April 2013
1 post
1 tag
Twitch.tv
*exhale*
It’s been a hell of a day. If you aren’t familiar with twitch.tv, it’s a website where you can livestream your gaming, and which others’ livestreams, and I’m on there! Today was not only my first livestream, but it was the most extensive PC gaming I’ve done in over a decade. Until recently, I’ve had Steam pretty much for the sake of it, partially...
February 2013
2 posts
2 tags
yogaglo, and the continued evolution of my yoga...
It’s been thirteen days since I started using Yogaglo (encouraged and facilitated by my dear friend Kestrel), and as I told her on that first day, it was a turning point in my practice. Since then I’ve been doing two Yogaglo routines a day, (one in the morning and one after my daily ~3mile walk) and never repeating the same class, save one or two exceptions.
From the first day on my...
Side Effects (absolutely riddled with spoilers)
In what world is finding out that a person understands how seat belts and airbags work EVER epiphanic? Hold on you guys, something’s fishy—this bitch knew that airbags and seat belts protect you in collisions.
- her airbag would have deployed had her seat belt not been on—that was never a fatal scenario, seat belt or no
- my mind doesn’t hesitate to accept that a person...
January 2013
1 post
Heckler (2007)
Heckler is a very interesting film, not for its content, but for the pretense of it being a documentary about comedians and hecklers. It is, in fact, an attempt to delegitimize film critics, and the opinions of anyone else who doesn’t like bad movies (especially Jamie Kennedy movies).
The first bit of the film is indeed about hecklers. A wide range of comedians are interviewed and share...
December 2012
1 post
The Hobbit
All I can think about is how Peter Jackson has the final cut of The Hobbit II all ready to go. How many people will see An Unexpected Journey, only to depart this world before The Desolation of Smaug is released next year? Hundreds, thousands, millions? All being denied the cinematic closure that can only come with seeing a series to completion.
Also, I’m not a fan of the contrived plot devices...
November 2012
3 posts
FOOTAGE: "HARDEST BUTTON TO BUTTON" LIVE IN...
darujones:
Jack White & The Buzzards live @ Usher Hall in Edinburgh, Scotland 11.8.12 http://bit.ly/SWUj3E
Daru Jones’s drums on this song (in particular) changed my damn life.
peer review: my conflicting viewpoints
I spent the majority of my childhood reading Archie comics and eating pretzels. One particular story that was impactful on me involved Ms. Grundy grading Betty’s writing more harshly than everyone else’s. Betty was confused and hurt, until Ms. Grundy explained that Betty had great potential as a writer, and so she took particular interest in helping Betty learn and grow. Betty did...
Assassin's Creed III
Disclaimer: I’ve not played any of the Assassin’s Creed games, but I have watched my husband play all of them, with the exception of the premier installment.
I had very high hopes for Assassin’s Creed III after watching the trailer, which implied a strong story, awesome combat (tomahawk!), and improved stealth mechanics. After two nights, my husband got up to Sequence 5, and I...
October 2012
1 post
indomitable will: Women in Refrigerators: 13 years... →
georgethecat:
(Trigger warning: this post contains discussion of rape, sexual assault, sexual violence against women) ALSO - updated thanks to northstarfan and arseniclace
One of the questions the Carnival asked of comic focused bloggers was ‘why is this the Women in…
I don’t typically post content on this blog that I haven’t personally generated, but this required an...
September 2012
5 posts
2 tags
My Adventures in Composting
I’ve been composting at home on our balcony for about 4 months now. One day I decided I could no longer bear to put our food scraps in the garbage, so I read up on composting in small spaces and dragged my husband to Home Depot for supplies. Being relatively lazy, I nixed vermiculture (worm composting) or any setup that involved drilling holes, and opted to try two galvanized steel tubs, ten...
2 tags
The Couple Who Plays Together
I am so very sick of hearing about girlfriends/wives interfering with their bf/husband’s videogaming.* Either your lady is simply a whiny and needy person, in which case, have fun with that, or you’re not taking responsibility for how you prioritize and communicate.
If you’re interested in problem-solving, rather than resigning to mutual frustration and non-fulfillment, you...
The glass shelves are rattling, though they haven’t made a peep in months. Every few paces I find a speck underfoot, though I’ve vacuumed and mopped thoroughly. And still, every few paces I feel an offending particle with my bare foot, which I then discard with the rubbish. It’s making me feel like I’m a ghost, or a prisoner in a dream, or an alternate dimension. It’s...
1 tag
In all my life only one person has ever related to me that a poem has reminded them of me. Of all the people I have known, this person I have never understood, and always been fascinated by. It was love at first sight, in a way; I can vividly remember when I first saw her, and was instantly captivated, as though she’d taken a piece of me right there and then. The notion that she has ever...
August 2012
5 posts
1 tag
Fifty Shades
My biggest problem with Fifty Shades of Grey isn’t the book itself at all, it’s with the way the book has been received by our culture.
Erotica is a very personal and subjective thing; I don’t want to judge anyone for not needing beautiful prose, authentic scenarios, or even respectable or believable characters. It’s completely possible to appreciate quality literature and...
1 tag
Prometheus (spoilers)
My expectations for Prometheus were markedly low. (I am aware I sound like a broken record of low expectations.) Still, as the vodka coursed through my veins and the opening scenes washed over me it seemed that I was in for a pleasant surprise. The first fiveish minutes are gorgeous and moody, and the special effects are beautifully executed. I was wrong, but at least now I know if I ever want to...
2 tags
The Best Cooking Show You Can't Watch*
*unless you live in Australia
I’ve been obsessed with cooking shows for as long as I can remember. As a young girl, it was pretty much either cartoons or cooking shows. Anything on Food Network would do, really; I just love watching food being made. (Though these days you couldn’t pay me to watch Paula Deen or Anne Burrell.) I’ve been a vegetarian most of my life, and am now...
3 tags
Idris Elba. Bond.
For over a year now there’s been buzz about Idris Elba as the next James Bond. In other words, I’m really late to the party. I was aware of the buzz well before I was sold on it, but since I realized how perfect it would be I’ve formed a very strong emotional connection to the idea, and really can’t get it out of my head.
I think the first thing I saw him in was Thor,...
2 tags
The Dark Knight Sucks a Fuck (spoilers)
I really did think I would like it, despite myself. Anne Hathaway would never do as Catwoman, and the way they outfitted her was just as bad, but in my heart of hearts, how could Nolan disappoint? Surely at the very least Tom Hardy would use his mind-boggling heft to single-handedly lift the film to success.
It still hurts to think about, let alone try to put into words; I can’t imagine...
July 2012
2 posts
1 tag
I’ve been doing yoga since October 13th, 2011. Since then I’ve had multiple yoga epiphanies, and my practice has evolved on a regular basis. My practice has been entirely home-based; I’ve not attended a single class. While I very much acknowledge the wisdom of attending classes, benefitting from yoga is not dependent on going to classes. Yoga is personal, and different for...
May 2012
2 posts
The Walking Dead Video Game
I am not a fan of the television show, but I quite like the comic, so I was excited that the game would be emulating the style of the comic books. Visually, the game was aces. I was also excited by the idea of choices having actual consequences, and by being able to explore and do silly things like put batteries in a radio, rather than it be an all-out zombie killfest.
The first decision you...
March 2012
1 post
Casa de mi Padre
I had a bit of a daytime-drunk going on, courtesy of Smirnoff, and I still barely cracked a smile. (Of course, prior to the feature they showed the trailer for Bully, which reduced me to a sniveling mess; that’ll fuck with any buzz.) In my experience, low expectations paired with alcohol essentially guarantees a hit—I friggin’ loved Pirate Radio.
At his best, I love Will...
February 2012
2 posts
One of the most difficult things about seeing my family so rarely is that when I do see them it’s all rapid-fire-make-the-most-of-it. I miss the quiet moments where everything is simple and natural and you can simply coexist. Being in one room, knowing they’re right down the hall.
Then there are the pangs of guilt that, like a few glasses of wine, bring forth a veritable thunderstorm...
I don't really want to talk about We Need to Talk...
… but I feel I must, albeit briefly. Whenever I’m excited about and subsequently disappointed by a film there’s a bitterness that doesn’t fade unless I go on a bit of a tirade. I’ve already complained to my husband on several occasions, but it always helps when I document my ravings in a more permanent method.
Ultimately what it comes down to is: I don’t give...
January 2012
4 posts
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
I haven’t written about this film earlier because I’ve been busy obsessing over it.
To me it seems that there was a smear campaign on this film before it was even released. I read several separate articles suggesting that the film’s “ultra-violent” nature would be a turn-off, specifically to women. Each article echoing that sentiment strengthened the notion that it...
Hoofing It
Southern California has an uncanny knack for conditioning people not to walk. Being a pedestrian simply isn’t done, unless you’re a child in a serene suburb walking the couple blocks to and from school.
It’s not just the layout, which was designed without considering pedestrians, or even the lack of good public transit systems. There’s just something in the air down here...
November 2011
4 posts
Martha Marcy May Marlene ✓
The Skin I Live In ✓
Melancholia ✓
A Dangerous Method ✓
Anonymous (saw half-bleh)
The Artist ✓
Shame ✓
Sleeping Beauty ✓
We Need to Talk About Kevin✓bleh
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ✓
Carnage✓
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo ✓
Take Shelter✓
It hardly seems possible; in the span of a few months all these films are being released. What magic is in the air that...
Man, Rob Marshall, that took some major stones to set the runtime of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides to friggin’ 2hr16min. I’m pretty sure that the 2hr+ bracket is reserved for Art Houses and Hobbits, neither of which includes the fourth installment of a Disney franchise. The only way that could have possibly worked is if at least 40 of those minutes were of mermaids...
en français
Before today my mind had never felt as it does now. It’s a truly bizarre sensation for one’s head to feel something new, after twenty-three years experiencing a myriad of states and sensations. To put it simply, I have French overload. I’ve been studying french for the better part of three weeks, and every new word, grammatical rule, nasal r, and accented letter is has tangled...
Dear Patrick Bauchau,
You have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. One of the first TV series that I found myself engrossed in was The Pretender. As a young girl I appreciated the story and intrigue, but was instantly taken with your character. Something about your voice and your face exuded a warmth and intelligence that was extremely magnetic.
Growing up I developed a profound love of cinema. You...
October 2011
5 posts
One of my favorite things in the world is sneaking the oyster of the chicken into his mouth without him realizing. When he knows what I’m up to he refuses, insisting I be the one to feast on the delicacy.
It’s now become a fun little challenge. I’ll throw him off by sharing a bite from the leg, or just pop it in his mouth before he has a chance to protest.
But it’s not...
“All you people who are sittin’ down when The Greenhornes were playin you’ve commited a mortal sin and may god have mercy on your souls, specially all you hipsters standin’ still never been to no rock and roll show don’t know how to move your head even.”
- Jack White
If only he knew that I had beer thrown on me repeatedly for refusing to sit down during a White Stripes concert.
Something must be channeled ...
At liberty, spending days looking at naked pictures.
copy editing for you and yours
I bloody love editing. I am a perfectionist with a passion for proper grammar. I can make your writing stand out for its clarity and strength without affecting your writing style.
I care about grammar and spelling so you don’t have to.
I have extensive experience in web and video game Quality Assurance. Remember World of Warcraft patch 4.2 and how grammatically sound its quests were? Well,...
August 2011
3 posts
1 tag
My problem is me. The reason I do not succeed is me. My friendships fail because of me.
I am the cause of and refuge from all my troubles.
I know the good, I know the bad. I may not be what I want but as long as I know what’s what I think I will be okay.
June 2011
1 post
The other day
I was in quite a strop for various reasons. He had left his ID in the car, so when the clerk, a mustachioed fellow in his late forties, requested it he inquired whether my ID would be adequate proof.
“You know this guy?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Yep. You’re married.”
In all earnestness I feel closer to him because of it.
March 2011
0 posts
His black ramekin sat in the sink, water brimming over the mass of uneaten egg and spinach.
He’d wanted black ramekins for weeks; matte black, resembling spent shell casings, he said. My heart was warmed by his enthusiasm but could not share it as I knew they would not be ideal for his purposes. But that little heart of his was set and a few days ago they arrived.
Gods, did I want to have...
February 2011
4 posts
Never Let Me Go
This movie exemplifies the payoff of going into a film with an entirely blank slate. I knew nothing about the plot or characters and ended up being completely surprised at what my eyes beheld.
The alternate reality is presented with such subtlety that I questioned my own. Audiences are fools, and because of this filmmakers are often forced to explain every little thing, stripping both meaning...
http://annikawesleyimages.tumblr.com/ →
I think I’m having an identity crisis.
January 2011
3 posts
Tonight on the drive home I set my iPhone to shuffle. I frequently use shuffle, but this time was different in that I let it cycle through my entire library rather than a specific playlist or artist. I’m extremely particular when it comes to music. What I’m hearing needs to be exactly right for my temperament and I listen to the same artist or album or playlist solidly for weeks or...
Exit Through the Gift Shop
The whole thing is merely the Princess Bride scene with the Sicilian and the iocane. No sense in speculating what’s bullshit ‘cause both cups are poisoned.
