( omg--i hates the work )

Maybe my fangirly lurv of Rorschach has infected me with absolutist tendencies and a need to viciously defend my own personal morality. This would include throwing people down elevator shafts, which I might do if there were any in this building. Look...



Gah. He's ripping a piece of cloth. Oh, Walter. Why so hot? Why so hot even with a nasty bruise covering your cheek?

( ramblings on rorschach's sexuality )

I finally broke down and bought matinée tickets to Watchmen last night. I love movies, but I don't enjoy going to the movies. It's a cold day in hell (which happens approximately two times a year) when I actually enter a movie theater. The film was fantastic; I really enjoyed it. They followed the graphic novel closer than I thought they would, and some of the scenes were beautifully filmed with perfect casting choices. I'm extremely critical about action films, specifically super hero ones, so I was worried they were going to give Watchmen a treatment like The Dark Knight. That would have just killed me because I hated that last Batman movie. But no, they did a very good job of fleshing out the characters and plot with surprisingly little unneeded action. Yay for a wonderful job of pacing, you lovely movie makers. Jason's not familiar with the book, but he loved the movie. I've spent the afternoon waving my copy of the graphic novel around, telling him that I know he wants to read it.

I still fangirl Rorschach like woah. He's one of the most solid, complicated, interesting, flawed, tortured characters I've come across in fiction. I love it, and if I was a stupid girl, I'd totally write some Mary-Sue/Rorschach. But I won't because that would bastardize his character and strip away everything that makes him what he is.

In slightly related news, holy crap, I'm still writing. Yay for that, too. And it's chaptered. It's been over a year since I've written anything with chapters. I was beginning to forget what 'Chapter 2' looked like.

And now for the domestic bliss portion of this blog entry in which I convince all of you that I can cook, even if my skills in the kitchen are slightly dodgy.

( crushed heirloom potatoes )

Also, at the risk of the man himself (Prince) tracking me down and suing me for the measly contents of my savings account, I still uploaded this killer track for anyone who's never had the pleasure of hearing it before. Why? Because he says things like, "First I need a picture of your mother to verify the fact that there's not another one in the universe so supreme." Come on! So smooth! Oh, explicit lyrics and sexual content. Not work safe. It's Prince; you can't expect it to be clean.

I love the The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society. They've released the trailer for The Whisperer in Darkness, and I think it looks fantastic. You can watch it right here.

And when I pulled up the HPLHS's website to link it here, I saw their link to this article about a North American Stonehenge under Lake Michigan.

I finally decided to part with $35 and subscribe to Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine. It's wonderful, and anyone who enjoys short stories should give it a whirl. You can find copies on the shelves of any decent bookstore that deals in magazines. I've seen them at Barnes and Noble before. I'm using it to slow my tendency to devour novels. I've already finished five novels and a collection of short stories this month, and we're just now at the half-way point. It's a good thing I buy used or I'd be unable to pay the rent.

Jason and I aren't big Valentine's Day people. We both usually forget about it and don't do anything. However, I was reminded of it today when I went to the grocery to get eggs and saw a mass of frantic men spending far too much money on flowers, candy, and chocolate-covered strawberries. I'm guessing some of them were a bit late since it was nearly 1:00 in the afternoon before they rushed out to purchase the bribery.

I just spent part of my evening watching His Girl Friday on YouTube. The dialogue is fantastic, and I fell in love with it immediately. Some kind soul has uploaded the entire movie (in eleven parts) for free viewing, beginning here. It's totally worth your time.

For those who aren't familiar, the film revolves around Hildy Johnson, a woman who used to be married to Walter Burns, the editor for a newspaper. Hildy was also Burns's lead reporter before she divorced him and got engaged to an insurance salesman named Bruce. In an effort to thwart Hildy's marriage to Bruce, Burns talks her into taking up a story on a man he believes was wrongfully convicted of shooting a police officer instead of traveling to Albany to get married.

The entire movie was lovely, especially the bit when you first see Hildy interact with her ex-husband, Walter Burns. However, I really enjoyed the scene posted below. Obviously, someone else loved it as well and posted it on YouTube. Carey Grant's line at 3:12 makes me laugh so hard. He commands the escaped prisoner to get back into the roll top desk by saying, "Get back in there, you mock turtle!"

Mitch Pileggi, I love you. Do me, baby. I rented The X-Files movie (I Want to Believe?) this evening with trepidation. I had heard horrible things about it. Truth be told, it was rather crappy. Back when the movie was in production, I read a blurb about Mitch Pileggi saying he had not been asked to appear in the film as Walter Skinner. I wept my fangirl tears because I would have sex with Walter Skinner is a nanosecond. Well, hopefully the sex wouldn't be a nanosecond, but it would only take me that long to decide. Anyway, you all get the point. Skinner is a hot tamale, and I love him sooooo. Imagine my squeals of delight when Skinner appeared on screen a few minutes before the movie ended. Jason looked at me like I'd lost my mind when I jumped out of my chair and screamed Skinner's name. He may even be jealous of the sexy Assistant Director after my display of undying adoration.

Now I'm all giddy and thinking naughty Skinner thoughts. It's 11:00 at night, and I have to work tomorrow. I can't stay up to the wee hours of the morning and read dirty fanfic about Skinner. Or can I? Four hours of sleep is enough to function on, right? I mean, I have enough money in my wallet for a double-shot latte at Starbucks, and there is one on my way into the office. Jason doesn't have to work, but he says we're going to bed at the usual time (midnight). I'm going to go ahead and let him believe that while I see if Skinnerotica is still active. Sleep is for weenies.

After half the people on my flist told me Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is the most wonderful movie, I finally watched it this weekend. Oh my, it was fantastic. I don't know if I swooned more over Michael (Lee Pace) or Joe (Ciaran Hinds).

ccangel42 reminded me of another album I used to own years ago--Joey Lawrence's debut. It was cheesetastic, and I really do mean that. Wanna hear a couple songs?
Justa 'Nother Love Song (my personal favorite on the album)
My Girl
Yes, I really did listen to this non-stop when I was twelve.

I have to run an errand for work, so I'm leaving early. I think I'll just happen to stop by the book store on my way home and pick up Jennifer Cruise's Bet Me since dressagegrrrl recommended it so highly. I like romance novels, but finding just the right novels or authors is such a daunting task in a genre with so many. Rec me romance-ish books if you know of something worthwhile.

I don't have or want children, but I was appalled at this news story. I don't see how any mother could make the statement this woman did by saying, "I need my job more than I need my child." The general gist is that she works the overnight shift at Wal-Mart and says this means she only sees her daughter about an hour each day. For the reason, she wants to give up her daughter to whoever will take her. Fortunately, it appears that this woman's brother has stepped forward and asked for custody of the little girl. I couldn't give up my dog just like that, so I don't see how anyone could give up their kid just like that.

Jason and I watched Salò, an Italian film from 1975. Can you say crappola? It has been touted as one of the most controversial and disturbing films ever. I found it incredibly silly and worthy of the MST3K treatment. Once you take away realism, any subject matter loses its disturbing qualities. However, if you want to see copious boobs and penises, then definitely give this one a shot. However, if you do not want to see people eating poop (yes, poop), then you probably want to pass it over. There are quite a few poop-eating scenes with sexual undertones. Ewww. I'm just sayin'...

Okay, going to bed now. I've had my double shot of NyQuil and a large mug of chamomile tea. Oh, medication, I love you.

You know, I had forgotten how absolutely gorgeous and powerful the Lord of the Rings movies are. Jason and I went to dinner with his father, his father's "partner" (because people over the age of 40 don't like calling their SOs girl/boyfriend), sister, and sister's kidlet. We went to the Japanese Kitchen, which I cannot eat at, seeing as how the vegetables are cook about TWO INCHES FROM THE MEAT. Oh, gross. No can do. I drank a glass of water instead. Anyway, all social outings drain my energy, so when we got back to the apartment, I grabbed some leftover pizza and settled down to pass out. However, The Two Towers is on, and it's just fantastic. I can't stop watching it, even if I'm pooped.

Jason's sister wanted a knitted beanie, which I threw together last night and finished this morning. My next project is this Edna St. Vincent Millay Cloche. I've always wanted to knit and felt a fabulous hat, but I've never found a pattern I liked enough. Considering that my favorite hand-knit hat was lost in the move a few months back, I need to get this one going tonight. The weather is cold enough for it already.

I started the second book in J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series yesterday afternoon. I have less than a hundred pages left of the four hundred fifty page book. Obviously, I'm enjoying it. This is not exactly a surprise. My romantic weakness is the idea that only one woman can manage to connect with and/or bust through the facade of a certain man. My penchant for this sort of relationship is fairly obvious in nearly every pairing I latch onto. As for this particular series, I can definitely say I like the second novel better than the first.

A couple people on my flist posted the clip of Rick Astley performing on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. And I'd just like to say that Mr. Astley has aged oh-so-well. And I love that song. I could listen to it over and over again without tiring of it. And Barry Manilow covered it. I effin' love me some Barry. No, I'm not being ironic. The last time I was in Vegas, I oogled the side of the Hilton because they had a gigantic vertical banner on the side of the building with Barry Manilow's picture on it. Alas, we did not have the reservations or time to catch the show, seeing as how we were there for a stupid wedding of Jason's friend. A wedding that led to a marriage of approximately twelve whole months before the bride starting whoring herself out to various assistant managers at Chuck E. Cheese. For real.

I watched The Fall last night. I haven't formed my complete opinion of the film, but I do know that I enjoyed it greatly. The visuals alone were spectacular. The basic premise of the film revolves around a young girl in a hospital in the 1920s who meets and befriends a fellow patient named Roy. Roy is an injured stunt man from the movies, and he begins to tell her an epic tale in an effort to trick her into stealing morphine for him because he wants to die. As he tells her the story, you see the happenings of it through her eyes with the characters taking on the shape of people in her everyday life. The film jumps back and forth between reality and Roy's story. However, as the tale progresses, it becomes clear that reality and fantasy are bleeding together. Lee Pace (Roy) and Catinca Untaru (Alexandria) are both fantastic, and the scenes between them are both touching and funny.

This is the trailer...


One of my favorite parts of the movie is shown in the trailer around the minute mark. Roy stops telling her the story to ask her a question, and Alexandria says, "You always stop at the same part when it's very beautiful." I just love the way she says it.

( a couple other clips from the movie )