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
Sunday, May 30, 2004
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7:19 p.m.
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• “When you have blown your nose, you should not open your handkerchief and inspect it, as though pearls or rubies had dropped out of your skull. Such behavior is nauseating and is more likely to lose us the affection of those who love us than to win us the favor of others.”
• “It is bad manners, when you see something to nauseate you by the roadside, to turn to your companions and point it out to them. Still less should you offer any evil-smelling object for others to sniff, insisting upon holding it up to their noses and asking them to smell how horrible it is.”
It was pointed out to me by a friend who is still in High school. Despite being a really smart, capable and creative person, he feels he needs the fifth year to help get better marks and to ensure he gets to the places he wants to be.
Good for him.
I never really went in for this downsizing of High school to just four years. It's already a lot of pressure to get through without cramming things in. When I went to University after five years of secondary school, I admit that the last semester was a bit of a waste as it all became redundant, but I needed that time to grow rather than to learn out of a textbook.
There is no better education than growing up. Why are we in such a rush? Take the time to develop yourself as University, College, or life in general is no picnic. Yes, the probable debts you'll incur suck, but these are the years in which you figure out who you want to be. If you're so busy with your nose stuck in a book, stressing out or competing with hundreds of others for something you don't really want but feel forced into doing, then you aren't benefitting yourself.
The only thing I feel bad about is all the kids who want that extra little bit of time to grow and are going to be looked at as a failure. This is as far from the truth as possible. People just don't get this is a new system with problems to still work out. If you feel you need or even just WANT the extra time then take it.
You won't get another chance like this. It all goes by much faster than you'd like it to.
Also, it makes things easier for when you go to university or college as you can go out and drink as a freshman and meet all the easy girls.
Saturday, May 29, 2004
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6:11 p.m.
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It's a rare thing, but when it comes along I like to hold on to it for everything it's worth. So often you look at your work week and when you have a day off you tend to want to fill it with lots of other stuff.
Today I sat around, watched some of season 2 of Buffy (and pray for me, I rented the whole season which gives me a week to watch 22 episodes... I'm three in so far), went to get my comics and generally just scratched myself.
Catherine is off tonight for some schmoozing to get a Hockey mag off the ground which leaves me by my lonesome.
I'm okay with that. Having a break every now and then is not a bad thing. It's just too bad that Aaron, Jer, Pushee, Brody or an assortment of other friends aren't around. I'd even take a night of Paul telling me I'm an idiot.
Still, the stove is calling me to make mini pizzas and read the second issue of Secret War. I think I'll shall oblige it and then gorge my eyes on Buffy episodes.
It's like a vacation.
Dinos (early 1990s): After the success of Cocoa Pebbles and Fruity Pebbles, Post tried naming a cereal after the Flintstones’ pet dinosaur. “The question that came up constantly,” recalls a Post art director, “was ‘What flavor is Dino?’ . . . It sounds like something Fred would be getting off his lawn, not something you’d want to eat.”
Punch Crunch (1975): A spinoff of Cap’n Crunch. The screaming-pink box featured Harry S., an exuberant hippo in a sailor suit, making goo-goo eyes at Cap’n Crunch. Many chain stores perceived the hippo as gay and refused to carry the cereal.
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
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11:01 p.m.
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That's right fans and, well, non-fans. Joss Whedon's first issue of Astonishing X-Men has officially hit the stands and it is nothing short of perfect. I wrote a review which you can find on ComiX-Fan and sent the link over to Marvel. The editor and EIC promptly sent it out to Joss and John Cassaday making me look ever-so-cool. John even wrote me a quick little thank you though I don't think he remembers that we already know each other.
I'm working on getting an interview with Joss set up. Mike Marts, the senior editor, is doing his best to pull one together but it may be tight now that the Firefly movie is getting set to roll before cameras next week. If I luck out, I'll be sure to share the joy with you all here.
Or maybe not.
Anyway, at Eye today I got a little drunk. They had the interns taste test 12 odd and unknown beers which would normally be fine, but I had the odious task of being sent to review Soul Plane, Snoop Dogg's latest opus, a short time later.
It's now 11, I'm slightly hung over and it's not from the beer. I think the reels of film are dipped in weed.
I must cleanse myself now.
Saturday, May 22, 2004
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1:40 p.m.
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You can't go wrong with a theatre that charges you less to see a new-ish movie than it costs to rent a flick from Blockbuster.
Heck, I'm even inspired to go see movies I normally wouldn't care about at all. This afternoon I'm going to go see Scooby-Doo 2. The first one was all right and I don't have much else to do.
Actually, that's not true. I'm supposed to be working on a story for work involving the creative ways in which people beg for money. Short, 200 word profiles of about four people. It's not really a lot of work to do, I'm just unmotivated to get on it. I guess I figure I have enough to do already both at work and in my private life. It's funny, I really like it there and I want to do well, but I just don't want to do any writing at the moment.
A little mental break, if you will. Still, it's something for me to do and I'm pitching other ideas. You'd figure after going out and harassing people for the Sun on the street would have been enough, but now I have to go and try and convince a homeless guy to talk to me.
From now on... only stories where I can essentially phone it in. That's much easier.
Dog Yummies
“SPRING VALLEY, CALIF.—Thieves broke into a commercial meat freezer in Spring Valley, but are not being pursued as a high priority. The freezer is located equidistant between two buildings. The thieves undoubtedly thought the freezer belonged to a restaurant and that they were stealing frozen steaks for resale; in reality, it belongs to the restaurant’s next-door neighbor, the Paradise Valley Road Pet Hospital, which reported nine euthanized dogs missing.”
—News of the Weird
Friday, May 21, 2004
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10:35 p.m.
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• “Sure I’ve got one. It’s a perfect 20-20.”
—Dallas Cowboy Duane Thomas, on his IQ
• “Even Napoleon had his Watergate.”
—baseball manager Danny Ozark
• “I’m a four-wheel-drive-pickup type of guy, and so is my wife.”
—outfielder Mike Greenwell, describing his personality
• “He’ll take your head off at the blink of a hat.”
—Joe Theismann, on an NFL draft pick
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