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Ramblings
Friday, April 8, 2005. 01:12 p.m.Sock It to the Anti-Christ Squeeeeeee! Lost! Claire! Claire's cute devil-spawn! Sun and Jin so, so rock. Michael, I like you and want you to be happy, but I'm definitely rooting for Sun and Jin to work things out. No hot Asian lady for you, Mikey. Sorry. I'm not a Jack fangirl, but Matthew Fox's acting in this latest ep may just turn me into one. He broke my heart over and over again, I swear. *shakes fist* His performance was so much more moving than, er, that scene with that person crying over that other person, which did absolutely nothing for me. And shockingly, I actually liked Kate this time around. Almost as shockingly, I liked Sawyer too! That skeevy Southern son of a bitch has somehow wormed his way into my heart. He was downright charming with Claire, and the way he was smiling at her baby at the end of the episode... gah, I'm such a sucker. Anyone who can be so sweet to Claire can't be all that bad. Which means, I suppose, that I can't hate Kate as much as I used to, because she and Claire were so awesome together during the labor scenes. And as if it wasn't clear enough, I. Love. Claire! The way she was in total denial when she was going into labor, the way she crumbled under her insecurities about being a good mother, and the way she was oh, so happy when she finally got to hold her son... I never pegged myself as a sentimental schmuck, but that really got to me. And Emilie de Ravin, who was easily the worst actor in Roswell's cast of really bad actors, completely blew me away. Man, has she come a long way since then. I can't wait to see how Lost is going to handle the presence of a baby. Usually I hate kids and infants on TV shows, but this time it raises a very intriguing question: how is the emerging society on the island going to deal with raising a child? Especially one who seems to have a significant destiny ahead of him? I think a lot of them will be more than willing to help out. As Kate herself said, "He belongs to all of us." That settles it, I DEMAND to see a scene where Hurley tries to baby-sit the Claire-spawn. It'll be comedy gold, I guarantee. *clears throat* Now give me a second to pull back from the squee-age and into coherency. I've got a very important public service announcement coming up. ... ... Okay, that's long enough. Internet Explorer needs to be canned, RIGHT NOW. Not only do 90% of virus writers target IE, it's also a very poor browser in general. Its features are limited, it takes forever to load a page and it offers absolutely no protection from spyware and adware. There are two good free alternatives to IE: Firefox and Opera. I haven't tried Opera, but I've read oodles of user reports online that say it's a very good browser. I have, however, been using Firefox for a couple of months now and let me tell you, it knocks Internet Explorer right out of the ballpark. Tabbed browsing and quick search are the features I enjoy the most (that and protection from potentially harmful ActiveX plug-ins), but Firefox has over a thousand downloadable extensions that can be used to personalize the browser to suit a person's needs. Adblock and Download Sort are a couple of my favorites. Really, what are you waiting for? Your next virus-fueled computer crash? Your hard drive will thank you for using Firefox as your default browser, and you'll be able to stick it to Bill Gates, Herald of the Anti-Christ. It's a win-win situation all around. Hodge Podge We finally wrapped up filming for Ranina's latest film last Friday. I actually enjoyed myself, because there were only seven scenes to shoot and most of them were pretty short. We started at around seven p.m. and ended at two in the morning. Since I wasn't at all exhausted, I'd like to believe I delivered a slightly better performance this time around. At any rate, it was surprisingly fun (in a bizarre way) to pretend to be hanging from a noose. Then there was also the added amusement of watching a cranky, sleepy Rachelle snipe at Martin and Ranina. Heehee. Yes, I'm evil and petty. Don't worry, I'll get my comeuppance. Ranina will be showing the film to her entire class. Gah and double gah! I wonder, though, what title Ranina will use for the film. My suggestion of "No Noose is Good Noose" was, to say the least, not well received. Moving on... the new TV ads for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith were exactly what I've come to expect from the prequels: flashy space battles and special effects, solid acting from the supporting cast and, unfortunately, cringe-worthy dialogue and wooden deliveries from Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen. "Anakin, you're breaking my heart!" Fucking A. I almost feel sorry for these two. You can practically see them working every last bit of their talent to make the characters work, but they just don't. I think it's mostly due to the weak, weak writing. Instead of making Anakin a noble man who got corrupted by power, George Lucas' lame-ass writing and Hayden Christensen's complete lack of presence and charisma has made him into a punk-ass bitch with an overblown sense of entitlement. "The Council won't make me a Jedi Master!" "Obi-Wan is holding me back!" Bitch, bitch, bitch. How about proving your power and the worth of your character first, asshole? What, me, bitter? Okay, maybe a little. But it seems to me that George Lucas has broken one of the cardinal rules of fiction: show, don't tell. We're told through awkward expositional dialogue that Anakin is an especially powerful Jedi and a cunning warrior, that he and Obi-Wan share a close and respectful paternal friendship and that Anakin is a good man. But where, where, where do we actually see that this is the case? Take Episode II, if you will. We see Obi-Wan rightfully ragging on his hardheaded apprentice and Anakin sulking over this treatment. We see Anakin manipulating the Force in ways that, hey, all the other Jedi in the movies were able to do. We see Anakin talking back to his superiors --- and not in the arrogant way one would presume a warrior secure in the knowledge of his powers would, but in the way a whiny teenager would when his parents refuse to budge. Bah. I'm not buying this Anakin as the evil, fearsome Darth Vader. As the legendary Philip J. Fry said, "That dog won't hunt, monsignor." In happier news, both Deadwood and Lost rocked this week. How much do I love Locke? *throws both arms out to the side as far as they can reach* This much! Terry O'Quinn is a god among actors. Oh, yeah, and I am so loving Martha Bullock. You go after your man, honey. I don't care what Alma / Seth 'shippers say, I am totally rooting for Mr. and Mrs. Bullock to find happiness together. Listen, it's not an accident that the only time Seth looks remotely relaxed and smiling is when he's around Martha and her son. I like smiley Seth. He's a welcome change from clenching, scowling, stick-up-his-ass Seth. Oh, and Sol! I'm crazy in love with that "hardware Jew" and his tiny little Derringer (no, that's not a euphemism). He's such a sweetheart that I feel compelled to smack Seth upside the head whenever Seth takes him for granted. Ahem. Before I clear out of here, I want to share a bunch of comics-themed icons I made a few weeks ago out of sheer boredom. The internet connection was down that day, as I recall. Some samples: 
Click here for the whole kit and crazy caboodle. Toodles! PT Barnum Pities Me The first time I agreed to star in one of Ranina's films, I ended up wearing a heavy floral bed sheet over my head, chasing Martin (who was dressed in drag) down a hall and getting bopped on the head with an empty tissue box by Nina. After said experience, I distinctly remember swearing to myself never to agree to act for Ranina again. Ever. Well, I'm sure perceptive minds can guess where this story's going. Yep, I ended up starring in yet another of Ranina Sanglap's student films. I believe Nina and Anna Lyn's off-the-cuff responses to this were, "How did [Ranina] get you to agree to this?" The answer? I'm the last of the all day suckers, that's how. All it took was for Ranina to butter me up with flattery of the silver-tongued variety and I was getting up at six in the morning to prepare for my role as the only character in her latest project. I want to die from the shame. Filming began at eleven a.m. Thursday morning and lasted until six a.m. Friday morning. My part consisted of opening my eyes really wide, breathing heavily and pretending to be frightened / paranoid / crazy. You'd think that would be relatively easy, but acting in front of a camera just doesn't come easily to me. Everything I do is utterly affected and unnatural. (Really, the only acting I excel at is the kind that involves me saving my ass.) But I guess it was good enough for Ranina --- in the beginning, anyway. But by the end of the day, I was so fucking wiped that I couldn't come up with a single facial expression other than "tired." I've gotta hand it to Ranina and Martin, though. They worked 'round the clock, setting up sets and lights and camera angles. They even let me take the occasional nap. Compared to the work they did, I got off light. But somehow, that fails to comfort me overmuch. Laziness has been my way of life for the past, oh, several years. Any real physical and emotional exertion causes my brain to shut down for days. Rather sad, really. Random Fandom Stuff 
"Gud dog. Is gud dog?" Oh, yes, Bandit. Is gud dog, indeed. *sniffles pathetically* Insomnia I've been having a strange day today. (At least I think it's today.) I've been awake for over twenty-four hours now, doing... well, mostly doing a whole bunch of nothing. By nothing, I mean watching both Kill Bill Volumes back to back, reading the online messages of people bitching about Lost (and when it concerns the ever hateable-Kate, giggling like a little girl) and trying to figure out why, despite my sleepiness, I don't feel at all compelled to go up to my bedroom and sleep. I've had this 24 hours of waking spell before. I think this time it may have something to do with my period. I'm also getting a nagging craving for Shakey's mojo potatoes. The strangest part about this day, however, has to be the fact that I actually put my insomnia to good use (sort of). I didn't accomplish anything that would be beneficial to humankind, but I did manage to create a whole new layout for The Aerie: A Beak Fan Site. It's significantly less boring looking than the old layout, though I'm still unsure if iframes are practical for an information-and-graphic-heavy site like The Aerie. Ah, well. At least I had fun with it (though I was literally falling asleep during the last few hours). And now I think I may be falling asleep again just reading over what I've written. Oh, my God, this is the most boring rambling ever! And you can tell, because I can't even come up with an exclamation stronger than "Oh, my God." I need to get some sleep, pronto. But before I go, I might as well say it: I am pretty damn proud of what I accomplished with The Aerie. It's nothing approaching spectacular, but it's my own work and the child of my (misguided) efforts. And I still say it's not a halfway bad end product for someone who really doesn't know anything about building websites. *pats self on back* Well, someone has to. A Mini-Rambling So yesterday, after much waiting, I finally, finally got my hands on the special extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. And what can I say, except squeeeeeeeeeeeeee! My favorite parts? The brief meeting of Faramir and Éowyn in the Houses of Healing, and their conversation after the Army of the West has set out for Mordor. Lordy, lordy, lordy. It's just like in the book: Faramir and the White Lady holding hands and looking out toward the East, with Finduilas' starry mantle on Éowyn's shoulders. Eeeeeeeek! It's shorter than I would have liked (but then, I could watch hour after hour of David Wenham and Miranda Otto just looking into each other's eyes), but I absolutely loved it. *swoons ungraciously* David Wenham has the most amazing eyes. They're not alarmingly blue like Elijah Wood's, but soft and gentle and kind. Just like I imagined Faramir's eyes would be. Speaking of Elijah Wood, the easter egg with Dominic Monaghan interviewing him anonymously was fucking hilarious. "Do you kick balls?" "Do you collect sex toys?" "[The dolphin who played Flipper] died in a car accident." Heeheehee! Thus endeth this RotK mini-rambling. I have about a hundred more things to say about it, but I don't want to get started, because I'm frankly feeling too lazy to write all those thoughts out. Just two more things before I cut out of here: Tot ziens! Greetings from 2005 
Heehee! Yes, I have way too much time on my hands. Also, as you can probably see, I caved --- rather badly. I folded like a cheap umbrella. I broke my Marvel Legends action figures out of their protective boxes because they were too damn cool not to play with! But I don't regret it one bit. The Storm figure is, hands down, the most beautiful action figure I've ever seen or owned. The storm cloud base is amazing, and both the base and the figure itself are flawlessly sculpted and painted. Storm's face and hair in particular are breathtaking. It's hard to tell from the picture, but that face is what I always imagined a three-dimensional Storm would look like: regal and majestic, with cheekbones that could cut glass. And her hair was sculpted to look as if it was flying in the wind. If there was ever any question of why Storm was worshipped as a goddess, this action figure should lay it to rest. Eek! I've fallen clean in love with my own toy. This is not a healthy way to start the new year. The Deadpool and Doop figures are, of course, more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Deadpool is far more articulated than Storm (but Storm is so purty that I don't mind). His fists can actually hold on to all seven of his weapons firmly. The katanas are my favorite, though the Uzis are pretty cool too. And of course it goes without saying that Doop, in any way, shape or form, is all kinds of awesome. Ehem. I have to stop gushing about my toys now, before I start to realize just how sad my geeky life is. The holidays were great --- they always are. This year, my family's Christmas theme was superheroes. (I'll let you guess who came up with the idea.) I went as Elektra. Surprisingly enough, I didn't look half bad in black leather. Not good enough that I'd want to wear leather more often (or ever again), but not so bad that I'd want to hide our Christmas family photos indefinitely. Mama went as Catwoman and looked adorable. The rest of the costumes were just as fun. There were two Robins, two Wonder Women, another Catwoman, Rogue, Poison Ivy, Batman and Batgirl, Starfire, the Flash, Violet and Dash from the Incredibles, Superman, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, Bubbles and Professor Plutonium (though I maintain that Professor Plutonium shouldn't count), Zorro and even an unidentifiable superhero in a black scuba diving suit and a red cape. I think my family had just as much fun with this year's theme as I did. My friends and I filmed a futuristic Christmas Carol musical, set sometime in the year 3000. Martin played Scrooge, an embittered roller skating disco drag queen, while Anna Lyn played Bob Cratchit, a happy singing purple centaur from Alpha Centauri, who works as a bouncer in Scrooge's nightclub. And I've got it all on film! This is the greatest blackmail material ever. Best of all, my part as the translator for the Ghost of Christmas Past (a genetically modified rubber snake who can only speak in snake-language) was minimal and easily the least embarrassing part in the whole play. I didn't, for example, have to tape a paper cutout of a bell to my face (Rachelle), pretend to have epileptic seizures and prance around like a fairy with a bad Valley Girl accent (Kristine), do loads of expositional dialogue (Nina), or pretend to be a holographic projection of the Ghost of Marley (Ranina). Heehee! I do so love my freaky friends. After Christmas, my family and I went to Baguio, as per usual. Nothing new or exciting to report there. I think we've seen and done everything there is to see and do in that place. Hopefully, we'll go somewhere more fun for next Christmas, or for summer vacation. On the upside, I did get to buy some stuff at the mall that Mama probably wouldn't have let me buy under normal circumstances. Yep. Apparently, we drove eight hours to Baguio to go shopping in SM. Go figure. To wrap up... The old year has passed. A new one has arrived. And to no one's surprise, I am in the exact same place I was this time one year ago. Isn't life grand? Isn't it just swell and peachy keen? Well, sometimes it is. |
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