Author: duane

is it just me?, listen up!, politics, venting

just a few thoughts

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On Iraq:

  • I really hope that Congress does something useful for a change; we need to get out of Iraq and soon. Seriously, when you have no idea what constitutes a “successful” mission, then you have no goal, and that is scary; especially when it is costing us thousands of lives (3100 and growing… not counting the hundreds of thousands Iraqi deaths), and destroying hundreds of thousands more.
  • If you think that sending 20k+ more troops to Iraq will solve the problem, please explain that to me, especially because the top military officials have said that it will take more than 5 times that amount to even do anything (which would mean a total occupation, which is not what we are supposed to be doing over there). Their recommendations are to get out… why aren’t we listening and actually doing something to accomplish that goal?
  • Do you think that we are really going to attack Iran? I don’t get why we would want to do that; especially when we really aren’t supposed to, like we weren’t supposed to attack Iraq (at least, not without UN counsel, yeah, that we forgot to do with Iraq). I mean, the president is really pushing it now… it is like he has a personal vendetta with that whole region (and I think that he probably does). It looks more and more everyday like the only reason why we chose to occupy that territory (which we are doing, and it is also what we said we wouldn’t be doing), was so the contracting companies could get even richer. What sucks, is that we, the taxpayers, have to pay for that; and if not us, then our kids will. That just makes me sick.
  • Yes I support the troops, so don’t even go there. The people that don’t support the troops are those that underfund and under supply the troops that need our support that are already in Iraq, as well as those coming home injured and abused. It is inexcusable to say that you support the troops when you don’t provide them with the equipment to adequately protect themselves in a combat zone. It is also completely reprehensible to say you support the troops when they have to wait for VA services upon returning home from Iraq. That is just awful. Shame, shame, shame. Republicans constantly say pulling funding for the war is wrong because it will be pulling funds from those already in Iraq, when they don’t take into account that they already don’t have what the need, and the funding is active. Why can’t they see that (eh, because they don’t want to)? It doesn’t make sense.
  • What about the representatives that are still saying they agree with the war, and still want to support it? I say that you show us you are serious about your position. Give up some of your salary, and send your kids to fight. Show us you are serious. Many of those that have their kids over there are experiencing it personally, and have a better perspective on this than you do, even though you get to make the decisions; maybe it is time for you to pony up and put your money where you mouth is.
  • I have many other thoughts on this subject, but I don’t want to put too much in one post; people tend to have a hard time digesting it all… even me. So enough on Iraq for now.

On global warming:

  • Seriously. How are there people that still don’t think global warming exists?? Seriously. I saw that the Czech president said that there was no such thing, and that saying that it does exist is political propaganda. WTF dude? Why is science so scary for some people?
  • How can we, as the biggest locust nation on the planet, consume and consume and consume without giving much back to the environment we are raping? How come the government isn’t really doing anything about it? Does that make sense to you?
  • I am really scared to see what is going to happen over my lifetime with regards to nature, climate, and the world. We have done enough in 100 years to significantly damage a planet that has been around for billions of years. Can it be fixed? I worry that it can’t.

On depression:

  • I really think that people don’t understand my sometimes. I feel like I talk about how I feel, and it just goes right in one ear, and out the other, mostly because people essentially tell me that the way to get over my depression is to get over it. I freak out because I can’t get over it, and I don’t understand why others can’t see that.
  • I also freak out because I worry that I am being too needy. I worry about my depression which causes more depression. That doesn’t even make sense! UGH! I feel trapped in a box with no way out… depression sounds a lot like desperation.
  • I often wonder if we truly do deserve to be happy. What if we don’t?
  • I read an article earlier today about evolutionary psychology, and how it viewed depression. It talked about depression, like other mental conditions, as being a product of evolution, and therefore, a response to change over time, both environmentally, and emotionally. Basically, they were saying that if you were depressed, it is partly because you have learned that in order to get what you need, you feel depressed, because it is an evolutionary trait we developed meet those needs. Also, depression is viewed as anger turned inward, and while I can see part of each argument, the first suggests that depression is made up; which I truly don’t believe it is, because if I made it up, I should be able to make it go away. Also, with regards to the first argument, I don’t think the reason I am depressed is so people will meet my needs, I feel like I can’t even meet my needs, which really depresses me. Explain that! With regards the the anger turned inward argument, while that may be some of depression, I don’t know how that can be all of it. Depression is such a weird thing that can be different for different people… it is so weird how even psychologists don’t grasp that concept sometimes.
  • Part of my depression comes from issues I have in life. I have talked to many people, and discovered that a lot of people share these problems. But is that supposed to make me feel bad that I feel this way? It kind of makes me feel like I am being a baby, and that freaks me out even more; mostly, because I’m not.

Well, that was probably a lot to take in today, but that is pretty much what is going on in my head right now. Feel free to discuss any of that you want to; the posts for the last couple of days haven’t seemed to interest too many readers. Hope everyone is staying dry today…

all about me, near and dear, show the love

randomly remembering childhood things

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This morning, I was looking through digg like I usually do, and I saw a link for “interesting statues from around the world”. Interested (ha!), I checked it out, and to my surprise, one of the statues was of the Japanese anime character, Mazinger Z. Now, I am sure that many of you read that, and were like, WTF is Mazinger Z? Seriously? That’s what I said too, because to me, the statue looked like the robot on a show I used to watch called Tranzor Z; which I quickly learned was the same as Mazinger Z, essentially, translated for the US. I don’t remember much about this show, but often when I have thoughts (albeit very few thoughts remain of childhood) of my childhood, this is one image that I distinctly remember as a good memory. I remember watching the show, and seeing the image again made me happy to put a name with that image I have had in my mind for so long. I have even mentioned that show to other people in the past, only to be met with a puzzling look, because everyone I have ever asked has never heard of Tranzor Z. I thought it was awesome that I was able to find it randomly this morning, and it got me thinking about other stuff I loved when I was a kid. (I also looked on ebay and amazon to see if I could get DVDs, but I didn’t see anything worth exploring… other than some Spanish dubbed bootlegs).

Interestingly enough, just the other day I mentioned, in the post that I made about the movies I was interested in checking out, that while the Transformers remake is exciting the hell out of people on the internets, I would love to see a Thundercats movie. When looking into Mazinger Z, I totally flashed back on all of my Thundercats toys, and the fun that I used to have watching that show as well. Now, Thundercats wasn’t the most fantastically produced show, and the dialogue between the characters is pretty juvenile, but to a kid, it is awesome; as it was to me when I was a kid. The cool thing about Thundercats, is that they have been releasing Thundercats DVDs for the past couple of years, and at some point, I may be overcome with nostalgia, and have to snag a set or two. And because my mind works like a snowball rolling down a hill, that got me thinking even further about childhood nostalgia, and got me seriously wondering; where the hell are the Silverhawks (DVDs at least)?? I mean, the Silverhawks came a few years after Thundercats, and was essentially the same show, but with hawk/human hybrids in space (although, when I was little, I apparently wasn’t aware of this, and if I was, I certainly didn’t care); so it should have a similar fan base (even though it apparently wasn’t as popular), and market for DVDs or other stuff.

For those of you that didn’t watch Silverhawks, let’s take a second to compare the two. Both shows had sage-like guidance from an older/deceased counsel (Jaga for TC, and Commander Stargazer for SH), they both had a range of characters that fought on the same team that had similar characteristics (being that they all were cat/human or hawk/human hybrids), and surprisingly, they had almost identical foes, with the Thundercats fighting Mumra, and the Silverhawks fighting Mon*Star; both of which transformed using some hidden power before facing the heroes. I watched a video on youtube of the intro to the Silverhawks, and really find myself wanting a set of these DVDs as well (not bootlegs)… and I only hope they make their way to DVD soon. There doesn’t seem to be much info on the web about the Silverhawks (other than it was a show, yadda yadda, and stuff I already know), but it is definitely planted deep in memory, and it is cool to randomly remember things like this that I loved when I was a kid. Seriously, I was all about this stuff, I had the Thundercats lair with all of the action figures, and I had several Silverhawks as well. Luckily, I still have my Liono, and the picture I took of him serves as my icon in many places; I just wish I had all of the other ones!

It is interesting how something so innocuous can jog a memory of something that you loved in your past. Mine was a statue of a character from a cartoon that I can’t remember much of, other than the fact I loved it when I was little. Are there any things that you remember from your past, that you wish you could have (like DVDs or whatever)? What were your favorites from childhood? I hope that I can find more stuff, but at this point, I am just crossing my fingers and hoping for Silverhawks on DVD at some point in the near future, and I may have to go ahead and give into that nostalgia and pick up the Thundercats as well.

hotness, movie musings

because I said so

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No, this isn’t your mother talking, what this is, is my opinion of the new Mandy Moore/Diane Keaton movie, Because I Said So. I wrote a list of movies that I wanted to see yesterday, and this one was at the top, because I had already made plans to see it. And I am very glad I did! This movie was seriously cute, and a total romantic comedy, which I usually, and in this case definitely, love.

In the movie, Mandy Moore plays the youngest of three daughters, Milly, who were raised by their single mother, Daphne, played by Diane Keaton. When the Milly has another failure in a series failed relationships, her meddling mother decides to step in and “help her have one succesful relationship” before she dies (Milly that is). What Daphne proceeds to do, is place a personal ad on the internet, with the basic jist of the ad being, “mother seeking life parter for daughter”. When Daphne goes to meet all of these potentially eligible men, she basically has to go through a bunch of freaks, before finding one she apprehensively likes for her daughter; only he isn’t there to talk with her about meeting her daughter, he is a musician at the resturant. Just as she is getting to know him a bit, in steps “Mr. Perfect”, who is everything she wants for her daughter, leading her to forget about the musician; only what she doesn’t know, is that the musician grabs one of Milly’s cards, and decides to check her out for himself.

What happens, is a meddling mother pushes the “perfect” guy on her daughter, while she finds someone else who genuinely fits her (the musician); causing her to juggle both, and confusing her as to what she really wants. The result is a good romantic comedy that has just enough laughs to balance out the hurt that inevitably comes with situations like this. In the end, I really liked this movie, mostly because Mandy Moore is completely adorable, and so utterly fantastic in this role. She is a beautiful girl, and it is pretty hard to believe that she would have a hard time finding any one to be with. Also, a HUGE bonus for this film, is that the musician is played by Gabriel Macht, who is fucking hot hot hot!!!! I didn’t even know who he was before this movie, but I am definitely paying attention now. He plays such a genuine and sincerely romantic guy, that it just makes me melt thinking about it. The only part of the movie that I really didn’t care for, strangely, was Diane Keaton; at times, her acting was just painful to watch. Luckily, Mandy Moore’s greatness, and Gabriel Macht’s (who’s pictured here) hotness, balanced it out enough for me to forget about it, and enjoy the movie. If you are a fan of romantic comedies, then this one is a must see. I give it 5 out of 6 stars (), because it is definitely a film that I enjoyed throughout, and it is definitely one I will be owning on DVD. It won’t be winning any awards, but that shouldn’t be the benchmark of “good” films anyway! If you are looking for a feel good rom-com, then you should definitely be checking this one out; but if you need another reason, do it because I said so!!! (sorry, I just couldn’t resist!)

[as always, the pictures aren’t mine]

all about me, happenings, mixed media, movie musings

the upcoming movies I want to see post

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I mentioned on Wednesday that there were a lot of movies coming out in the next month or so, and that I should probably make a list; so I am. After seeing some good movies recently, I realize that while I don’t really like to go to the theater (who needs it when you have a 42″ TV and a soft couch at home?), there is some stuff I feel like I have to see, without waiting for DVD; although, I am sure that I won’t see ALL of them in the theater… Here’s my list so far (listed in the order in which they are coming out):

  • Because I Said So: I will probably go see this tomorrow with John and the boys. It looks cute, and it has Mandy Moore. She is awesome, and that is pretty much any reason to see a movie she is in.
  • Ghost Rider: Now, I HATE Nicholas Cage with a passion, but I LOVE comic book movies. I will probably give in and see this one. I just hope it doesn’t suck monkey nuts; because it definitely has the potential to. And it isn’t a good sign that they aren’t letting reviewers see it before release… that never is, really.
  • Zodiac: Jake Gyllenhaal movies are always worthy of a trip to the theater. Seriously.
  • 300: Holy fucking shit I am so excited about this movie. I talked with Deb about seeing this at IMAX, because based on the MANY previews I have watched, this movie is going to be stunning. I predict it will make my best of 2007 movies list.
  • Premonition: I saw the trailer, and it looks like it could pretty cool. I really like Sandra Bullock too, so perhaps she will make this one worth seeing. I find the whole idea of someone dying, and you waking up the next day and it didn’t happen yet, as a pretty creepy idea.
  • Blades of Glory: I am going to seriously have to see some trailers for this; because it looks really promising, but also looks like it could pull an Anchorman (which wasn’t that funny). At least Ben Stiller isn’t in it (even though he is one of the producers), because that would make it a definite NO.
  • Grindhouse: Holy nerd’s wet dream, Batman: Tarantino AND Miller in one film?!? Well, it’s actually two films, but I am still totally excited. Rose McGowan’s character has a gun for a leg. Fuck yes.
  • Hot Fuzz: Simon Pegg and Nick Frost?!?!? AGAIN??? These two did Shaun of the Dead, one of my favorite movies. I will see anything they do. This one is a top of the list type movie.
  • Spiderman 3: Duh. No need to explain this one at all; I still can’t believe Venom is in it. Wet dream anyone?
  • Shrek the Third: The second one was better than the first one… will the third be better than the second? We shall see.
  • Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer: OMG. I was terribly excited when they announced this, and have been following it ever since. I really liked the first one, even though many didn’t, and can’t wait to see Silver Surfer in action!
  • Transformers: Alright… I’ll bite, but I am not going to be running to the theaters. I liked them when I was a kid, but not that much. I would love to see a Thundercats live action movie. That would be awesome.
  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Duh again. Harry Potter movies are always must see movies.

Wow, that is a pretty short list. I was thinking that there were more movies that I was excited about… what am I missing? What are you excited about seeing? I am probably just drawing a blank on something, so let me know what I am missing, kids!!!

Also, totally unrelated, but I am FINALLY getting my camera; my tax refund was much more than I was expecting, and I am getting a digital SLR!!!! I have wanted one forever, and now I am getting it (just the body, though, because my GREAT FRIEND Deb is giving me a lens!!!)! Woohoo! In case you were wondering, it is the Canon Digital Rebel XT; but I am getting the 8MP version, because it is about $200 cheaper than the 10, and I don’t think there will be THAT much difference, you know? Still, I’m excited!!! Hope everyone’s Friday is rock awesome!

all about me, blog on blog, mixed media, music musings, podcast, the catch-all-egory

introducing… the Atlanta POPcast

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I want to welcome you to the very first episode of the Atlanta POPcast!! I just recorded my first podcast this weekend, entitled the Atlanta POPcast, and the first episode of the show is officially up and live on the Georgia Podcast Network. This is a new venture for me, and hopefully, it will be something that I do fairly regularly, and will help me continue my quest in finding the best pop music there is out there; and then bring it to you.

In this podcast, I explore none other than the beast that is pop music. Far too much music is released all over the world every single week for one person to sift through and find the good stuff, and as someone that has had a hard time in the past, I know how it can be frustrating to be left with only a few good choices. I also find it frustrating to rely on sources like the radio, because often they pass of utter crap as pop, and we are expected to buy it; but sometimes, it is just too much to bear.

Since my insatiable appetite for music only grows with each passing day, I am constantly on the look out for good pop, stuff that can literally be music to my ears, and I often find some really great stuff (often with the help of friends). Additionally, I, being a giving and caring person that I am, really wanted an opportunity to share this great music that I find with others; because there is a good chance that if I had to search hard for it, many others haven’t yet heard it! That’s where this POPcast comes in!!

I will use this podcast as a forum to play clips of songs from the albums that I feel are worthy enough to present, so that you can get a better feel of an artist’s album; from someone who likes the CD, not just a music critic. I will be doing my best each episode to bring you a few different CDs, and hopefully, we can explore some great pop artists and albums together. If I turn one listener into a fan of some great pop, then I have accomplished my mission. There’s so much out there we are missing out on, and hopefully, this can at least bring a few more CDs to your collection.

So, go to the Georgia Podcast Network, download my POPcast, and check out what I have been spinning; you may find music you too will fall in love with!! I will also be sharing singles that are tearing up my ipod, because sometimes, we have to face it, not everyone can pull together a great record, and one song or two may be all they’ve got. But that won’t stop us from loving what they have, right?!!!

I hope you will go and check out this episode of my podcast, as well as continue to check back for future episodes. Feel free to give me some suggestions if you have a great pop band out there that you want people to hear about… I am always in the market for new tunes, and it may end up on the show! Let me know how you like my podcast, okay?

"pointless", is it just me?, the catch-all-egory

hump day observations

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Randomness switch on…

  • Why do people think that just because you have an opinion on something, and that because someone says, “hey, that’s mean, could you not do that?”, that it qualifies as a controversy (or “non-controversy”, as those that believe it isn’t worth the title of controversy would call it)?
  • Why is Indian food so good to you, and yet, so bad to you at the same time?
  • I started watching a new show last night: Top Design. Lori and I both realized something interesting: Todd Oldham’s upper lip doesn’t move at all. And, that show is fantastically gay. I will start watching it starting tonight.
  • Where do people find music? I find mine from blogs and friends… just curious where you guys get your music from.
  • I want to win the lottery. Or find out that I have a rich Aunt out there who just died and left me every bit of her multi-million dollar fortune.
  • Could you be in a relationship where your partner wouldn’t let you work? Why or why not?
  • What is it about hairy men that is so hot? I mean seriously. I seriously have a thing for looking at guys. I could do it all of the time and be happy.
  • There are a lot of movies coming out I want to see. Perhaps I will do a post about that.
  • Why don’t they release a new ipod? Mine is full. I need a new, bigger, touch-screen one. Now.
  • It is quite possible that I will be getting the largest refund from my taxes ever this year. I am sure that it is some mistake, and I will not be getting as much as TurboTax is telling me.
  • What is the allure of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah? I have tried, but I just don’t see it.
  • Why do I always feel the need to say, “but in the good way”, when I say something is gay? Duh, gay is awesome.
  • Would you ever have sex with someone to further your career/get a job? Is there a limit to that?
  • I recorded a podcast this weekend for the Georgia Podcast Network. While I don’t like the sound of my own voice, I am excited about it. It’s called the Atlanta POPcast. I will blog about it when the first episode is up. It’s interesting the things that interest me; when there are so many things that still remain unable to shake me from this nothing.

Randomness switch off.

That’s what I got right now. Man, the Shins really make you reflect, and, well, make you mellow and shit.

is it just me?, mixed media, that is so gay

that “gay” snickers ad

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I am sure that everyone has seen, or heard of, the Snickers “gay kiss” ad from the Superbowl. Most of what I heard about the ad, is the fact that many people thought it was funny. I for one, know that the people at the party I was at laughed hysterically when it aired, and I honestly thought it was at a minimum, pushing the boundaries of being completely anti-gay, even though I didn’t initially get upset about it. But, I am still wondering; what about that scenario is funny?

So, two straight men kiss accidentally, ala “Lady and the Tramp”. So what? Why is that funny? And why is it portrayed as something funny?

Now, while I wasn’t personally offended by the ad, I have to admit that I did get a little uncomfortable when everyone busted out laughing. Again, why is this so funny? I mean, they kissed accidentally, right? If it were a man and a woman, it wouldn’t have been anything to laugh at; which must mean that the reason it is funny, is because it is making fun of gay men. And what about when they feel it necessary to do something to assert their “manliness”, in essence, to prove to each other that, “hey, I’m not a fag”? This too must mean that the reason it is funny, is because gay men aren’t seen as manly; which again, is making fun of gay men.

I am pretty sure that if this scenario did happen in real life, and if those two men were as homo-scared as their characters indicated by their actions after their accidental kiss (ripping out chest hair to prove that they were “real men”), then things probably wouldn’t have been so funny to either of those men; and it would have potentially been upsetting to them. But why? It was an accident, not a full on sexual encounter! Now, I know that I can’t say how individual men should react to kissing another man, but it shouldn’t be something that is so queer and “wrong” that one would need to go so far as to “cover up” that action with another one, one that somehow “asserts” the fact that they are indeed, not gay. After all, just because the two men kissed, it doesn’t mean that they are instantly gay; and by ripping their chest hair out to prove to each other that they aren’t gay is both stupid (ouch!!!) and insensitive to gay men. It is acting out and furthering the belief that gay men aren’t really men.

Basically, what Snickers has done, is they have taken something innocent, such as an accidental kiss between two men, and used it to get a cheap laugh by making fun of gay men. Then, they went a step further, and reinforced the societal belief that being a gay man must mean that you are effeminate, or un-manly, because in order to “feel better” about their kiss, the men had to do something “manly” like rip out chest hair; instead of just ignore it and go on with life.

While the commercial itself was seemingly “innocent”, as I look back, I believe that it reinforces what a lot of people wrongly think about gay men, by showing that if two straight men were to kiss, that it would mean something other than just a kiss. They have shown that two men kissing is essentially something to laugh at, or something to make fun of. They have shown that if two straight men were to accidentally kiss, that they would need to assert the fact that they weren’t gay, by doing something “manly” to cover up their previous actions; which again, reinforces the belief that gay men aren’t really men at all. The more I think about the ad, the more I don’t like it, and honestly, I can see where people would be offended. I guess even more than that, I wonder why we, as a society, still cling to these covert anti-gay messages, and continually portray gay men in this light? All it does is encourage people to continue to make fun of gay people, which trickles down to children, who then use these stereotypes to seek out and torture gay kids. It’s a vicious cycle, one that uses “humor” to hurt a particular group of people.

So what do you think? Do you think that I am overreacting? Keep in mind that I am not trying to rant here, but I am trying to observe that yes, the ad was pretty anti-gay, and typical of a less than accepting society. I am saying that I see how people would be offended by something that seemed innocent to most; simply because it covertly reinforces the belief that gay men aren’t really men at all, and that kissing another man is wrong. Tell me what you think/thought about the ad! Were you offended? Do you see where the media continually makes fun of being gay?

Also, if you are interested in more thoughts on this ad, here’s a link to commecial closet, a website dedicated to GLBT portrayals in the media; they seem to agree with me.

movie musings

pan’s labyrinth: my review

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It started with a move to a base camp; her mother pregnant with her new husband’s (the Commander) baby. Ofelia is forced into a place where she doesn’t feel comfortable, but something mysterious awaits her… her fate. Near the base camp, there is an old labyrinth, which Ofelia discovers soon after her arrival. Little does she know, she is in for more than an adventure when she meets the labyrinth’s inhabitant, a mystical faun. The faun tells her of her past, and of her destiny, and tells her that she must listen to him and complete several tasks he requires of her, and she agrees to help; all while dealing with a violent Commander as her new father, and watching over her mother during her pregnancy.

What you have just read is a brief synopsis of the beginning of Guillermo del Toro’s brilliant movie, Pan’s Labyrinth. The movie, billed as a fairy tale, is grim, dark, violent, and horrifying at times. You sit in your seat captivated by what you see on the screen, and feel yourself clench the armrests because of your worry about the characters you are watching on the screen; especially little Ofelia. She is probably one of the bravest little girls ever born, because she manages to hold her composure up against things that would terrify me to the point of a breakdown; and she does it over and over again. I won’t go into too much detail about the movie, but what I will say, is that my friend Lori was exactly right, it is “like a very dark, more grown up version of The Neverending Story”. Remember the story of young Bastian exploring the Land of Fantasia by reading about a hero named Atreyu in his story book, only to find out what he has read is real? This movie follows a similar formula, but without the book, and with a more personal experience by the main character, Ofelia. While it is definitely not child friendly, as there is a lot of violence, as well as some pretty explicit and gruesome scenes, this fairy tale is one that really gives its all to the viewer, and leaves you wondering just what happened for real when it is over. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, both for its visual journey, as well as for the harrowing story of a young girl caught in the middle of a post war occupation, seeking to fulfill her destiny; which she learns about by meeting an unlikely friend in a creepy faun.

This movie was definitely one that I was excited about seeing, and I am very glad that I went; I will definitely want to get this on DVD to see again. The little girl who plays Ofelia is awesome, and the costumes for the faun and the thing that has the eyes in its palms are simply amazing. The story is great, sad, and scary at times, and will captivate your attention, and make you care about the people. It captures that element of prisoners being subjected to imprisonment by an evil dictator, and how they cope with their situation. Powerful. With that being said, I am enthusiastically giving this movie the full 6 out of 6 stars (). The only other thing about this movie I want to say is… GO SEE IT! You will be glad you did. I lied, I do have one other thing to mention, because I know that some people will be pissed if they didn’t know this, and went to see it and hated subtitles… yes, it is subtitled, the whole movie is in Spanish. But that doesn’t change how I feel about it at all… so it shouldn’t stop you either!!

mixed media, movie musings, music musings

some reviews for you to peruse

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A gloomy cold day calls for some music, movies, and a video game review! Let’s get started!

Katharine McPhee’s self titled album came out this week, and based off of two songs I had heard already, I was definitely curious to hear this one. I know a lot of people are fans of American Idol, and I know just as many are against the whole show “creating” music, but if there is one thing it can do, is find a great singer. Now, what happens to that singer varies… they can get good material and go with it, or they can fizzle and go nowhere. And it’s clear that it can be hit or miss, as the winner Taylor’s CD isn’t doing to well, as it is steadily falling (almost) off the charts, but fellow contestant Daughtry’s CD is in the top 10. So where does that leave us with the runner up from last year? Well, over all, her CD isn’t what I was expecting from her. Sure, there’s a fair number of ballads and whatnot, stuff that you would expect from am American Idol, but she really branched out with her interpretation of pop. There are several danceable tracks, and even some more edgy/hip-hop sounding stuff; much of it using the current Nelly Furtado/Fergie formula, but making it better, well, at least better than anything Fergie did. While I don’t think the CD is flawless, as there are a few songs I could just do without, it is definitely well produced, and quite enjoyable. If you liked her on the show, and you like pop, I recommend the CD, because she has a great voice, and they even picked a few surprises for her to sing; as well as a few good surprises. Stand outs for me include: Over It, Love Story, Open Toes, Each Other, and Ordinary World (which sounds a lot like it should have been/could have been a Delta Goodrem song). I would say that this is probably akin to a JoJo or Christina Aguilera type of pop, with some Delta Goodrem gems thrown in, so if that is your bag, pick this up! i’m glad I did! I would give it somewhere between four and five stars, but since I don’t do half marks, I will just give it the benefit of the doubt and round it up to a 5 ; because the good ones are really good, which in this case, makes up for the not so good ones.

Now, the next CD I want to talk about is pure sugary syrup poured into the shape of a CD, and hardened. I am talking about the debut disc from the Lebanese Brit known simply as MIKA. Basically, I heard a lot of buzz about MIKA’s upcoming album (released sometime in Feb) from the uber-pop blogs, and that much attention certainly made me sit up and take notice. And boy I am glad I did. Let me put it this way, MIKA is equivalent to taking the Scissor Sisters, The Jackson Five, and Elton John, mixing them together, while having Freddie Mercury sing the vocals. The result is super catchy sort of kitschy songs that are definitely feel good, and hearken a sound used by groups in the feel good pop business, like the Monkees. This is dance-rock-pop that is just as happy-go-lucky sappy as it gets. He definitely has a sound that isn’t too mainstream here in the states, but my guess, is that he will do quite well everywhere else. There are a few tracks that are more down to earth, and slightly more “serious” but the feeling of the CD stays pretty consistent throughout; this is a great pop album. If you are in a bad mood, I would put this one in and you would definitely be smiling in no time. Stand outs for me include: Grace Kelly (probably one of the catchiest songs EVER), Lollipop, Love Today (which sounds like a Scissor Sisters track, which, many of them do), Relax Take It Easy, Billy Brown (gay content! which makes me wonder about MIKA), Big Girls (You Are Beautiful) (which is definitely the “follow-up” to Fat Bottom Girls by Queen, if there ever was one), and Any Other World. Overall, this is just a fun CD to listen to, and I definitely recommend it. Too bad it’s an import… Oh well. I enjoyed this so much, and do every time I listen to it, that this one definitely deserves the full six out of six stars !!! This is one that I will definitely keep listening to, over and over.

Today’s movie review is for the new Jennifer Garner movie, Catch and Release. She hasn’t been in anything lately, and when I heard she was in this, I had to run out and see it. You see, she is my favorite actress, after all. Now, I didn’t read much about the movie, and I am honestly glad I didn’t. It has gotten rotten reviews, and most of the focus has been on the strange vehicle for this romantic comedy. It starts with a funeral, and it is pretty dark for the first part of the film, and then quickly, it shifts gears to become the romantic comedy it was destined to be. While there are a ton of surprises in this film, the story is pretty sincere, and goes places that not many “feel good, chick flicks” tend to go. They really explore what would happen if you lost a lover, and found out some not-so-sweet things about them after their death. It also looks at who you can count on, and who you should watch out for. Overall, I really liked the film, and I think I will have to see it again to truly appreciate it; mainly due to the surprises I vaguely mentioned. There was a lot of laugh out loud humor in the movie, and I thought that Jennifer Garner really carried the movie (not to say the others in the movie weren’t great). The only problem comes from how quickly people seemed to move on, or change, but considering that it was a 2 hour glimpse into the fictitious lives of characters, it is forgivable. Suspend a little bit of your belief about how relationships “should” work, and you should be okay. Only because of the quirks I asked you to suspend when watching it yourself, I give this 4 out of 6 stars ; it was still a pretty good movie.

Today’s last review focuses on our most recent video game purchase for the Wii. After our friend John brought over his copy of Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, I was convinced that we needed it for our own collection of games. Not because of the main game, of course, which is actually quite stupid; but for the mini games. This one boasts 50 different mini games, ranging from bowling, to darts, to ring toss, and so on. You can fly a bird, you can drive hover carts, and you can even slingshot monkey balls at balloons. Some of the games are pretty stupid and simplistic, but many of the ones I mentioned have been played over and over at my house. This is definitely a title to have when people are coming over… just make sure you have enough Wii-motes AND nun-chucks… some of the games require both; and some of those games are quite fun! Overall, I would give this game a 5 out of 6 stars . The only reason it doesn’t get all six, is because the main game is pretty much shit.

Whew! That was a lot to get out! Hope everyone stays warm today… even though, it really isn’t that cold. I hope to start reviewing more stuff for my blog, because I really enjoy doing it. I am also going to work on the CD and DVD review pages… stay tuned for that too!

is it just me?, listen up!, near and dear, that is so gay, venting

does it matter if it is fake, given that it happens all of the time?

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Dave emailed me about this blog post earlier. I read it, and like the writer of the post, I felt sick. In fact, still do. I feel horrible that another person would suffer the fate of suicide, because of the lack of care and real love from their family. I feel awful that someone would take their life because they felt so alone and so misunderstood, that they became depressed to the point of suicide. And probably even worse, is that I feel angry that people like this boy’s mother continually do this same sort of thing over and over, causing more and more kids to go through similar scenarios; many of which end with the same conclusion.

The blog post I am talking about, is referring to a forum-posted story where a Christian Fundamentalist mother finds out her son is gay, he comes out to her, and she suggests therapy; only her response is to tell him the therapist is wrong for saying being gay is normal, and that he should instead not act on his feelings. The mother proceeds to turn her back on understanding her son, and ceases to be there for him emotionally; actions which stem from her fundamentalist beliefs. Unfortunately, the result, is that her son commits suicide, leaving her wondering why he resorted to such a drastic response to her lack of understanding.

Now, while I feel the same things that probabilityzero felt, hurt, anger, disbelief, disgust; I couldn’t help but notice something eerily consistent in the comments both on his website, and on digg (where it no doubt made its way due to how interesting it was, I assume): many of the people commenting are way too focused on whether or not the story is actually true. People are going so far as to chastise the writer of the post for his feelings about this occurrence on the grounds that the story might not be true. I have a huge problem with that, mainly because even if this story isn’t true, this sort of thing happens all of the time!! It is known that the suicide and attempted suicide rates among gay and lesbian teens is higher than any other group of adolescents, and in many instances, these actions are due to religious persecution and self hatred stemming from families that refuse to understand their children.

While it angered me to see people chastising the boy for being gay, seeing people agree with the actions of the mother, and even seeing people say that the mother was in no way to blame for the death of her son, it bothers me more that people would focus on this not being an issue, simply because the instance may or may not be a real life instance. This type of thing is exactly what I encountered when I wrote that post about Donnie Davies from yesterday; while he may or may not be real, people like him exist and do the same things that he is doing, for real. While this woman may or may not have posted a true story about her religion getting in the way of her love for her son, and the subsequent consequences of her actions, there are parents that are making the same decisions and doing the same hurtful things to children all over the world, for real.

This issue of religious fundamentalism and the judgement that stems from it is something that makes me so angry, but at the same time, incredibly sad. I was lucky enough to escape most of the religious persecution many gay youth encounter, only to impose it upon myself when I was going through the process of coming to terms with my own sexuality. I thought of suicide many times, and luckily, I never attempted it; but there are many that are not so lucky. I remember what it felt like to be so utterly alone and afraid that my being homosexual was a sin, so much that it was an actual physical pain in my body. I hated myself for who I was, and it cost me a lot of self respect, happiness, and time; but luckily, it didn’t cost me my life. No one should have to go through this alone, and this boy unfortunately did; because his mother turned her back on him when she denied who he was. Her actions forced his depression to grow, and he wasn’t able to overcome it. Whether or not this boy is real, there are many other boys and girls out there that are just like him, feeling those feelings, and experiencing that same depression.

If I had my way, there are a few things that would happen, relating to this true or untrue story. One, I continually hope that religious fundamentalists would actually practice what they preach (i.e., love is supposed to be absolute, not a pick and choose issue-based thing) and stop using religion to discriminate anyone because of who they are, or who they believe themselves to be. Two, I wish that people could stop focusing on whether or not one instance of something like this is real or not, especially when this is just an example of a very real problem occurring right now all over the world. And three, I hope that all kids out there struggling with their sexuality that face this sort of persecution and ignorance will have the strength to make it through their depression and live their lives happily. One of the worst things that ever happened to me was living in the closet, and I am grateful that somehow I was able to make it out; I wish the same for everyone else that struggles with this issue.