Things That I Love Today: "You Can Call Me Al"

One of my favourite music videos of all-time for one of my favourite songs. I'm starting off December on a good note.

 

"No turn un-stoned."

I figured I would try and throw one more post on here before the month concludes. What should I talk about though?? I have nothing all that interesting to say at the moment. 

Maybe I'll try and figure out what, in retrospect, has become a pretty shitty year. When I look back on 2009, the bad seems to outweigh the good in so many ways. I just seemed to have coast through the majority of the year, phoning in my performance as a budding adult. There were things that I remember which would be considered "fun" and what not, but I just can't help but know that the crap overpowered the good. 

December, do me a favour: save the year from being a total bust. Make 2009 worth my while, and fade into the New Year on a high note. 

You have your instructions. I hope you fulfill your duties as the month of wonder and gingerbread. 

Dec. 1 in T-Minus 56 minutes. 

The start of Christmas music listening in T-Minus 56 minutes. 

"...Where we hope to keep safe from pain."

It is officially November 30. The last day of the month. I decided while on a short break from reading, that I would take a look at the past month in blogging for me. 

As per my suspicions, I ended up having a very negative month I think. It started off quite nicely, but slowly diminished to a series of rather horrible and shitty moments. Take a look at my previous posts. Go ahead. I'll wait here. I have a magazine, so I'll be occupied. 

Okay, back?? Good. See what I mean?? It was just negative post after negative post. I had pretty much nothing nice to say from the second week of the month and on. I dunno what's the matter with me. I have to get out of this vortex. I only had one "Things That I Love Today" this month!! Not good, not good. 

"The snow and I see eye to eye..."

I have come to the conclusion that my work habits have been extremely lacking over the last few weeks (I'm talking worse than what they usually are) is because of my non-existent healthy eating routine. Not only do I not eat things that would be considered "good" for me, I have often skipped meals just because I can't bother to go through the motions in making myself food. I have "better things to do". 

But in retrospect, I realize that it has probably been affecting me to a great extent. My drive has just been on cruise control for too long now, and I would put money down that the stress combined with the non-eating is what has been causing my ability to not get out of bed in the morning, and staying awake until the wee hours of the night doing absolutely nothing substantial with my time.

As previously stated, I have a crap load of assignments due this final week of the semester. I even set aside my Friday and Saturday nights to finish some of them. Did I get anything done in those two nights?? Well, yes I did. Was it school related?? Hell no. I got my graphic for the newspaper finished for this week and I cleaned my apartment. All of this was in a blatant attempt to avoid doing work.

I found myself last night, in the midst of knowing that I would eventually move on from my drawing to some studying and/or paper, on the Global TV website, catching up on the two "Glee" episodes that I had to catch up on. I knew it was not productive, but I somehow convinced myself that once they were over I would plow through some real work.

So what do you figure happened next?? School work?? Nada piñata. Instead, at about 2:15, I popped on Boogie Nights for some reason and watched the whole 2 and a half hours that is Marky Mark and his giant prosthetic dong. Great movie. Bad decision making. 

So as I sit here today, after having made my way to the school for a rehearsal that was eventually cancelled, I can't help but tell myself that today will be productive. But will it really?? Probably not. I will keep putting it off, almost certainly throwing on some DVD that will bide my time until the evening. Then, when that rolls around, I will just convince myself to read for my exam tomorrow. So, I will most certainly grab my textbook and sit on the couch and get about three pages in before my eyes start to close and I can no longer tolerate the boredom and strain that I'm forcing myself to endure. I will then convince myself that a nap will be beneficial, so I'll sleep for an hour and a half. But I won't get out of bed in time, and then it will be about 10 o'clock and my sleep schedule will be all out of whack (as per the norm). And so then, I will wait until I am fully awake before I start to do any real work, but by this time it will be about 1 am, and the "real work" will just be planning what I want to do. And before I know it, 5 am has rolled around and I am tired again, but the short amount of sleep that I will get because I convince myself that waking up two hours before I have to will be plenty of time to finish any last minute studying. So I'll head to bed. And plan to wake at about 11. I obviously hit the snooze, and awake with 45 minutes to shower and book it to class. 

This is what I do to myself almost every day. It must come to an end. I am some sort of unstoppable procrastinating machine that thrives under the deadlines that are thrown upon me. Today will be no different, even though I want it to be. 

I really think I just need to start eating better. 

"I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in."

Remember that exam I was fretting a few days earlier?? Well, I haven't got the mark back or anything, but I have never been more confident that I have failed an exam. And I mean ever. This was the very first time in which I sat down, looked at the paper and just knew, from the word go, that I was doomed. 

Now, I did this to myself, there is absolutely no denying that. But how am I supposed to study for a freakin' exam in the midst of a three week period where I basically have a paper due every other day?? Even if you were a normal person who knew how to time manage correctly, put in my situation, you wouldn't have studied the correct amount for this exam. No way, Josie and the Pussycats. Ugh, it's so frustrating to know that I can't possibly do well in this class. Like, to the point of I'm going to have to work so hard on my last assignment in order to have a decent chance at passing the bloody course. 

Its just been a pretty terrible week. I want to be on vacation already. Or even just on exam break, because even then I'll get a couple of days break. 

The highlight of the week was probably filming my movie last night. Or at least, the beginning of filming anyway. We shot a little of it, and were supposed to do more, but once we got everyone together it was a general consensus that it was just more beneficial to reschedule and do it on a later date. Even though we decided this, we still hung around for a good hour and half. I enjoy this little Motley Crue I've assembled. It's a nice change for once. 

Sigh. I really need to do some work now I think though... that and try to forget what I didn't want to find out. 

"I feel like I'm fading away..."

You know what I want?? I want to be surrounded by creativity. I want to have the ability to sit down and just be funny with other people who are funny. I want to be able to sit down and know that the people around me respect my abilities. I want to be able to have friends who understand what I'm all about and be able to reciprocate the same towards them. I know I have friends like this, but at this exact second, I don't. And I want to be able to be with them.

I want those who think that they are the best to be taken down a notch. And I want to be the one to do it. I want to be able to sit them down and explain to them why they are arrogant and egotistical and that they don't have any respect from me. I want them to know that everything isn't always about them.

I want to know that what I choose to do with my life is going to matter. I also want to know and fully accept the fact that school is not the end of the world. I know I'm not failing, but I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror and say that if I get a "C", I will still be alive the next day so what the fuck was I worried about.

I really just want to sit around and do the things that I love all the time, and go to classes and know that I'll make it through it all, and not have to deal with the idiots who consistently fill the space around me. I want all that!!

And what I really want, is to know that this exam tomorrow is not going to fuck me over. 

But it's almost 5 am and I can't convince myself otherwise. 

"I Want A New Drug"

Finally, some salvation in this dim, darkened abyss that is school work. Had the first real rehearsal tonight and it was SO much fun. In the three hours that we were supposed to be rehearsing, maybe half an hour got done having actual film talk, and the rest was just conversing. Great conversing. Very few things beat having the right people around you. I'm confident I made good in that sense. Does that even make sense??

I have also been watching a whole helluva lot of "Friends" lately. I have probably gone through 4 seasons in a good week and a half. Having no cable really limits your options when you need some background noise. Anyway, I figured that it was one show that I could watch over and over again, so why shouldn't do just that?? And voila, we have my last week and a half!! Now if only I could find a way to use this useless knowledge of all things Chandler, Monica, Joey and the rest to my advantage. 

Actually, here's a challenge. From Oldest to Youngest, order the six "Friends" characters. Let's see who can get it (I mean besides Josh...whom I hope will be first). 

"Head Over Feet"

Yesterday was genuinely the worst work day I've ever experienced since being a student. It was literally an entire day of me avoiding work and feeling so unbelievably anxious that it was making me sick. I tried to calm myself down, but it didn't seem to be any use. Having this looming cloud of school work hang over my head caused me, for the first time in my life, to feel like I was actually going to pass out. I sat at my computer and physically had to grab the desk because I almost fell over. It was frightening. 

I'm glad I made the decision to head to bed last night instead of keeping myself up, and forcing myself to do work that I so obviously didn't want to do. I awoke today and I was fine. I was quite willing to finish my papers that had instigated this entire ordeal anyway. I don't know what the hell the deal was yesterday. I kept telling myself that it was just school, and it wasn't this big of a deal. That didn't work. Even a little bit. And then that stupid spider video didn't help at all. I can't even watch it any more. And I have tried. But it makes my heart pound too hard, and I have to stand and shake it off. 

Today is going okay so far, and I refuse to fall into that "pit of despair" (as I deemed it yesterday). I am going to get these papers done, work on my storyboards a little bit, email my cast and attend my screening tonight. That is the plan, and I feel no anxiety whatsoever. 

So "Fuck You very much" November 22. You didn't help me in the least. 

"So Long, So Wrong"

I have zero motivation to finish the mountains of work that I have to get done right now. Like, none. I am sitting, have a giant massive headache and just want to snap my fingers to make it Christmas break already. That way, I wouldn't have to deal with any of this shit, and I can play in the snow (that is hopefully coming). 

I'm pretty sure I know exactly why I have no motivation too. It's because I have no one to impress really. I've always used girls as a motivational source, in the sense that they would think I was an idiot if I didn't get stuff done and what not. It seems I've lost that option. The girls are still there, but I can't help but feel that I'm already an idiot in their eyes, so why bother?? 

Damnit. I gotta get myself going again. I need to get away from the computer I think. 

"You go your way and I'll do the same."

Well, drinking chocolate milk right before bed is no longer a good idea. Never have I experienced a sleep like that, where I was constantly tossing and turning, all the while dreaming that things were happening around me. It was so ridiculous. I kept thinking "oh, okay, I'm asleep. No wait. I'm not. Oh no wait, that can't be real, I am. No, wait..."

I attribute my terrible nights sleep to the chocolate milk I decided to down right before I went to bed. In fact, I think I may have actually gotten up, out of bed, to get drink it too. So it was like, RIGHT after I was to fall asleep. Oh well. Not happening again. It was too stupid to deal with. 

100th Post/Poorly Written "Friends" Moments [Part 2]

100 posts. I have written, 100 frickin' blog posts in just under a year. The majority of them coming in the past two months. So, because I wanted to keep my blog running, I figured I'd better get my celebratory 100th post done and out of the way to make room for my other ones that I have coming. That, and I really, really, want something to distract me from essay writing. Also, I have no idea why the font changed to the way it is, but apparently the one that I normally use does not exist for me to change this to it. Don't ask me why.

Anyway, as you may have guessed, the theme of this is going to be (Ba Ba Bahba!!)...

THE WORST WRITTEN "FRIENDS" PLOT LINES, EPISODES & DIALOGUE: PART DEUX

That's right. As promised, I am adding more to my list of "bad" "Friends" moments, because, well, I can. I've just been watching so much of it lately, that I figured I would just do it again to correspond with my 100th post as a blogger. Also, just remember that when I say "bad" I don't really mean "bad". I just mean moments I believe had potential to be better. If I really wanted to look up bad moments, this post would be on "Will & Grace". Take that Megan Mullaly!! 

Anyway, let's begin again, shall we??

SEASON 6, EPISODE 14: "THE ONE WHERE CHANDLER CAN'T CRY"

PHOBE, CHANDLER, MONICA and JOEY are sitting watching E.T. JOEY begins to cry because he forgot the end and then PHOEBE pipes in, talking about sadder movies.  

PHOEBE

You know what's sadder than this?? Bambi. I cried for three days. No wait two. 'Cuz on the third day my mother killed herself so I was partly crying for that. 

It's kind of irritating when shows have anachronisms with regards to character's personal feelings. There was an entire episode in the second season (The One Where Old Yeller Dies) in which it is revealed that Phoebe's mom never allowed her to watch the endings of sad movies. Yet, here, in this exact statement that Phoebe makes, she acknowledges that Bambi was a movie she was allowed to see all the way through. She was sheltered from the endings of Love Story, Old Yeller and Beaches, but a strict vegetarian who loves all animals was aloud to see Bambi's mom die?? 

Naw. I don't think so. 

It's not as bad as some other moments, and there could even be a reasonable explanation behind this which we never get to know, but I feel it was an unneeded line that could have been something else just as funny without mentioning Phoebe's dead mother. Oh, and it's also kinda disappointing that the whole episode is dedicated to Chandler not feeling the need to cry ever, yet in The One With Joey's Dirty Day, he seems to cry after Phoebe yells at him. 

And then he apparently cries very easily in the tenth season during The One With Rachel's Going Away party, as he reveals he hasn't cried as hard as he did when saying goodbye to Rachel "in years". This would have been fine, but of course, Monica corrects him in saying he cried at the news, the day before. Now, season 6's episode could be a pre-cursor to that, but it's always been iffy in my books. Which, are the only books that matter, of course. 

SEASON 8, EPISODE 4: "THE ONE WHERE RACHEL TELLS..."

Remember this conversation??

JOEY

Y'know, Monica and Chandler are married. Ross and Rachel are having a baby. Maybe you and I should do somethin'??

PHOEBE

All in good time my love. All in good time. 

Yeah?? Well maybe because it was basically the same one they had in The One Where Ross Hugs Rachel:

JOEY

So, Ross and Rachel got married. Monica and Chandler almost got married. You think you and I should hook up.

PHOEBE

Oh we do. But not just yet.

Phoebe then goes on to explain how and when the end up together and what not. But, why bring this up twice in the series, and why have basically the exact same answer?? I mean, Joey wouldn't remember already having this conversation before?? 

Yeah, maybe he wouldn't... 

SEASON 5, EPISODE 2: "THE ONE WITH ALL THE KISSING" 

MONICA is trying to cover the conversation that she and RACHEL are having, in regards to RACHEL still loving ROSS.

MONICA

Well, Rachel wants to take Swing Dance lessons. Which I think is a really stupid idea. It's dangerous. She's never going to get what she wants. And who knows who she might end up hurting.

ROSS

Monica's right. Swing dancing can be tricky. 

This one is simple. I hate how dumb this cover up is. I mean really Monica?? You couldn't have come up with a better lie?? Really??

Oh well. I guess it worked. Ross bought it. I guess he is as oblivious to the obvious as he's shown to be.  

SEASON 6, EPISODE 17: "THE ONE WITH UNAGI"

MONICA asks CHANDLER to dance with her as she plays the mix-tape that he "made" her as a Valentine's Day gift. As they embrace during "The Way You look Tonight", they are interrupted by the shrill voice of JANICE, exclaiming from the tape CHANDLER posed as the one he made for MONICA...

JANICE

I love the way you look every night Chandler!! That's why I made you this tape. Happy Birthday!! Love Janice. 

Really, this is only bad for personal reasons. I just can't help but think that Chandler could have gotten out of the situation through some very easy lying. If it had been me (well, if it had been me, I wouldn't have forgot in the first place to make a present) I would have just said that I was just using this tape to tape over, and I guess that it didn't work properly. Boom. Done. That would have been accepted, and I would be out in the clear. A little selling it through some pissy groans and flailing limbs, and it would have been bought no problem. 

It wouldn't have been funny if he had thought quicker on his feet, I know that. But I just wish he didn't accept his fate so quickly. Come on Chandler!! 

SEASON 5, EPISODE 21: "THE ONE WITH THE BALL" 

GARY

I really like waking up with you.  

MONICA

I like waking up with you too. Oh, it's such a beautiful morning. Oh I could stay here all day. 

GARY

That would be great.

PHOEBE

We could have breakfast in bed, and-

GARY

(interrupting)

Just a second.

PHEOBE

Okay. 

Just then GARY takes out his gun and shoots the bird that has been singing outside the window. PHOEBE rolls over.

PHOEBE

Oh, no...

Nope. Sorry, there is no way that would happen. There is no way, that Gary would shoot a bird after knowing and dating Phoebe, the strict vegetarian that she is, for the 4 months and six episodes that they would have been together. There is just no way that a person wouldn't know someone else long enough to suspect that shooting a bird wouldn't sway them in some way, especially Phoebe. 

I think that it would have been fine had they not been dating for as long as they had, like, had their relationship only spanned 3 episodes or something. But it was 6. It was a long time. Even Monica makes mention how Phoebe even hates to see flowers die. So, either Gary turned into an idiot all of a sudden, and they copped out that way in order to end that story line, or he had been killing small animals the whole time between the panels and was a really, very sadistic cop. I vote the former. 

SEASON 8, EPISODE 18: "THE ONE IN MASSAPEQUA" 

JOEY

Well, I can promise you, at least one person'll be crying. I'm an actor, and any actor worth his salt can cry on cue.  

MONICA

Really? You can do that?

JOEY proceeds his attempt at crying to no avail. It lasts several seconds, of what looks like constipation and then...

JOEY

Well I can't do it with you guys watching me!!

Can you tell that I'm running out of good ones??

Anyway, once again, this is a moment that has already been referenced in a previous episode, but apparently forgotten about. In the third season, The One With The Race Car Bed, Joey lands a job teaching soap opera acting. There, he reveals that he has always been unable to cry, thus he uses tweezers in his pocket. Why would you reveal to a class full of strangers that you can't cry, but lie to your closest friends about it?? Doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to me. It was, once again, a joke that could have been replaced with another that was just as good, which also corresponded correctly with the show's other past episodes. 

Must just be laziness I guess. It's still funny, but once the whole inaccuracy thing comes into play, well it becomes  a little disappointing.  

"Well it's a marvelous night for a Moondance."

That was definitely an odd experience.

It's closing in on 4am. I was playing along with my normal bad day routine of not being able to fall asleep. Of course, my mind was racing at the pace of a caffeinated jack rabbit, so I decided to do what I always do when I can't sleep and venture out onto my balcony. I went out, and it was much milder than I had anticipated. So I stood, listening to the distant cars on the road. The wind. The odd voice every here and there.

And I looked. Just stared around, focusing on nothing specific. Usually the calmness of the middle of the night settles my brain and I can just let things be until morning.

As I stood there just meditating by doing nothing specific, I felt a mist on my head. I looked to the sky, and saw the cloudiness, but passed it off as nothing more than a slight spitting. It will pass. And then, in the quiet of the night, I heard it. I stood there, thinking it was just the wind, but there was nothing for the wind to pass through to make it that loud. The leaves on the trees below had warn off, and that's precisely what I was hearing. No, it wasn't that. And it was getting louder. Could it be a car coming from down the road, out of sight, but ultimately on it's way?? No. It would have been here by now. And then I deduced what I had originally nixed as a possibility.

It was the rain. I could actually hear the rain, making it's trek over to my apartment. I looked over and sure enough, in the distance, I could see the Home Hardware parking lot begin to darken with moisture and ever so gradually, the mist turned into a spit. And the spit turned into a shower. And it just kept getting louder the closer it got. And I couldn't help but stand there, in awe of how peaceful it was outside that I could actually, physically hear it all on its way. 

Remarkable.  

"I Blame You In The Nicest Way"

"Thrill of the Fight" by Me

"Don't waste your heart on a Wild Thing."

Well, as per my suspicions, the mark has arrived for my presentation from this evening, and it's less than thrilling. Exactly what I expected. A 70. 

I know, a 70 is a totally acceptable mark, and had this been a written essay or article review or something of that sort, I would agree in a heartbeat. But this was a presentation. This is where I'm supposed to make up for the 70's that I get on those other essays and papers. I thrive in the presentation environment. That is where I'm supposed to get those 80's and 90's to help offset my grades. 

But, once again, tonight went differently. I attempted to play off the audience, which was a mistake with this group of people. A future note will be to just forego the informalities and only bring it out in a more comfortable environment. I thought that was the case tonight, and that my joking and everything would help me out. Mistake. 

Man...I just feel as though I am complaining too much lately. I realize that, but I think it is half  warranted because a bunch of crap has landed on my plate over the last little bit. I think that it isn't fully the fault of my work though, just because there is little else for me to talk about. I find that complaining about my day helps me to at least push it aside for a little while, until I am able to move on...most commonly with something new that evokes more complaining, but something different nonetheless. 

I really want to go to the movies. Like, badly. I haven't been in over a month. And even then, it wasn't a new release. It was the Toy Story double feature. I have missed so much new stuff. And the worst part is that I probably won't be able to go until some time after school is done for the exam break. In other words, at least two and a half weeks. Dammit.

I think I'll begin making a plan that will help me make out of this month alive (basically stealing write out of Anne's own blog screen). So much work and reading and socializing, and so very little time.

Time, once again, to kick some ass and take some names!! Like a sequel to earlier in the semester. Only more special effects and less dialogue from Megan Fox!!

Uh oh...I guess I'm sleeping in the dog house...

I missed the one year anniversary of my blog last week. 8 days ago actually, on Nov. 10. 

A year later, and I've still had nothing interesting to say, haha. How fitting. 

"The Radio Rolled Me"

I can read profs. It is something that I have come to know because I seem to have so many instances where I need to seek their approval for different things. When it comes to figuring out what they are thinking, I am pretty confident that I am able to distinguish almost exactly what they are feeling at any given moment. There are instances when I am indeed incorrect, but for the most part, I am good at reading them.

So, how am I supposed to feel tonight when I simply looked at my prof after giving a presentation and she has this look of utter disappointment on it. As though, we had just stood up there and repeated the exact same thing, through 7 different people, and that we were all morons for ever thinking we could get away with it. I will whole-heartedly admit that we did regurgitate quite a bit of information, but she just seemed so disdainful of the humour I tried to inject into my portion of the assignment, as well as the final segment, where we were trying to do something interesting instead of just giving a simple "answer this question" type of format. 

Do I judge her for seeming to feel that way?? Absolutely not. I didn't think we had an above excellent interpretation  of the material. What I don't enjoy is the fact that she took a dig, after the class, when I went up and asked her how badly we did (because I could tell almost immediately that we weren't in her good books) and she said "It was okay. I just wish you would have come to let me know what you were going to talk about before hand." I pleaded ignorance, not as an excuse, but rather an honest mistake, but she had none of it. I could do nothing but laugh, and she laughed to, but it wasn't a good sign. 

I was unaware that on an assignment where the guidelines are four sentences long, and include no mention of letting her know what we are discussing we were supposed to run everything by the professor before we present it. We all assumed that the meeting during the middle of class was the only time we were supposed to explain ourselves. 

Apparently not.

My last three weeks of school have not started off all that well. 

"Old Time Melody"

You know what I did today?? I sat in a class that I have missed several times over the last couple weeks (what can I say, other than that I'm an awful student) and watched a girl in the front row play "Café World" (or whatever the hell it's called) on Facebook. You read that correctly. A 20 something, university student, playing a game about managing your own fake café. A FAKE CAFÉ.

So can anyone explain this to me?? Putting aside the stupidity of this infant oriented monstrosity that Facebook calls entertainment, can someone please tell me how you can sit in a classroom, that seats maybe 40 people, in a lecture style set -up (as in, there are levels as the rows go on...it's elevated at the back kind of thing) and sit in the front row and play a dumbass game like this instead of doing work. Like, do you not think that every person behind you is judging you for wasting your life by committing to something so mildly amusing?? It's not like this is a giant lecture hall where people have better things to do than to stare at the computer in front of them, no. It's a bloody frickin' classroom, and you're distracting every, single person behind you with your asstastic fiddling on the computer. The least you could do, is sit at the back, and display the illusion that you're doing something intelligent. 

Or, you could take notes in class like normal people, and save the serving imaginary customers to your precious off time (which, you obviously have excess of). 

Ugh. I just can't fathom people sometimes. Why even come to class if "Café World" is the only thing you're going to be doing there?? Idiots.

Luckily, my day was picked up at the newspaper meeting when Alanna confessed, ever so willingly, her creeping of my blog and how she became "addicted". I thought that was great, haha. So, Alanna, if you are reading this, you single handedly offset the stupidity of one girl through your amazing nonchalantness. Kudos. 

And yes, I make my own words up (nonchalantness). It's my blog I will do what I please!!

Top 100 Movies of All-Time: #96

96. THE MATRIX (1999, ANDY & LARRY WACHOWSKI)

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving and Joe Pantoliano

So I hadn't done one of these in a really long ass time, so I figured since I was on a movie writing binge anyway (for the school newspaper) I would do one for my latest post.

And here you have, ringing in at #95 on the list, The Matrix. Potentially the most mind-bending film I have ever seen, or at least top 5. It's one of those movies that I basically forget everything I just watched the minute it ends, and then when I re-watch it, everything seems just as amazing as the first time.

What is truly significant about this movie though is its ability to make Keanu Reeves seem like a real human being. They are able to completely mask the fact that the man is nothing more than a wooden panel and it is remarkable. He just seems, so...real!! But in all actuality, he turns in maybe to only decent performance of his career. And I have to be impressed with his martial arts skills.

Speaking of martial arts, the film does in fact boast some of the most effective fight sequences that I have ever seen. Even the CGI stuff doesn't look out of date when I watch it today. Unlike, say, the giant Mr. Smith vs. Neo fight in Reloaded, the effects don't seem to be dated. Maybe because they depended on them less in 1999.

Probably the most significant aspect of the film for me is the way in which the hero and villain relationship is distinguished. One of my biggest pet peeves in a film of this manner is when the hero and villain just aren't compatible with one another. It's either the good guy is way to strong or handsome or smart for the villain or vice-versa. Like, in Commando, the Freddy Mercury, mesh-wife beater wearing asshole who is put up against Arnie is just in a whole other ballpark from the guy they have him paired against. It's just not even a fair fight. You have to figure that Schwarzenegger could flick this guy and he would be dead. It's not even fair.

So in The Matrix when we have this real badass mo' fucker in Mr. Smith, going up against a rather interesting Jesus incarnation from the guy who was most famous for uttering the phrase "No way!!" it turns out to be very satisfying. Hugo Weaving is just a really maniacal bad guy and he's used to the utmost pleasure of the audience in this case. I love when they get the villain and hero just right.

Oh, and I also love Joey Pants. One of the greatest "dick" actors ever.

I figure I should watch this one again, just because like I said earlier, I can't remember a whole lot that happens in it. Except the bullet time stuff. And the Morpheus/Neo training fight. And the octopus machine things. And the opening Trinity fight. Never mind. I think I remember it fine.

Things That I Love Today: "Wheels" Episode of Glee

The newest episode of "Glee" was absolutely grand. It would have to duke it out with the Kristin Chenoweth episode for the best of the series so far, but my goodness it was so enjoyable. The songs were well conceived. The musical numbers were phenomenal. And it was so great to see some of the supporting, undeveloped players shine for once. 

Again, there are still some kinks (just like "Da Kinks in Your Hair"), but they are slowly getting there. I find myself enjoying every other episode basically. The others are mediocre, but every second episode are examples of some of the best on TV right now. 

By the way, I have no idea why, but it was so difficult for me to get through this whole post. I, apparently, can no longer type words correctly. The word "episode" kept coming out "epsidoe". Dyslexia may have just kicked in. 

"'Cause you're there for me too."

I had the option to watch Good Morning Vietnam right now, and still might after I'm finished this, but I felt using the TV to work the mini Mac a much more important venture at the moment. Mostly due to my inactivity on the blog over the last few days. I've been bad towards my goal of blogging every day, so I gotta get back into the swing of things.

Today was a rather lovely day, even though nothing happened. It felt (and this may sound odd) as if it was Christmas. Or rather, as though it was a day over Christmas break. I was home for the weekend and spent the day doing absolutely zilch, just hanging around with my family. It felt really great actually. Not to say that I missed it or anything, but I just felt that it was a nice change of pace from my every day routine at university. I sat and was able to just hang out with my mom, dad and brother and do absolutely nothing in the process. It felt like when I used to be on Christmas vacation.

It was a bad day to begin with for my parents, as they had a funeral to attend this morning. My mom's cousin's boyfriend, Tony (whom was previously mentioned in my post Glass Shards: Part 1) passed away after having several things wrong with him over his lifetime. So they weren't in the greatest of moods considering that's how they had to start their day.

Once they came home though, and we were all just, "around" the house, Live Free or Die Hard was starting. And you better believe we rallied around that TV set and watched Bruce Willis tear shit up. It was great. We just sat there, discussed random things and what not. Twas very quaint.

Eventually, after a short trip with my mom to the mall to get food, the movie finished with all of us there. Then, my brother had to leave for a party or something and the Leaf game started and whatnot. That was pretty much my day with the family.

You will probably agree that it was tres uneventful, but it was something to enjoy other than school work for once.

"Well I heard the news, that you were back in town."

Why do I ever get Veggie Burgers?? I mean, really. I always regret getting them, so why do I keep going "you know what I'm in the mood for?? A Veggie Burger." Such poor decision making. Like, yes, they are healthier than a regular burger, I guess, and perhaps that's the appeal of them when I put my order in. But you'd think, that after enough experiences of being disappointed in getting these non-burgers, that I would have learned that, no, they really aren't what I want to eat. They have no taste. They are rubbery. And they really aren't complimented really with either ketchup or mustard. I mean, if you like 'em, go ahead and keep ordering them, more power to you (Poppy). But for me, I simply need to realize, that most Veggie Burgers suck so stop ordering them!!

Other than that, first table-read tonight went off swimmingly. I feel we compliment each other quite well (unlike Veggie Burgers and condiments), so the final product should be what I want it to be. A great cast always makes you feel better about it.

"But Hollywood hasn't called so far."

Today, Twitter proved its purpose to me. What might that be you ask?? Well, after EXACTLY 300 tweets, Lee Unkrich, the director of Toy Story 3 answered one of my tweets. TWO in fact. 

Even though I haven't had anything else exciting happen to me today, the fact that someone famous finally talked to me made my day. Lovely. 

"Here's to Charlie Horse. Here's to Shave the Master..."

What an excellent night I decided to have tonight (like my choice had something to do with it). 

Newspaper social was indeed lovely, and a long overdue exasperation of my pent up school rage. Even if I wound up the sole soberite at the table, it was still quite fun and I felt like I'd known most of these people despite having barely spoken to most of them before tonight. It was great.

Then, to Amy, Lisa and Tom's to watch T-Swift on SNL. Fantastic. She did a great job (save for a sketch or two) and it was quite funny. Oh how I enjoy GOOD sketch comedy. It's the bees knees. Anyway, the show was great, and then we got to indulge in some pretty hilarious commentary regarding "Destroyed in Seconds". It wasn't nearly as good as it was when we were making our own comments about it. Combine that with some failblog watching, a lion, buffalo and crocodile fight, and Amy nearly peeing herself over a dumbass dancer ricocheting her head off of a TV during an attempt at "Single Ladies" (i.e. the video below), it was a very hilarious, and great night.

Haven't had one of those in a while, so it was a much needed break from routine. My batteries have been recharged. 

"Brother You're Happy, Strange But True."

I don't know how this happened. It's...just too ridiculous to consider. 

I spent the entire night, attempting to finish an essay. Did it get finished?? You bet. It was one of, if not the, poorest excuse for a University paper that I have ever handed in. It was brutal. I just sat there, at 4am and looked at what I had written, and could do nothing but plow through the rest of it because I had absolutely no time to go back and redo any of this shit. The price you pay for starting something the night before. 

Stupid me.

But anyway, I got it all handed in and I was so exhausted that I decided to just sleep until my night class (my only other class of the day). I had had a bout of "sickness" from my nights worse, but I deduced that it was simply sleep deprivation and a lack of healthy eating habits. So, I slept. And I slept. And I slept a little too long apparently. For some reason my alarm didn't go off, and I woke up at 10 to 7, an hour and a half in to my 5:30 class. Dammit. So I got my crap together and made it to the screening of the class, where we watched Lord of the Flies, a film I truly despise. Anyway, I sat through it, and then had to attend my seminar.

It went okay, despite me embarrassing myself a couple of times, but hey, that's expected. But since I had shown up late, I missed the opportunity that everyone else had to get their midterms back. So, at the end of it all, I went to my prof and he graciously handed it over. And too my utter shock, and pure delight, I got an 80. An 80. 24/30. An A-. Holy. Shit.

Why was I so shocked?? Well, this was a midterm that I hadn't read a single reading for, missed two of the six films we were being tested on, and felt as though I was screwed the second I looked down at the paper. And I pulled an 80. Unbelievable.

So my day began thinking I was absolutely useless and was lost in the oblivion of a terrible essay writing experience, and it concluded with an amazing mark on a test I figured I absolutely bombed. I just don't know how this happened. 

"Take it back, it's all yours."

A long night ahead of me, and I'm actually willing to go for it I think. I've been trying to do the math in my head, but I think that if I stay up until the wee hours of the night tonight, and actually get the paper that I am to finish mostly completed, then I will be able to sleep soundly for as long as I wish tomorrow night. That sounds swell actually. 

As long as this headache doesn't persist, I should be okay.