It's back to work for this gal today. Vacation was half out of this world and half a bust. During my second week I ignored obligations, laundry and grocery-buying. I caught a cold and did a lot of sitting on my ass.
Mondays are no fun. I am partially looking forward to going back to work. Scratch that. I'm heading right back into busy season and it will be mid April before I can see straight again. I know I have no right to feel this way, but I hate that I'm heading back to work today while someone else who makes my life a lot easier is on vacation this week. I absolutely refuse to begrudge them of their vacation time, but on a purely selfish level I know it will make it a tough week for me. No worries, though, this gal can power through on her own, the long days are only a little more difficult than usual.
I was sad to read yesterday that Brittany Murphy died. I want to know why it is that in all of the articles I've read they all end with Ashton Kutcher's insincere Twitter post about it? I don't get it. He uses things like "2day" in it. Not only does it seem inappropriate for Kutcher, but why on earth is it being quoted by the AP and NPR??? Anyway, back to the matter at hand, Murphy was hilarious in Clueless, but she really shined as Luanne on King of the Hill.
Send me your good thoughts today as I trudge through what will probably be two whole days of playing catch-up at the office. I can use all the help I can get!
- Dale Cooper: Denise, I would assume you're no longer interested in girls.
- Denise Bryson: Coop, I may be wearing a dress, but I still pull my panties on one leg at a time if you know what I mean.
- Dale Cooper: Not really.
Until tomorrow...have a good one!
Squirrelio's Golden Apple Grabbin' and hot doggin' needed a stoppin' so Pig invited Cow and Precious Pig to The Corn Dog Show Down.
And just like Pig knew she would, Squirrelio went for the take down.
But no matter how she tried and tried, Squirrelio couldn't make the pull down.
And no matter how she shook and shook, Squirrelio couldn't make the shake down.
So giving into last resorts, Squirrelio settled for the bite down.
It wasn't long before Squirrelio made the break down.
And longer less before Squirrelio did the smack down.
Then came back again for the run down.
So that she could perfect the stare down.
Until satisfied of staring and long past caring...
Squirrelio finally did the sit down.
Looks like my Miss Mira is having the same weekend as me.
Here's the one I made:
Apple cider (gal)
Pineapple juice (qt)
Orange juice (qt)
Lemon juice (cup)
Cinnamon
Allspice
Cloves
Nutmeg
Spirits (optional) : Dark rum or Brandy
The spices work best if they are whole and thus easily removed when it's time to serve. Heat it all together slowly, without coming to a boil. Serve hot. Garnish with lemon or orange slices.
Yesterday's brush with depression has passed and now I only feel lousy physically. I'll take it! I wrote yesterday's sad Christmas post shortly after waking from a very depressing dream that really threw off my mood for most of the day. I had dreamed that I went in for my annual lady exam and instead of the usual Pap they waved some device around my fun parts and the doctor looked at me with sad eyes and said, "this is the hardest part of my job, you have a malignant tumor". At first I was all irritated and insisted that a Pap only looks at the cells on my cervix, and wouldn't know if I had a tumor, but apparently their newfangled device could see beyond what a Pap covers. Oh lovely. So I laid on the table and a nurse came in with a box of brochures on cancer and dropped them on my chest and said, "you need to read all of these!". I was more pissed that people wouldn't talk to me about my next step but instead were forcing me to read fucking brochures. I went back to the doctor and insisted they send my blood to a "special" lab where they could confirm the diagnosis because it seemed like a fluke. Anyway, I was still coping with the diagnosis when I woke up...and despite the fact I realized it was a dream, it still had me putting stuff in perspective and had me thinking about what I really wanted out of life. Not exactly a fun way to start the day.
I've been battling this lousy cold. Thank the geeze for the Mucinex and spiced wine, it really cures anything. Of course, I slept beyond my next dosage of Mucinex this morning and have felt dizzy ever since waking up. At least this morning I was dreaming about curling up on someone's couch with a blanket while feeling lousy. Oh, and there were puppies. There was some sort of dog show going on in the room and there were poodles for cuddling (you know, cute poodles that don't have that stupid poodle haircut). It was really quite wonderful even though I was sick. There was a Christmas tree in the corner with little plush monkey ornaments that some of the puppies were trying to get at. There were doberman and German Shepherd puppies playing and it was adorable beyond belief. You can tell I'm pushing 30 now that I'm starting to have puppy aches.
Last night I had a Christmas miracle of sorts when I had Chinese delivered. Yeah, that was the miracle. Still haven't been to the store, but someone brought me a spicy dinner while I was sick, how great is that? I rounded out the evening with a little Back to School. A Rodney Dangerfield movie is the way to go when you're feeling down in the dumps (note to Mariser: keep that in mind the next time you think about watching something awful like Leaving Las Vegas).
I didn't realize how many Star Trek connections there were to Back to School - I had only remembered one. There were a few bit part actors as well - I think Rodney Dangerfield's wife played a Romulan senator once. Robert Picardo, otherwise known as The Doctor on Voyager, played the guy who was sucking face with Dangerfield's wife at their anniversary party. He was wearing leather hammer pants, it was awesome. Sally Kellerman, the one I remembered, was in the second Original Series pilot, Where No Man Has Gone Before, as Dr. Elizabeth Dehner. She's also has this voice you'd recognize anywhere, I think the thing I knew her best for were those Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing commercials. She's probably the reason I love ranch dressing so much. I could let her voice tell me to do anything. Terry Farrell, the bland but beautiful Dax from Deep Space 9 played the son's love interest, Valerie Desmond. Oh my god, did they not make tweezers until the 90's??? I wish I could find a picture online, but it looked like both of her eyebrows were engaged in some sort of bizzare mating ritual with each other. Oh, and last but not least was the unseen Dan Curry. You probably don't know who Danny Curry is, but he designed the opening titles for Back to School. He's probably best known for his extensive work on various Star Trek projects as a visual effects supervisor and a second unit director. There is an awesome special about him on the TNG season 6 dvds where he demonstrates some of the Klingon fighting moves that HE choreographed. Dude, the man is totally at ease with a Bat'leth, it's so cool.
The plot of Back to School leaves a little to be desired, but who cares? My favorite bit? Kurt Vonnegut.
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The Zatoichi series ran 26 movies (1962-1982) and a television series ran for five years (1974-1979). Twenty years later, Takeshi "Beat" Kitano reinvented Zatoichi with his version of the character. This was easily one of my favorite movie at the time, I saw it at the independent theater twice in 2003 and ordered a region 3 release of the DVD as soon as it was available on import. Incidentally, to show support for the US market, I also bought the US edition of the DVD, which came with a bonus Sonatine movie (which was originally released in the states by Quentin Tarantino's Rolling Thunder productions).
Considering the movie did quite well, critically and (I'm assuming) in sales, I was hoping for a follow-up movie by Kitano, but unfortunately there's no such plan. However, interestingly enough, one of my all-time favorite Japanese director, Takashi Miike* directed a stage adaption of Zatoichi for live performances in 2007.
I'm happy to report that, I saw a very good re-imagined of the familiar character, reinvented as a female protagonist, called Ichi. I wish the producers had kept the brand of "Zatoichi", as people who hear "Ichi" does not always associate the name with the blind swordsman. To be fair, Ichi is the original character's name. The term "zato" means low-ranking blind person (low-ranking in the Todoza guild). Logically, they could've named this movie Gozeichi, because Goze refers to blind musician women of that time period.
Anyway, beside my gripe about the Ichi name as the movie title, I also didn't like the idea that a model (Ayase Haruka) is playing the part of the protagonist. All that was really not worth worrying, because the whole movie is quite entertaining and enjoyable, and there is only once where Haruka is seen 'dolled up' for a music performance (most of the movie, she's covered from head to toe in dirty rags). However, there are at times when the director Fumihiko Sori choose to stay too long on Haruka's beautiful unblemished face. We get it, she's cute.
The story is uncomplicated, Ichi wanders into some town with an inept sword-drawing samurai Toma (the name is close to a slang "tonma" for idiot or fool). The town is in trouble from the Banki gang, and in Zatoichi fashion, Ichi and Toma saves the town. During the course of the film, there are the tried-and-true Zatoichi moments like slashing out the lights and Ichi triumph in complete darkness, the use of sound to throw Ichi off, and, of course, the Cho-Han Bakuchi dice gambling.
What made the film interesting, at least to me, is that the soundtrack is by Dead Can Dance's Lisa Gerrard! So throughout the movie, you do hear that ethereal vocals, similar to her efforts on Ridley Scott's Gladiator. I suspect she only wrote the vocals, the credit I have for composer is Michael Edwards, who previously worked with Gerrad on her solo material. The soundtrack was a bit of a surprise to me, generally these J-movies' music and production team are usually kept inhouse. Although, having said that, the one outro credit song is by Korean J-Pop singer SunMin.
Ichi the movie will be made available in the US market via Bluray and DVD in two days (December 22nd), just in time for last-minute xmas shoppers. Hopefully those Best Buy tonmas will be smart and order some copies for their store (however, if it costs over $25, I'd rather order it online, or not own it at all - hey times are tough!).
* I love all three billion of his movies! Audition, City of Lost Souls, One Missed Call, Ichi the Killer, Fudoh, The Happiness of the Katakuris, Zebraman, Sukiyaki Western: Django, etc.
12/20/2009 02:06:34 ♥ vu (
) ♥funimation.com/ichi
Not really. It's tough, year after year, not ever spending the holidays with the people I'd really rather be with. I can completely sympathize with the grinchy attitude that has pervaded the neighborhood this year. I feel it every year. Oh, I can put on the best Christmas record in the world, The Carpenter's Christmas Portrait, and listen to Karen's golden voice start singing, "Frosted window panes..." but it only makes me sad and I usually end up crying a little to myself. For a long time I wondered if Christmas had just lost it's magic because I was an adult but I know it's because I'm never with my mom's side of the family.
Mr. Val and I traveled home for Christmas back in 2001 but that was the last time I got to spend the holidays with the fam, and that was a nightmare year. That was the year Mr. Val and I were supposed to land in Moline at 9:30 in the morning and instead, after a day of delays and reroutings we ended up in Cedar Rapids around 9:30 in the evening and had to take a damn taxi all the way to Moline. On top of that, Mr. Val picked up a cold at the airport. By the end of our three day visit my mother and I were barely on speaking terms. It was a very stressful trip. We sort of decided then and there that my visits home would be during more relaxing times of the year so no one would get killed. But I really want to break that promise. I still hate flying in winter. The last time I was home in December was for my grandfather's funeral a few years ago, and while my sister and I did up Christmas together (which was WONDERFUL), the flight home was the worst I've ever been on. It just sucks to travel this time of year. But it would really be worth it if it meant seeing my mom's family at Christmas again.
I miss my sister. I miss that I now have a niece experiencing the most magical Christmases of her life. I miss making Christmas goodies with people I love. I miss decorating the tree with only my mom and sister while we sing Christmas carols. I miss my mom letting me sip Bailey's on Christmas Eve (not that she really has to "let" me now and not that I would ever choose to drink that nasty shit, but it's tradition, ya know?). I miss my mom forcing us to state our belief in Santa Claus before distributing gifts on Christmas Eve. I miss peeling shrimp in the kitchen together (and there was that one year she got raw shrimp instead of cooked and I didn't give it any thought before sneaking a piece - barf!). I miss being one of 15 cousins running around my grandmother's house, sticking olives on my fingertips and having burping contests (I know we're all adults now, but that really hasn't stopped anyone, I'm sure of that). I miss the perfect moment of silence when our gigantic family (we're talking around 50 people at this point) is able to gather together for a prayer before hitting the world's most awesome buffet line. I miss Aunt Theresa's oyster casserole. I miss Aunt Mary's taco salad. I miss my mom's scalloped corn. I miss the company of my chaotic and beautiful family. I miss Christmas.
What would a post like this be without the saddest Christmas song ever? Let Karen break your heart and have a listen.
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For this Christmas, I did buy myself Swords deluxe edition via my favorite store, amazon. It was a bit pricey for a CD/DVD combo ($23 vs $12 for the standard disc), but I'm worth it.
I actually have had a digital copy of the B-Sides compilation since late October, thanks to pen pal friend Mel, as it was a "bonus" if you had preordered tickets to see Morrissey in live in 2009. And of course, like most fans, we still buy the physical release anyway, so it's a bit of a win-win situation for everyone.
I'll briefly summarize Morrissey's history: he's a bit of a sensitive, indie songwriter with The Smiths. He went solo in "nineteen-eighty-hate" with some classic modern rock hits with "Suedehead" (aka that "I'm So Sorry" song) and "Everyday is like Sunday". He went a bit rockabilly with Your Arsenal (his previous album Kill Uncle was heading to this direction, especially with the B-Sides and singles from this era), and pretty much stayed in this "muscular" rock type music since. As I previously mentioned, I think this has to do with his musical collaboration with Boz Boorer and Alain Whyte.
If you're new to Morrissey, I don't think Swords would be a good starting point for you. I would recommend starting with Bona Drag, a weird mix of b-sides and oddities. Most of the songs on Swords were co-written by Alain Whyte, and there's a nice cohesive feel to each song as they have similiar song writing structure. When you do run into a non-Whyte song, such as "Sweetie-Pie", it just feels out of place. In fact, I think this is possibly one of the worst Morrissey song, right up there with "Michaels Bones".
There is one non-Morrissey-penned song, and it's a live recording of "Drive-In Saturday" (live at Omaha on 11 May 2007). Morrissey's music obsessions tend to be from the 60s and 70s era, so it didn't surprise me to hear him doing a David Bowie cover from the Aladdin Sane time period. But the two are friends, I know that Bowie showed up at a Morrissey show in Los Angeles in the early 90s to do a duet of a T.Rex's song for "Cosmic Dancer", and, of course, Bowie would later record a soul-ish version of Morrissey's "I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday" in 1993.
Also, it seems in post-2008, Morrissey's songs have been about fatherhood and retirement. Just looking over his titles: "Good Looking Man About Town", "Don't Make Fun of Daddy's Voice", "Teenage Dad on His Estate", "Children in Pieces", that "constipated look" for Swords, and that controversially album cover for Years of Refusal ... you would think that he's married with kids. Maybe that's not a bad thing, with Morrissey's heath in question, maybe he should take it easy. We all can't be like James Dean, you know.
12/19/2009 03:47:04 ♥ vu () ♥itsmorrisseysworld.com ♥ truetoyou.com ♥ morrissey-solo.com
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