Misc.

Interesting post on country music: A Most Ingenious Paradox by Jimmy Akin.

Oh, ((le soja)). I remember what Adrienne Rich poem I love. "Power," about Marie Curie, one of my top role models. (Can you see why I confuse her and Audre Lorde? Their poems even have the same title!)

***

"Living in the earth-deposits of our history

Today a backhoe divulged out of a crumbling flank of earth
one bottle amber perfect a hundred-year-old
cure for fever or melancholy a tonic
for living on this earth in the winters of this climate.

Today I was reading about Marie Curie:
she must have known she suffered from radiation sickness
her body bombarded for years by the element
she had purified
It seems she denied to the end
the source of the cataracts on her eyes
the cracked and suppurating skin of her finger-ends
till she could no longer hold a test-tube or a pencil

She died a famous woman denying
her wounds
denying
her wounds came from the same source as her power."

--Adrienne Rich, "Power"

***

I see the Brat coming home from across the street, so it's time to go play.

Oprah's Book Club Status.

Because I know you are all dying to know how my goal of reading all of Oprah's Book Club books is going, here's an update. Not so well, I'm afraid. Books I've read in italics. I've read most of some others, but I guess I haven't "technically" finished them, so I won't mark them.

Italics means I own it.
Bold means I've read it.

***

The Book of Ruth: A Novel by Jane Hamilton
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard
The Meanest Thing to Say (A Little Bill Book for Beginning Readers) by Bill Cosby
The Best Way to Play (A Little Bill Book for Beginning Readers) by Bill Cosby
The Treasure Hunt (A Little Bill Book for Beginning Readers) by Bill Cosby
Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons
A Virtuous Woman by Kaye Gibbons
A Lesson Before Dying : A Novel by Ernest J. Gaines
Songs in Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris
The Heart of a Woman by Maya Angelou
The Rapture of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds
Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts
Midwives: A Novel by Chris Bohjalian
What Looks Like Crazy On An Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
Black and Blue: A Novel by Anna Quindlen
Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman
Paradise by Toni Morrison
A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton
Vinegar Hill by A. Manette Ansay
River, Cross My Heart by Breena Clarke
Tara Road by Maeve Binchy
Mother of Pearl by Melinda Haynes
White Oleander: A Novel by Janet Fitch
The Pilot's Wife: A Novel by Anita Shreve
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink, Carol Brown Janeway
Jewel by Bret Lott
House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz
Open House by Elizabeth Berg
The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver
While I Was Gone by Sue Miller
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Back Roads by Tawni O'Dell
Daughter of Fortune: A Novel by Isabel Allende
Gap Creek: A Novel by Robert Morgan
We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates
Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio
Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir, et al
Cane River by Lalita Tademy
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Sula by Toni Morrison
Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, et al
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
As I Lay Dying/The Sound and the Fury/Light in August by William Faulkner
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
Night by Elie Wiesel

Nintendo!

Why is it so hot?!

I'm a huge dork, if you didn't already know. I've been playing Super Mario World for Super Nintendo the past few days. I've beaten it completely, including all of the secret levels, which I had never done before, so yea!, I'm proud and excited. But now I need more games to play! We only ever had Super Mario World, because we rented the rest. Super Nintendo has always been my favorite system. I don't know where I can buy games, though! I checked the place at the mall, but nope. Sad. : (

I tried playing regular, original Nintendo, but it messes up every five minutes. I broke out my Game Boy and beat Kirby's Dream Land, no exaggeration, about fifteen minutes. I started on Kirby's Dream Land 2, but that screen is so hard to see on! I love Kirby, though. I need to find that game for SNES! Oohh, you know what other game I want? Zelda! I loved that thing. And Donkey Kong! And etc.!!

_American Idol_.

Ahahahahaha.

Yes, I watch American Idol sometimes. I'm not ashamed. And I'm glad I watched it last night, because rarely have I seen anything so funny as Clay Aiken joining his "impersonator" on stage.

During the try-outs for American Idol, one kid proclaimed he was "the next Clay Aiken." Of course, his singing was terrible and he is, by most anyone's account, a geek. Last night he won a "Best Impersonation" award.

Ryan Seacrest asked him to sing, he said he would, and he started singing--v., v. horribly, but the audience cheered for him, because America loves underdogs who get to fulfill their dreams. Then they started cheering v. loudly, and the kid was, like, "Who, me?" because he didn't realize that Clay Aiken had just entered the stage behind him!

Aiken just kind of looked at him for a moment (what a good sport he is!) and then the kid noticed him--omg! Seriously the best shocked reaction ever. I think that kid prob. peed his pants. He was crazy shaking and saying things like "Oh wow" and I just about fell off the couch for laughing so hard. That kid was in so much shock and awe...and Clay Aiken is such an example of how anyone can become famous, because he was that kid (in looks, anyway) before American Idol, except he could sing.

But you know that was probably the best moment of that kid's life, getting to sing on stage with Clay Aiken. Gives you a bit off a warm fuzzy feeling to see people so happy. And, whoah. Clay Aiken sure looks different!

Watch the video here. Or at this post, if it works.

Books I've Read Recently.

Since I'm done with college (for-ev-er), I finally have time to read for pleasure.

Books I've Read Since I've Graduated:

Night by Elie Wiesel
I'm not sure if I liked this novel. It's a memoir about the author's years in the concentration camp, Auschwitz. I don't like the author's style of writing all that much, and I don't know that I like the author in this memoir. I feel a bit guilty about that, because he suffered a lot, but there you go. His writing style...it irritates me. It's like he's continuously trying to shock us. That's something weird of me to say, because it is about the Holocaust, a terrible time, but I don't think the events are presented naturally. It's like "blah blah blah SHOCK," like he has to punctuate the end of every paragraph with something terrible, and it's something he's doing for style, not because things actually happened that way. And okay, at the beginning of the memoir we read about Wiesel's childhood, before the concentration camp (he was a teen while he was at Auschwitz), and he's presented as an exceptionally devout Jew, he's all about religion and God, etc. Then, the first minute he's in Auschwitz, he abandons his faith. Just...okay? What conviction there, you know? * 1/2

The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
This book made me so angry when I finished. I finished it before bed, so I couldn't sleep after! It's about a woman's quest to discover what happened the night her husband's plane crashed (he was the pilot--it's actually interesting what happened with the plane, but I'll leave that aspect of the plot unspoiled). Along the way, she discovers some things about her husband--such as, oh, he had another family in England (and his second wife actually knew about his first)! This book made me angry because the man was such a bastard to do that to his wife (ajdfgjdfg) and because the book doesn't resolve anything! I hate mysteries, and it's never revealed what the hell the husband was thinking. Did he still love his first wife (the narrator)? Why didn't he just divorce her if he fell in love with someone else? Etc. I hate unresolved or open endings. I think it's either the author being lazy, or the author trying to be "smart," both things I hate. Also? Their daughter was having sex at fourteen. Oh, excuse me, barely fourteen. What the hell?! **

And don't we always have our best thoughts when we're half asleep? I had some great ones about this book after I read it, but I can't remember them! I was thinking something about how the husband-as-pilot was some kind of metaphor about men and women. Also something about how having two families was uniquely a man thing to do. A woman can't pull off that kind of deception. Not because we aren't bastardly enough, but physically we can't do it. Sure we can have affairs, but we can't have two distinct families. If a woman is pregnant, there ain't no hiding that. At the end of nine months, what would she tell her first husband? "Oh, I just got really fat for a while there."

Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz
This book wanted to be all mysterious and suspenseful, but it was kind of obvious from the first several chapters that Sister A didn't deliberately kill Sister B, because the author tried too hard to make us think she did. Overall a decent read, though. **

"Pretty Pink."

I must have this dinnerware! The design is "Pretty Pink" by Corelle's Square collection. Isn't it just fabulous? I'm seriously buying it. I love it, love it, love it. I carry around a picture of it in my purse. Yes, I'm that sad. Yea for graduation parties!

_Grey's Anatomy_; Snow Patrol.

I love Grey's Anatomy. Not only is it a fabulous show, but it has the most kick-ass soundtrack. And, yes, I totally cried during the season finale.

"If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me
And just forget the world?
Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life"

--Snow Patrol, "Chasing Cars"

"World on Fire."

We all know I hate U2. Not neccessariy their music, although past a certain year their songs all sound the same. No, I hate Bono and how he acts like he's some great humanitarian and he's not.

More proof he doesn't put his money where his mouth is (just do a search of "U2" in this journal and you'll read more.)

Do you know it costs $150,000 to make a music video? What a superficial way to spend money, right? I mean, do you really need some high-tech video? And U2 has created some grand videos. Think of where all of that money could go!

Sarah McLachlan did. She decided to make her video of "World on Fire" herself--and it cost her $15. She took the rest of the money she would have used to make the video and donated to needy towns, countries across the world. If you watch the video, you'll see where all of the money would have gone if it were a normal video and where it went to instead. Like $200 would go to a production assistant for a day; instead, it paid for 100 childrens school term in Ethiopia.

You can watch the video (and read the list of donation recipients) here.

Bette Davis.

Bette Davis is the Artist of the Month for Turner Classic Movies. That means that about five of her movies will be played every Wednesday/Thursday this month. Yea! Tonight the first one to be shown is Dark Victory.

Bette Davis is prob. my favorite actress. Hell, she's my favorite woman! That woman was something else. She's the first female actress who didn't take any shit from anyone and went after what she wanted. She's v. empowering for women. And guess what, she isn't one of those fragile, pretty ladies, either. I wouldn't call her traditionally "pretty." It's her personality that makes her attractive. And she wasn't afraid to play the bitch, either. She was a bitch in a good portion of her movies, hell!

Check out her biography at imdb.com and read the quotes.

The ones about her feud with Joan Crawford? Ouch.

"Why am I so good at playing bitches? I think it's because I'm not a bitch. Maybe that's why Miss Crawford always plays ladies."

"She has slept with every male star at MGM except Lassie."

"I'd marry again if I found a man who had fifteen million dollars, would sign over half to me, and guarantee that he'd be dead within a year."

Oh, Bette Davis. You are fabulous.

"Today everyone is a star - they're all billed as 'starring' or 'also starring'. In my day, we earned that recognition."

Go watch some Bette Davis movies! My favorite of hers is Now, Voyager, but that is actually probably not her best performance or movie. It's just my personal favorite. ; )

Stephen Colbert.

If you haven't watched the video of Stephen Colbert "performing" at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, I suggest you do so. Alternately, you can read the transcript.

Stephen Colbert is my hero. This video is a prime example of why he was always my favorite on The Daily Show and why I always said he should have his own show, long before there were plans for him to actually have one. I do love Jon Stewart, sure, but I'm sorry, I don't see him as fearless as Colbert--I can't see Stewart trashing Bush in such a spectacular way to his face. Stewart seems to puss out, to me. Colbert stood at that podium, looked Bush in the face, acted like he truly was a GOP buddy, and then completely skewered him. I felt awkward for Bush, even, and we all know I am not at all a fan. Just...wow. What does Colbert always say on his show? That man has balls.

Apparently Bush and his little cronies were pissed off--some actually leaving the performance. Oh, boo hoo. What did you expect? I'm glad they did, but why would some moron hire a well-known Bush-critic to perform? Probably because GOPs are so out of touch with reality that they actually think Colbert's alter-ego is real.

And these reports that Bush and his twin were funnier than Colbert? Pull the other one. The media is all pissy with Colbert, too, because he wasn't afraid to call them to task, either.

And, yo. Don't be upset that Ken Blackwell won the GOP primary for governor. The man's a nut-job and the worst candidate of the two, but that just means he doesn't stand a chance in hell of beating Ted Strickland for governor come November. Let the Republicans bury themselves by picking Blackwell!

...except it's hard to be optimistic because elections in Ohio are argueably fixed, and who says the vote for governor won't be, too?

Books to Read.

Lately I've been discussing books with people, and I regret that I didn't get together more with my fellow English students.

Since I'll be finishing school soon, I hope to have more time to read.

I'm keeping a list of books I'd like to read someday. A lot of these are by American authors because I never got the chance to take any American literature classes in college, another thing I regret. I'm open to suggestions, too!

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway

This Side Of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrisson

Going-Ons. (Or Does Truth Really Matter?)

Unbelievable. I graduate in three weeks. Three more weeks and I never have to go to school again. I can't wrap my mind around it.

These three weeks will be v. busy.

I am, however, in the last stage of my writing portfolio. I am v. relieved. I only have to write the introduction, print it out, and get it bound! The title of the entire portfolio is Analysis and Discovery: Literary Criticism and Journalism. I want to share it with people, but I know no one would be interested in reading 120 pages of my work. What about 60 pages of essays, though? You'll be smarter when you're done, haha.

I had an excellent experience with my portfolio director. Christ. Remember how stressed I was about finding a director six months ago? I need to lighten up. I couldn't have picked a better one, though. I think we made a great team. We seemed good at coming up with ideas and understanding what the other was trying to say. I'll miss this professor, at least! By the way, we're still looking into getting one of my essays published. Fingers crossed! The essay is "Patriarchal Traditions: Gender Privilege in The Left Hand of Darkness."

And, oh! How cool is this little tidbit. A major interest of mine is witness literature. Look into it. I talked about it with this professor some, and she read an essay of mine on it. She told me today that I sparked her interest in the subject and partly inspired her to concentrate a large portion of one of her classes next semester on witness literature. Awesome!

We talk about books some, and she's going to lend me Night by Elie Wiesel (which is witness literature), to see what I think. Her reaction was mixed (at best, probably).

I'm lending her The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, which is one of my top favorite books: "I want you to know why story-truth is truer sometimes than happening-truth." It revolves around the Vietnam War, but it's about so much more, too. Highly relevant for today, too. Almost freakishly so. And not just because of the war, but because of issues that arose when James Frey admitted that his book A Million Little Pieces wasn't all "fact." How much does the "truth" actually matter when telling your story? If I went through something, what if I could only make you understand how I felt if I told the story in a slightly different way than what actually happened? Is this story "fiction," even though the real "truth" of it was the emotion, not the events? Anyway, read it, kids. Which reminds me, I need to read In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. That's truthful fiction. Or fictional truth. It's too bad I'm leaving school soon, or we could start a book club, haha! Take that, Oprah.

Oh, I am so proud of myself! For the first time in years, I wrote fiction yesterday! Eek. None of it will make sense on it's own, so, no, I'm not showing anyone (although I think it's witty and clever and fabulous! Haha, no, I'm not modest. Except I really am, I just put on a show, I don't really think it's fabulous!). It's just bits and pieces of a larger story. Possibly something novel length? I want to write it so bad. Please don't let this bug go away any time soon, because write now I have to get back to essays I'm writing for school. But this story...I just wanted to write, so if I didn't know the exact word (OR NAME) to use, I just put "____" as a placeholder. Me = huge dork.

I feel like talking. Someone come online! Sarah, why don't we ever call each other! Oh, right. It's ridiculous long distance.

Wasted Energy.

So last week I noticed a $99 charge on my Victoria's Secret card. I don't think I've ever bought one item in my life for that much money (iPod mini and TV excluded), so I was irritated and a bit pissed off because do I have time for that crap? No.

So I called Victoria's Secret, all spoiling for a fight. I said to the woman: "My bill is showing a $99 charge that I never made and I don't want it on there and I'd like it taken off, please."

I said that politely, because I like to give people a chance first, but I was prepared for them to be all "We aren't taking it off [blah blah blah]" and I was prepared to come back with "Do you seriously want to mess with me, bia? Because I am so not backing down and handing over my entire life savings without even getting something in return!" Okay, not those exact words, but I would be expressing the same sentiment (minus vulgarity) .

But she says: "Okay, we'll take that charge off your card and credit your account."

...

Like I said, I was spoiling for a fight. But they were just going to take the charge off, no problem! So what do you do with all of that pent up aggression and frustration when people just give in?! I was just left sitting there, thinking: "Um."

Actually, I had to call another number to get the whole thing settled. So it was a hassle. And I do hate hassles.

The woman there asked me at one point: "So where are you calling from?"

I was confused, because that's kind of a vague, weird way to ask a question, (the "so" makes it sound like she is chatting me up!) so I said: "Um...my dorm room?"

And she started laughing hysterically and said she meant what state was I calling from and she must have been in a call center and I heard her tell whoever was sitting next to her "She just said she's calling from her dorm room!"

...I had to laugh, too.

Super Mechanic = Me.

I'm so proud of myself! Today I fixed a car problem all by myself (after my parents told me what to do, anyway...)!

That dumb "BRAKE" light was showing on my dash again, and it probably meant that I was out of brake fluid. So I popped the hood (let's not mention that I couldn't get it open until my parents told me there was a latch I had to find first--NOT the latch inside the car, I'm not *that* dumb, but one underneath the hood itself, which, actually, was a bit difficult to do because I thought I might smash my fingers....), propped it up with that rod, and poured the brake fluid inside its container!

Yeah, yeah, it's prob. v. easy, but I had never done anything fix-ish with my car, so I felt proud. The "BRAKE" light is off...but it still says "CHECK ENGINE."

...check this, you effing car.

Roger Ebert Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth.

"The fury of the 'Crash'-lash" BY ROGER EBERT.

WORD.

LOS ANGELES -- One of the mysteries of the 2006 Oscar season is the virulence with which lovers of "Brokeback Mountain" savaged "Crash." When the film about racism actually won the Oscar for best picture Sunday, there was no grace in their response. As someone who felt "Brokeback" was a great film but "Crash" a greater one, I would have been pleased if either had won.

...

Yes, and more than one critic described "Crash" as "the worst film of the year," which is as extreme as saying John Kerry was a coward in Vietnam. It means you'll say anything to help your campaign.

What is intriguing about these writers is that they never mention the other three best picture nominees: "Capote," "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "Munich." Their silence on these films reveals their agenda: They wanted "Brokeback Mountain" to win, saw "Crash" as the spoiler, and attacked "Crash." If "Munich" had been the spoiler, they might not have focused on "Crash." When they said those who voted for "Crash" were homophobes who were using a liberal movie to mask their hatred of homosexuals, they might have said the same thing about "Munich."

...

It is not a "safe harbor," but a film that takes the discussion of racism in America in a direction it has not gone before in the movies, directing attention at those who congratulate themselves on not being racist, including liberals and/or minority group members. It is a movie of raw confrontation about the complexity of our motives, about how racism works not only top down but sideways, and how in different situations, we are all capable of behaving shamefully.

"Good Night, and Good Luck," "Capote" and "Munich" were also risky pictures -- none more so, from a personal point of view, than "Munich," which afforded Steven Spielberg the unique experience of being denounced as anti-Semitic. "Good Night, and Good Luck" was surely a "safe harbor" for liberals, with its attack at a safe distance on McCarthyism -- although it carried an inescapable reference to McCarthyism as practiced by the Bush administration, which equates its critics with supporters of terrorism.

...

It is noticeable how many writers on "Hollywood's homophobia" were able to sidestep "Capote," which was a hard subject to miss, being right there on the same list of best picture nominees. Were supporters of "Brokeback" homophobic in championing the cowboys over what Oscarcast host Jon Stewart called the "effete New York intellectual"?

Of course not. "Brokeback Mountain" was simply a better movie than "Capote." And "Crash" was better than "Brokeback Mountain," although they were both among the best films of the year. That is a matter of opinion. But I was not "discomfited" by "Brokeback Mountain." Read my original review. I chose "Crash" as the best film of the year not because it promoted one agenda and not another, but because it was a better film.

The nature of the attacks on "Crash" by the supporters of "Brokeback Mountain" seem to proceed from the other position: "Brokeback" is better not only because of its artistry but because of its subject matter, and those who disagree hate homosexuals. Its supporters could vote for it in good conscience, vote for it and feel they had made a progressive move, vote for it and not feel that there was any stain on their liberal credentials for shunning what "Crash" had to offer.

2006 MAC TOURNAMENT CHAMPS!

WHO'S GOING TO MARCH MADNESS, BABY!

OMG. That was close. I think I might cry of happiness.

Kent State 71, Toledo 66.

The last time we went to the Big Dance (and made it to the Elite Eight, at that!), I was a senior in high school. Now I'm a senior in college. I think my graduation time is a good luck charm for the Flashes. Just my opinion. ; )

Oscars.

I'm happy about who won Best Picture. I was a Crash fan long before I was a Brokeback Mountain fan.

But of course we have to have the whiners who are all "Brokeback Mountain only lost because it's a gay romance."

Actually, no, it would have only won because it was a gay romance. If this film was the exact same quality but was about something less "controversial," no one would be throwing a fuss. I'm glad that people didn't vote just to make a statement, for once. I liked the movie, but it wasn't the brilliance that everyone thought it was. It was beautiful visually, but it had some big flaws. Overhyping hurt it, frankly. People expected way more than what they got. But everyone had to come out and say they liked it or else they're "homophobic." Dude, please. I know some gay men and women who hated that movie like whoah. I hate that kind of rampant liberal attitude where just because something is different or progressive we have to cheer it, even if it's not the best quality. Like my Women's Lit professor giving me flack for not kissing Ursula Le Guin's ass for writing about an androgynous society. Sorry, but The Left Hand of Darkness is flawed, and its society ain't so androgynous. She can't handle people disagreeing with her, but another professor is trying to get me to submit the paper to journals and conferences. I'm not sorry I'm not a conservative or liberal sheep, and there are just as many of both. And you can still criticize something and still like it. People don't get that either. I liked the short story, and the movie, but I think both just expected us to buy into this story without giving us any real motivation or reasoning on the part of the characters, we had to accept everything just because it said to, and also I think Ang Lee had an agenda with the movie that perverted the story a bit (not in the sexual sense).

I don't know that Crash was the best movie this year, although I liked it more between the two and it affected me more, but I do know that Brokeback Mountain definitely was not. To name two better ones, The Constant Gardner and Good Night and Good Luck.

Anyway, I dislike it on principle now because most everyone involved in it are sore losers. After Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger didn't win at the Golden Globes, they pouted at the after parties. When Crash won Best Picture, Ang Lee walked away. God. Get over it. Pout in private if you want, but don't be so damn rude and disrespectful. Those aren't the only ones who were sore losers, either. Many people involved (except Linda Cardellini, it seems) went out of their way to complain about Crash winning and cry conspiracy. I can't stand people with that big of an ego and self-importance.

Now everyone who likes Brokeback Mountain comes out and says they hate Crash when, sorry, Crash is a great movie. If it hadn't beat their precious Brokeback Mountain they'd probably be saying it was a great movie. Sour grapes all.

This from Annie Proulx: "And rumour has it that Lions Gate inundated the academy voters with DVD copies of Trash - excuse me - Crash a few weeks before the ballot deadline."

Be ashamed. I've lost respect for anyone associated with that movie.

Also? What a dumb bitch. Movies shouldn't be rewarded just because they're controversial. Awards are given because of quality, not subject matter. Also she completely missed the point of Crash. Yes, there are films on racism. White on black racism. This movie shows how everyone can behave shamefully and in a racist manner, even people who like to go around pretending otherwise (i.e., liberals and minority groups). It's not a safe movie. But again, like all liberals, she sees herself on a higher plane than everyone else.

An "atmosphere of insufferable self-importance" at the Oscars? Funny, I just got the same feeling from her childish letter. Pretentious, pretentious.

Would she be saying the same thing about the Oscars if she had won? Would the Oscars still have an "atmosphere of insufferable self-importance"? Would the Academy still be "conservative heffalump academy voters"? Would Jon Stewart's jokes be "too witty, too quick, too eastern perhaps for the somewhat dim LA crowd"? No. If she doesn't like the Oscars, she shouldn't have shown up. Christ, even Marlon Brando gave his award back as an "eff you" to them. But she wanted that award, though, even if she disdains the institution that gave it to her. She's not "brave" for saying how she's upset Brokeback Mountain didn't win. Why not? Because she doesn't state why Brokeback Mountain should have won. She doesn't talk about its merits as a film. She just tears down everything else. And that's just being a childish, sore loser. And she's not being "honest." Honest to her own principles and opinions would have been to not show up at the Oscars at all if she really thought they were a bunch of idiots. She whored out her principles to win an Oscar, and I don't respect that. She didn't care about what the Academy was like when she thought she was going to win.

THIS IS OUR HOUSE.

MAC CHAMPS, BABY!

KSU 78, OU 58. Booyah. Prepare to have your asses kicked on Saturday, Akron, when we demolish all of your dreams of sharing the title, suckas. Oh, basketball, you are the only source of joy in my life these past two weeks. The world must be ending.

KSU!

Perception (More Olympics).

When the Chinese figure skating pair fall, regroup for a total of four minutes, and then skate an otherwise beautiful performance and wind up getting silver, they are said to be courageous and true Olympians.

When Sasha Cohen falls (admittedly twice, but wasn't that worse for her nerves and self-esteem?), gets right back up, and then skates an otherwise beautiful performance and winds up getting silver, she is said to have "squandered her gold-medal chance."

No one even thought Cohen had a chance at gold until they watched her short program. How can she have squandered her chance when she was the underdog in the first place?

Oh, media, you crazy.

Eff you, Bono.

Oh, vomit.

Bono Among Nobel Peace Prize Nominees

Go drive up concert ticket prices some more, you hack. Some day I will finish my rant post on U2 and Bono, and they will fear my wrath!

I've said all I've ever wanted to say on Bob Geldof and Live 8 here.

Things That Make You Go "Hmmm" (Or: More Olympics).

This article is v. interesting. A compelling argument, but I don't know if it's convinced me. Mostly because when people say "Such-and-such isn't a sport," they don't exactly have his criteria in mind. If his was the definitive definition of "sport," then, yeah, I'd get on board.

Why figure skating is not a sport by Dan Wetzel.

But figure skating is a competition, not a sport, and it has nothing to do with how difficult or entertaining it is. It is simply a matter of how the winner is determined. It is the same for gymnastics, diving, beauty pageants or anything that chooses a champion solely by human judging.

A sport needs to have a quantifiable way to determine a winner and a loser. There can be no debate about the scoring system. A ball must go into a goal or through a hoop; a runner must reach home or finish before the others. The winners run faster, jump higher, score more.

Speaking of the Olympics.

Like most people, sure, I was impressed with the performance of the Chinese figure skating pair during their performance. If you don't remember, Zhang Dan (the woman) fell during a throw and was injured, but eventually the pair finished the routine and won the silver medal.

But not too impressed because, guess what, they fell in the first place. Although, I suppose I shouldn't be too harsh about that, because it was an unprecedented "throw quadruple Salchow." Whatever that is.

So, yes, I admire the athletes for getting back out there and putting on a great performance even though the woman must have been in pain. I think Zhang Dan showed amazing courage and perseverance. They (actually, she is) are what Olympian athletes should be.

I do, however, question whatever rule let them take a little time out before finishing their routine. Lots of skaters (and other athletes) fall during a performance, but never before have I seen someone be allowed to stop their performance, skate around the ice a few times, regroup, and come back and finish the routine. That does not seem right to me. What makes them so special? People get disqualified in speedskating for false starts, no do-overs for them, but figure skaters are allowed time-outs?

So, yes, impressed with the athletes, but not so much the institution. I think some changes in rules need to be made.

Interesting reading: "Jury is out on skating's latest judging system."

Vanity Fair and Sexploitation.

"Johansson, Knightley Bare All for Magazine."

It's not so much the posing-nude-on-magazine-covers that I have a problem with. It's the two-women-posing-nude-with-a-fully-clothed-man that bothers me. That smacks of something, and hello, mindless drone of the patriarchy if you think it doesn't. Vanity Fair turns my stomach. The cover isn't the only instance of this, either. Here's an excerpt from the article: "Another shot depicts a fully clothed George Clooney as a director filming a large cast of women wearing skin-tone underwear." Interesting.

And then, of course, a big deal is made out of Rachel McAdams backing out of the shoot (it should be noted that she didn't know they were going to ask her to pose nude, so it's not like she went back on her word) when this woman should be APPLAUDED for refusing to allow herself to be sexploited. And don't anyone dare call her a "prude," which I know is a word ignorant people like to throw around. She has been topless in a movie before. Not that I agree entirely with that decision (You never see men having to strip down and show any truly intimate parts, so most nudity in films is just more evidence of sexism. Personally, I think people are sexier clothed, anyway. Leave something to the imagination.), but that, at least, had a purpose, unlike the entirely gratuitous nudity on the Vanity Fair cover. "They" say it's "provocative" when it's the same old cover shot that basically shows nothing.

Tom Ford, the fully-clothed man on the cover, had this to say: "I said to them, 'When you're 70 you're gonna look back and say, 'Thank God for this picture - look how amazing I was.'"

Actually, they're going to look back and say, "My God, look at how much I let myself be objectified for the amusement of men."

Also? Sure, they look amazing. If by "amazing" you mean "chalky corpses." How sad to take two usually beautiful women and make them look like lifeless mannequins.

Sport Rivalries.

I love the hijinks of rival fans.

This weekend me, my brother, and some of his classmates went to the Kent State vs. Akron basketball game. Not only is Akron our biggest rival, but before this weekend, we both also happened to be tied for first place. Needless to say, it was a big game. I was worried for a bit, but we won 63-57. Woot. Good effing game. Crowd of 6500+. That's over sell-out.

That Akron. They think they are so clever. A bunch of Akron students (read: 180 of them) tried to pose as KSU students. They all came to the game wearing blue Kent shirts and tried to sit in our student section. The ticket people were wise, though, because they knew that KSU students always wear the gold, not the blue. So they made them change seats.

I, however, had never really been to a game and didn't know this. I saw all of these students in blue shirts cheering Kent, and then after the first time-out, I saw that these students were all cheering for Akron. I was, like, wtf, did I imagine them cheering for Kent earlier? No. During the time-out they had switched their shirts inside out, and they now read things like "Can't Read, Can't Write, Can't Beat Us" etc. (Kent/Can't, right? They didn't invent that.) But we did beat them. So there.

KSU vs. Akron
Originally uploaded by swessell.

Rivalries are fun. When the Akron players' names were read, our band all pretended to read newspapers. It was funny.

As a treat, I will share some more rivalries.

Harvard University Says: "We Suck."--A group of Yale students hijack a Harvard game when they display placards that spell out "WE SUCK" instead of the traditional "GO HARVARD."

"Steelers fans roam free inside Browns territory."--The Browns vs. Pittsburgh rivalry is the stuff of legend. A friend asked me if it were acceptable for a Browns fan to root for the Steelers during the Super Bowl, and I told her ABSOLUTELY NOT. If any Browns fan did, move out of the state. Now. All of these Pittsburgh fans are coming out of the woodwork now that they've "won" the Super Bowl, though. This article talks about Pittsburgh fans hanging out in Cleveland bars.

Here's the most relevant excerpt, that cracks me up (Potopski is a Steelers fan):

Miller, the waitress, came by with a round of drinks for Potopski's table.

"They're from a Browns fan," she said.

"Ah, vodka," said Potopski, raising his glass in a rare display of Browns-Steelers friendship.

He took a sip.

"This isn't vodka, it's water," he said. "Yep, that's a Browns fan for you."

YEAH, PUNK. That is a Browns fan for you. So you were HANDED a Super Bowl win by the OFFICIALS who had Terrible Towels in their pockets instead of yellow flags. Whoopdedoo. Why don't you get the hell out of this state, ya damn traitors?

"Browns fan who ran onto field in jail for Super Bowl"--"The fan who ran onto the field at Cleveland Browns Stadium during a Steelers-Browns game was sentenced Tuesday to spend Super Bowl weekend in jail." He should be glad he didn't have to watch the Steelers be handed a Super Bowl win by the referees.

Steelers vs. Seahawks.

...I haven't been this disappointed by a defeat since that putz Kerry blew the presidential election. I'm not much of a Seahawks fan, but as a Northeast Ohioan, it's my duty to root for anyone but the Pittsburgh Steelers. You can bet everyone I watched the game with was in Browns gear. I find it interesting that every damn call went to the Steelers, even a v. questionable "touchdown" by them in the first half.

I want to work for Budweiser. Their commercials were all ace. Cute or hilarious and positively clever, all of them.

All Super Bowl commercials can be found here. My three favorites, in order:

Budweiser: Clydesdale American Dream

Budweiser: Wave

Budweiser: Secret Fridge

Do you know what needs to stop? Damn washed up, old British "rockers" playing the effing Super Bowl. Last year Paul McCartney and this year the Rolling Stones? No. Just no. Having the Rolling Stones was especially an insult to Detroit, the home of Motown. Mick Jagger needs to just die already. ("He is dead. Don't you know it's just someone pulling the strings?" -- said by a friend of the Brother's). Mick Jagger's "dancing" makes me want to vomit. Get effing Bon Jovi or The Boss to play, man. Get people to perform at the Super Bowl who actually know what the hell football is and who could actually still even hold a damn football.

Hoodrats and Pretentious Posers.

I'm a nice person, really, but sometimes people might not get that from the angry posts on here. Yes, I rant and get angry about things, but it's only because I know how to call people on their bullshit.

I have some bullshit to discuss today.

The other day I was browsing some blogs on the Internet, and one post had a photo of some actor from the Harry Potter movies in hip hop regalia. This boy had on a pimped out collar, lots of jewelry, etc.

A commenter to this picture said: "Hahahaha hoodrat![name]!"

Things like this raise my blood pressure. A person should never bring the slang unless they know how to use it. Especially don't try and use hip hop slang if you're clueless, because it's insulting to the entire culture and obvious that you are a poser.

This person clearly had no understanding of hip hop culture. And how do I know that?

Because "hoodrat" ONLY REFERS TO WOMEN.

A definition of "hoodrat" is "Female, generally sexually promiscuous, and not upwardly mobile."

HOODRAT=PROMISCUOUS WOMAN, NOT LITTLE BOY PLAYING DRESS UP IN HIP HOP CLOTHING.

Little boys playing dress up in hip hop clothing also annoy me. Especially spoiled, rich, little white boys. I have seen other actors from those Harry Potter movies go around thinking they're Eminem (read: Tom Felton, who can't act, by the way), and it's irritating. These boys have no concept of the hip hop culture, and they can like the music, fine, I do, too, but don't try and pretend that you are hip hop or that you have any understanding of where these people come from. You don't. You're just a little poser trying to shake up your pampered little life. These people are from the streets; you're from suburbia, or something like it.

I hate posers in general, though. I hate when people pretend to be something they're not. There's another reason why I shouldn't read blogs unless I'm in the mood to get angry.

I hate, hate, hate when I see people online I know to be American use British spellings (i.e., "colour," "favourite," etc.) Ugh. That is one of my biggest pet peeves ever. They're clearly trying to be "cool" and "hip." They aren't. They're just embarrassing themselves and revealing themselves to be the fake, pretentious posers they are. And then I just laugh hysterically when they try to explain it with something like "Well, I write stories that take place in England, so the spellings have became automatic." I call bullshit. Do you spell words like that at work or school? I DIDN'T THINK SO. So get a life. If I ever become a teacher, it will be my policy that any sort of pretentious shit like that will result in an automatic zero. Booyah.

Speaking of careers, I'd probably fire most of the people I know online if they ever worked for me. Way too many people get on the Internet during business hours and post things like "I should be working..." Whoa. The business minor in me is SHRIEKING at the loss of productivity. You get paid to work, people, not go online and read mediocre porn or play Soduko (although, I encourage you to play it any other time).

I'm out, kids.

Arctic Monkeys = Overrated.

What is the big effing deal with this band Arctic Monkeys? First of all, I hate people declaring crap like "highest-grossing film" or "fastest-selling album" because those figures are bullshit. They (most of them) don't figure in inflation or population numbers or etc. Of course a popular movie today is going to make more money than a popular movie 50 years ago! Idiots. It's called economics.

Anyway. I read that this band's new album "is already called the best British album of all time."

I call bullshit. Even if they are good, that statement is way premature and whoever is saying it must have low standards. The best? Not hardly.

Anyway, I listened to some of their songs and at first I was not that impressed. The lead singer's voice made me want to bash my effing head against the wall so I would pass out and not have to listen anymore. And don't give me some bullshit that I must not like rock or British bands, because I like plenty of both.

However, to my horror, his voice grew on me to the point where I did enjoy some of the songs. I would listen to them again, but only on their myspace account. I wouldn't buy the album.

Nevertheless there's a lot of hype over a band that ain't that great. I wouldn't call their style innovative or ground-breaking. It sounds like good, but recycled, '70's music. In three years, no one will remember who this overrated, fad band is. Their type of music doesn't last. So there.

The 3rd Annual Standing Rock International Short Film and Video Festival.

Last night I was bored and no one was returning my phone calls, so I worked up the nerve to attend The 3rd Annual Standing Rock International Short Film and Video Festival (I'm a bit of a homebody). I'm glad I went because trying new things = good, but I'm not sure that I actually enjoyed the films. I enjoyed the experience of going to a film festival because I always wanted to go to one, but most of the films had me thinking "What the hell is this?" I liked the comedy ones more than the so-called "thought-provoking" ones. Films go by so fast (esp. these, which were short films, one was 30 seconds! Actually, that one made more sense than the longer ones...) that a person can't always think or grasp a "deeper" meaning from them, esp. these films which were mostly collages of images. I think the only person who comes away with any meaning from these films is mostly only the creators themselves, because they are the ones who understand their thought processes. The film festival was full of work from people all over the world, from Kent to Cleveland to Australia to Russia to more.

I liked the films by Darcy Prendergast, an award-winning filmmaker from Australia. He had two in the festival: "Repugnant," a 2 min. film with 2-dimensional animation and "Off the Rails," a 6 min. claymation. These two films really made me laugh because they were so absurd. "Off the Rails" is "about all the crazy people met and observed on public transport," and the spot that had me cracking up most was on Gary the Gravedigger, who talks about how he likes the social part of his work and then walks up to a sobbing man standing over a grave and says "I buried your wife." You can watch "Off the Rails" here.

I also v. much enjoyed "Veruca Meets Bush" by Vince Packard, which is described in the program as a "mediation on childish greed that merges Veruca from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with our Commander and Chief." Veruca Salt, of course, is the child who sings "I want the world / I want the whole world / I want to lock it all up in my pocket." Now imagine a film intermingling that song, Bush's speeches, and Pantera music. Yeah. I'll admit, I liked the concept of this film much more than the execution.

That was my problem with a lot of the films. After reading the program, I looked forward to watching "Soliloquy" by Shannon Moore, which is described as "This awesome 16mm film explores issues of body image and identity with haunting, intimate images. Shannon describes the film as 'An expression of feeling trapped inside an illusion and the desire to escape from hiding behind the false impressions that have provided a sense of security.'" I don't think the film actually expressed that to the audience. To her, yes. Again, short films are such an intimate experience for the creator that I feel it's hard for outsiders to come away with what the creator intended.

Other films made me want to cry in horror. "Blood and Sunflowers" by Christiane Cegavske was esp. creepy. It is described as a "nightmarish stop-action animation piece explores a Freudian world of birds, dolls, and death." You can watch it here. *Shudder.*

Other films had me wondering why people would even consider them good enough to be put in a festival, such as "Movement is Life" by Franklin Miller, which has no point except, I'm sure, to the filmmaker. It's just this statue-like figure walking around and talking nonsense about meeting some guy who says he owes him money. That's all it is.

Robert Banks was the featured artist. He is a celebrated experimental filmmaker from Cleveland, who is prob. best known for his film "X: The Baby Cinema," which chronicles "the commercial appropriation of the image of Malcolm X" by Spike Lee. You can watch some of his other films here.

The Cleveland Indians.

Dear Cleveland Indians,

WHAT THE EFFING EFF IS YOUR PROBLEM?!? This trade is bullshit. BULLSHIT. I HATE YOU, you CHEAP motherfuckers. I don't even call this bullshit a trade. I don't even know who those players you got ARE. I see you got $1 million, though. Yes, that sounds about right. You like to get money but you don't like to SPEND it. You'd rather have money than GOOD PLAYERS and CHAMPIONSHIPS. You do not deserve to win any games. Coco Crisp was an excellent player--and fans loved him! Every time you get good players, YOU TRADE THEM AWAY SO THEY CAN BECOME SUPERSTARS SOMEWHERE ELSE. Manny Ramirez, anyone? YOU SUCK. Why do Cleveland teams suck? The Browns do it, too. They traded four defensive linemen to Denver where they went on to the PLAYOFFS. I think you all get together and think of ways to SCREW THE FANS. You are STUPID and HATEFUL. I'm so DISGUSTED. I hope you miss the playoffs by a GAME again this year, and see if I come to any of your shit ass games.

No love,

S.

Brokeback Mountain Soundtrack and Rufus Wainwright.

I got the soundtrack to Brokeback Mountain. Wee! It's v. good.

Here's the list of songs:

1. "Opening"--Gustavo Santaolalla
2. "He Was a Friend of Mine"--Willie Nelson
3. "Brokeback Mountain 1"--Gustavo Santaolalla
4. "A Love That Will Never Grow Old"--Emmylou Harris
5. "King of the Road"--Rufus Wainwright
6. "Snow"--Gustavo Santaolalla
7. "The Devil's Right Hand"--Steve Earle
8. "No One's Gonna Love You Like Me"--Mary McBride
9. "Brokeback Mountain 2"--Gustavo Santaolalla
10. "I Don't Want to Say Goodbye"--Teddy Thompson
11. "I Will Never Let You Go"--Jackie Greene
12. "Riding Horses"--Gustavo Santaolalla
13. "An Angel Went Up In Flames"--The Gas Band
14. "It's So Easy"--Linda Ronstadt
15. "Brokeback Mountain 3"--Gustavo Santaolalla
16. "The Maker Makes"--Rufus Wainwright
17. "The Wings"--Gustavo Santaolalla

One thing. I hate Rufus Wainwright....Of all of the versions of "King of the Road," why did they have to go with Mr. Mumble-Mumble-Can't-Understand-What-the-Eff-I'm-Saying-Excuse-Me-While-I-Butcher-a-Classic's version? I guess his mumbling = "artsy," though, so to be "hip," you have to like him. Whatever. Give me Willie Nelson and Steve Earle any day.

Quick! Top Five Worst Films Ever!

I'm so bored.

Quick! Top Five Worst Films Ever!

In no order...

The Brothers Grimm
Punch-Drunk Love
The Blair Witch Project
Showgirls
Love Actually (YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT!)

Brokeback Mountain (major spoilers).

If there was one thing that bothered me about Brokeback Mountain, it was that in the short story, the way Jack died is supposed to be ambiguous. Ennis immediately thinks Jack was murdered as his listens to Lureen's explanation because of his own fears and etc., but later he sometimes feels conflicted over which is the "true" version and sometimes he feels he knows what happened. But he can't ever know for sure--because he wasn't with Jack. And each version has it's own unique reasons for being a tragedy.

E. Annie Proulx wanted that ambiguity in her story, so everyone could come away from the story with their own idea about what happened to Jack based on our own experiences *and* for reasons having to do with Ennis, but I'm not writing an essay on the topic so I'm not getting into them. (This post is just an unstructured, rambling rant.)

However, in the movie, Ang Lee (and Anne Hathaway, at that) clearly tried to promote one version over the other. And I don't like that. I don't need someone to interpret the work for me. And I especially don't need someone ruining a crucial part of the story, because I think it's very important that the ending remain ambiguous. I think you can still walk away from the movie thinking it's ambiguous, but it's harder. Especially if you've never read the story.

While watching the movie, some people might not realize that the clip of Jack being murdered is all in Ennis's mind. It's important to know that. But Ang Lee, I feel, in that scene, with how he did the clip and with Hathaway's acting, clearly wanted the audience to feel that Jack was undoubtedly murdered. (And here we have a clear difference of opinion between Lee and Hathaway vs. the screenwriters *and* Proulx.) I hate Lee a little bit for this. I've read that Lee wanted to film it even more heavy-handedly, but, thankfully, he controlled himself.

But the fact that the clip was all in Ennis's mind doesn't mean that Jack wasn't murdered. It just means that Ennis is not psychic and could summon up a vision of how Jack died. So it's not supposed to mean that the accidental death couldn't have happened, either. It just means that the death is supposed to be ambiguous. Ennis will never know and the audience will never know, and we have to walk away with our own interpretation, not the director's. That's the problem with your favorite pieces of literature being turned into movies: you have to see them colored through someone else's eyes.

Do I have a version that I subscribe to more? Yes. Do I know that it's the "true" one? No. You can walk away from the film firmly believing your own interpretation, but you can't tell someone else theirs is wrong.

Actually, I'm not sure I believe one version more than the other. Until lately I did, yes. Someone told me that Proulx said something along the lines of "on his good days, Ennis thinks it's the tire rim. On his bad days, he thinks it's the tire iron." The person didn't supply a link to this interview, so I'm not sure Proulx really said this. But it's what I feel about the story, anyway.

Speaking of which, I'd like some hot and sour soup @ the moment...

There are more U.S. Chinese restaurants than McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King combined.

Hilarious!

Gone with the Wind: Don't Mess with a Good Thing.

...I was looking at the Gone with the Wind's message boards on imdb.com , and there was a post dealing with "If GwtW were remade, who should be in the cast?"

I shouldn't have read it.

I already realized that the people there were mainly morons. They liked to get in "debates" about whether or not Rhett and Scarlett eventually reunite.

There is no debate. Of course they do. If you think otherwise, then you have completely misunderstood the characters and missed the point of the closing lines.

But I did read it. First of all, if there were ever a remake of GwtW...the world must have turned on its head. There is no reason to remake the most perfect film ever.

The story was perfect, the setting was perfect, but most of all, the casting was perfect. No one could ever replace Clark Cable or Vivien Leigh. It's not even worth discussing, because never will you find anyone suitable.

But those crazy kids did discuss it.

And one person seriously suggested the following:

"rhett: orlando bloom
scarlett: mischa barton or anne hathaway
melanie: amanda bynes or anne hathaway"

I want to cry at the hideousness of it.

Se7en, etc.

Interesting. I express my dislike for Gwynnie Paltrow, and the next day, the movie where she gets her head cut off (Se7en) shows on TV. Someone likes me (and agrees with me).

Se7en is a cool movie, but I'm not sure if I can stomach Brad Pitt's "acting" at the moment.

Hate on Gwynnie Paltrow?

ARGH! Save me from listening to Madonna! She and Gwynnie Paltrow can both take their pretentious, fake British accent and go eff themselves. NO ONE IS AMUSED/IMPRESSED. And DON'T get me started on Madonna making a mockery out of Judaism/Kabbalah.

"Celebrities" are so lame.

ETA: I swear to God, if I ever run into Paltrow, I will spit in her frickin face...okay, I wouldn't want to be roughed up by security so I actually wouldn't do it, BUT I WOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER IT.

Pretentious Gwynnie Opens Her Mouth About Politics and Thinks We Care

ETA: That's it.

"I find the English amazing how they got over 7/7. There were no multiple memorials with people sobbing as they would have been in America. There, they are constantly scaring people but at the same time, people think nothing of going to see a therapist." --Gwynnie Paltrow

That's one of the most insensitive things I have ever read in my life. She is just an empty-headed Barbie doll running around playing dress up because HEAVEN FORBID THAT PEOPLE BE ALLOWED TO MOURN. Apparently she is the only one allowed to mourn, though, because we all know she was sobbing all over the place when her father died.

Why are celebrities allowed to talk? They should just act and shut up, because being famous does not somehow make you smarter. If she weren't an actress and were instead an ordinary citizen, no one could give a fuck about what she has to say about anything and no one would take her insane ramblings seriously.

I love how she acts like she has any concept of the world when in reality she's not American or British, she's just a spoiled little rich bitch who has had a pampered life and who has never had to work for ANYTHING in her life and who only got breaks as an actress because of who her parents and "uncle" were. Stop acting like you know anything about anything, Gwynnie, because you live in a dream land.

I never knew I had so much hate for Paltrow. But come on. She is the most superficial of the superficial.

Also, if Gwynnie is so concerned about the environment, WHY DOES SHE DRIVE A BMW SUV? HYPOCRITE.

The Constant Gardner / Ben Stein.

Uh, wow. We watched The Constant Gardner last night. I loved it. It wasn't really what I expected. It's advertised as a suspense-thriller, and while it delivers on that, I think they should just come out and promote the movie for what it really is, and that's a love story. (Okay, I see that the tagline for the movie actually is "Love. At any cost." but not once in any preview commercial did I see any mention of a love story...actually, I don't think the previews really show what the movie is about at all.)

I want the soundtrack to the movie.

---

Ben Stein was on television last night complaining about how hard it is to be a Republican in Hollywood. Yeah, you read that right. Excuse me while I go laugh my ass off.

A white male having a hard time of things? Hahahahahaha. I didn't know Stein was such a comedian. He should try being a black female in Hollywood. Or an old female. Or better yet, a fat female. Then he can come and complain about things being hard, boo hoo.

Stein doesn't have a hard time in Hollywood because he's a Republican. When you audition for a role, no one asks you whether or not you're a Democrat or Republican. He has a hard time because he's the most boring man alive. His stint in Ferris Bueller's Day Off wasn't acting--it was him honestly thinking he had mad teaching skills and that his lecture on supply-side economics was the best thing since "I Have a Dream..."

...Go eff yourself, Ben Stein.

postsecret

This site is v. cool: http://postsecret.blogspot.com/. People anonymously send in postcard confessions. Some are funny, some are clever, but some are a little sad (not to mention disturbing), too. One of the first ones pisses me off a bit, actually. But that's a rant that would serve no good, so moving on!...now that I'm reading more down the page, I'm getting a bit depressed...Maybe I should rethink visiting this page! Other people's secrets are too much of a burden.

Some examples (but you really need the visuals): "I gave up a child for adoption 25 years ago. She found me. I wish to God I had had an aportion instead."; "Sometimes, I sneak pieces of my husband's wardrobe into the charity pile because I don't have the heart to tell him that his taste in clothing sucks."

Two Non-Fiction Books.

I've read two really amazing non-fiction books lately...all right, I haven't finished the second one yet, but I'm almost there. The books are Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner and Blink : The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell.

Freakonomics is about...wow, I've suddenly confused myself because they're both v. similar and I'm trying to remember what book was about what. In Freakonomics, the authors show how asking the right questions can unravel mysteries about life and connect things we had no idea could be connected (and that correlation doesn't equal causality, something many people could still stand to learn). Don't worry--you don't have to like or understand economics to enjoy this book (I do, though. Like economics.). This book doesn't feel like it's about economics. It's about life. And who knew economics could solve so many crimes (like finding out which teachers cheat on standardized tests). It certainly draws some controversial conclusions, like attributing the fall of crime rates in the 1990s to legalized abortion and saying that many parenting acts, like reading to your child or playing him Baby Mozart, really don't change the outcome of your child's personality or intellect. But it also presents some compelling arguments and evidence for every controversial claim.

Blink is the one I haven't finished yet, but it's my favorite of the two. It explores intuition and how some people make better snap judgments than others, how we "thin slice" situations. It's really amazing. There's this man who studies conversations between a married couple (the conversation has to be related to their life together, like an argument about their dog) and he can tell within minutes whether they will still be married in 15 years--his success rate is something like 95% percent! There are many other little stories and examples of how our intuition is so powerful. It discusses how what we think we want and like are usually different than what our actions tell--like, what we think we want in a person goes completely out the window once we actually become in contact with people (to demonstrate, the book presents a study on speed dating). It also shows how that once we start to analyze things, our accuracy about things becomes weaker (like, if we don't think about it, we can pick a criminal out of a lineup better than if we went over what the person looked like with the police before we looked at a lineup).

To test your own subconscious about issues like race, age, and sexuality, go to www.implicit.harvard.edu and take a few of their quizzes. You'll probably be surprised by your results.

WTF, penguins. WTF.

Things I learned from March of the Penguins: Penguins will attack a mourning mother penguin if she tries to steal another female's chick, but they choose to stand by idly and do nothing while a teeny, wimpy bird kills a penguin chick right in front of them.

WTF, penguins. WTF.

I am scarred for life.

Book Rec: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

A friend from school recommended The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini to me. I read it in one sitting last night. It's 371 pages long and I was up to the wee hours in the morning, but I couldn't put it down because it's the best thing I've read in a long time. I would almost think I'm biased, because I have a preference for novels set in different cultures, but many sources have also named it one of the best books this year.

The story focuses on the friendship of two boys in Afghanistan in the 1970s through today, one a privileged child and the other his servant. It contains all of the great themes of literature and some others to go with them: love, betrayal, guilt, fear, redemption, honor, family and friendship, etc. It's one of the most complete modern novels I've read in a long time--from character studies to plot to understanding of a vastly different country, etc. (If you follow the link above for more info, don't read past Amazon's review or else you'll be completely spoiled).

One caution, though. I wouldn't read this book unless you're okay with feeling like you want to cry every 40 or so pages (or, in my case, actually crying...). The book has more than a few disturbing scenes, and worse than that, more than a few truly devastating scenes. It broke my heart on more than one occasion. But don't worry, although I was truly worried there for a while, the book ends on a...hopeful note.

I hope at least one you decide to read it, because then I'll feel like I've done my job! If you do (or have), let me know what you think!

Yes.

Ohio War Veteran Running for Senate

Yes.

Jungle!Cats.

Jungle!Cats.
Originally uploaded by swessell.

I have new pictures of cats, a pregnant Praying Mantis, and more! Yes, I have no life. ; )

Praying Mantis.

Aaah! It's a monster!

Brokeback Mountain.

Even the trailer for Brokeback Mountain (based on the short story by E. Annie Proulx) has me in tears.

A lot of suffering and heartache could be prevented in this world if people would just let others live and love the way they want.

And no, I'm not, so don't even wonder.

Cleveland Browns.

...and today's game was almost another example of what's it's like to be a Cleveland fan.

We're leading most of the game, but then Cleveland fucks it up in the 4th quarter, like always. They were a field goal away from losing. But today, miraculously!, they manage to bring it back together and actually win! 26-24. Take that, Green Bay. You guys lost to the Browns. That's pretty pathetic, dudes.

Cleveland sports teams are "well known for agonizing collapses." I got so sick of whiny Boston fans last season (even though I wanted them to win because I never want the Yankees to win, the fuckers), when they were in the World Series and we were all supposed to root for them because they had suffered for so long. Wha wha. Boston fans know nothing about sport's heartache compared to us long-suffering Cleveland fans. Which city has gone the longest without a championship? Certainly not Boston. The Patriots had won the Super Bowl in 2001, 2003, and then again last year (after the Red Sox also won the World Series). So Boston can take their "woe is me" act and shove it up their ass, because the last time Cleveland saw a championship was in 1964. We've gone longer than any other city. ESPN, at least, recognizes us as the most tortured sports city. What an honor.

Even the announcers of today's game, with 4 seconds left and Cleveland about to receive, still thought Green Bay could come back and win. That's how sad our teams are.

So the Browns won today and the Indians are currently winning the Wild Card by half a game, but I'm not holding my breath. The Browns won their first game of the season last year and we all thought it'd be a good year, until the second game came around and we realized the torture will never end! So I will not be setting myself up for heartache again, but I'm certainly going to enjoy this win. If the only other team we beat this year is the Steelers (please, God!), I'll consider it a good year.

!

Grizzly Man.

We all must have things that disturb us. Things that, when we read or hear about them, haunt us.

The Grizzly Man haunts me. Ever since I read an article about him, I can't stop thinking about him. I am so...horrified by it all.

Excerpt from his appearance on Letterman:

Treadwell: It's important that every bear knows who I am and that I fit on their hierarchy if I'm to survive.

Letterman: Is it going to happen that one day we're going to read a news article about you being eaten by one of these bears?

Treadwell: Uh, No.

How prophetic, Letterman. How can people not have nightmares about him?

So now I have a sick fascination with his life. I want to see the movie, but then again, I don't know if I could handle it. Watching his life knowing he'll die--knowing how he dies...

You get a good sense about his life, "mission," and death from the reviews at the IMDB link above and the others below. The first two have clips from the movie.

http://www.canmag.com/movies.php?moviekey=grizzlyman (trailor and clips)
http://www.grizzlymanmovie.com
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/grizzlyman/about/about.html
http://www.transluxmovies.com/movie.php?mid=72
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050811/REVIEWS/50726001/1023
http://www.moviecitynews.com/arrays/2005/grizzly_man.html
http://www.azcentral.com/ent/movies/articles/0826grizzlyman0826.html
http://www.ericdsnider.com/view.php?mrkey=2545
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050826/ART09/508260308/-1/LEISURE
http://www.providencephoenix.com/movies/trailers/documents/04964298.asp
http://slate.msn.com/id/2124360/?nav=navoa
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/wittig200508240839.asp
http://www.nola.com/movies/t-p/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/1125037638213420.xml

Look for more on your own, if you want.

Yada yada yada.

Listening to George W. Bush's speech = 23 minutes of my life that I'll never get back.