Movies I've seen in 2008:
Forgetting Sarah Marshall: While not as good as other movies made by the same people (Knocked Up, etc.) this was a pretty cute movie that doubled as an advertisement for Hawaii. The musical the main character is writing is brilliant, too. It helped that I already really liked all four of the main actors. Jason Segel is great in How I Met Your Mother (even though I haven't seen it in a few years--no cable/antenna for me!) and he's just as good in this movie. I already liked Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis from their respective TV shows too (Veronica Mars, That 70's Show.) However, the biggest draw for me was Russell Brand. The man is fantastically funny. In the movie, he basically plays a slight variation on himself, but it works. Check out this to see Russell Brand in all his hilarious glory. (Side note: British TV interests me so much more than American TV.)
Iron Man: Best superhero movie I can remember seeing, hands down. It was engaging, and, to quote the popular nerd phrase, it really is amazing they got Tony Stark to play himself. I wasn't sure how much I would like the movie, since my biggest exposure to the franchise before this was the Marvel Superheroes board game (which is actually one of my favorite games.) But the movie did a great job introducing the franchise. Also, I need to congratulate the movie on having a cutesy robot with a personality that didn't feel overdone and stupid. Plus, the movie came with The Dude. The movie also had the best ending line and music ever.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: I liked it. A lot. And I think a lot of people who talk about how it was a huge letdown built their expectations up too high and are misremembering the intent of the original trilogy. That's not to say there were no flaws--there were. The cast was overinflated. As much as I like the guy, John Hurt's role could have been cut completely and his plot points given to Marion. The gophers were silly and obviously part of George Lucas' love with all things CGI. And the ending was too long. But, I enjoyed the hell out of the movie. Harrison Ford wasn't too old to be in the movie, and they did a good job letting him be his age without making a huge deal out of it. Karen Allen has held up AMAZINGLY well. Cate Blanchett was a decent villian, not as good as Beloch or Mola Ram, but decent. Shia LaBeouf was good, and had some of the best parts in the movie. It was good 50's pulp.
So, that's it. The only three movies I've seen in theaters this year. Possibilities for part 2: Hellboy II: The Golden Army, The Dark Knight, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, *maybe* Quantam of Solace.
(SIDE NOTE: I JUST SAW THEY ARE RE-RELEASING NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS IN THEATERS!! OMG, I might be able to get it on DVD now!!)
2008 Movie Review, pt. 1
This guy is pretty cool.
I hope Gen. Wesley Clark is Obama's VP candidate. Aside from the fact that having a VP named "Wesley," who happens to be former top military, would aid me in my quest to prove to everyone that I'm not insane for ever wanting to name a son Wesley, he's pretty cool, as evidenced here.
Another online rec
The Japanese Cute Overload.
You should probably have your Japanese-language pack installed before you visit, or it will probably all be boxes or something.
(Navigation tip:
犬 is dog,
猫 is cat.)
Read this.
It's short and it's cute. Marry Me.
Also, the RIAA is stupid. They want to charge radio stations for playing music. Err... I always thought of the radio as advertising. How else are people going to know when new music is coming out? But then, just as my faith in the music industry had completely gone, I was able to download the entirety of Nine Inch Nails new album from the internet for free. Thank you, Trent Reznor. Your music is angry, but damn if you don't know how to make and distribute music.
My favorite online comic
Everyone with even a little bit of fantasy geek in them should read The Order of the Stick.
This is a filler comic from the series, and one of my very favorite things ever:
The Pill kills babies?
Stupid things I have read today:
"Planned Parenthood is a multi-million dollar industry interested in making money off contraception." Planned Parenthood often gives out contraception for FREE, has a large sliding scale, volunteers, and WILL help young women, regardless of their ability to pay.
In other Planned Parenthood quotes: "Planned Parenthood pumps hundreds of thousands of dollars into advertising and getting children to have sex." Just... wow. Way to be willfully ignorant. That's like me saying the Catholic Church exists to give men an opportunity to have sex with little boys. Both are extreme falsehoods.
It's amazing how in the name of religion people will lie and twist facts, but say that it's ok because they are doing it for their religion. The two Planned Parenthood quotes I found on a Facebook group called "The Pill kills." Which, according to their definition of life, I suppose it can, very very rarely. However, instead of saying "In our view of life, which begins the instant a sperm fertilizes an egg, anything that might prevent the implantation of that egg into the uterus is murder," which is a very weighted statement, but not inherently false from their point of view, the group spends most of it's time talking about the evils of Planned Parenthood, quoting statistics about weight gain and permanent infertility caused by the pill, but are unable to give any facts supporting those statements. Why not just stick to what you know? I'm sure a Catholic who believes in the same view of life as you is more likely to be swayed by religious arguments about the instant a soul enters a cell, and less likely to be swayed by non-factual statements about the HIV virus being able to permeate condoms.
Religious arguments should be made on the basis of religion. Throwing science in their is often counter productive, since they tend to quote religious-based "scientific" papers instead of scientific journals.
As a side note, I can't get behind the idea that life begins the instant the egg is fertilized. It's my understanding that fertilization is much more common than implantation in any woman, regardless of birth control method or lack thereof.
Ok, I fact checked on Wikipedia (they referenced articles, so I'm going to assume they did their research.) "Current research suggests that fertilized embryos naturally fail to implant some 30% to 60% of the time.[20][21] Of those that do implant, about 25% are miscarried by the sixth week LMP (after the woman's Last Menstrual Period).[22] As a result, even without the use of birth control, between 48% and 70% of zygotes never result in established pregnancies, much less birth."
So, if that scientific research is accurate, AND we go by the Catholic churches definition of life and souls, between 48% and 70% of souls are never born. I suppose whether or not this seems silly to you depends on your religious views.
My biggest problem with the whole thing is religious-based science (doctors who are quoted because of their religious beliefs, "scientific studies" that mention God or his plan, etc.) and the dismissal of actual scientific fact. If you feel that oral contraceptives are against your religious beliefs, that's fine. But make your point quoting scripture or religious authorities, since you are dealing with a religious matter. When you invoke science, be prepared to deal with people asking you to back up your statements with quotes from studies published in scientific journals. Them asking you to do that is not cheating. You are the one who moved the discussion from a faith-based argument to a scientifically-based one. Live with it.
Interesting Addendum: Evidently, breastfeeding helps prevents implantation, not fertilization. In essence, it does what this Facebook group considers killing, but it's hard to imagine them accusing breastfeeding of being immoral.
Hmm...
McCain says he can't stop outside groups from attacking Obama yet somehow Obama stopped groups like Progressive Media from running attack ads on McCain.
Also, I think the dregs of society are the ones who post comments on political news stories. They give me eye twitches. I always appreciate a well thought out comment, no matter what candidate they support--I might disagree, but I appreciate the thought they put into their comment. Saying stuff like "Obama apparently does not believe in free speech, just dictatorial control" in response to him asking groups not to run attack ads just shows you jump to the far end of whatever conclusion you instantly reach.
Also, saying you love Clinton and agree with her on her positions, but are going to vote for McCain just shows that you are a voter led by passion instead of reason. Hello, there are very few differences in policy between Obama and Clinton.
Obama: Pro-Choice
Clinton: Pro-Choice
McCain: Anti-Abortion
Obama: Wants to increase gun control
Clinton: Wants tougher gun control
McCain: Opposes increased gun control
Obama: Voted against Iraq war, wants troop withdrawal
Clinton: Voted for Iraq war, but says she wishes she hadn't, wants to put limit on troops in Iraq
McCain: Voted for Iraq war, wants to send more troops
Obama: Opposes privatization of Social Security
Clinton: Opposes privatization of Social Security
McCain: Supports privatization of Social Security
How can you be both a Clinton and McCain supporter? Only if you don't care about the issues, I suppose.
Bella
There was just too much text lately on the blog, so I decided to post a picture of our cat, Bella (short for Bellatrix--I insist that every cat I have be given a Harry Potter related name.) She's adorable and meows loudly and loves batting dice and eating Bespin Guards.
Bah.
I think freedom from religion is more important than freedom of religion. Mainly based on cases like this.
Letting your 15-month old baby die from treatable pneumonia is not religious freedom. When there are two young people dead in one family in the last 4 months because of unwillingness to treat illness, that's criminal. Ok, faith healing families--it's pretty obvious prayer doesn't work like that. Maybe... just maybe... your prayers for a healthy child would have been answered if you GOT OFF YOUR ASSES AND TOOK YOUR KID TO THE DOCTOR.
My Biggest Weakness and other Random Things
Lindor Truffles.
I can, and have, eaten an entire bag in one sitting. And I'm not a huge chocolate or sweets fan. They are insanely yummy.
Speaking of yummy, I want these.
*sigh* I still haven't gotten my gold or macaw back from Blizzard yet. I'm not sure how long it's supposed to take. I'd rather have the bird than the gold. It's more important and not as easily replaceable.
RE: Toplessness Post
Here is a link to a story the AP is running about a woman in Oregon exercising her right to be topless.
Carrying a Laser
I was sitting at my computer, reading the news, when"Kyrie" by Mr Mister starting playing on my iTunes. No song manages to carry the same amount of disappointment for me. I have no idea what kyrie eleison means (ok, I looked it up, and it's Greek for 'Lord have mercy') by there is no way it can top "carrying a laser." The song even makes more sense if you think that he's carrying a laser down the road he must travel! There could be aliens or zombies! Of course he needs a laser.
Side note: spelling laser "lazer" makes my eyes bleed.
Three Things I'm Oddly Obsessive About...
1) Sheep. I love this animal. In the immortal words of Neil Gaiman: "But the Creator like the sheep best, because it was all funny and fluffy and white."
2) Gelatinous Cubes. Best. Monster. Ever. 
3) The color green. Pretty much any shade, but I'm partial to lime green and the kiwi green color of my car.
Going Topless
I spent most of my night reading about the GoTopless, or Topfree, movement in North America. I only stumbled upon the movement because of a link and a CuteOverload comment, but I was intrigued. It's something that I've never really given much thought to before, but it's an interesting social issue.
Basically, the movement states this:
1) Men and women are equals, and should have equal rights to go shirtless.
2) There is nothing inherently sexual about female breasts. They are natural and nurturing.
3) Their sexuality and taboo-ness come from the obsession with both keeping them covered up and uncovering them only in sexual situations.
The reading I did brought up a few very interesting facts, which I think paint a sad picture about the American view of the body.
Breastfeeding Tangent: I admit it, breastfeeding creeps me out. I know it's natural and healthy, but I have a very selfish view of my body (one of the reasons I've chosen not to have kids right now--I know I'm not ready for them.) However, it's generally accepted that breastfeeding is not only natural, but better for the baby. While I personally am against calling someone a bad mother because they choose not to breastfeed, most doctors consider it the healthiest option.
However, women are ashamed to breastfeed, in public at least. They run the risk of being on the receiving end of rude comments, getting kicked out of restaurants, and even being reprimanded by their boss for breastfeeding where they can be seen by others. This whole situation strikes me as being rather oxymoron. Government health agencies say it's best for babies to be breastfed, but then women are harassed and humiliated for doing in public places. And heaven forbid you accidentally expose your nipple while doing it. Some people have claimed that breast feeding is a sexual experience, all because of the obsession America has with breasts. Perhaps this is where some of my own hangups about breast feeding come from. (Although personally I think quite a few of my hangups come from the militant breastfeeding moms that talk about their breast milk as a living entity and talk about it as a religious experience--again, it may be best for the kid, but I'm selfish. At least I have the balls to admit it.)
Ignoring the breastfeeding issue, I inherently dislike the fact that because we hide breasts, they become sexualized, and so we hide breasts. It's a nasty cycle.
Fun Fact: At times in Victorian England, it would have been more scandalous to show part of your leg than your whole chest.
Fun Link: NYC (where it is legal for a woman to walk around topless) photographer Jordan Matter has taken a fantastic collection of topless women in non-sexual situations. To me, the best photos were the ones where the subject commented on her self image, or the experience of being in the shoot. I highly recommend giving it a look.
What is wrong with Wisconsin?
I mean, seriously. Wisconsin has issues with the Hostess company or something. You know, Hostess. The cupcake people.
I have yet to find either Ding Dongs or, more importantly, Hostess Old-Fashioned Glazed Donuts. I CRAVE those donuts more than I ever thought I could crave any type of sweet. And what kind of grocery store doesn't stock Ding Dongs? I thought they were a snack food staple?
Making an Effort
For whatever reason, I have decided to make an effort to blog more. I have things to say, but I sometimes actively make the decision to not blog about whatever it is I'm thinking about. I haven't come up with a good excuse why, so I suppose it's my mid-year resolution to stop being so quiet about things.
It's been awhile...
But finally finals are over and I have free time again. Writing over forty pages of paper in a few weeks was a feat I never hope to accomplish again. I practically lived in the school computer lab the last two weeks of the semester. But, grades are back, I have over a 3.8 GPA, and all is well.
I'll be looking for a part time job this summer, but not until after my dad's visit. I already have enough stuff going on that weekend that I don't want to have to fit work into it as well. I'm really looking forward to seeing Dad and Laurie. It's been almost a year since my brother's visit, which was the first (and so far only) time family has come out to visit me. I'd like to go back and see Washington, I'm just not sure money wise. Maybe I'll take a look and my bank account and try to squeeze in plane tickets.
I'm all registered for next semester. Overall, it looks harder than this last semester, which worries me a bit. Art History 482? Yikes. Hopefully Japanese Architecture is as interesting as it sounded when I signed up. Also, I need a non-Western history class, and the only one that sounded remotely interesting for fall semester was Modern Korea. That has the potential to be a bit depressing. I swear though, if we need to write a paper, I'm going to try to write it on Starcraft. :-P
In other news, springtime is gorgeous near our apartment. There are ducklings and goslings out on the lake and they are adorable. It's still a bit chillier than I'd like, but then I remember the oppressive heat and humidity of last summer, and try to enjoy 60 degree days.
Some spring pictures:
OSBP
Sometimes, when you know your culture has a stereotype, maybe you should, I don't know, try not to be the embodiment of said stereotype?
Behold: The Open-Source Boob Project.
You can't make shit like this up. Way to live up to the mouth-breathing, socially retarded gamer stereotype. :-\