and my entire right hip cramped. It wasn't really painful as much as it was hilariously and alarmingly incapacitating.
It occurs to me that this started soon after my birthday. I think my body is now officially Old. Or perhaps I could ask my useful boyfriend if I have some tropical disease. Or, I had blood work done today, so maybe that will turn up something.
Also, I need a ... internet money card. Thing.
Wednesday
I'm not surprised.
Even though the description doesn't really fit me. They need to designate, first half or second.
Also, I wasn't even born then, you old bitches!
what decade does your personality live in?
quiz brought to you by lady interference, ltd
Furthermore, I have remembered one of the things I had previously forgotten. This is official: I am calling a moratorium on all talking-animal movies. Indefinitely. Please. Someone needs to take action, and it's long past due. Everyone is demeaned. Thank you.
Also, I wasn't even born then, you old bitches!
what decade does your personality live in?
quiz brought to you by lady interference, ltd
Furthermore, I have remembered one of the things I had previously forgotten. This is official: I am calling a moratorium on all talking-animal movies. Indefinitely. Please. Someone needs to take action, and it's long past due. Everyone is demeaned. Thank you.
Monday
One year, so many movies.
I already think I've seen more movies/television this year than I did in all of last year. That can't possibley be true. But I have been watching a lot of DVD and ... television recording device ... recorded television. Whatever that thing is. Oh the technology!
I saw Matrix Revolutions, finally. My striking impression was that it was not as bad as I had been lead to believe by, oh, everyone in the free world. It wasn't that bad. At least in terms of the second one. I think the two were pretty much on even ground. Neither, of course, came close to matching the power and promise of the original. Anyway, the cheese factor was increased ("So cheeseball a Smith.") and I got much use out of my new best phrase, "This scene is for women!" I have some less PG rated variants, as well. And I interpretted the final message of the movie (from what I could figure out, and quite frankly, my brain was physically unwilling to spend any energy contemplating and nitpicking over most of it) to be, "You win by selling out." No, think about it.
Last night we watched a bad movie starring Terry O'Quinn, solely for that reason. Made in the 80s, the realization was made that it is nearly twenty years old. This explained, though didn't prepare me for, why Mr. O'Quinn was so much younger and leaner, and with much more hair. Still inimitably creepy, though. Ahh, good times.
Previous evening (?): Full Metal Jacket, lest I forget.
This evening: Cool Hand Luke, various leftovers, and then we settled down to watch The Two Towers on DVD. Extended Edition, natch. It is possible that only Beth will appreciate the full import.
Anyway, why did no one tell me that this film was such utter crap? Honestly. I really didn't ... get it. Like, the first film? Good. Third film? Good. Even though most of the book material was left off, and the book I adore. Second film? Who dropped the ball?
As I have stated in times past, I am not a book adaptation purist. I do not need to see everything in the book up on the screen. I don't even need to see them in the right order or place (cougholdmanwillowcough). I am fine with the "homage" or "shout out" when I can get nothing else. When the wrong character says a minor poem, but at least it's in there? When they make subtle references to book chapter titles? When a line or passage comes straight from the book, even when it's not one of the most beloved lines/passages? When the characters do not behave exactly as they do in the books yet somehow capture the precise essence of the characters? I love that. It makes me happy. It makes me feel like the filmmakers care, and I'm on the same page, right there with them.
Of course, the only way that can work is if the story that you present is the *actual* story. The Lord of the Rings is mythic. And I know from mythic, as they say. It's not the precise details that matter, but the story. The hard facts; the source. The source needs to be the same. When you change the basic fabric of the story, I get upset. That's when my brain hurts and my soul cries out to be avenged.
The second film, at best, is "loosely based" on the book of the same name. Any similarities to any work by Tolkien, living or dead, is purely coincidental. And the other films (with some exceptions, which I could bitch about, but were nothing jarring) were not. What is up?
I found myself, in my happiest watching moments, thinking, "That was pretty awesome. Even though it never happened." That's about the best I could hope for with it. And, honestly, some of the scenes (most of which, I observed, were not in the theatrical release) were pretty damn awesome. Especially the flashback with Boromir. O Sean Bean, you are a paragon, and I do adore you. Though not nearly as much as my boyfriend does. I've never seen "Sharpe," you see. Some day when I'm famous and poweful, I will devise a movie in which Sean Bean, Christopher Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Walken, some other people that I like, are all in a film, nay, scene, together, and both of us will be satisfied that no other movie need ever be made. The opinion of others matters not.
So, there was some good, quickly done away with by the insulting bad. Insulting to me, anyway, I'm not telling anyone they shouldn't like the film. The boy informs me that the 47 minutes of extra footage really allowed the film some internal logic that it lacked in the theaters. So, good! And yet, oh yes, there's a damn there, didn't we say? Little things bug me. That whole "asking the white wizard" thing really fucked with me, because nothing after that made any sense.
Anyway. I have also discovered commentaries! So far we've listened to the cast commentaries of the second discs of both films. Yeah, I don't know either, but seriously, we started watching at about 8:30, and as I'm typing this it's almost 4AM. That's a lot of hobbit for anybody, man. Lot of hobbit. So, I'm finding these fascinating. What I find most interesting is learning who is the cast is, in fact, totally awesome (Bernard Hill), who is an enormous walking penis (Aston, Aston, Aston), who is pretty but not especially bright (Bloom, Miranda Otto -- side note: her character not fighting in battle at Helm's Deep was more true to the book than her doing so would have been. HAAAAAAAA! Oh honey.), who are entertaining and slightly deranged (Boyd and Monaghan), and who is a class act all the way (John Rhys-Davies, Ian McKellen, John Noble, most of the other fellows). And, of course, who I'd pay to see read phone books to each other (Sean Bean and Christopher Lee). I especially liked the one anecdote B&M gave where they referred to "Sean Bean" several times. No "Sean" or anything of that nature, but "Sean Bean." Some people, you just need to do that.
I am actually gad-fucking-exhausted right now. My head actually did hurt by the end of the movie, and I downed some painkillers as is my wont. So I'm feeling less pain. But I was half unconscious before the commentaries were even half over, so I'm surprising and alarming myself by staying up this late and typing all this out.
Um. I'm sure all the people I was talking smack about are potentially lovely people in real life.
I saw Matrix Revolutions, finally. My striking impression was that it was not as bad as I had been lead to believe by, oh, everyone in the free world. It wasn't that bad. At least in terms of the second one. I think the two were pretty much on even ground. Neither, of course, came close to matching the power and promise of the original. Anyway, the cheese factor was increased ("So cheeseball a Smith.") and I got much use out of my new best phrase, "This scene is for women!" I have some less PG rated variants, as well. And I interpretted the final message of the movie (from what I could figure out, and quite frankly, my brain was physically unwilling to spend any energy contemplating and nitpicking over most of it) to be, "You win by selling out." No, think about it.
Last night we watched a bad movie starring Terry O'Quinn, solely for that reason. Made in the 80s, the realization was made that it is nearly twenty years old. This explained, though didn't prepare me for, why Mr. O'Quinn was so much younger and leaner, and with much more hair. Still inimitably creepy, though. Ahh, good times.
Previous evening (?): Full Metal Jacket, lest I forget.
This evening: Cool Hand Luke, various leftovers, and then we settled down to watch The Two Towers on DVD. Extended Edition, natch. It is possible that only Beth will appreciate the full import.
Anyway, why did no one tell me that this film was such utter crap? Honestly. I really didn't ... get it. Like, the first film? Good. Third film? Good. Even though most of the book material was left off, and the book I adore. Second film? Who dropped the ball?
As I have stated in times past, I am not a book adaptation purist. I do not need to see everything in the book up on the screen. I don't even need to see them in the right order or place (cougholdmanwillowcough). I am fine with the "homage" or "shout out" when I can get nothing else. When the wrong character says a minor poem, but at least it's in there? When they make subtle references to book chapter titles? When a line or passage comes straight from the book, even when it's not one of the most beloved lines/passages? When the characters do not behave exactly as they do in the books yet somehow capture the precise essence of the characters? I love that. It makes me happy. It makes me feel like the filmmakers care, and I'm on the same page, right there with them.
Of course, the only way that can work is if the story that you present is the *actual* story. The Lord of the Rings is mythic. And I know from mythic, as they say. It's not the precise details that matter, but the story. The hard facts; the source. The source needs to be the same. When you change the basic fabric of the story, I get upset. That's when my brain hurts and my soul cries out to be avenged.
The second film, at best, is "loosely based" on the book of the same name. Any similarities to any work by Tolkien, living or dead, is purely coincidental. And the other films (with some exceptions, which I could bitch about, but were nothing jarring) were not. What is up?
I found myself, in my happiest watching moments, thinking, "That was pretty awesome. Even though it never happened." That's about the best I could hope for with it. And, honestly, some of the scenes (most of which, I observed, were not in the theatrical release) were pretty damn awesome. Especially the flashback with Boromir. O Sean Bean, you are a paragon, and I do adore you. Though not nearly as much as my boyfriend does. I've never seen "Sharpe," you see. Some day when I'm famous and poweful, I will devise a movie in which Sean Bean, Christopher Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Walken, some other people that I like, are all in a film, nay, scene, together, and both of us will be satisfied that no other movie need ever be made. The opinion of others matters not.
So, there was some good, quickly done away with by the insulting bad. Insulting to me, anyway, I'm not telling anyone they shouldn't like the film. The boy informs me that the 47 minutes of extra footage really allowed the film some internal logic that it lacked in the theaters. So, good! And yet, oh yes, there's a damn there, didn't we say? Little things bug me. That whole "asking the white wizard" thing really fucked with me, because nothing after that made any sense.
Anyway. I have also discovered commentaries! So far we've listened to the cast commentaries of the second discs of both films. Yeah, I don't know either, but seriously, we started watching at about 8:30, and as I'm typing this it's almost 4AM. That's a lot of hobbit for anybody, man. Lot of hobbit. So, I'm finding these fascinating. What I find most interesting is learning who is the cast is, in fact, totally awesome (Bernard Hill), who is an enormous walking penis (Aston, Aston, Aston), who is pretty but not especially bright (Bloom, Miranda Otto -- side note: her character not fighting in battle at Helm's Deep was more true to the book than her doing so would have been. HAAAAAAAA! Oh honey.), who are entertaining and slightly deranged (Boyd and Monaghan), and who is a class act all the way (John Rhys-Davies, Ian McKellen, John Noble, most of the other fellows). And, of course, who I'd pay to see read phone books to each other (Sean Bean and Christopher Lee). I especially liked the one anecdote B&M gave where they referred to "Sean Bean" several times. No "Sean" or anything of that nature, but "Sean Bean." Some people, you just need to do that.
I am actually gad-fucking-exhausted right now. My head actually did hurt by the end of the movie, and I downed some painkillers as is my wont. So I'm feeling less pain. But I was half unconscious before the commentaries were even half over, so I'm surprising and alarming myself by staying up this late and typing all this out.
Um. I'm sure all the people I was talking smack about are potentially lovely people in real life.
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