* = If you've seen my wallet you know how GANGSTA' I actually am...
Well the chest injury is lingering. I think I cracked my sternum, and boy does it hurt. I mean really hurt. It’s sort of this lingering pressure on my chest with the occassional intense pain when I do things like breath. The actual bruises are fading considerably, the hard spot is almost gone, now I just need the pain to completely subside. In the meantime I’m an even more miserable curmudgeon than usual.
I tricked Cassandra into watching a little comedy mockumentary this weekend called Paper Heart (**** out of 5). It was built on the idea that comedian/actress/writer Charlyne Yi is making a documentary about how she doesn’t believe in love. Over time she gets into a relationship with Micheal Cera.
Oh by the way everyone ‘plays’ themselves, so it’s ‘George’ Micheal Cera just being himself. So they have this relationship that’s blooming, but it’s all uncomfortably on camera. At the same time Charlyne’s view point on relationships is evolving. In the end, which I won’t spoil, it’s a battle between affection, love, and staying true to oneself. It’s a touching little flick. At times it’s uncomfortable, it’s sweet, and at moments it’s very sad. It was a very good little flick, I highly recommend it.
On a side note I’m four episodes into Season 1 of Game Of Thrones. For the duration of the first two episodes I had sort of a ‘love/hate’ relationship with the show. It’s well done, the acting is good, but damn if most of the characters are VERY unlikable. Not to mention I have been warned that there are no ‘good’ people left standing after the first book, which was disappointing.
Now as things have progressed I’m starting to see more and more of the nuance around some of these characters. Some are sympathetic, some merely victims of circumstance, and some are perfect villains as they don’t see themselves as villains at all. It’s turned out to be a great show. Am I a fan of it’s style of fantasy? Not overly, it’s not my cup of tea per say as I’m a child of Tolkien & a lover of Howard. Is it intriguing, fascinating, & entertaining? Yes, yes it is.
Along the same path Sunday Cassandra and I sat down and watched the first three episodes of the new season of Doctor Who. What can I say, we’re Who Nerds. I have to say of all the modern seasons, hell of all the seasons, this one has amped up the tension and the stakes INSANELY high with the opening twenty minutes of the first episode. Matt Smith is a perfect combination of the wild, unbridled joy of David Tennant & the brooding, dangerous Christopher Eccelston version of the Doctor. He reminds me a lot of a darker version of the Peter Davison Doctor. I’m also a HUGE fan of the new ‘big bad’ The Silence. They’ve been in the background since Stephen Moffat took over as the Show Runner. So the build up has already been one whole season, which is pretty damn cool. The first two episods MUST be seen as a whole entitity, to seem them cut apart is a travesty and saps the emotional resonance out of the situation. The third episode is more of a ‘one-shot’ episode. From what I’ve read it was orginally to air later in the season, but with all the hype around Neil Gaiman’s episode they wanted a ‘soft’ lead-in. I didn’t see it as being ‘soft’ or lacking in entertainment value, and while it didn’t really advance the season long over-arching plot it was a fun Doctor Who tale.
Let me quickly touch upon the other two, or three depending on how you look at it, mainstays of the current run; Rory & Amelia Pond. I was not sold on a couple being the companions, especially after we spent a great deal of the last season in a ‘will they/won’t they’ thing with the Doctor & Amy. I also was NOT a fan of Rory to begin with, feeling like he was Mickey 2.0, a bit whiney and sort of a clod. Much like Mickey though Rory has grown on me, and grown as a character. By the end of Tennant’s run Mickey was one of the most interesting characters. With only one full season under his belt, Rory is one of my favorite companions. He’s earnest, he’s loyal, he’s insecure, he’s invested, and more than anything he’s devoted to Amy and to his friendship with the Doctor. In all honesty he’s one of my favorite characters on TV. The idea of him waiting through time, 2,000 years, for Amy all the while standing watch over history in a sort of longing, melancholy devotion speaks volumes about the depth of his love for her and his sense of loyalty. I loved the Doctor asking him about if he remembers it, and Rory trying to lie and say ‘no’, only to reveal it haunts him. One last Who point, I am now fully intrigued by the mystery behind River Song. Who is she really? Who did she kill? When did she get her sonic screwdriver? If her ‘end’ is the Doctor’s ‘beginning’ of their ‘relationship’ just what are the consequences of the opening twenty minutes of the first episode? They’ve done a perfect job making her so damn mysterious that you can’t help but want to know more. Oh and next week, another FRIGGIN’ TIMELORD, and it’s written by Neil Gaiman? I can’t wait.
Wow, I just re-read that and I am a total nerd.
RANDOM CRAP!
- I’m almost done with the complete series of the television program Better Off Ted.
I’ll refrain from reviewing it till I finish, BUT I will say thus far I’m in love with it. It’s really inventive, funny, and a nice change of pace.
- Oh, by the by my family, almost all of them, are coming to visit in July. Weird.
- I have yet to pick up a paint brush all week. Maybe I’m taking another week off, I don’t even know anymore. Sitting down for long periods of time while an invisible elephant squats on my chest is difficult currently. I want to paint, I’ve even got some new paint, but currently I feel to crappy.
- Did I mention I feel like I’m dying?
- I’ve written a stern letter to my state representatives and senator regarding the proposed budget cuts to Human Services. I’m hoping that one day a letter like this makes a difference. Although I’m reasonably sure it won’t.
- Last night’s sky was spooky.
- I know I mentioned it last week, but you should ALL, that’s right all three of you who read this, should be reading The Guilded Age. It is brilliant.
- Marvel SAGA is Saturday. I know where I wanted to take it, now after talking to David & Mike I’m not sure. They were very helpful in explaining how they are not the biggest fan of the ‘team’ being continually split into smaller entities for adventures. This sucks since that’s what I have planned. I had plans for some character driven stuff, some personal nemesis growth, and then some massive craziness. I’m not a fan of feeling like I’m ramming this down the player’s throats, but at the same time I don’t want to get away from the outline I have going. I’m going to have to continue to ponder this.
- I’d kill someone for fried chicken.
- Finishing the downstairs has now been ‘fast tracked’. I’m hoping to draft plenty of people into the effort in order to get it done. While I’m excited to get it done I do not relish the financial hit we’ll be taking.
- The lawn desperately needs mowed, and weeds need to be pulled…
Who knew that owning a house would be such a pain in the ass?
“You thought you'd conquered space
But now your reign is through
Dissect the human race
Until they conquer you
Fame is now mine
Even though it's illusion
Space and now time
Has just reached its conclusion
2000 years ago
My race created you
We turned you loose in space
Now a polluted zoo
Fate is no crime
I can face this illusion
Space and now time
Has just reached its conclusion
Light years are passing before me I'll soon begin
Carnivores roam the stars all in the place of men
Singular manifestation of time
And as your kingdom falls
I've taken after you
You may have wished this on me
And now you see it through
Your time is rolling over
My time is coming soon
I'll resurrect the ancient spores
Eclipse the Vargr moon
Matter warps space
So now time is illusion
How can I face this miraculous conclusion?
Light years are passing before me I'll soon begin
Right from the start I can see you're an alien
Singular manifestation of time
Your stories do amuse me
Although your eyes are vacant
I did not wish this on you
Your madness is quite blatant
Inside your mind I see the source of your hallucinations
Your body's wasted but your brain's on fire
The future still looks grim now
The human race is wasted
But soon you must turn over
The power you have tasted
In all your mercy I can see you are an ideal agent
To bring this curse upon the galaxy
Wait and see
Light years are passing before me I'll soon begin
Carnivores roam the stars all in the place of man
Infinite manifestation of time”
* = The Northern Coasts perhaps?
Hopefully the elephant gets off your chest before he has to smuggle some tigers. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI want to read this 'stern' letter. You should share it.
ReplyDeleteAnd smuggling tigers??? Are they like baby tigers? Regular tigers? Or awesome white-circus-Siegfried&Roy type tigers?
Cassandra,
ReplyDeleteIf anyone is going to make poop jokes on my blog it's going to be me. Consider yourself warned.
Hides,
ReplyDeleteHere is my stern letter;
Good Day,
I'm writing as a twelve-year worker in the Human Services industry. I've been privileged enough to have started in a part time capacity to now training staff to serve folks with disabilities. In that time I've come to know people of many walks of life, social backgrounds, ethnicity, socio-economic background, and disability levels. It has been an honor to serve these people in whatever capacity has been my job's mandate.
That being said there has been a startling and frightening trend in recent years to continually take from this populace to meet the 'needs' of the legislature. My question is why?
This is a group; children, the elderly, and folks with varying disabilities that don't have the lobby power to sway these issues. Is it easier to take from a group that is a marginalized minority? I know that for the most part these are individuals who don't vote. I know that they don't contribute to campaigns. More than anything I know that large business interests or union groups don’t represent them. They are a group of people who 'we' as a community had dedicated ourselves to integrating into 'our' community. They are people's mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, and friends.
While I watch and read about continual tax cuts, subsidies, and protection of other entities I see a silent group of people among 'us' is taking a financial bludgeoning over and over again. Rather than continue the state's commitment to the highest quality of care for children, vulnerable adults, and the elderly population there seems to be a higher interest in protecting folk's tax level, stumbling through infrastructure, etc.
If the elected leadership of the state has decided to move it's emphasis away from continuing to assist those who don't have a voice, who don't always have a way to protect themselves, or a way to live that greater 'American Dream', please let us know. Let us, your constituents know if the commitment to provide the highest of innovative & quality services to children, the elderly, and people with disabilities is now a farce. Because currently telling people one thing while continuing to execute devastating cuts to PCA funding, funding for respite, wages for PCA's, special transportation, mental health services for adults & children, & Medicaid expansion is a slap in the face to the individuals the state of Minnesota once worked to assist as well as their families, staff, and companies that serve them.
I look forward to seeing how you choose to proceed.
Thanks for your time,
Smuggling tigers is my posse's cute way of saying 'take a poop'. Also known as;
- Taking Power Converters to Tashie Station
- Taking the Cleveland Browns to the Superbowl
- Dropping Cosby kids off at the pool
- Visiting the Thunderbucket
So as you can see they are nothing like your above listed tigers.