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| I just came away from one of the biggest comedies of the season, Roland Emmerich's "2012."
To quote my friend who paraphrased Stalin, "One person's death is a tragedy. Six billion people's deaths is a Roland Emmerich film."
Yes, there are spoilers here.
But the dog lives. Thank goodness for that, eh? Leave it to Hollywood to kill 6 billion people on screen but make us root for a dog (while its child owners appear to be doomed, no less).
Just when you think the movie has lost the final shred of its own self-respect, its liquor-fueled striptease continues as it finds yet another orifice into which a random object is stuffed. The sheer volume of cliches and ham-handed symbolism and two-dimensional characters the movie tells you that you should care about yet gives you no reason to is unlike anything I've ever seen before.
Of course, I went to see the film knowing that it would be so bad it's good, and the film delivered. My god. "We're going to crash into the face of Mt. Everest." And the moon is going fall into the Earth. And the sun will explode and become a black hole.
Another point. I never want to be aboard a ship captained by Roland Emmerich. The "villian" of the film makes all the correct decisions. He might be callous about them, but he is right. If Roland Emmerich were faced with the decision to batten down the hatches and cut off people trapped belowdecks in order to save the ship, he'd choose not to and doom everyone.
And the end. Ohhhh, the MESSAGE. So, Some ships full of incredibly rich and powerful white people land on Africa eh? Well, I'm sure that will go well.
( I have a few questions for the film ) | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment   |
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Ever since I was somewhere around twelve or thirteen, I knew, as firmly as one can know anything, that it was my purpose in life to be a husband and a father.
The idea of a perfect romantic partner then was a girl who would challenge me intellectually, be cheerful and affectionate, have an uninhibited sense of humor, be comfortable with her sexuality, have a sweet smile and an athletic figure. She would not be concerned with tradition or popular culture, be unimpressed with material things, and have a soft spot for animals and little kids.
This has not changed at all. However, my desire for smart, independent-minded women has led to much frustration, for in my experience, the women who really interest me intellectually also tend to have violent opposition toward the notion of marriage and children in their futures. By contrast, I cannot bear the thought of never being a father. | | comments: 7 comments or Leave a comment |
| This is Patches and me.
EDIT! I am now "that guy" who has a video of his pet on the Youtubes. It is 3 minutes of he and I taking turns petting each other.
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| We all know today is Veterans' Day, and it is right that we should remember the sacrifices made by our countrymen past and present. I, for one, am eternally proud of my late Great Uncle who served in World War II from Normandy to Berlin and was awarded the Bronze Star with oak leaf clusters for valour in combat. He never spoke of the events which earned that medal. The most he would say is that he didn't deserve it any more than any of the guys he served with, it was just that an officer happened to be paying attention at the time.
However, today is especially auspicious for it marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Following is an account of the events which led to that incredible event, and the wave of European freedom that followed.
( The most revolutionary year in history )
( tldr Hey here is a timeline! )
Here is a German video showing the confusion at one of the Berlin Wall gates on the night November 9, and the ultimate opening of the gate.
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The line is "Play it, Sam." There's no "again."
Anyway, I'd choose the "It's a Small World After All" soundtrack. I've already contracted a psychologist to study the effects and discern exactly how long it takes for a man to go right the hell off his rocker.
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| I don't know why, at 32, I'm still absolutely clueless when talking with a woman.
Case in point:
I was downtown for a delivery today and stopped in a fantastic hole-in-the-wall restaurant called "The Soup Box" (if you enjoy truly good soup and live in the Chicago area you must try it). It was lunchtime and busy, and after paying for my steaming sourdough breadbowl of creamy chicken and wild rice soup, I picked out a seat at the window-side counter between a couple to my left, and an attractive young woman on my right who was going through some papers.
"Mind if I squeeze in here?" I asked.
She looked up quickly with a friendly smile, saying, "go right ahead"
Here's what went on inside my head from there on.
What the fuck are you thinking? She’s not interested in you. I check her hand for a ring – clear! Of course she doesn’t have a ring. She’s probably 22-25. She thinks you’re a creepy old man. Hey she’s filling out a job application for this restaurant. You could chat her up about that. She doesn’t want to talk to you. You are short and bald and look ridiculous with that bowling brace on your arm for your fucking carpal tunnel bullshit. “Applying for a job here?” She gives me a smile with a touch of embarassment that is most endearing, “Yeah, I love this place.” Dude, stop. Just sto- “Oh yeah. I just discovered it a couple weeks ago. It’s so incredibly good.” She grins and goes back to the application. She’s going to ignore you now. And you should do the same. I continue to eat – my God this soup is good – and watch her, waiting for another pause. And there it is! She’s only going to hurt you, dumbass. “So are you going to school in the area?” “Yeah, DePaul.” “Ah, I know it. Cool. What are you majoring in?” …the conversation continues for several minutes. She asks me what I do and other things, all the while seeming very friendly and interesting… Interested? Then she finishes her application, stacks her papers, looks at me and smiles, saying “Well, maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll see you again. If I get a job here.” I’mnotgoingtoletyouthinkorsayanythingLalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala She walked away. A minute later, I realize “Hey, she left me the PERFECT opening!” Too late now.
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| Listen up, you jive-ass turkeys. I got somethin' to say.
Last night, I saw Black Dynamite.
See the red band trailer here:
This movie delivered in every frame. There was not a moment unfilled with kung-fu, gun-fu action, marvelously over-the-top supercool dialogue, gratuitous nudity, groovin' soundtrack, and intentional B-movie mistakes (boom mics, bad edits, cars that change from red sports cars to blue sedans during a crash). I ached from laughing and cheering at its audacity and shameless pursuit of all that is righteously awesome.
Alas, ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) saintedwyn , one of his coworkers, and I were the only people in the theater. This is a movie that deserves to be seen! So get off your butts and go see Black Dynamite.
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| Bob Dylan has released a Christmas album.
<img src="http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/.a/6a00d8341c58f853ef0120a6244a94970c-320wi">
Yes, the Beatles did Christmas music (and it's generally agreed to be their weakest stuff), but Dylan has always epitomized an anti-establishment, anti-commercialism attitude. Sure, the profits from the album are all set to go to charity, but this still feels like the ultimate sell-out.
Here's an excerpt from a Chicago Sun-Times review:
"When the star stumbles through "I'll Be Home for Christmas," he sounds like the family's disinherited black sheep embarrassment, delivering the sentiment as a threat rather than a promise. In "Winter Wonderland," when that treacly chorus coos, "We'll have lots of fun with Mr. Snowman," he sounds like a psychotic as he answers, "Until the other kids all knock him down!" And by the time he starts slaughtering the familiar Latin refrain of "Adeste fideles"--"Venite adoremus Dominum" becomes, no kidding, "Benito adore-a-moose domino!"--you don't know whether to wince or guffaw."
Watch next year for: "A Very Dylan Christmas," and the major motion picture "Blondes! Blondes! Blondes!"
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I'm by far my own worst critic when it comes to creative work. I don't often think about how others will react - I just want to produce something that I enjoy and feel proud of.
Of course, as I'm so intensely critical about my work, I'm never happy with it.
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There are a few bands I've never seen live that I'd really like to see:
The Who
Jethro Tull
Pink Floyd
Iron Maiden
Symphony X | | comments: Leave a comment |
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ALONE
Bringing soup, orange juice, and drugs back from the store is most appreciated, but please, let me and my germs be alone together. | | comments: 5 comments or Leave a comment |
| I was looking for information about past situations in which Chicago's mayor forcibly bussed schoolchildren to various rallies for items on his agenda, and google brought me links regarding school children being led in songs and chants which praise President Obama
( Songs of presidential praise )
There should be no surprise that Republicans have taken great issue with these and similar cases of state school-sponsored Obama praise, with immediate comparisons to Hitler Youth songs and the indoctrination which took place in Soviet and Communist Chinese schools. I confess that I got chills when first watching the above video.
However, it's important to note that this is not something new in America. I'm certain schoolchildren were led in songs about FDR, and likely other presidents before or since. In 2006, students seranaded Laura Bush during a school visit with a song that included the line,
"Congress, Bush and FEMA People across our land together have come to rebuild us and we join them hand-in-hand." Not quite as blatant as the Obama stuff above, but still most decidedly partisan.
I count myself fortunate that I cannot recall a single occasion in which I felt like a teacher or school at large wanted me to favor or oppose a current politician. During elections, we would read about both candidates and were often assigned to watch debates. Where major political issues were concerned, the rule was either both sides got to be heard, or, in some cases, the teacher forbade discussion on the issue entirely. The latter is a chickenshit move, but at least it's nonpartisan.
A public school in a free country has absolutely no place supporting or opposing a politician or political issue, no matter who or what it may be. If politics are to be addressed, the school should encourage study and open discourse, with the goal of having each child come to his or her own conclusion without pressure from the teacher. | | comments: 5 comments or Leave a comment |
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I've never been the one to end a friendship based on political differences, though on a few occasions, another has chosen to cease a friendship with me over them.
I've had friends on both sides of issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, the Iraq war, gun control, socialized medicine, global warming, drug legalization, and others, and at times, have had intense debates. I usually find such debate fun and enlightening
While I am passionate about many political issues, I can't think of any political opinion I expect to encounter which would be a friendship-breaker for me. If I were to discover that a friend of mine was, say, a holocaust-denier, or a fascist (a real fascist, not in the way that so many of us call anyone we disagree with a fascist) I couldn't remain on friendly terms with that person.
...or say if they were a Nihilist. Because say what you will about the tenets of National Socialism, at least it's an ethos. | | comments: 14 comments or Leave a comment |
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Superstitions are silly, whether it's worrying about breaking a mirror or an invisible man in the sky who will punish you if you don't tell him how great he is in a very specific way. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| A Praying Mantis hung out in front of my shop today. While I was taking photos, a vanload of army recruits who had stopped at the McDonalds began daring one another to eat it. I carried the guy into a bush prior to that becoming reality.
Some things I didn't know about praying mantises.
- their forelegs can reach out and snatch prey back in 1/20th of a second.
- they can eat animals three times their size, and have been known to eat birds, mice, snakes, and soft-shell turtles.
[Edit 9-25-09 7:00pm]: Three more photos added behind the cut.
( Moar pix! ) | | comments: 18 comments or Leave a comment |
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In all honesty, I'd like to start over from about age 14, so long as I could retain what I have learned of life since then. I wouldn't change anything where friends are concerned, but there's a hell of a lot of other stuff I'd do differently, and I'd do plenty of other things I didn't do before.
...And maybe also buy lots of stock in Microsoft, sell it for Yahoo, then sell that for Google. | | comments: Leave a comment |
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A warehouse of knowledge with a storefront full of pornogrophy
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