tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64337102012-02-01T22:10:35.874-07:00Thoughts and Opinions, ReviewsJinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.comBlogger10851100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-60440885102225433912009-01-19T18:09:00.003-07:002009-01-19T18:12:34.923-07:00

Some odd emails: "agnosticide@..." Whoa. "yestheyrereal98@..." Heh, yes, I did look up her address...in Phoenix, alas.Hydrologists seem to consistently have violent reactions to organizers for some reason. And there actually is a paid job called "bingo auditor."Look up "commerce" on dictionary.com. One of the definitions I find hilarious.Some organizers leave off "ed" and "s" suffixes in

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-66897102022072264422009-01-08T18:42:00.002-07:002009-01-08T18:46:51.722-07:00

Mecca Temple is a real name. Also, inexplicably, but truely, Blade Braveheart. I kid you not. Lucedes sounds like a Mexican made Mercedes. Emivina-Marie is kind of pretty, as is Lucyrene, it almost sounds like a Greek goddess if you pronounce it right. Zedrick is just kind of funny. "no1hotreadhead@..." and "polegobler@..." made me blink...does the latter eat Poles, or just love bj's?

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-40877484376987353362009-01-07T12:27:00.002-07:002009-01-07T12:31:21.608-07:00

Inadvertent misspellings for the day: "wizzle blower" and "visionly impaired."Aurea and Eustolia are kind of pretty and unusual; Alexsis seems a bit overwrought, and Estee reminds me of rockets."booplove69@..." made me raise an eyebrow, and "sleepydoodle@..." sounded cute.How can one complain of wages as "poverty level" at 20+ dollars an hour? Seriously.I left some water in a cup with "

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-87364623580059088322009-01-05T18:06:00.002-07:002009-01-05T18:18:32.206-07:00

Did notice some interesting names, though: Concepcion seems like it might be kind of awkward at times. Shaquita is a bit funny, I have to say, Nianma sounds kind of like a made-up Southeast Asian country, and Luzmilda looks like an interesting Mexi-German combo. Emilse....just doesn't sound pretty, I suppose. And Ms. Killman, are you an angry lesbot, or just generally intimidating to men?Isn't

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-58495293656408821682009-01-04T13:05:00.002-07:002009-01-04T13:49:15.615-07:00

Mexican accents have also made me smile, like when the word "supposedly" always comes out as "suposably." Kizzy is kind of a cute first name, and Mr. Kornfiend simply has to be a metal fan, whether he likes it or not. Eidolina is kind of disturbing if you've read any 40k novels recently, and also interestingly is related to a word meaning "phantom, or apparition." I thought Brock was a name

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-43892915795103504952009-01-01T11:38:00.001-07:002009-01-01T11:43:55.351-07:00

This organizer statement baffled me:"(EO) Reached Bertha on cell phone. Not very receptive, but explained that she's not been feeling well and isn't on speaking terms. I apologized for bother her during this uncomfortable time, she said: "that's OK, you didn't know." She said again she wasn't on speaking terms. I said I would get in touch gagin sometime later in the month." She's not on

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-47212749969245526162008-12-31T12:28:00.002-07:002008-12-31T12:32:49.192-07:00

What would happen if an ant walked into an area charged with static electricity? Maybe nothing, but how would the ant perceive it, I wonder? (the thought in my head upon seeing the odd daily ant visitor)Candelaria is an interesting name, but I wouldn't want to be named it. Kind of ditto with Darwin as a first name (never really liked the Marvel character of the same name, either). Veronica

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-85022013603701072502008-12-30T12:50:00.004-07:002008-12-30T13:44:28.048-07:00

Starting with names, Altagracia is pretty, and Honguisie just sounds kind of queasy. Royalyn is a nice variation on Carolyn, and Qualynn reminds me of old Dragonlance novels. Pastora is interestingly bucolic (is that a pun?), and Van De Ven as a last name just seems greedy - three different words.Never liked having my back to a door, but I suppose it is vaguely amusing to have people zoom by

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-72288725757727097042008-12-24T00:42:00.002-07:002008-12-24T00:49:43.645-07:00

It was rainy this morning, but alas the little concrete enclosures didn't fill up like I'd anticipated; I hadn't noticed the hidden openings to other courtyards. Ah well. It did get cold enough that the tiny pirate girl brought in a heater, though. Which amusingly would rev up and down once it hit a temperature threshold. It was almost like listening to an excited kid perk up and then sigh.

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-43300539272297904242008-12-22T13:43:00.002-07:002008-12-23T13:02:11.746-07:00

Family history seems to play a big part in some people's response to organizers. It must be quite a switch to live say somewhere with auto factories or steel where unions are hugely more prevalent, as opposed to this state where they're almost nonexistent.Are Jehovah's Witnesses against unions? That was another odd reason for a randomly strong reaction.More names! Alzetter is a weird first

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-12802749272603385132008-12-22T13:33:00.002-07:002008-12-22T13:43:18.965-07:00

Some interesting names, to start off - Urso makes me wonder whether the person looks like a bear. And just odd/interesting: Berlinda, Waleska, Penafrancia (does that mean, 'free penis'?), Jacquetta. Bigbee and Mothershed are interesting last names, I picture a woman named Littlebee or Honeybee (actually, Honeybee sounds kind of hot....yes, I'm weird), and a shed shaped like a mothership UFO.

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-90851584263164374952008-12-19T13:07:00.001-07:002008-12-20T18:02:53.258-07:00

And yet more names! A popular, and surprisingly consistent entry here. Like, I keep thinking I'm going to run out. But nope.Paizely is kind of a hipster-fun first name. I wonder if Mr. Halfpenny will ever meet Mr. Manypenny and feel insecure. And what if you're a woman with the last name of Bridegroom? Awkward.The room gets so bloody cold. Dang open-to-air enclosures and glass walls on

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-41430934227019336082008-12-19T12:40:00.002-07:002008-12-19T12:45:06.972-07:00

More fun names! Purificacion - imagine calling that out in bed. I think Giovanna and Dulce are pretty, Vontella is odd, and Chica Mala is just funny. And Quackenbush: best last name of the day.Everytime I see the F/U abbreviation for "follow up," I feel vaguely offended, as if it stood for something else, all angry in capital letters and whatnot.And more fun names! Because today is just busy,

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-9449517211122202952008-12-16T14:33:00.003-07:002008-12-18T13:46:52.297-07:00

The Spanish radio station we listen to apparently plays songs from novelas (soap operas), which is interesting, I suppose it must invest an extra layer of meaning from the conversation that comes up, compared to regular songs on the radio. Sometimes in mistyping a date I make it so someone is 1000+ years old, in the field next to where I type. Tempted to leave it there and make it seem like an

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-50506151585579069782008-12-16T12:30:00.003-07:002008-12-16T12:32:40.701-07:00

Man oh man, do not go knocking on people's doors in Gilbert on a Sunday. They will cut you. Ok not really, but just about, they really do not like being bothered on a Sunday, from what I can tell from the organizer reports.Interesting names of the day: Valicity, Yatasha, Toneilia. Also, a last name: Limongello. My last name will henceforth be Raspberrygello.Funny: hearing an IT guy make a "

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-80168442267833457332008-12-15T13:36:00.000-07:002008-12-15T13:39:59.239-07:00

Cool names: Aguinindoc (what the hell nationality is that, MexiWelsh?) as a last name, and Exilee (cool sounding) and Cenobita (I wonder if she loves or hates the Hellraiser movies, where the demons are called Cenobites).Apparently since Arizona is seen as a kind of wasteland by much of the country, the union thinks if they can accomplish something big here, then the rest of the country will

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-57487662479614025332008-12-12T13:26:00.004-07:002008-12-12T13:34:44.678-07:00

Seriously, was all tamasic and inaccurate and slow all morning. One thing I will give state employees, as their pay goes by pay grades, the only way you get an increase is by promotion; otherwise, you could go years without a raise, unlike most other employees that get annual raises, say. That could potentially suck, huh.Interesting last name: Rainbolt. Like a superhero or something.What's a "

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-38691831816934391502008-12-11T23:45:00.002-07:002008-12-11T23:56:46.961-07:00

Seriously, it was a stack of paper almost a foot high, that had to be sorted, and then filed amongst other stacks of paper. If filing something takes more than an hour, your brain will melt.Interesting last names: Trueblood, Truelove. Cool name: Candy Lord.I've taken it upon myself, knowing wages and addresses, to see what kind of houses people live in courtesy of google maps's streetview.

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-28652748208784353852008-12-09T18:55:00.002-07:002008-12-09T19:04:11.659-07:00

I sometimes get to listen to some NPR in the afternoon after our quasi-supervisor leaves, but the internet stream is sighingly repetitive in its news-briefs, alas. But the quasi-supervisor's Spanish alt-rock station that she plays most of the day is fun, at least....it's just like an alternative rock station, but in a different language; most of the songs have catchy beats and melodies, though,

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-176169701570204832008-12-08T19:09:00.002-07:002008-12-08T19:14:28.085-07:00

I can't figure out what the building, just south of the convention center, used to be (that the union offices are in). It looks like it might have been a kind of townhouse complex, in some areas, but in other areas has odd long hallways and oddly placed bathrooms...and the best/weirdest part are the tiny internal courtyards, some just empty concrete, some with bricks and pyrocantha, open to the

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-82990524918349213882008-12-06T10:31:00.002-07:002008-12-06T10:49:03.084-07:00

In no particular rhyme or reason - Some guy had a last name of Gandolph. Another, Pinkstaff.An amusing statement I typed up: "Husband answered door - very anti-union; wouldn't go get wife, says she's 'tied up at the moment.' Literally?" I couldn't tell if the organizer was joking, or actually suspected some BDSM.----also: "Still dead - please remove from system"We got to work with a somewhat

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-2509985930483061072008-12-02T18:12:00.002-07:002008-12-02T18:15:08.192-07:00

I can see the wages of all these random state employee people. There's nary a low wage, either, at least by any standards of most people I know. Not sure how I feel about that...though it is educating, in a way.It's kind of nice to work as part of a team after several very solitary jobs; I was always kind of a liaison or had to use connections, but it's been a long time since I've worked in a

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-61582988752655026112008-12-01T18:36:00.002-07:002008-12-01T18:59:11.869-07:00

Learn some more English, people. I can understand a little Spanish, but I also feel like the proverbial monkeywrench in the language gears....and I'm not even sure if that was just a pun in that.With uncanny resemblances to Elizabeth Pena and Judy Reyes, the people in my immediate area are creeping me out. It's like a kind of cognitive dissonance, I expect different voices to come out of their

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-76502304878828622112008-08-15T10:22:00.007-07:002008-08-18T11:24:39.941-07:00

Circus of the Damned, by Laurell Hamilton. Woo! Exciting. Anita Blake is my heroine. Kind of the silly-tshirt wearing of Gaby McAslan with the badassery of Buffy, but with the hardness of Cassie Suthorn. Though I agree about the Richard love interest, now, I get how she’s taken in by chemistry and attraction, but ditch him, Anita! I’m curious where Hamilton is going to go with the rookie

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-49823590750922173032008-08-12T08:51:00.001-07:002008-08-12T09:02:19.443-07:00

Drillbit Taylor, with Owen Wilson and two kids who are like the opposite of the evil twins of the kids from Superbad. The good twins? In a sense this movie is kind of the opposite of Superbad – first day of high school rather than last, nice kids versus jerks. Then there’s the adult aspect of the movie, with Wilson…not sure what to say about that. It’s basically Wilson’s trademark humor,

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-52382339368068975622008-08-11T16:06:00.001-07:002008-08-11T16:08:02.298-07:00

Schismatrix, by Bruce Sterling. In a sentence, I think it’s like the Lord of the Rings for posthuman narratives, in the sense of, it was the original gangsta progenitor for those themes. Deus Ex, the Rifter trilogy and Blindsight, Dresden Codak, I would suspect sprang one way or another from seeds from Sterling’s writing. Using a singular character in a population spanning the solar system, he

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-57440584950398024612008-08-07T18:55:00.002-07:002008-08-08T08:52:13.193-07:00

Jacob's Ladder, with Tim Robbins and Elizabeth Pena. Would have helped if I'd known what Jacob's Ladder is, durr, though it also might've stripped the ending of a lot of weight, and maybe even given away the whole movie. There seemed to be a certain skill of the creators of skimming in downright disturbing demonic imagery into seemingly normal environments, but it never really got look-away

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-28868427247615270612008-08-05T20:45:00.003-07:002008-08-06T14:05:20.575-07:00

-yeah, lightning directly overhead a park filled with tall trees was probably a good marker for having booked it when we did, not to mention the deluge that followed immediately thereafter-I still don't really get the, punch to stop them from sitting up thing...I get the basic idea of relaxing working muscles, but the how of it entirely escapes me-also, going "deeper" with a punch without making

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-21845295771832059322008-08-03T15:16:00.002-07:002008-08-05T13:11:44.820-07:00

The Boys and Girls Guide to Getting Down, with a bunch of struggling actors trying to make their mark. But hey, kudos to them for living the dream, natch. Also I think that title is missing apostrophes? Anyway, it has its funny moments. Also, it's pretty shallow and insipid, though of course, the subject matter is...though! Though. If I'd realized this earlier I would have been mildly more

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-62792675439935201662008-07-31T14:46:00.004-07:002008-08-01T10:44:19.179-07:00

The Laughing Corpse, by Laurell Hamilton. Ok, I am officially back into the Anita Blake novels. Normally I'd say it's the adeptly expanded setting that hooked me, but I really enjoy even more the confidence and moxie of the leading lady. Though it might be in the vampire chick lit section, I'd say it's quite not, this is more in the badass chick lit section. Yes. I think I also clicked more

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-47080182811674292252008-07-31T08:17:00.002-07:002008-07-31T10:39:04.704-07:00

-first thing was jogging combined with breathing exercises; it didn't actually alter my ability to run at all to alter my breathing pattern consciously, I'm used to doing that on my own, but I did notice I have this huge difficulty really extending my exhale, I find it curious-a battery of pushups to strenghthen the structure of our arms, and learn how to consistently keep the wrist aligned;

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-77359388409115684962008-07-28T14:29:00.005-07:002008-07-29T16:22:58.598-07:00

Charlie Bartlett, with Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr, and Kat Dennings. And, yeah, she's pretty damn hot. At first I couldn't quite get into it...something about drugs being the easy quick fix for things and making people like Charlie and there being no better answer than popularity...like, I felt it was good and funny but couldn't agree with it. But then it picked up and deepened

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-15840245452146792112008-07-25T11:46:00.006-07:002008-07-28T13:13:48.309-07:00

Ten Monkeys, Ten Minutes, by Peter Watts. As usual with Watts, interesting and disturbing, real make-you-think sort of pieces (it's an anthology of short stories). But I wanted more, damn it! Each of the stories seems to me a perfect seed for a bigger story or novel (especially so in the first chapter of Starfish being included, but that just helps my assertion, I think). Weather that's '

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-33439948539425812772008-07-24T10:27:00.001-07:002008-07-24T10:27:39.857-07:00

but, what about :P?I totally want one just so I can name it Shawarma:"The Rock Hyrax has been jokingly referred to as a "Shawarma Bear." This references its size and shape, which resemble shawarma."but: is there a Ms Reef calendar for me?that is so metaldang, wish they'd thought of that earlier - Palestinians shooting cameras

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-36236352652298779792008-07-23T16:10:00.002-07:002008-07-23T16:29:50.221-07:00

-wow, never occurred to me, but practicing martial arts outdoors with a cool stormy breeze, thunder nearby, and a fiery brilliant sunset is lighting up the palm trees like torches is...well, pretty effing awesome-still getting used to doing pushups only on fists; my middle knuckles are a little bruised, which I think indicates I need to disperse my weight across more of my fist (which, I realize,

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-82151469234940013042008-07-22T09:08:00.004-07:002008-07-22T14:13:55.792-07:00

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, with Robert Downey Jr, Val Kilmer, and Michelle Monaghan, who still doesn't do anything for me, really. I mistake her for that girl in Lost, I guess, that's about it. I'm glad I finally got to see this one, despite having forgotten it to the point of only the name being vaguely familiar when we glanced at the dvd. I actually had to consciously stop myself from trying to

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-56207823144464209422008-07-21T08:27:00.003-07:002008-07-21T16:17:38.962-07:00

Funny Games, with Tim Roth and Naomi Watts. Interesting in theory...it's the kind of movie, I think, that's a lot better in being talked about, but, I'm not sure it's all that great to sit through to get to that point. That is, it's artsy, in long cuts that have purpose and nice cinematography and great acting. But it's also gratuitously violent....well, but not really, because it never

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-9664072949821814322008-07-17T08:40:00.002-07:002008-07-17T08:43:11.606-07:00

Further thoughts on Step Up 2 the Streets:-again, why in the hell was all the dancing illegal? Was that a really oblique attempt at political commentary about the danger of the Bush regime being so fascist or something?-it says in the trivia that Hoffman actually participated in underground dancing to prepare for the movie...so it's real? That's pretty cool, I suppose, how do we find it? Or

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-66748633133812896842008-07-16T12:56:00.006-07:002008-07-16T13:58:24.171-07:00

notes from Systema! and stuff.-it was hella muggy. Moist, if you will. Park + humid = itchy.-there were more Russkies than Amurricans...one was supercute, though-passing a knife from hand to hand while doing pushups (without tossing or rolling the knife) is incredibly challenging-getting stabbed by a blunted metal knife still hurts a lot. I'm not dead or bleeding copiously, but yeesh.-

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-65064254111694617062008-06-20T07:35:00.004-07:002008-07-16T10:42:59.706-07:00

Step Up 2 the Streets, with Briana Evigan and Robert Hoffman. And in a random bit of nicely un-contrived continuity, the main guy from the first movie, who's acting was hugely better. Actually, almost all of the acting was better in this one; granted, there was less character development in that in the first one there was a bit more asshole-ery from main characters, but hey this movie is the

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-33522460824133985082008-06-12T08:54:00.004-07:002008-06-17T09:02:17.134-07:00

Mama's Boy, with Jon Heder, Diane Keaton, and Jeff Daniels. Ah, Keaton, adorable as usual. Daniels....put on some weight, but he's kind of funny, and does a nice not too-over-the-top motivational speaker. Heder, an asshole, as usual. I don't get his main character type - the relatable asshole? You're supposed to feel sympathy for him, while he's a complete jerk to everyone around him, till

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-4761802361876706032008-06-09T11:59:00.007-07:002008-06-12T09:03:38.416-07:00

Little Miss Sunshine, with Abigail Breslin, Greg Kinnear and Toni Colette. Wow, a movie that actually pulled off uncomfortable/awkward humor and that I found funny. Usually I'm so drawn into feeling uncomfortable that it overrides the humor, but something was just sincere and sweet enough about these characters that I was okay with it. And they are interesting characters, with a quirky, but

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-9553454102461810002008-06-03T08:57:00.004-07:002008-06-04T11:57:53.205-07:00

Rice Boy - strange, unearthly beautiful, and oh so bittersweet and goosebumpyWith Honors, with Brendan Fraser and Joe Pesci. Kind of a silly premise at first glance, it's still worth a see on a relaxing afternoon or evening. At first, I thought, why should I care about these oh-so-clever college students....but yeah, I really liked each of them in turn. Except for the douche-y guy, he only

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-48913854005674586002008-05-27T14:57:00.005-07:002008-06-02T14:42:08.806-07:00

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, with Harrison Ford and Shia Lebouef. I think I just spelled that last name wrong. Oh well. I still can't decide whether this movie was a let-down in terms of Indiana Jones movies or okay. Not great, but okay. At first the acting seemed so strained that I could hardly stand it, though I think my wariness was coloring my perception. When that faded, there were

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-60837780627881919722008-05-15T08:30:00.005-07:002008-05-21T13:47:37.582-07:00

Southland Tales, with one funny cameo after another, a real ensemble cast. Basically, if they'd stuck with the pure scifi aspect of the narrative, it would have been much, much better, but I think that was diluted by postmodern structure and heavyhanded political commentary. Ah, that dang dilution effect. One thing at a time, people! And what's up with Buffy being a pornstar, but never doing

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-2781446853001646162008-05-08T15:32:00.008-07:002008-05-14T11:47:42.813-07:00

a short snippet of a lexicon in FrankLisaSpeechme: "mmh." - A Roslin-style hum for when I'm not saying out loud what I'm thinking in response to either a harebrained scheme or alcholic escapade, etcLisa: "Mmmmmm." - Lisa's version for the rare occasion she can't belt out what she's thinkingme and her: "Aiiiyaaa!" - frustation-noiseLisa: "Huhfrank?" - an interjection, only inserted in the middle

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-11471902800700142392008-05-05T09:40:00.010-07:002008-05-08T15:44:44.702-07:00

The Mist, with Thomas Jane and Marcia Harden. Would have been better in black and white to gloss over a bit of bad CGI, but we forgot about that option, alas. Still, mostly pretty damn good special effects, nonetheless. It stayed true to the story amazingly (down to a couple subtle Dark Tower refs), though I inexplicably remember a different ending entirely than Kim and the movie do, oddly.

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-1830516636335244332008-05-02T08:12:00.005-07:002008-05-06T09:37:28.095-07:00

Iron Man, with Robert Downey Jr, Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jeff Bridges. And a nice up and coming Arab actor, Faran Tahir. So, uh. Go see it. Right now. Downey is the perfect Tony Stark, there's a tiny Hulk cameo, plenty of other easter eggs through the end of the credits, action, a plot based on character development of the best kinds (ie, awesomeness coming from personal effort,

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-76920889234043909822008-04-29T08:50:00.002-07:002008-04-30T08:54:11.909-07:00

Top Secret!, with Val Kilmer in his first role and Lucy Gutteridge (and Omar Sharif, oddly). Kind of like the latest incarnation of Harold and Kumar, stupid, but in a way that's actually hilarious. Amazing in what they could get away with in the 1980s, too, in terms of sexual jokes and boobage, for PG. Actually, what's most interesting is how much this movie has stood the test of time, in

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-20651482188908903402008-04-26T10:23:00.003-07:002008-04-28T13:49:10.913-07:00

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, with John Cho, Kal Penn, NPH, amazingly hot bottomless girls, that cute redhead....and so on. I was expecting this to be so stupid I'd have trouble sitting through it, but was pleasantly surprised. It was kind of a nicely, "American" movie, we decided - it covers all sorts of modern American cultural topics, in hilarious ways, while using and (and

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-88138107380341998802008-04-24T09:59:00.002-07:002008-04-25T08:27:40.358-07:00

Run Fatboy Run, with the incomparable Simon Pegg and Thandie Newton, who I can only ever imagine as the chick in Mission Impossible II. Also, oddly directed by David Schwimmer, of all people. And, more importantly, with a role for India de Beaufort, whom I now have a crush on. Yowza. If the movie had a lot more of her, I'd give it a 10 out of 10, no questions asked. India....can I has ur

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-11767390308017683032008-04-21T08:59:00.003-07:002008-04-22T14:26:58.089-07:00

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J. K. Rowland. Gah! Time travel! Actually, this was probably some of the most decently done time travel I've yet come across, my reflexive distaste aside. It was kept quite simple, and the rest of the little details of story and wizarding culture were more than interesting enough to outweigh that one small part. Actually, now that I think about it

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-81405331139860525672008-04-15T14:34:00.002-07:002008-04-17T11:54:44.825-07:00

Addendum to 30 Days of Night, kind of spoilerish, but note the point in the narrative where the "become the enemy to win" trope I keep pushing comes up....Hee, dorky charity (I liked the Fire guy best, back in the day, though he was dumb)Interesting words learned in a twop - ontogeny and phylogeny...in the same page, an interesting brush upon self-validation vs Gaius BaltarAlso, Lumpenbourgeousie

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-23597177880460142712008-04-14T08:37:00.005-07:002008-04-15T13:30:44.490-07:00

30 Days of Night, with Josh Hartnett and Melissa George. Off the top of my head, I'd say the vamps (yes, I am going with the shortened appellation, any sarcasm aside) are up there with the Blindsight vamps...not quite as good, but that's still saying a helluva lot. That is, they're pretty awesome - just the kind of human-but-oh-so-not-human-at-all that I enjoy. Their language was a wonderful

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-63121603411251401822008-04-08T08:18:00.003-07:002008-04-08T09:55:44.881-07:00

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, with John Reilly and Jenna Fischer. Oh man. Big waste of time. I think they were actually trying to make the main character someone you were supposed to kind of care about...and were we supposed to actually get into the music? I think if they'd really went all out into making it stupidly funny through and through, I would have enjoyed it. As it was, it was a

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-12991517695689212852008-04-02T00:03:00.006-07:002008-04-07T13:58:29.837-07:00

A River Runs Through It, with Craig Sheffer and Brad Pitt. Yes, it's a pretty slow movie, but that doesn't mean it isn't very engaging. Some of the Montana vistas are so beautifully shot they're heartwarming, and the narration and even some of the dialogue is simply downright poetic, if not profound. Come to think of it, the family narrative is something of a parallel to the Prodigal Son story

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-66945668998957473852008-03-28T08:36:00.008-07:002008-04-02T12:47:59.837-07:00

The King of Kong, with Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe. It was a lot more moving, than I expected, for one. And interesting - like, going into it, how interesting can a movie about Donkey Kong get? But, it's really...real, just real people, real emotion, real passions. And real douchebags, well set up to look all pleasant in the beginning, but then the true hero comes around, slightly autistic

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-10429294616623933032008-03-26T12:53:00.003-07:002008-03-28T08:28:09.308-07:00

The real question is, what if one smacks right into your face, out of nowhere?Article conferring Western science and yogic thought on lucid dreamingcrazy fruit artWhat the hell is circular polarized..ing? light? Huh? What? Shrimp?

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-10117898588426496372008-03-25T09:57:00.004-07:002008-03-25T11:59:54.645-07:00

Again from Brian - elephant cams. No, not like that kind of dirty cam, thank you. More, we have to find a way to attach a camera to Mattie. I'd say Tia, but all we'd get would be shots of food.On Easter, in France (is there really a flying bell?)A pretty awesome fighter, Tara Larosa [won for the US in grappling championships two weeks after her boyfriend died in Iraq, for example]Wow,

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-22855438197598777072008-03-24T09:12:00.003-07:002008-03-25T09:53:21.748-07:00

School for Scoundrels, with Bill Thornton and Jon Heder. And some girl from Real World? Eh, I could never get into those shows, however dippily byzantine. I don't know, Heder...I just don't see him as any sort of leading man, except in really dumb comedies. And this was just trying a little too hard to be not-so-dumb, and even went way too far as it got closer to the end, trying to suddenly

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-73557267418573450642008-03-20T12:58:00.007-07:002008-03-21T09:54:04.732-07:00

Flesh Gothic, by Edward Lee. A strong showing by Lee, in his always grotesque-yet-fun slasher-novel style (like a slasher movie, but with more over the top sex and violence). But, not his strongest, I'd say, on a couple of counts. One, for as sexual as the premise is purported to be (the narrative more than revolves around it, it's fairly obsessed with it), there's just not as much actual sexy

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-69275596798837119592008-03-17T11:00:00.007-07:002008-03-19T13:57:12.449-07:00

for Jake, on TrinityWow, never would have figured that name for that cactus...now I'll just smirk whenever I see oneAs much as I adore geckos, the astronaut idea makes me blink (the video makes me more eager to see them when they come back in the summer, though)I think if I saw a coconut crab in person and was not prepared I would scream like a little girl. And then eat it.

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-83548954559195793222008-03-15T17:23:00.004-07:002008-12-14T02:37:26.932-07:00

The Gymnast, with Dreya Weber and Addie Yungmee. A lot better than I expected; well, to be honest, I was really just kind of going for a stuck-at-home-watching-movies-so-might-as-well-get-B grade-sexy. And lo and behold, it turns out to have twenty some awards from various sources, very little of anything actually too sexual, but even better, interesting characters in an interesting situation.

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-63569808752554528802008-03-14T10:19:00.006-07:002008-03-15T13:02:09.225-07:00

gerenuks look almost alien to mewhoa, go dolphin (and, animal intelligence/sentience plug!)not sure anyone will get this, but to me alligators using their breath this way is an oblique commentary on humans using their own pranic vayu (the dimension of a person's manifestation that can be controlled with the breath)how adorable are sunshine buddies? very. that's how much.That's really what I

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-30630683472314182102008-03-12T12:33:00.005-07:002008-03-13T09:31:50.725-07:00

From a de Lint story, 'The Pennymen,' a pretty accurate description of what after-meditation feels like for a bit:"...and made her feel that everything she looked at she was seeing for the first time. The art hanging from the walls was vibrant, the colors almost pulsing. The spiraling grain in the room's wooden trim, window frames, and wainscotting pulled at her gaze, drawing it down into its

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-36175627689097113382008-03-11T15:25:00.006-07:002008-03-13T08:28:53.125-07:00

Does Pando creep out anyone else?It's obvious, duh, he's a mutant, like in X-MenI am the very model of a SingularitarianI'm all about animal sentience/intelligence these days, and these little Aussie spiders are right up in that (also a tiny bit fae seeming, I'd say) Reminds me, potentially, of the serafinas in MacDonald's Terminal Cafe; slash, this is Second Life we're talking about, when will

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-30426241338406324942008-03-11T11:18:00.005-07:002008-03-11T13:00:34.141-07:00

Swingers, with Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, and that guy from Office Space. As the movie began, I reflexively had thoughts of not liking it - it seeming to be about one really pathetic character, as much as I've been nigh exactly where he was, I just didn't want to sit through another experience of it, and some of the people I normally consider rank asshats. I warmed up to it over the course of

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-6075979025860992742008-03-06T15:52:00.003-07:002008-03-10T19:22:46.832-07:00

For some reason I find these two leglocks kind of funnyWhat a weird toy; this about sea cucumbers seems somehow similarList of terror attacks thwarted since 9/11, interestingThat's....actually kind of an accurate summary of that autobiography I just readI'd be all over that if it was legal'touchfood' is poignant and 'act my age' was a good whack upside the head; Jen WangHee! Tiny Carl Jung! Ok

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-85103411591383477112008-03-05T08:51:00.005-07:002008-03-06T15:19:02.565-07:00

From the writer of 30 Days of Night, sci fi horror!Hyenas have weird enough genitals I bet there has to be some niche furry porn out there involving it, slash, oddly inspired hentaiAn update on one of my favorite charities, Seva, in Chiapas, MexicoSigh.Woo! I don't have to buy new gloves! (I think)

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-79969651493509933972008-03-04T08:01:00.005-07:002008-03-04T13:00:59.794-07:00

Shoot 'Em Up, with Clive Owen and Monica Belucci. Candy, popcorn, bullets. If you go into it acknowledging that it has about the intellectual content of the Bugs Bunny cartoons it often references, then it's easy to enjoy. At the same time, it's kind of boring in that; maybe if I had more of a thing for gun ballets, but they never really held the same appeal for me as more physical action.

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-39257492451434776372008-03-02T14:14:00.006-07:002008-03-03T12:34:30.741-07:00

But what if it whacked into our planet?Google Maps has street view for Tucson! The fact that I can look at the intersection directly next to my house kind of creeps me out, though.Ah, someone who loves octopuses as much as meI want one. I would eat much more red meat.Sphere idea has potential, but I want to see some moving pictures"Remember that guy who was in the flood and the boat came by,

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-27060971260270868472008-02-27T21:48:00.004-07:002008-02-29T14:33:47.019-07:00

Tempted to go make a new bookshelfCanada had rebellions?! What's that all aboot?Wow yeah that was dumb.Holy crap the new X-Force is badass, and I love the subtle touch of how Wolverine calls Laura just "X" - I mean, what is she to him as his clone...daughter, sister? Yet the nickname sums up a lot of that unexplainable relationship nicely.Nanoparticle panacea? Cool, but scary somehow

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-3621345059024627572008-02-27T09:24:00.005-07:002008-02-27T13:27:56.289-07:00

Candy, with Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish. Well, that was uplifting. Yay for...uh...an Australian Trainspotting? It didn't really have a plot, either, in a similar way, it's more just a character study of some heroin addicts. So I think if one goes into it looking for that, rather than any narrative, really, one would be much more satisfied. I guess in the sense that it was about character

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-59738174428535146292008-02-21T08:39:00.008-07:002008-02-26T08:10:32.201-07:00

Gone, Baby Gone, with Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan. In the end the narrative turned out to be interesting, but only in looking back through it; in the course of watching the movie, it was more of a "where the hell is this going?" So it could have been much more unified, had better character development, and had better pacing, but the end result (and dilemma) is certainly conversation and

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-52275027282567552762008-02-19T08:28:00.003-07:002008-02-20T08:30:31.136-07:00

Michael Clayton, with George Clooney and Tilda Swinton. Great acting, great cinematography, great cast, great little moments.....and a narrative I just never really cared about at all. I find it silly that this was called a thriller when at least Kim and I were dozing off, if not everyone. Though, it occurs to me: maybe the idea of being in debt about a business would find terror-by-empathy in

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-24293431050739041022008-02-18T08:07:00.006-07:002008-02-18T14:17:03.431-07:00

Yay Seva! Small donations make a big difference!Women on grapplingVaguely tangent to that, warrior womenLiberating Jesus....huh...Christine Maggiore has an unusual idea

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-4314397453214934252008-02-12T12:37:00.002-07:002008-02-15T10:58:30.910-07:00

Definitely, Maybe, with Ryan Reynolds, Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks, and Isla Fisher. And Kevin Kline, who I did not recognize in the slightest. I think for the most part this movie lived up to expectations brought about by pedigree (connections to Love, Actually) and the stellar cast. Though kids in movies are still a bit much for me, it worked well enough. Though I'm sure a lot of people

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-62226838720995051972008-02-11T08:37:00.000-07:002008-02-11T15:36:20.470-07:00

Long Walk to Freedom, by Nelson Mandela. Wow, I finished reading this on the day Mandela was released from prison after 27 years. Crazy coincidence! Anyway, I think autobiography might be a bit much for me as a genre, it was certainly interesting throughout, but also pondorous simply in being almost the entirety of someone's life. So, something of a discipline-requiring task to finish,

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-23151170246163667862008-02-08T08:39:00.000-07:002008-02-10T19:29:55.343-07:00

Wow, kind of a real life James BondIt's like old-school crop circles - except involving Satan; I guess the old devils are the new aliensDon't know what it's about, but it seems fun and ominousWow, I need a tshirt of the middle panel

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-20259051155091789242008-02-01T10:58:00.001-07:002008-02-06T12:57:00.257-07:00

Across the Universe, with Evan Rachel Wood and Jim Sturgess. It had potential; I probably would have gotten a lot more out of it if I understood what I'll guess are lots of references to Beatles trivia. As it stands, the music was nice, the acting was nice, the stylization was nice...but the plot and characters were just macguffins to me, just to set a frame for the song covers. Of course, if

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-60520895842919601352008-01-30T08:25:00.000-07:002008-02-01T08:32:46.792-07:00

27 Dresses, with Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, and Malin Ackerman. Cute, but I think I still need some buffer time to go back to appreciating standard rom-coms after Once. For example, I was inordinately bothered by every single ham-handed musical cue, but under normal circumstances I probably wouldn't have even noticed. It was kind of interesting how each of the characters was so

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-88647047987714865352008-01-25T08:21:00.001-07:002008-01-30T09:17:52.719-07:00

Once, with Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. I think the unorthodox approach of this movie is going to spoil me on regular rom-coms for a while if they have even an ounce of cliche in them. The only one I can think of that isn't immediately discounted on some level is Love, Actually, off the top of my head. Or Farscape, I suppose, in a sense. Anyway, Once is easy to watch multiple times on

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-38122258071815644612008-01-24T09:16:00.000-07:002008-01-24T12:42:41.595-07:00

Jam-packed with action, they say! I'm hoping for lingonberry. But...I don't know about the title...Huh, check out the part about the middle fingerIt almost makes my teeth hurtFor all y'all's perusal, a random collection of information about fruit and vegetable storage"We are both observer and what is observed at the same time." - thought that was an interesting corollary between quantum stuff

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-79152493456427738192008-01-23T09:57:00.001-07:002008-01-23T13:26:02.691-07:00

Juno, with Ellen Page and Michael Cera. Basically, the same theme but opposite end of the spectrum from Knocked Up - understated, subtle, more profound. And so, better! Also much wittier, that too. I'm not even sure what to say about the film, perhaps it's a better take on a Garden State archetype but with pregancy, what with the indie-ish aspect. I loved how the runners aren't actually a

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-19477853112469250172008-01-22T08:08:00.000-07:002008-01-22T14:17:33.703-07:00

Cloverfield, with Lizzy Caplan and several other attractive twenty-somethings. But she's the most attractive. This is one of those movies, like Ultraviolet, where I think I was ambivalent on it initially because of my succeptibility to succumb to the frames of others, ie, the people who I watched it with. But now that I think about it, I really liked it. I like monster movies; and I love

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-74605784169891475622008-01-19T13:30:00.000-07:002008-01-21T13:53:21.932-07:00

Shanghai Noon, with Owen Wilson and Jackie Chan. Both of whom play their usual characters, like the little known dwarves (of the seven), Smarmy and Doofy. This was...a silly movie. Kind of disneyish with some wannabe adult moments thrown in...which doesn't really mesh for me. I guess the fighting was ok. Yeah. Not much to say about it, it's light fare, not too bad, not too great.Saw II,

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-70185272633140245122008-01-15T09:10:00.000-07:002008-01-18T13:07:06.187-07:00

Hatchet, with the girl from Buffy, the guy from Grandma's Boy, and an Asian guy who was a clone of an old friend of ours. Well...it was exactly what it purported to be, an old-school slasher flick. Which is fine. But it didn't really stand out for me, except in seeing the Grandma's Boy actor in a different role, and Harmony's chest, I suppose. I guess it was kind of mindlessly fun, but that

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-9890245043350487422008-01-09T08:20:00.000-07:002008-01-11T13:54:53.205-07:00

Death to Smoochy, with Edward Norton, Catherine Keener, and Robin Williams. Much funnier than I expected, and much lighter than I expected. The stylization was expected, though I'm kind of curious what the effect might have been were it continued all the way through the movie, rather than just used as an introduction. There's a nice little expanded setting in this, and even a sweet romance, a

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-28588456711816736252008-01-04T12:34:00.000-07:002008-01-09T16:22:07.016-07:00

Made in America, by Bill Bryson. A generally fun read, but I think I like Mother Tongue more, in the end. This one just went a little bit more into dry, tedious listing than the other, basically, though that's somewhat balanced by it being an interesting way of learning about the history of the United States. Being as it's about the English of the USA. Probably should have explained that

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-68534516394457447702008-01-02T09:57:00.000-07:002008-01-03T13:59:41.584-07:00

I think Ultraviolet would have been a good bit better if they'd made the pacing as frenetic as Crank. It already has the crazy stylization, and making it more frantic in nature would have buffered some of the silly and uncoordinated aspects.Aha, I thought so, tango is usefulInteresting, though dense, article on Japanese cultureAnd a nice article on perspective shiftingIt's interesting, offhand,

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-91633387927559129832007-12-27T15:15:00.000-07:002007-12-31T11:34:14.886-07:00

Crank, with Jason Statham and Amy Smart. Popcorn action, which was pretty much what we were looking for. I was hoping for more martial arts from Statham, though - but I suppose the gratuitous nudity kind of made up for that (tangent to that, one of the oddest sex scenes ever). The stylization of the movie was nice, that's something I always enjoy, and that can carry a movie for me, as it did

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-70677281652818024562007-12-21T12:49:00.001-07:002007-12-27T16:02:06.218-07:00

The Mother Tongue, by Bill Bryson. Though mostly about the English language, there's a good bit of information about language in general leading up to the main topic. Bryson has a lot of fun with curious trivia and interesting anecdotes, especially when he lets himself get in some acerbic commentary about things that are just silly. At the same time, though, there are some stretches where he

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-90734155635051187862007-12-19T12:32:00.000-07:002007-12-20T15:48:47.085-07:00

The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga, by Vishnudevananda. This book was recommended by the philosophy teacher at Providence; I believe he said to snap up a copy if you ever saw it. And man did I get an old school copy, this is straight up 1960s all the way. Which, interestingly, isn't to say it's like the drug-addled or blissed out or third-hand stuff that does come out of that era. Ok, so

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-46467489967360479012007-12-15T09:24:00.001-07:002007-12-19T13:19:30.531-07:00

Balls of Fury, with Dan Fogler, Maggie Q, Christopher Walken, and a little Reno 911 thrown in. I think one of the special features described it quite well - "a kung fu movie with absolutely no kung fu." Which actually isn't quite true, there are a couple decent fight scenes featuring the cutie Q, minus the stupid wire tricks. Nice to see a strong female character, though, who obviously is not

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-47352640583584312422007-12-14T08:24:00.001-07:002007-12-14T15:41:07.365-07:00

Beowulf, with Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, and Sebastian Roché. It was okay, but wouldn't have been all that great without the 3D. Which was interesting, quite so, but...not all that necessary for most movies, I think. Actually, it was a little distracting at points, I suppose. I wonder if there's a market for 3D porn, offhand. That was an unrelated tangent thought. But think of the

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-43205345882037535542007-12-12T12:51:00.001-07:002007-12-14T08:28:03.622-07:00

Saw, with Leigh Whannell and Cary Elwes. I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. Where I thought it would revel in simple gratuitous helplessness, pain, and gore, it actually glossed through much of that with clever stylizing. Well played! I think that's part of what elevates it above mushbrain movies like I feared it would be, like, say, Hostel. That, and the gradual-yet-driving character

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-17736468869913692362007-12-11T09:03:00.001-07:002007-12-12T10:51:18.190-07:00

Get excited! In the long run, anyway, most probably won't come out for a long time.Heh, why yes, I am juvenile:"The word "avocado" comes from the Spanish word aguacate, which derives in turn from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word ahuacatl, meaning "testicle", because of its shape."Woo! Cash Cab! Like Jeopardy, a game show I actually like"When powdered bark is treated with tincture of iodine (a test for

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-89581155212043021082007-12-10T08:11:00.001-07:002007-12-12T08:28:23.795-07:00

Hey! Dude with the cow, first payment, awesome.The Golden Compass, with Dakota Blue Richards, Daniel Craig, and Nicole Kidman. Unfortunately, it's been long enough since I've read the book that I didn't realize the full extent of how far this diverged from the original story. That said, I think the omissions of certain themes probably saved it for some people, who would have arbitrarily

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-13199058760735393102007-12-06T18:09:00.001-07:002007-12-07T12:48:54.409-07:00

don't worry, Rogue, I'll never subject you to suchthat's one old dudeUn-freaking-believable - though, I do suddenly have visions of combat drones acting as such (from me da)not sure what it is, but it's pretty cool (from me da)from Phil, Brokeback Trek

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433710.post-13506656587752422282007-12-05T09:44:00.000-07:002007-12-05T10:45:40.837-07:00

True Lust, by Tristan Taormino. Basically, Love Line combined with The L Word (with more butch-ness, though written from a femme perspective) with dabs of journalism. Taormino adeptly brushes between gender and cultural theory and touching upon her personal experiences with everything from getting coached in masturbation to her personal opinions on various kinks and sexual practices, all within

Jinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12088437824814844568noreply@blogger.com0