Wednesday, June 30, 2004
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12:40 p.m.
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Catherine and I went to a midnight showing last night. Though I hate Toronto prices at $30 for the two of us, I must say that this is one of those few movies worth that price.
Seriously, being an uber-spider fan I had high hopes and I was worried that I'd be left feeling cold. I had memories of Batman and Superman sequels where the villains went over-the-top, the costumes sucked and lights went all wonky.
This is not that movie.
From the start Sam Raimi shows that he hasn't lost his love or affection for the characters who take center stage. Fittingly so, as it's Peter Parker audiences are more interested in than Spider-Man. While the fights between Doc Ock and Spidey are brilliant, it's Peter Parker, Mary Jane, Harry and Aunt May that make this movie worth watching.
Alfred Molina is a much better villain than Willem Dafoe. In the first movie, Dafoe goes with the assumption that he has to be a little larger than life which made sense given that his face was often covered by a mask. With Molina's face out in the open for the film he's able to put more heart into Otto than even the comics have managed. It makes for a more tragic villain and a more interesting confrontation.
That's not to say that Dafoe's impact isn't felt in this film. The Green Goblin is never as far away as you may think...
Still, Bruce Campbell does his bit for the film, and J.Jonah Jameson steals every scene he's in. I realize that as a comic fan I'm a bit biased towards liking this movie, but as a fan who watches everything with an eagle eye I have to say I wasn't disappointed at all.
Make sure you see it at least two or three times.
Now.
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
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1:07 p.m.
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There are a number of things that I should be doing to keep myself interested during the day at my internship. But since I find myself feeling a growing apathy and distaste for their methods (one of my editors actually called one of the interns a homophobe loudly) I do my best to find other bizarre things to do.
Thanks to Larisa, I've found something strange and unusual.
She sent over this link... which is so wrong it's great.
http://www.jesusdressup.com/index.html
That's right! Dress up our Lord however you see fit! The clothes change from time to time to reflect the holidays and seasons so keep going back for more and more fun!
Somebody save me.
Saturday, June 26, 2004
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2:18 p.m.
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In the black-and-white newsreel days of journalism, covering traffic accidents was as common a practice as it is today; yet somehow the footage was gorier. Using the cheapest special effect available—water—the camera crews would often pour several gallons on the roadway before filming. Why? When seen in black-and-white, water looks a lot like blood.
Thursday, June 24, 2004
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12:05 a.m.
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So, weird things happen, right? It's the staple of life that no matter how much you think you know or how in control of things you think you are, something inevitably comes along to challenge those perceptions then laugh in your face.
David ran into something like that last week. Catherine's brother, whom many of you know to be an original person in many ways, got an interesting package in the mail. It was addressed neatly to him and he didn't think much of it.
Until he opened it.
Inside was a lot of bubble wrap and a small naked doll. There was a note that read "Corinna's things are in the observation booth. Thanks, Cam." David knows neither of these things and thought it best to keep the whole package in the freezer "just in case."
My brush with oddness came tonight while Catherine and I were watching season 4 of Buffy. For some reason or another, the disc started to jam and the show went very jerky. It happens rarely when a disc is dirty or something, and given that it's a rental I'm sure it's got one or two scratches on it.
Still, after nearly 10 minutes of this crap and trying to fast forward or skip the chapter, the screen froze once more but this time...
I'm still a little fucked up about it.
At the bottom of the screen the words "FIX ME." appeared. No joke, deadly serious. My player was crying out for help. Now I've had this thing for nearly five years and it has NEVER done this. I do have subtitle options which weren't engaged at all and didn't fit the plot anyway.
I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for it, but all Catherine and I could do was stare at the thing with a shocked silence. I tried to engage it in casual conversation, politely asking what there was I could do to help.
No answer.
The disc started playing properly again shortly after, but it's been more than an hour since then and all I can think is "that's really fucked up."
Don't you think?
PS. David found out who sent the package. It's a server he's familiar with at East Side Mario's. I don't know how he knows this girl or why she would do this, but I found it funny then and continue to do so now.
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
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10:26 a.m.
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Chimpanzees, apes, orangutans, and a few other primates laugh—but no other animals do. Chimps’ laughter sounds like rapid panting, but unlike humans, chimps can’t regulate the air as they breathe out, which means they can’t change the way it sounds. This lack of ability to control airflow is the same thing that deprives them of speech.
But just because primates can’t talk doesn’t mean they can’t share jokes. Chimps and gorillas that have learned sign language have been known to sign one another for laughs. Sometimes they give incorrect signs in “conversation” and then laugh; other times they urinate on humans and then sign “funny.”
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
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11:40 p.m.
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This will be the fourth or fifth graduation that I'll have attended in my short 26 years. God, am I that old already?
Yet tomorrow means about as much to me as my university graduation did. In terms of getting a diploma, degree, or whatever, it's just a piece of paper and an excuse to get together and hang out. For my english degree, I didn't feel the need to leave my summer home in Jasper, Alberta to come back to see people I barely knew.
Tomorrow is a bit different. Journalism at Humber was one of the best things to happen to me, personally and creatively. I made a lot of great friends, picked up an amazing assortment of skills, and put myself on track to something I hope will be a successful career.
First I have to stop interning for free.
Still, I can't complain. The only thing I don't really like about tomorrow is that Pushee won't be there. He's currently in Spain or some such area with Nick having the time of his life. Though I don't think he's picking up any women. Knowing Push, he's probably just admiring them from afar.
Tonight is just another night as tomorrow is just another day. Except that I won't be going to work, but back to Humber to network and 'graduate'. Honestly, it's the people I'm going for, not the piece of paper. That means less than nothing to me. The magazine I made, the friends that came with it, that's what I'm celebrating tomorrow and for the time being at least, what I'm leaving behind.
On the movie front, I went to a press screening for Two Brothers tonight. It's about twin tiger cubs who are separated when they're very young and meet up again years later when they're forced to fight one another. Sounds silly in a sentence, but the movie latched on my heart as much as my time. It's well worth checking out if you have a bit of spare change.
• MAN SHOOTS NEIGHBOR WITH MACHETE
• Iran Claims Success in Its Attack on Iran
• KICKING BABY CONSIDERED TO BE HEALTHY
• Milk Drinkers Are Turning to Powder
• BIBLE CHURCH’S FOCUS IS THE BIBLE
• QUEEN MARY HAVING BOTTOM SCRAPED
• BRITAIN INCHES GRUDGINGLY TOWARDS METRIC SYSTEM
Friday, June 11, 2004
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9:42 a.m.
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• Call an addiction hot line and explain that you’re hooked on phonics.
• Go to the airport wearing a suit of armor and try walking through the metal detector.
• Call the Q-Tips 800 number and say that one of the cotton swab parts just came off in your ear. When they reply, keep shouting, “What? What? What did you say?”
• Go to the polar bear enclosure at the zoo and shout, “C’mon, Larry, enough’s enough! Take off that costume and come back to the office!”
Monday, June 07, 2004
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3:58 p.m.
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She's the best thing in the world to happen to me and I'm sure to her family and friends.
There's something so wonderful and pure about her heart, her soul, her voice, her face, everything. I wish I could put into words how grateful I am for her presence in my life. Even when things are bad, they're still okay as long as I have her to return to each night.
She's not perfect, good lord is she not perfect, but she gets me. She likes my quirks and enjoys my company. The fact that she can stand to be around me for more than five minutes at a time says great things about her endurance.
I don't know that I show her how much I appreciate her. I should do bigger and grander things all the time. But hopefully she knows how much I love her and want to be with her.
I tell her, but I don't know that she understands just how much I love her.
"It's all I know/
This empty road
Keeps me lookin' for a place in your heart
Keeps me lookin' for a place in your heart
It's all I know"
One of the great things about interning at a weekly mag and making semi-decent friends with the people who work there are that a few perks are involved.
Today, for instance, the music editor took pity on me and handed me Matthew Good's new album, White Light Rock & Roll Review to keep a full week before it's due out in stores.
Sweet.
He had previously let me borrow it to listen to here in the office. When he handed it to me today it was because I was much more "fanboy" about Matt than he was. I can live with that.
The album is a straight-forward rock offering with a touch of country flavour. The rock hits hard on "Alert Status Red" with loud guitars, easy refrains, and a solid vocal performance. It's easy to see why this is the leading single, though "Put Out Your Lights" makes a solid entry to the record.
Slowing things down with a country twang are "Empty Road" and the hidden track at the end of the album. These are the kinds of things that I love Matt for when he gets a bit slower and more into the sounds he's creating than a mixture of noise and fury. "Been A While Since I Was Your Man" is another great example of this.
"Buffalo Seven" is on track to being the next single (or at least one of the singles) from this album. Unlike the prevous album, Avalanche, where the guitars and radio friendly songs were missing, this album delivers in full force. Matt Good may not have matured, but he's gotten back to his roots and seen the white light.
The title may refer to his own career and the need to express himself however he feels. It's what he's done so far to amazing results. It's no wonder Matthew Good is one of my favorite musical artists.
If you're interested in good, solid, classic Matt Good... check out previous offerings The Audio of Being and Beautiful Midnight.
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
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11:10 p.m.
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I'm not really that tired, but I can feel fatigue of a different sort seeping into my bones. Simply put: I'm tired of paying my dues.
It's time to get paid.
Won't happen JUST yet, but soon. Very soon. And then you'll all be sorry. Or something less scary.
I tore through the second season of Buffy in record time and now I'm feeling quite impatient about getting season 3, though the store just doesn't have a copy in at the moment. This makes me angry.
Oh well, I have Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban to look forward to on Friday. Ah, Harry and J.K. Rowling... the power they have over me and my wallet. That said, I'd about kill to get the next book.
Thankfully Stephen King has stepped up to the plate and is offering up the next part of The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah ships next Tuesday and I'll be there bright and early to pick it up. There's something so appealing about Roland and his ka-tet and they journey to End World through the field of roses to the Tower at the middle of it all. Eddie, Susannah, Jake, Oy, Callahan and Roland await... and those of us who wish we had swords on our backs can at least travel as voyeurs to see what happens next.
Normally I reject all mainstream (successful) authors but this series has haunted the past year of my life. It's just that damn good.
• For the sick and tired of the Episcopal Church.
—New York convalescent home
• Good clean dancing every night but Sunday.
—Los Angeles dance hall
• Archery tournament—ears pierced.
—Shopping mall marquee
• Wonderful bargains for men with 16 and 17 necks.
—Clothing store
• Will the last person to leave please see that the perpetual light is extinguished.
—Vestry of a New England church
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