Behind...

This has been one of those week's in which I've felt behind all week. In work, at home in the evenings, when I wake up in the morning again. It's not that I'm actually behind or that I have projects that I'm in the middle of and can't finish, it's that I *feel* like I'm behind. And all the while my brain feels like putty; like I'm trying to think through fog. Maybe not fog, maybe just a light mist. Either way, can't think of anything interesting to expound upon.

So I think I'll just share something that was shared by Jon Hodgman via his twitter-feed a few week's ago. If you go here to this google map of a location in Pittsburg, and click on "Street View" you'll see them. No, go and look. I'll wait.

Seen them now? Yep, those are LARPers and they can be seen in another view which someone else blogged about here. It's not just some weird coincidence that these guys show up on Google maps. There was actually a big project to create specific scenes and groups of different people at different places in Pittsburg so that they would show up on Google Maps at street view. Or as Hodgman described it, "a street-long art project/google mind-eff." Full details of the project with pictures and everything can be found on their main website here. Go, browse, it's amusing.

Meanwhile I'm finally watching The Forbidden Kingdom. Not a great plot, but the kung fu is pretty good. I do enjoy some fun and/or drunken kung fu. Best fun kung fu though is not Jackie Chan's drunken style, but Jet Li's Monkey King; he really does gain all the winsomeness of a simian.

So for now, "Leopard style, Dragon style, fly through air, fight on water, Crouching Tiger, Spanking monkey." (The Forbidden Kingdom)

Of skeletons and crashing skies and trout...

So, I was going to get a lot more blogging done this weekend and then I got caught up in movies and then got sick and then spent the rest of the weekend on the couch. But before sickness was Jason Webley.

Friday night was fun. Me and Kurt went out with a couple friends to a Jason Webley show. Kurt & I first saw Jason at a Dresden Dolls show in LA; he was one of many openers, and we greatly enjoyed the strange man with an accordion singing happy little songs about death. I bought one of his CDs, and while I enjoyed it, it wasn't as good as the live show. The live performance is so much better because of his energy and the audience participation. So, I joined the mailing list to keep up with any possible future performances in the area. Last year he did a couple shows in St Louis and Kurt & I went to one. And then we heard that he was to be back again this April, and we knew we had to go and bring friends.

Jason is an interesting entertainer; one day he decided he would start touring with what money he had and would stop once the money ran out. It's now been eleven years (he's having an anniversary show this July) and he's still going strong. Friday night's show was no different; there was a small crowd to begin with but we were energetic and our numbers grew through the show. The audience participation was even more fun than I remembered, and I got to be the one to eat the poisoned pear and die (go see a show and you too will understand).

Here's some pics I took:
Jason tuning his guitar before the show:

Crazy accordion-man (forgot the red-eye on the flash so he does look **crazy**):

The show will not stop even with a popped string:

An energetic performer, so always blurry without a flash:

A post-show pic of me and Jason (yep, I'm totally geeking out there):

So moral of this post is GO SEE A JASON WEBLEY SHOW! Yeah, it's fun and you'll thank me later. For now I will finish "Buffy" season 4.

But for now, "I showed up on time, so I get to be cowboy guy."
"Do you mind? I'm talking to my demon."
"I think I figured out how to steer by gesturing emphatically."
"I wear the cheese, it does not wear me."
"Wait, you'll miss the humorous conclusion."
*Singing* "And try not to bleed on my couch; I just had it steam-cleaned."
"We'd better build a fort." "I'll get some pillows" ("Buffy", Season 4, Season Finale)

Growing up...

So this weekend was spent with Kurt's family celebrating the dual birthdays of April (his brother's on Saturday & his sister's on Sunday) with a big family get-together/lunch. Nearly the entire lunch conversation was centered on the recent pregnancy of Kurt's sister (about 2 months along, due in November). It was interesting to see her so happily pregnant when every story I've heard about her growing up (and even into college) was that she always said she was never going to have kids. This coupled with my own doctor's appointment today touching base with my OB/GYN and asking those last minute planning questions before Kurt and I start trying to have a kid of our own, it's starting to make me think, "when did I grow up?"

After hearing of the doctor's appointment today, Evan commented to Kurt that it was weird for him to think of his best friend's starting to have kids. My response to this is *I* still find it weird that I'm going to start have kids of my own. I was never in a hurry to settle down and start a family; I wanted to get school and work settled before trying to raise kids. But time passes and 30 is around the corner; that and over the past year life has become more settled. Last May I finished my M.A.; Kurt & I finally tied the knot in July; and in January Kurt & I found a new place with more room. The next step is obviously kids.

Even with all these steps and all the time that's passed since HS, I still don't feel like an adult most days. Yes, I work a full-time job and pay bills and all that jazz, but I come home and spend many hours a night on the couch reading comics & stuff online and watching movies. I look forward to catching at least a couple midnight showings of summer movies again this year. I still buy lots of amusing (yet strange) t-shirts to wear (over long-sleeves in the winter of course). I still feel like I'm a young twenty-something fresh out of college; at least until I start complaining about the state of the youth these days.

Oh well, I better enjoy it while I can, 'cause once you have kids your life changes; it'll be good change, but change is always scary. Until then I shall start taking my folic acid.

But for now, "That sure as hell sounds like some super-hero-captain-tightpants bullsh#t to me man." (White Noise 2)

Connect the ellipses...

This is an addendum to the previous post "Connect the dots..."

This week's episode of "CSI" ("The Descent of Man") has Charisma Carpenter, who is better known as Cordelia on "Buffy"/"Angel." It all continues to be inter-connected.

Does your butt make me look fat?

So I think nearly any TV series that deals with magic/dark forces and even several just sci-fi, there comes a point in the series when they do an episode where they switch bodies. Watching "Buffy" season 4 there is one such episode ("Who Are You?") which reminds me why these body-switching episodes are some of my favorites; mostly because they really show the strength of a series and of the actors.

Probably my favorite of the body switching episodes was the one from "Farscape," mostly because there are several body swaps, which keeps it interesting. Through all the swaps we get to see exaggerated caricatures of all the characters as perceived by the different actors. It gives one an interesting view of what others perceive to be the defining characteristics of a character. For instance D'Argo having Chiana's mind within him, Anthony Simcoe (who plays D'Argo) really emphasizes Chiana's sensual nature and how she holds her body; this overemphasis adds great comedic value. It also show Simcoe's acting ability as he can do more beyond the warrior D'Argo. So these body-switching episodes are a fun change of pace to a series, and we get to see the actors' real abilities on playing a variety of personalities in a short amount of time.

A variation to the body-switching episodes is an "alternate reality" where characters get to play their opposites; again, like the body switching there is much comedy and breadth of performance from the actors. My favorite from these is the "Buffy" episode "The Wish" in which we see a Sunnydale without Buffy, including Willow and Xander as vampires. Willow as evil vampire is quite fun.

Now, body-switching episodes don't always work; usually if they don't work it's because either the writers or the actors can't work outside of the box. But when it does work, it's great.

But for now, "Am I the only one who thinks his head looks like an octopus?" (Club Dread)

Welcome to Buffyverse.

My first experience with a Joss Whedon creation was "Firefly;" my brother introduced me to it through the DVD box set and after two episodes I was hooked. I watched his set all the way through, and then bought my own set. I have watched the full "Firefly" series many times and have loaned it out to create many new followers. After "Firefly" came Serenity and then last summer was "Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog;" I watched all and continued to be enamored with everything coming from Whedon.

But then there was the question of "Buffy." I had never watched "Buffy" - didn't interest me in HS/College and didn't have any friends that watched it. Then "Angel" came out, and I took one look at David Boreanaz's spiky (douchebag) hair and said "no." But having watched everything else in the Whedonverse, I thought maybe I should give "Buffy" a chance. That and the first two seasons of "Buffy" were on Hulu, which made it easier (and free).

First few episodes were ok, and then came the hyena episode (entitled "The Pack") and Alison Hannigan's comment on the zebra sex: "It's like the Heimlich... with stripes." After that, I was hooked to the glib interplay between the characters and the overall cheeseball factor. Since then I have followed Buffy and the gang through killing the Master/Buffy dying, Angel turning evil again, Buffy bringing Angel back his soul only to send him to hell, the introduction of Faith, the mayor is evil, and then they blow up the HS because the Mayor became a giant snake demon (sorry to all who I just spoiled the major plots of the first three seasons). And then once I finished the third season of "Buffy," I then of course had to start watching "Angel" in conjunction with "Buffy."

Now that I am halfway through "Buffy" season four and "Angel" season one, I have to say that Joss Whedon continues to amuse and entertain. And probably the thing that I enjoy most is the witty repartee, as with any Whedon show. That and they constantly ridicule themselves; any show with tons of demons and vampires and constantly fighting against the apocalypse can't take themselves too seriously or they'll collapse under their own weight (as "Heroes" seems to be doing this season). And every now and again there's a great moment that makes it all worth it, like Angel dancing in the episode "She" (the selling point of it is the happy, gleeful look on his face; the very antithesis of the brooding Angel).

So for now I'm really enjoying it, but I've heard that "Buffy" and "Angel" really change before the end of both series, so we shall see.

But for now, "We're going to make a covenant, Carl. Do you want to make a covenant?" (Yes Man)

Connect the dots...

Sometimes I wonder if we (my husband & I) watch too many movies, and sometimes I wonder if I have too much movie trivia in my head. And then there are some days that I wonder both.

So last week was an odd week as we watched a lot of TV; I say odd because we're not really big TV watchers except for specific shows that we catch on DVD or Hulu. But last week we seemed to have a lot to watch TV-wise and then on Saturday I noticed a pattern to our watching for the week (note this is an entire week's worth of watching, not just one night).

So we watched "Heroes" and then later in the evening I watched an episode each of "Buffy" & "Angel"; Seth Green was in all of these (Oz in "Buffy"/"Angel" and a comic book store clerk in "Heroes"). Then there was an episode of "Bones" which has David Boreanaz, who of course is in "Buffy" & "Angel." Then we had in a disc of 3rd season of "House"; an episode of that had Marc Blucas as a Iraq War veteran; Marc played Riley on "Buffy" (4th season). Then there is the other obligatory Joss Whedon connections of "Dollhouse" (connected to "Buffy"/"Angel" through Joss Whedon, Elisha Dushku (Faith on "Buffy"), Amy Acker (Fred on "Angel"), and other Whedon regulars) and "Castle" (connected to "Buffy" through Nathan Fillion who shows up season 7). We didn't have an episode of "Battlestar Galactica" to watch, but if we did we would have seen Tahmoh Penikett who is now the FBI agent on "Dollhouse." All came full circle when we watched Groundhog Day (hadn't seen in ages and finally bought ourselves a copy); the insurance salesman who hassles Bill Murray on the street was played by Stephen Tobolowsky, who was on "Heroes" as Bob.

I think what we learn from this might not be that we watch too many movies, but maybe I just have a small obsession with all things Joss Whedon. Good chance of that, yeah.

Oh and I thought about inserting links for all the shows/people I mentioned in that run-through, but I decided that it was too much work and honestly you could look them all up yourself on IMDB.

But for now, "I'm a rogue demon hunter." (Angel, season 1)

Addendum: James Marsters who is Spike in "Buffy"/"Angel" is playing Lord Piccolo (green dude) in DragonBall Evolution coming out this weekend. Ah - it's a paycheck.

Redheads are feisty, blondes have more fun, and brunettes are... dependable?

So, currently reading a fantasy novel calling itself a fairy tale for adults, which is centered on a man discovering that fairy tale characters are real. As a first act twist we find out that the raven-haired, dark-eyed beauty is an evil witch and that the fair-skinned blond is a good elf trying to save him. Really? That's the twist? The dark one is evil and the light one good? I figured that one out as soon as we were introduced to the characters. You know why? Because it's a fairy tale; and like any fairy tale there are rules on appearance traits that are reflections of character traits. So black/dark is always evil and light/white is always good. So this wasn't much of a twist, really.

But it got me thinking, this is a stereotyping that exists beyond fairy tales and stories in general, whether novels, tv, or movies. Even in day to day life there are stereotypes based on looks. Blonds have more fun or are stupid (or both). Redheads are feisty and have short tempers. Raven-tresses are exotic and dark (and these days Goth). Brunettes are... well... there's not really anything for brunettes. That's something I noticed growing up as I have the most medium brown hair possible; it's totally average and like many children I wanted to be different and not have my boring brown hair.

But this fairy tale with its stereotypes of appearance reflecting personality traits got me thinking again about my own hair; especially as I recently have decided to go back to my medium brown. Since my senior year of HS I had been dying my hair red; first started with red streaks and then to a full head of auburn (red-brown) to an ongoing variation of vibrant reds. I got compliments on how the red hair suited my pale complexion so I kept dying my hair; I was never particular about the shade so sometimes it would be subdued reddish-brown, sometimes it would be deep dark purplish-red, others a bright fire engine red. It was fun, but I got tired of having to re-dye it every six weeks to cover the roots. So last year I decided to change back to the brown, mostly for laziness and partially because I wanted to try brown again.

And so with my basic brown hair, I thought about stereotype appearances and fairy tale stories and I realized something. If I was a character in a story or novel or movie or what not, I wouldn't be either the hero or villain. With the average brown hair and hazel eyes I would be a background character or a good friend of the hero or a smart cousin or something. I'm not complaining I just find it interesting that I'm too average of appearance, so I wouldn't be anything interesting in a story. Oh well, I enjoy my non-eventful life.

But for now, "It's me, Hector 2. Quiet he might hear you." (Timecrimes)

A start...

So, for a while now, I have been debating starting a blog so that I can post on my random thoughts on movies and geekness and my craft projects. I started doing twitter recently, which is good for random thoughts, but sometimes 140 characters is too limiting. So now this exists as an outlet for the longer thoughts.

And this isn't too much of a first post, I'm afraid, but my lazy Sunday afternoon watching movies and doing laundry isn't inspiring any long thoughts. Maybe tomorrow.

For now, "let the tuning commence." (Dark City, Director's Cut)