Bar Frustration

Me: You shouldn't come to see me at work tonight.
Keith: Why?
Me: Because I'm pissed at the owner.
-Phone conversation

I'm beginning to be extremely excited about the fact that I'm working only one night this week. I got a call at something like 2:30 saying could I cover the kitchen tonight? The jist of my reply - I'd rather be on the floor, actually, so I can make $50 more dollars. The response - yeah, but no one else can cover the kitchen, so you have to.

I first said I'd do both, allowing for how busy it got. Then I realized I didn't want to do two jobs tonight. Because doing both would mean shutting down the kitchen, then going out to the bar so I could sweep and take out the trash. Fuck that. So, I'm just going to be in the kitchen. Hooray. Fortunately, I'm less pissed now than I was at first. When I called the owner back, she at least tried to compromise by saying she'd talk to the kitchen manager about staying late. Of course, the kitchen manager has a "prior engagement" and cannot. Just so you know, that means she doesn't want to skip her pool league. It's not like she should have to suck it up instead of me, I mean, it's not like she gets paid more, or is the kitchen manager or something. No, not like that at all.

The timing could be better, too. I'm already generally stressed thanks to being busy (in general), still in the process of moving and preparing for my party, and having had a very frustrating Saturday at the bar. It was slow from 5-11, then I had no tables for the following three solid hours, but could not go home because it was my job to stay and help close the place down. So, I sat around for three hours thinking how tired I was and how I had been cleaning my old house all day and how badly I wanted just to leave. It also didn't help that it was a night of stupid drunks. So, I was tired, and pissed, and pissed that I was tired...etc. Generally: very cranky.

Thus, we get back to today: doesn't help with the crankiness.

Joy for me - I get to go to my favorite class tomorrow. Damn, that perks my mood right up. Did I mention that I walked out early last week? It's going to be very hard not to do so again tomorrow.

All right, I can never stay bitchy for too long. I remind myself that I should have a movie and Highlander Season 2 Disc 6 waiting for me at home. Also, covering the kitchen means I get to leave earlier than I would if I were waitressing. That means, I can watch stuff tonight.

Moving, Movies (It's a comma splice)

“Everyone always leaves it trashed.”
-Landlord of old house

Moving. Ugh. That sums it up, really. I finally got rid of one house, yesterday, by returning the key to my old landlords. They were terribly thrilled that I had actually cleaned the place up. A first time occurrence, she said.

I also hung my numerous pictures, some are crooked, and none are even with each other, so it’s bugging me, but they are on the wall instead of in a pile on the coffee table, so I’m going to call it good for now.

Hollywood has been pretty disappointing lately, putting garbage like The Descent and Pulse up on the big screen, but in the past few weeks they’ve geared up for colder weather by opting for some decent flicks, like The Illusionist. Keith and I went to the theater Friday, and now I’ve seen two good movies, in a row, at the theater. Good God! In other news, my two latest Netflix flicks didn’t quite do it for me.

Movie Review: Flyboys. Where Geronimo got it wrong, this film gets it right. It takes a big historical story – that of the Lafayette Escadrille – and works into it a manageable and focused plot with developed characters. Here’s the gist: Take a handful of Americans, before America joined the war, who volunteer to go to France and be among the first ever fighter pilots. Make one of them James Franco, who plays a cocky ranch boy who plans to become the new unit’s first “ace” and add Martin Henderson (playing Reed Cassidy) saying his line about the average life expectancy for a fighter pilot being three to six weeks, and viola! The writers do a nice job of individualizing the characters, and creating a tight plot – they’re pretty slick about nonchalantly introducing elements that become important later on, so pay attention. Martin Henderson is mundo badass as Cassidy, and he and Franco have a nice mentor-protégé dynamic. Although a savvy movie-watcher will see the main plot arc pretty early on, there’s plenty of other good stuff to keep you watching. The fight scenes had me leaning forward, and that doesn’t often happen. Definitely worth a trek to the theater.

Movie Review: Donnie Darko. Cult classic. Demonic Bunny. Adolescent kid with a bit of mental illness. Sounds good, right? Eh. I can mostly see where they were going with the idea, but the execution left me not caring much. The movie plods along, making a point of “ain’t life weird?” and here and there dropping hints that there’s a plot, oh and characters. Jake Gyllenhaal wanders around acting either really weird, psychopathic, or very intelligent and sometimes sweet. They emphasize the mental illness a lot with, “see, he’s not right in the head” scenes that kept making me think, “Yeah, I get it already.” Of course, you get to the end and have the big twist, and then get to thinking about it and realize – but what the hell? If that’s what happens, then why does the rest of it matter? Dunno on this one guys. I salute it for its outright weirdness and the fact that they did something radical at the time, but for pure movie value, it fell short.

Movie Review: Great Expectations. This is the one with Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow. As far as I can tell, most people are either really fond of it, or particularly dislike it. Me? The second one. I’m all about modernizing classic stories in movies, like the slightly corny and wonderful Bride and Prejudice, but only when they’re done well. This one wasn’t. I don’t mind that they change details, like naming him Finn instead of Pip. I do mind when they change random stuff for no good reason – like why the hell was Maggie a hooker instead of a bitchy housewife? I also mind when they miss the themes that made the original so enduring. The major one for me: in the novel, Pip’s miserable because he’s ashamed of where he comes from, in the movie, he’s fine with it and when he gets his “big break” he almost turns it down instead of jumping at it. I mean, come on, that’s practically the WHOLE POINT of the novel. Dumbasses.

Firefly Time

"He robbed from the rich and he gave to the poor
Stood up to the Man and he gave him what for
Our love for him now ain't hard to explain
The Hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne"
-chorus, "The Hero of Canton"

Here's a holler out to all browncoats! It's almost Serenity's one year anniversary. I'm whipping out my Firefly box set soon, to relive the shiny episodes. Which reminds me, if you don't know the song I quoted above, you need to buy the Firefly box set.

A side note: Stupid FOX. FOX is cracking down on Firefly copywright infringements. It only took them five years to care, besides, if they had created any Firely merchandise, fans wouldn't have resorted to making their own. Maybe, though, this is a good sign. The show is actually important enough for the studio to get their panties in a twist over it. Read about it here: http://www.serenitystuff.com/2006/09/14/bluesunshirtscom-gets-a-c-and-d-letter-from-fox

Feeling Overwhelmed

Richie: Mac, to hell with the rules. We're immortals, who cares about the rules?
Duncan: Sometimes it's all we have.
-Highlander, “Under Color of Authority”

Grand News – I moved into the new house last night. Dad was over fixing a few last things and he helped me move over my essentials (bed, TV, microwave) so I could spend the night. I watched Highlander (adios, for now, Richie) while sitting on my vintage couch, and set up my stereo and got one of my new plates dirty. It’s so exciting, let me tell ya.

It’s recruiting time for SCWP, so this morning I got over a dozen e-mails from Katherine along “Send 10 brochures to Joe at this address…” lines. I also got an e-mail in that batch saying all of the mailings needed to be sent out today. Between compiling addresses, making labels (the printer was down for half an hour), copying letters, and stuffing envelopes, my first hours in the office disappeared. Now, with all the mailings sitting happily in the mail bag, I am temporarily caught up on my To-Do list.

Plenty of other stuff to do outside of the office though. Alas, this week promises much more work. I need to finish moving, start unpacking, write a few papers for class, read a few books for the same, and follow up on some things I told people I’d e-mail them. Mostly, the moving is what’s sucking the life out of my week, though. Yesterday was theoretically a “free” day since my babysitting was cancelled and I had no other commitments. However, it got devoured by doing laundry and moving. Egad, how can I have so much stuff? My English major condition is starting to show, I had to move three boxes of just books, and one of magazines. Fortunately, due to my lack of electronics, the entertainment center is primarily acting as a bookshelf.

It is a very good thing I’m not working at the bar this Friday. Along with all the moving I need to do, I still have to clean the old house before I’m done. I’m very glad the old house is small. The utilities need to be switched over, and half a dozen businesses need to be notified of my new address. Oh, I should probably go grocery shopping sometime soon, too. It helps to have food. Ugh.

Christ and Couches

“Before you go, is there anything I can pray for you about?”
-gal on campus

On campus there is a big courtyard with a fountain in the middle and grass around it. It’s nice today, so I sat in the grass during my break. Within a few minutes, a complete stranger came up to me and started a conversation. I don’t particularly like being approached by complete strangers who want to have a conversation, especially when I’m doing something – in this case, sketching. She was good though, she jumped right in with questions about if I was an art major, if I lived on campus, etc. Super friendly but not obnoxious about it.

My general response to this kind of thing is to be antisocial about it, but since she wasn’t some drunk guy (as they’re usually the ones starting random conversations) I actually chatted with her a bit. I was still trying to figure out whether I was being hit on, or whether she wanted to evangelize me. Turns out, it was the latter. All else aside, I have to give her props for guts. Approaching random strangers to talk about religion is not for the faint of heart.

In other news: this past Saturday was a moving day. I didn’t get everything from one house to the other, but I did get all the big furniture and a good number of boxes. Everything else should fit in my car. The living room of my new house is starting to look homey, actually. With an entertainment center, a big red rug, my parents’ 20+ year old furniture (which is still in good shape and comfy), and a couple of afghans my grandmother crocheted, the room is getting cozy. As I told my guy Keith last night, I’m looking forward to being able to sit on my “new” couch with him to watch a movie. That’ll be very nice, since we were never able to do so in the little house with wicker furniture – not very comfortable for two people.

My brother came down from the AFA to help me move, and together we took my desk apart in record time and reassembled it even quicker – turns out it’s one of those jobs that goes much smoother with fewer people. I dropped him back off at the academy yesterday, but took him to my writer’s group first. He was entertained.

And now, for a meta-moment: I’ve been thinking about the blog, and about getting published, and such and I’ve decided to start an off-shoot devoted to writerly blogging. It’ll be my “professional” blog, or something. Henceforth, my comments about my writers group, my novel, etc, with mostly be found there. We’ll see how it goes.

Tried to Post This on Thursday, but Couldn't

"I am going to submit something. If it's not the best story I ever wrote, then it's definitely the worst one...or somewhere in the middle."
-Oliver

I'm tired, slightly cranky, and wanting little more than to go home and take a nap. Instead, I get to go to my favorite class and sit through three damn hours of it. There's a voice in the back of my head whining "I don't wanna, I don't wanna" and I'm having to fight pretty hard not to listen to it. Ugh. Fortunately, I have my sketchy book and my spiral notebook with me, so I'll at least have something to do during class. Also, Nicole's group is going to talk about Queer Theory (as in lit. theory) so I can pay attention to her instead of my idiot professor.

See what I mean about the cranky?

Okay, good news: Yesterday I had a zero-word count for this month's Oracle submission. This morning and at various time throughout the day, that changed to a 1,300-word count. While a significant part of me wanted to just skip this month - thanks to it being already Thursday and me having to work both Fri. and Sat. nights, and having to move on Saturday - but my recent acceptances are making me feel like a "real" writer, and real writers don't slack, they take their work seriously, etc. Besides, much of my procrastination can be credited to this next chapter being a somewhat uneventful (and thus less exciting) one. I mean, hell, I just killed off two of my main characters, it's hard to top that. Anyway, I'm pleased with myself and how I didn't slack.

I also sent e-mails to Jayne and Oliver (the young punkish, but talented one) saying they'd better submit because if I can, they can. This is, of course, largely motivated by the fact that Jayne and Oliver can at least write something I want to read, which isn't always the case with others of the group. So, if I have to wade through that stuff, I want a bonus of good stuff. The side effect, is that this works to further ensure I get my butt in gear and finish and submit this Sunday.

Other writerly news - Julia read my story last night and liked it. I said, "I wasn't sure what you'd think, since you dislike fantasy." Her reply was that she mostly dislikes popular fantasy, you know the mile-long unpronouncable names, magic that solves everything, etc. She caught a few typos for me, too.

Right, I'd best get going since I have twenty minutes before class starts and a paper to write yet.

Research

"Leave out the parts people skip."
-Elmore Leonard, quoted by Spacesuits and Sixguns

Encouraged by my two flash fiction acceptances, I spent a few hours today on http://duotrope.com looking up possible publishing markets. Right now I'm only looking at those which publish in print and accept e-submissions. I had to narrow it down somehow, duotrope has a massive listing, and that seemed logical.

I'm getting ready to go to the bar. Julia's bartending upstairs today (2:30-close) and she just called to see if I would bring her the newspaper because she's bored to tears. However, I told her about the story I was working on last week and she asked to read it. I finished the rough draft on Saturday and have a copy with me, so we'll see what she thinks. I'm a bit apprehensive, though, because she's mentioned a dislike for fantasy, which my story essentially is. Then again, the fantasy element is pretty light, so it might not be enough for her to dislike it. We'll see.

Last fall, when I took my pottery class, I had to get a sketch book to sketch the pottery pieces I made. As soon as the class ended, the sketch book fell abandoned, but now I'm using it again. I do have a few sketches in there, but mostly I'm using it for possible story notes and publishing markets notes. Here's an example of some of my possible story notes:

Idea: Marriage to a secret figure
-idol marriage
(Humor) Woman chats with a carved wooden hubby
(Humor-or-Horror) Woman has baby from idol hubby

Image: Natasha Wescoat tree with people buried beneath it
-twisty/fantastic branches

Idea: Exotic trees that can only be fertilized by corpses.

Without the Sleeping

"Let me sleep."
-Dormer, Insomnia

I went to bed last night at something like 11:30. I got out of bed around 1:30. I spent the time in between turning from side to side and thinking to myself, "Okay, I'm feeling sleepy now. Really, I am." I finally gave up and went upstairs to sort through some stuff - namely, the pile of critiqued copies of Oracle I've accumulated. I also looked for, but did not find, the binder I've been using to store hardcopies of my poems & fiction. I think it's in one of the boxes I've already moved over to the new house. I set aside two short stories, a floppy disk, and a spiral notebook so I could bring them to campus with me today. Can you guess what I forgot? Yeah. I don't think it helped that I went to bed, finally, at about 3:00 am.

Yesterday, before the insomnia, I decided to go to the movie theater. Thanks to Netflix, being busy, and nothing but crap playing, I hadn't been to the theater in a while. However, they're starting to have some interesting stuff on screen now, like Hollywoodland and The Black Dahlia. Yesterday, though, what brought me to the theater was Edward Norton's latest flick. He picks interesting movies, and aside from 25th Hour, everything he's been in is worth seeing. The Illusionist is a prime example.

Movie Review: The Illusionist. Don't let the heavy antique sepia tones scare you, it and the fuzzy-around the edges look don't last. Creatively, I can dig where they were coming from with that, but as a movie viewer, it got a bit tiring. Luckily, like I said, it doesn't last forever. The darkness and color tones do interesting things to the overall feeling of the movie. It feels antique, and mysterious, and throws a mood over you that couldn't be replicated if they'd used more true-to-life colors. The plot is a bit tangled, one of those start near the end then catch up kind of stories, but it works well and cues you in to get ready to pay attention. Here's a bit of the gist: the movie opens with Edward Norton (Eisenheim) being grabbed by Paul Giamatti (Chief Inspector Uhl) and goes into the Inspector reporting to Rufus Sewell (Crown Prince Leopold). From there, we travel into flash-back territory where the love story is set up between Norton and Jessica Biel (Sophie) who's a duchess and thus out of limits. Flash forward about fifteen years, when the magician, the duchess, and the Crown Prince meet up in Vienna. Rufus Sewell is a perfect domineering bastard and Edward Norton is wonderful as Eisenheim. Paul Giamatti proves that he's one of those men who look better with facial hair than without, and walks a line between outright bastard and "good guy" beautifully. Most important, don't assume anything, and pay attention. The filmmakers drop a few hints here and there as to what's really going on, but they're subtle and easy to miss if you're paying too much attention to your popcorn. Go see this movie.

Movie Review: Geronimo: An American Legend. Lots of history, little story. It tries to walk the line in between documentary and interesting story and doesn't quite pull off either. Netflix says, "With close attention to period detail and historical accuracy, Walter Hill recounts famed Apache warrior Geronimo's losing battle with the U.S. Army in the late-1800s Southwest." The problem was that Hill got too caught up with the big historical characters and got into a kind of "wasn't this guy cool?" mode without picking someone particular and really fleshing them out. You'd think Matt Damon would be the guy, since he narrates, but nope (in fact, his role ends up being pretty damn superfluous, and that's coming from a Matt Damon fan). Then you'd think maybe Jason Patric, who plays Lt. Charles Gatewood, would be worth really going into, not so much. About the only meat we get out of him is seeing him in-action (impressive, don't get me wrong) and hearing he's got a wife and kid back in Virginia. What about Geronimo (Wes Studi)? Nah, not even he's really human. He's too mythic. Adding to the list of important/nifty historical characters are Gene Hackman (General Crook) and Robert Duvall (Al Sieber). Interesting for historical value, though I hear there are problems there, too. However, any movie that makes me think "Is it going to be over soon?" gets little recommendation from me, regardless of a wonderful cast.

Welcome the Camiiness

More good news-my pal Camii is joining the blog!

We've known each other for (counts on fingers) about five years now, though we've only known each other in person for a few months. Back in high school, a new girl came to town and ended up in my psychology class. My first memory of her is a tie-dye T-shirt. She only stayed for a few months, thanks to her mom moving for a new job, but we've been penpals ever since. Weird, aint it? To have a genuine penpal in a technological age, but there's something wonderful about a handwritten letter that e-mail just can't quite capture.

Anyway, I thought I'd add her to the peanut gallery and she graciously accepted. So now here she is.

Apollo's Lyre-update

"Thanks for making the change. I think it makes it more clear.
I'd like to accept the story for our October issue."
-Kimberly Brown, flash fiction editor for Apollo's Lyre

Yay!

Irony

"I'm a world-class assasin, fuckhead. How do you think I found out?"
-Mr. Goodkat, Lucky # Slevin

Last week, Steve Irwin died from being stabbed by a stingray. This week, people in Australia are killing and mutilating stingrays. Coincidence? I think not. Dumbass people. http://http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14795639/?GT1=8506

Movie Review: Lucky # Slevin. Just before we watched this, my guy made a comment that in this movie, Bruce Willis had better make up for not killing the first lady in The Jackal. He did. To talk about the plot might be dropping hints, so I'll skip that part, save to say "Pay attention." Otherwise, we're dealing with exotic and weird sets, a scattered but well-wrought story, and a top-notch cast. My favorites: Bruce Willis, Josh Hartnett, and Morgan Freeman. Other notables are Lucy Liu and Sir Ben Kingsley. This is not a movie for the squeamish-though it's mostly blood vs. genuine gore-and it is a movie for anyone who loves dialogue. Here are some quotes, pulled from imdb.com:

Slevin: Who are you?
The Boss: I'm The Boss.
Slevin: I thought he was The Boss.
The Boss: Why? Do we look alike?

Slevin's Girlfriend: [after Slevin walks in on her cheating on him] This is an accident.
Slevin: What, Like... He tripped, you fell?

The Rabbi: You must be Mr. Fisher.
Slevin: Must I be? Because it hasn't been working out for me lately.

Mr. Goodkat: The reason I'm in town, in case you're wondering, is because of a Kansas City Shuffle.
Man: What's a Kansas City Shuffle?
Mr. Goodkat: A Kansas City Shuffle is when everybody looks right, you go left.
Man: Never heard of it.
Mr. Goodkat: It's not something people hear about. Falls on deaf ears mostly. This particular one has been over twenty years in the making. No small matter. Requires a lot of planning. Involves a lot of people. People connected by the slightest of events. Like whispers in the night, in that place that never forgets, even when those people do. It starts with a horse.

And Cookies for All!

"Good news, everyone!"
-Herbert Farnsworth, Futurama

About a week ago, I submitted a flash fiction piece to an E-zine recognized in Writer's Digest, Apollo's Lyre. Realistically, this is the first "professional" submission I've made. So it was great to open the e-mail reply from Kimberly Brown and see that the first line was, "I liked this piece. It was touching, and kind of heartbreaking. Nice imagery, too." She followed with a suggested revision and said if I edited, she'd like to take another look. Her response makes me very optimistic, and I sent her a revised version of the piece just a few minutes ago. I'm hopeful that she'll accept it. Even though it's a non-paying venue, it's still a professional one. As an added bonus, an acceptance to Apollo's Lyre will mean Jayne owes me baked goods for her challenge at the beginning of the year.

I also realized that September is almost half way over already, which means it's almost time for me to move. The new house is just a few blocks away from where I'm currently living, but since it's not right on the interstate and at least twice as big, it's kind of a big deal. Oh yeah, and it has a dishwasher, too! Also, on Oct. 7th, I'm planning a psuedo-housewarming party. Psuedo because while it's in honor of my new house, because I'll finally be living somewhere big enough to have people over, I'm not calling it a housewarming party because I don't want people to feel like they have to bring a present. If everything works out just right, I'll get an acceptance at Apollo's Lyre, which means Jayne owes me baked goods, so then Jayne can bring cookies for my party. See how that works? It's beautiful.

Also handy, with Apollo's Lyre, is the "Pub Venues" section listing magazines and other publishers taking submissions. I started going through the list a few days ago, and I'm feeling like it's a good time to start sending stuff off into the ether. Wish me luck.

Movie Review: Elizabeth. Cate Blanchett is one of the few actresses who'll make me want to see a movie just because she's in it. Co-star Joseph Fiennes isn't bad either, but Geoffrey Rush steals the show as Sir Francis Walsingham. Walsingham is a great example of why Geoffrey Rush is a wonderful, wonderful actor. The movie is great at showing the intrigue, conspiracies, etc. that surrounded Elizabeth, but I was disappointed that it only covered the first four or so years of her 40+ year reign. I can see why they narrowed the focus, but when the movie ended, I was surprised. There are a lot of good, meaty moments. However, I find I'm not so adamantly in love with this movie as others I know. Worth seeing, though, either way.

First Day of Fall

I hope the exit is joyful and I hope never to return.
–Last entry of Frida Kahlo’s journal.

Today during my lunch break I went outside and laid under a tree for a while, just staring up and letting my mind wander. For the first time, it really felt like fall. Last year, this time, I was busy all the time, taking a pottery class, and doing my senior seminar.

I try to think what it is I love about fall so much. Maybe it’s the implicit quiet. Plants are shutting down, animals are storing up fat, the days are getting shorter, and there’s more solitude all around. The smells, too, I love the smells. The first bits of chimney smoke, moldering leaves on the ground, the chill in the air. Another reason I love fall: the beginning of October is when my guy and I started dating-we’ve been together almost three years now.

Movie Review: Bride and Prejudice. Though it’s blatantly corny in parts, there’s also a lot of good dialogue. The updates of the novel are interesting, too. Whereas Austen’s book had class distinction as a conflict, this film uses culture instead. Aishwarya Rai plays Lalita (the Indian version of Lizzy) and is a wonderful embodiment of the original, feisty Jane Austen character. Martin Henderson steps in as Darcy, and Naveen Andrews plays Balraj (a.k.a. Bingley). Great performances and wonderful visuals (sets, costumes, and handsome actors) are alone worth watching the movie.

Movie Review: Frida. I was familiar with some of Kahlo’s art before watching the movie, but I wasn’t a huge fan of it. After watching the movie, I’m looking at her stuff in a new light. Kahlo was a hugely autobiographical artist, so now knowing about her life informs what I see a great deal. Anyway-the movie itself. Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina are excellent and the director did wonderful things with the visuals-she implants some very surreal moments that she actually manages to pull off. Nifty shit, dude. Watch the movie.

Heroes

"What are you still doing here?"
-Dr. Forsyth

I just ran into my Anthropology professor in the hallway of the Psych. building. He was rather surprised to see me, needless to say. I was pretty entertained. I had to tell him I was still hanging about the place for the sake of an M.A. He asked me if I was still seeing "that young man," my guy had an Anthro class the semester before last, then he dashed off to his office hours, or next class, or such. It's funny, I was just thinking I should stop by Dr. Forsyth's office and say hello. He's one of my favorite professors and was gone last semester on sabbatical.

In other news, I just finished the first season of Highlander last night. Adieu, Darius. Somehow, death just won't go away this week. Werner Stocker, who played Darius, was wonderful. Unfortunately, he also had a brain tumor. Darius, who was originally intended as a long term character, was killed off due to the actor's failing health. The cast & crew's knowledge of Stocker's death is very evident in the episode with regard to the way Darius' death was handled. They're really saying goodbye to Stocker as much as to a character. It helps excuse some of the overdone bits in the episode.

I've been thinking of why I like Highlander so much. Sure Adrian Paul is a lot of fun to look at, but the plots have a strong leaning toward the cheesy, and they bring up issues in one episode which they abruptly drop in the next, and there's too much emphasis on "good vs. evil" where the bad guys are just that. Also, there's a lack of larger story arcs. For the most part, any plot begun in an episode is ended in that same episode. I just keep thinking of what Highlander would have been like with Joss Whedon doing the driving. Yet, at the same time, I tend to like it just as it is.

Superficially, it's fun to have the flashbacks and sword fights. More than that, the crime/detective element is interesting. As much as Duncan is a hero, he's often just as much a private detective and bodyguard. The key, I think, is that he is a hero. Not in the "cop dies in the line of duty" kind of way, but in the mythic/chivalric way. He is the epitome of an epic kind of hero. He fights the good fight, protects the helpless, and abides by a strict moral code-a code which, in one episode, even led him to protect a rapist from the victim's father. As an added bonus, he's also (so far anyway) strictly faithful to his lady love, despite the numerous cute girlies who pop up and throw themselves at him.

I find I'm fascinated with heroes right now. You get everything from a Hercules, to a Duncan MacLeod to a Mal Reynolds, or even a Spike, and yet they're all "heroes." The funny thing is, anymore it seems hard to find the epitomal hero in books or TV or Movies. There's such a huge push for heroes to be "flawed" and "human." The reason, of course, is perfect heroes are boring: see Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Which is why MacLeod is interesting, he comes so close to the "perfect" hero, yet manages to escape doom of being boring. The salvation, there, can be chalked up mostly to his tendency to be cocky or a bit of a womanizer, (primarily in certain flashbacks, since he's totally loyal to Tessa currently).

A note on the side: I looked up Adrian Paul and found out that he started out as a dancer and choreographer. Go figure, eh? Though, I'm sure it helped out in the show as far as choreographing fights went. Like Serenity and Summer Glau prove, dance skills translate pretty well to fighting skills. So there you go, Adrian Paul is so badass as Duncan because of his experience wearing tights.

Joss and Hugo

Super exciting news to off-set the dire tone of my last post: Serenity won the Hugo Award!

Though Joss was not there in person to claim the award, Morena Baccarin passed on his words to the audience. Here's the clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LYbtWdMpp4

Go Joss! Go BDM! I'm quite happy that this little "no big deal" movie is still going strong. As an added bonus, winning the Hugo will help spread the word the 'verse is a force to be reckoned with.

Mortalitas

“He died doing what he loved best and left this world in a happy and peaceful state of mind. He would have said, ’Crocs Rule!”’
-John Stainton, as quoted by MSNBC
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14663786/?GT1=8506

Big news: The Crocodile Hunter is dead. Stingray barb to the heart. Mean though it is to say it, I have to: Is anyone surprised that he was killed by wildlife? After all those moments of him holding a vastly toxic snake by the tail, or wrestling a crocodile, etc. you kind of figure it was bound to happen sooner or later, don't you? All the same, I have to admit he did a lot of good things for nature, and he ultimately was a pretty admirable man in many ways (though I don't count common sense among them).

A bit of news rather closer to home is the CDOT accident that happened a few days ago. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4263919
My dad works for CDOT, he started on the sign crew and is now in the body shop, and knew Chuck (Charles). Dad says he was a really nice guy who was always in a good mood, and he invited my dad to come hunt on his property. I feel very bad for his wife, who's expecting kid #1 soon. As if losing your husband wasn't bad enough, now top that with all the stress of a newborn. Ouch. The good news is, there looks to be a lot of community support, and the Colorado State Employees Credit Union is taking donations for the family.

One more death to talk about is that of my dog. We got her when I was ten, she's been MY dog for most of that, and tomorrow she's going to be put to sleep. Her health's been speeding downhill for about a month now, and she's gotten to the point where she can't even breathe well, much less get around. I went to visit my parents yesterday and it hurt to watch her and to see what horrible shape she's in. I'm glad she won't be hurting much longer, but I'm sad to loose her, just the same.

It's just not a good time for the mortality rates, is it?

TOFOG, School, and Publishing

Deb: “Here.”
Me: “What is it? Oh!” [Huge smile] “Deb, I love you!”
-Deb giving me a copy of the only-downloadable My Hand, My Heart, the newest Russell Crowe album which was produced by none other than Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea.

It’s that time of year again, when all us good boys and girls go back to classes. I’ve got a Monday night class (Development of the Novel) and a Thursday night class (Lit. Theories). One class should be fun, though it requires that I read Pride and Prejudice within a period of about four days (I read 143 pages yesterday). The other, Lit. Theories, will be a real pain in my ass. I’m not at all looking forward to it.

In other English major news, there was a party at David’s house Friday in honor of his return from spending a month in Italy. Most of the gang showed and I didn’t go home until after one o’clock. I also found out that David’s most recent book has just been published. He gave me an autographed copy with a personal note inside, and I’m about half way through it. Prose poetry all the way through, very interesting, and a departure for him as he’s been a more “traditional” poet up until now.

Book Review: The Prayers of Others, by David Keplinger. I’m quite liking it. Prose poetry is a very interesting form and the pieces in this book are the best of what David does. Here’s an excerpt:

“ONLY THE PRAYERS of others can save me. Likewise, mine save only them. The little girl who lost her tooth went looking for it through the house. Had she swallowed it last night? Her thinking and the house were large. She flung a piece of string, as though to lasso the tooth, as though it were a loose, wild beast that must be tamed. We’d do anything to comfort her.”

I suck at hyperlinks, or else I’d add the one that takes you to the book site. If you google the title, though, you can find it easily.

Another exciting bit-I’m going to be published this fall in the Hungry Eye, the university Literary Magazine. I’ve got two flash fiction pieces that have been selected and I’m mundo excited about the fact that, as of October, I will be a professionally published writer. No, there’s no money in it, but it’s still my name in print.

Swing Heil!

Annie O'Shea: But he's never told a lie in his life.
Jackie O'Shea: Well, he's making up for it now.
-Waking Ned Devine

I’m a bit irked with Netflix at the moment, because they’re lagging and where before if I sent a movie back on Monday, I would get one by Wednesday, right now it’s not the case. I sent one back Saturday and two Monday, and I won’t be getting any of them until tomorrow (Thursday). I want my movies! In the meantime, here are the latest.

Movie Review: Waking Ned Devine. A very fun movie that combines lots of “local color” and comedy with some nice tender moments. Also, there’s a scene where a sixty some year old man is riding down the road on a motorcycle while totally naked-save shoes. Any movie with that in it is worth a watch.

Movie Review: Swing Kids. I’ve heard of this one for a long time, and finally watched it. Boy, it’s good. Robert Sean Leonard is fantastic as Peter, and Christian Bale likewise does a great job as Thomas. An added bonus is the appearance of Kenneth Branagh as a Gestapo officer. While there are definitely uncomfortable moments in the movie, they’re well done and it’s fascinating to watch a story about Nazi Germany from the P.O.V. of the teenagers who couldn’t escape the politics. Talk about making extremely hard decisions, yeesh.

A New Low

“It hurts us.”
-Gollum

My guy suggested we go see Pulse yesterday, and I agreed on the condition of also getting dinner. After all, the previews actually creeped me out a bit and I was optimistic that the movie wouldn't completely suck. So much for optimism.

Movie Review: Pulse. Without a doubt, the most boring horror flick I’ve ever seen. Very heavy-handed, to boot. We start out with a college boy walking all paranoid-like around campus, the camera lingers meaningfully on people’s laptops, PDAs, cell phones, etc. My God! They’re all around us! He dies, sort of. His girlfriend and her techno addicted friends realize something’s wrong. They run around a lot and die. For some reason, running away works for the girlfriend, but no one else-don’t ask me why. Otherwise, there’s no way at all to fight the ghosties. You must, apparently, be blonde to survive. The movie contradicts itself, goes off on completely irrelevant tangents, fundamentally doesn’t make sense, gets preachy as hell at the end, and doesn’t believe in turning on the lights anywhere. Ugh.

I hereby resolve that the next time I go to the movie theater, it sure as hell won't be for a horror flick.

Shades of Armageddon

“It wasn't a dark and stormy night. It should have been, but there's the weather for you. For every mad scientist who's had a convenient thunderstorm just on the night his Great Work is complete and lying on the slab, there have been dozens who've sat around aimlessly under the peaceful stars while Igor clocks up the overtime.”
-Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Today is my first day back on the campus job and when I walked into the Psych. building I was greeted by the sight of an armageddon. The school is known for its impressively large cricket population-they wander down the halls, through the classrooms, and into the bathroom. Today, it would seem the vast majority of that population is dead and scattered in the hall. I can only guess that, in honor of classes starting up again next week, someone called in an exterminator. It’s impressive, though, walking down the hall amid dozens of dead crickets. Just a little morbid.

My plan for yesterday was go to my folks’ house at noonish, plop in front of the TV, and watch Highlander with my brother and father. Instead, I arrived to find my brother and two extra cadets at the house. Six of us, all together, sat down to watch the first episode and my mom, who’s not a) a bit TV fan, and b) an action/violence fan, proceeded to grate my nerves by talking during the show. I didn’t go over to be social, I went over to watch the damn show on a big ass TV. She also interrupted to ask when we could go over to the Pine house because she and dad just finished doing the floor.

Then, we get over there and she’s all wanting me to fawn over how well the floor came out and be shocked and fucking amazed that it’s so wonderful. It’s a damn floor. We get back to the house, and my brother takes one of his cadet palls to Wal-Mart so dad, a rather quieter mom, and I watch the next episode without him. By the time my brother returned and we finished watching the third, and final, episode on the disc, I’m so ready to get the hell out of there, it’s not even funny. Gah. Sometimes, my mom is way too damn needy. I’m not the kind of person who handles that kind of needy well-thus the reason why I’m not going to produce offspring.

It doesn’t help my mom-situation that my dog is old and going down quickly-she just got diagnosed with doggy cancer. The dog, a basset/weiner-dog mix, has been in the family for twelve years and for most of that, she’s been my dog. Now, since I’ve moved out and cannot have a pooch, she’s still with my parents. I love her to death, but I know her days are numbered. My mom, however, is refusing to let her go. Worse, she expects me to be totally distraught about the whole thing. Let’s face it, the dog is very old, she can’t last forever. Not only that, but up until a few months ago, she was incredibly healthy. Her decline was pretty abrupt. At this point, I’m leaning on the side of putting her to sleep because seeing her limp around with her skeleton poking out is more painful than letting her be on her way. *sigh* In other news: here’s a movie review.

Bill Engvall: A Decade of Laughs. When the Netflix envelope said “Run Time: 16 Mins” I thought there must be some mistake, it wouldn’t be the first time at any rate. However, it turns out that someone decided to make a DVD less than twenty minutes long, with not extra features-except maybe some hidden ones. Don’t get me wrong, I love Bill Engvall, and the music videos were fun to watch, but as far as overall DVD quality goes, I was disappointed. Fortunately, there should be another Highlander disc in my mailbox by the time I get home to help ease my pain.