I really liked Black Snake Moan and I'm pleased I insisted on seeing it last night.
It's a movie about sexuality, abuse, anxiety disorders, nymphomania, redemption, blues music and love. I don't think I've ever seen a movie that deals with heavy issues like that in such a cheerful, uplifting way.
The story follows Lazarus (Samuel L Jackson) and Ray (Christina Ricci) in parallel, both broken people with serious issues. They meet, they connect, they are awesome.
I don't want to spoil it any more, so I'll just say I recommend it and I would like to own it on DVD.
I've been reading Girls Read Comics (and they're pissed off) a lot, since Morgue linked to it. It is refreshing to read about comics from a feminist standpoint, and it has fired me up about some issues. Anyway, if you read comics at all, she's easy to read and quite funny, if indignant a lot of the time.
I have been enjoying putting names of comics into the 'search' box and reading through the hits. I am sad she hasn't read Y The Last Man because I'd really like to read her take on it.
Today we had breakfast at Leuven and then went shopping. I got some Lush goodies and a pair of shoes to paint for a cosplay. Must now go to spotlight for fabric paint. I also bought a DVD double pack of the Gremlins movies, because I really enjoyed rewatching them recently and it was $20.
PoF: Clowns scare me
CO: Apprehension re: drain cleaning
I said yesterday that The Bride Stripped Bare is told in first person. That was a big lie. It's actually told in second person, which is pretty unusual and you'd think I would have remembered.
So, this is one of the things that makes the book very personal. All the things described are about you....kinda. I finished it this morning, and it is indeed a wonderful book.
It's still recommended.
My ongoing belly issues have dulled down to a steady and faint ache, and for several hours last night I felt fine. Which was such a welcome surprise I couldn't stop smiling. Let's hope the dull ache is hunger, hey?
I watched Hard Candy and I both liked it and hated it. I am now going to talk about it in a spoilerific way, so if you don't know what happens in this movie and don't want to know, please stop reading now.
It was very well made, well acted and written. However it was also gratuitous and horrible and just too much. I kept thinking 'if the genders were reversed and it was a man torturing a woman and castrating her this movie would never have been made' but then I think that woman are still being castrated in real life in Middle Eastern countries for less pertinent reasons than Hailey has for doing such to Jeff.
That women are constantly being tortured, killed and raped in movies by men for less motivation.
That in some ways this is an important movie simply because it gives a 14 year old girl the power to completely destroy a man. I don't approve of what she did in any sense, and I think the movie perhaps didn't need to go that far, but then mutilation of women in horror and splatter films and on TV (hello Special Victims Unit?) is so very prevalent that it's kind of justified.
So. In summary. Upsetting, interesting psychologically the same way I was drawn to One Hour Photo, Woodsman, Memento and The Machinist although very different from all those films, just as they are different to each other. I don't know if I can recommend this film though. It's a bit too much.
PoF: muscle singlet
CO: will my belly be good to me?
Originally published anonymously, The Bride Stripped Bare is by Nikki Gemmell , an Australian author now living in London.
I am not yet finished this book, but from 3/4s of the way through I can say this: Read it. If you are a woman, or are in a relationship with a woman or are in any way interested in female sexuality.....read it.
It is told in first person, as a diary of a married woman. It is primarily about sex, and an exploration of what she thinks about sex, what she wants, what she doesn't want. Nikki says she deliberately made the woman (who is unnamed) conventional, an everywoman so as to make the text more accessible.
I read it and am relieved that I am not the only one who thinks, feels, wants these things. Reading this book is a bit like having a cup of tea with a close friend who says 'yes! that's right!' and 'me too' and 'you're normal'.
...Besides all that, it's also got a fantastic story and engaging characters who make mistakes and learn from them. Great 'adult' fiction in every sense of the word.
Nikki answers questions about Bride here
I used to want one of these American Girl dolls. Then I read this.
If there's one thing that turns my stomach, it's bullying someone about something they really love. It makes me want to cry.
link found through Cleolinda, in her daily news report.
One thing she posted which I really liked (just OTOH) is this quote: The toilet brush is not Excalibur. I am not the only person who can wield the power of scrub.
I went to the doctor today about my Belly of Doom (extremely bad since Thursday) I have handed over samples of blood and uh, stuff, and am going back next week for a review. She said all kinds of encouraging things about Krohn's disease and biopsies, so let's all cross our fingers that it's just some nasty but treatable infectious disease?
PoF: soft and warm
CO: when can you take off the tape and cotton from giving blood?
I've been working my way through (and loving) Y the Last Man, just finished number six Girl on Girl, and now I'm anxiously waiting for the next one to turn up for me. I really enjoy the characters, the storylines and the action. The only complaint I have is about the timeline, because reading them all collected together in a graphic novel you don't really get a sense of time passing. Plus, when the comics tell you where and when the action is happening, it has an annoying habit of saying: Arizona. Now!
But this is a minor complaint about an overall fantastic series. Loving every frame, and each book has at least one laugh out loud moment as well as a shock, a revelation and a comment on society.
A Respectable Girl by Fleur Beale is in the Children's Book Awards for best young adult novel, and I really enjoyed it. It's set in New Plymouth in the 1860's just as war is starting between the Maori and the English. Hannah is the main character, daughter of English but raised by a Maori stepmother. The story is about discovering roots, acting properly in society, romance, betrayal...all the good stuff. It's written in first person, and very engagingly. Loved it.
I'm just about to finish reading The Road from Roxbury by Melissa Wiley, the third book in the 'Little House' books about Laura Ingalls Wilder's ancestors. I like reading about cleaning the house. It makes me want to be useful and clean my own house more!
I am also now up to date with Invincible, having read all the collected graphic novels that have so far been published. Loved that too. It's hard to explain why these stories are so appealing, and I guess they wouldn't appeal to people who don't dig the superhero thing at least a bit. There's human emotion, shock revelations and you really feel you get to know the main character. I want more of them, please.
I have a day off from work tomorrow, which will start with a hair cut. Other plans include writing, cleaning and doing whatever I feel like. Shopping on the way home from the haircut may occur.
PoF: grey stars
CO: releasing pressure
The seventh and final book of the Harry Potter series is coming out this year. If you didn't know that already than I suspect you've been living under a rock.
Scholastic are preparing for it by planning their biggest ever first print run (article here), among other things.
I am anxious to know what happens in the final book, since I've been a fan since just after The Prisoner of Azkaban was published.
I've been a participant in the fandom: attended a premiere screening wearing a Gryffindor tshirt and a Hogwarts hoodie (I was outclassed by a kid dressed in an owl suit), I've roleplayed a live action Harry Potter adventure as a Ravenclaw girl (with robe), I've roleplayed online as Harry himself quite extensively on Hogwarts Hocus (and I still wish I had time to spend on there with Ginny, Lily and Sirius)...and yet I feel I'm not as passionate about the whole fandom as other people.
That's alright. I'll celebrate Harry in my own way. And someday I will make myself a proper Gryffindor Quidditch uniform.
PoF: grey
CO: angry belly
Borders has opened!
It's not as big as the Auckland shop (which is not much of a surprise.) But! The stuff they have!
The Graphic Novel selection was not so hot, just two bays of shelves, and mostly Marvel. No Invincible, two Fables. Complete series of Sandman though, at average prices. I *did* manage to get Jill Thompson's Little Endless Storybook though, which is an absolute delight: beautifully illustrated and a funny story about Delirium going missing and her dog having to find her. Love it. They were on the other side of the Manga collection, seraph.
DVD collection was interesting but overall quite pricey. I bought Intacto which is a Spanish sci-fi I saw in the film fest about four years ago about very lucky people, who have the power to steal luck of others. It will probably be screened at Movie Night this week, as I really want to see it again. It was $30.
Kid's section was really nicely set out with space themed carpet and nice open spaces. They have a shelf which is full of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House books, in these nice matchy full colour editions, and cheap too at $17 each. I was very good and only bought the first one, although I suspect I will eventually have them all.
I bought a picture book for my new niece and a copy of The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish which comes with a cd of Neil Gaiman reading it aloud.
Uhm, and the manga section. It's huge. It has a whole side of an aisle, and not a short aisle either. Wellington finally has an awesome manga supplier. I was tempted to start collecting Angelic Layer, but I managed to resist buying any (although they had two Chobits titles I need, plus Cardcaptor Sakura and oh, so much stuff) because the books were mostly $24 each (Fruits Basket is $17ish) and I think I can get them cheaper off goodbooksnz.
So, I was quite restrained really. The manga section was pretty busy. I think Wellington was very ready for this!
I was talking to the woman who served me at the counter and she was saying they didn't think they'd be that busy, and were trying to find more staff. I can't say I was surprised that it was that busy!
PoF: Sunday morning
CO: books are nice
I seem to have mastered the control of my belly issues, through deep breathing and concsious relaxation. The flip side is that I am now definitely keeping all my tension in my right shoulder, where it meets the neck.
Has anyone got any ideas of how I can stop manifesting my psychological state in a physical form?
Ow.
From Best Friends: Big Brother Superheroes.
Legion: That’s the problem with you heroes, you don’t think of anything but yourselves.
Blue Steel (distrustfully): Yesss…..Legion….
Stellar to Belladonna: There’s a bike in there, if you keep riding it you’ll go away!
Montage: Blue Steel eats things from around the house including a make-up case, shower head, railing of swimming pool (leaving poor Belladonna swimming for hours unable to get out).
Stellar to Serendipity: So, you totally fuck up people’s lives. That’s cool.
Belladonna to heroes: Hey, have you guys ever thought of using your powers for personal gain?
Serendipity: So, Legion, you’re waiting for your head to explode? How do you think that’s going to work out?
Blue Steel: Mirage, clearly you do not understand human emotions.
Belladonna: I have some push-up bras that you could use
Blue Steel: my body is not very malleable.
Serendipity: Technically Blue Steel is always wearing a tank top
Blue Steel: I enjoy your pun.
Mirage: The reason you’re still here Legion, is that if your head explodes people will want to see that on TV.
Stellar with the power of sarcasm fails again!
Blue Steel: You have chosen your side Mirage. I always knew you were evil!!
Blue Steel: Do any of you enjoy the steam hut?
Streak: Yeah…
Blue Steel: I believe that if I destroy the steam hut I can create the most awesome garden! Hydroponics!
Blue Steel (with pogo stick): I fear if Belladonna gets this she will win the competition.
Big Brother Voice: The eviction will be tomorrow at fnurhnur.
Housemates: What time?
Big Brother Voice: Go to bed!
Streak puts on glasses that the Big Brother Voice has given her.
Blue Steel: You look intelligent. I am seeing internal qualities that I’ve never seen before.
Big Brother Voice best hits: Cheese nose. Froooooooog. I have lost all sensation in my shirt.
Belladonna: If you win the eviction, can you tell me what the prize is?
Blue Steel drinks Draino and becomes drunk: We should find Captain Super and teach him a lesson.
Stellar: Yeah.
Blue Steel: Then we should find Iron Commando.
Legion: Hey, don’t laugh at Serendipity! Don’t laugh at her pain!
Stellar re: Legion: Leave her alone, she’s got a lot of stuff in her mind.
Legion to Belladonna: why would a guy have sex with a girl other than you?
Mirage changes into togs instantly using her illusion power. Streak changed into togs instantly using superspeed. They scorn each other thus:
Streak: At least mine’s real.
Mirage: At least mine looks good.
Re: Iron Commando.
Serendipity: what was with his balloon pants?
Blue Steel: He was from another time, a time when men were strong. Like iron.
Wilderness of Mirrors – spy game. I played Ariel the “shade”, meaning I was meant to be the best at sneaking around. Something about this game didn’t really work for me, but that may just be because I was looking to play something which was on the whole sillier. I am pleased that I made all the spies take the names of Disney heroines as aliases though.
Best Friends – I ran this after dinner for a wonderful group: Matt, Debs, Luke, Erik, Nick, Conan and Fraser. After some discussion we decided our group of girls would all be superpowers and on a ‘Big Brother’ type reality TV show. We decided that the week before the last man was voted out of the house, and that’s why it was all girls left. The players spent some time deciding on superpowers that related to their character issues, and worked out relationships between them.
The best thing about this group was that they were fully into screwing themselves over story wise, so the work I had to do was pretty minimal. I had fun being the voice of Big Brother, inspired in part by the voice of the Computer in a Morgue run Paranoia game many many years ago. The game covered one ‘episode’ of Big Brother: Superheroes edition, and roughly two and a half days for the housemates. It had a compulsory task section, a reward* for the winning team and an eviction. I encouraged the housemates to have confessionals, alone with the camera and the Big Brother Voice developed a crush on Nick’s character.
The characters were all wonderful.
Erik played Legion, an angelic figure from a Hell dimension sent to Earth. One day her head will explode and hundreds of demons will pour forth from the gateway created and destroy mankind. And possibly the planet. Erik brought real emotional depth to this character, and I felt really sorry for her a lot of the time. Sample quote: Belladonna’s power is creating poison, but she can still help people out! All I can do is end the world!
Fraser played Mirage a self-promoting and somewhat morally questionable lady who had the power to create illusions. She used this power to play pranks on housemates and make herself look thinner. Sample quote I'm so glad I've been able to spend time in this house. I've developed a fantastic relationship with....uh...the really hot girl.
Debbie played Belladonna a Poison Ivy type villain whose body made all sorts of poisons and venoms. She managed to get 5 points of pretty and nothing else in character creation, so she was a bit of a bimbo. Sample quote: Why don’t I ever win the eviction prize? I could be a great Miss Eviction! I could represent evicted peoples!
Matt played Blue Steel a heroic woman made of metal. She represented the Steel Workers of America Union and wore a pair of overalls with the letters “BS” embroidered on the front. She only had one expression and was the subject of a botched makeover.
Sample Quote: I wish the Power Squad hadn’t broken up. Those were good times. Iron Commando was really hot.
Luke played Stellar an all rounder, previously a superhero but lately turned to the dark side. She was a bit bitter about not having one stand-out power, and she had issues from the past, including the break up of the Power Squad. Sample quote: So you're superpower is that you're lucky? Have you ever tested that, by like running at knives or something?
Conan played Serendipity, the super-lucky heroine who was extremely easy going and nice. She formed a bff kind of bond with Legion and got evicted in the end scene. (Because if it was time to leave the house, then it would certainly mean that there was something awesome for her outside...) Sample quote (Talking about Blue Steel): I knew she was hurting deep deep deep deep deep deep deep down. Or her furnace wasn't working.
Nick played Streak, a speedster hero. She was kind of the straight guy to all the other craziness, especially the Big Brother Voice, and her sample quote is directly related to that. Imagine a superheroine in the confessional room: I don't like being in this room. I feel like I am talking to myself.
BBV: I love you Streak
Ok, this entry took longer to write than I thought it would. I publish it now.
*a wheel of brie, a 5000 piece jigsaw with pieces missing and a pogo stick
My word count has passed 10,000 as of today. I finally wrote a scene with the villain of the piece and inserted it between two bits I'd already written, a kind of "Meanwhile..." flash of the dark forces.
I am enjoying writing one character more than the others and yesterday on the train I tried making up character sheets for them. I managed his first, then one heroine. I can't seem to get a handle on what I think of as the main character, so I guess that's the next thing to focus on.
On the up and up. I just have to make myself write every day, or every second day. It's easier to do than making myself run!
I've been eating little to no gluten and my belly is pretty good. I suspect I shouldn't eat sweet corn any more though, and that makes me sad since I love it.
PoF: care bears
CO: writing.
We had a session of Slayers East on Monday (number 8 I think...) it was a Hallowe'en episode following on from a very nasty angst-fest session. Morgue had asked us all to let the dark stuff take the back seat and have a fun, relaxed epsiode. Scott and I were wondering how that would work, given all the piles of bricks that fell on the characters last episode (metaphorically speaking) but we needn't have worried. Morgue emailed me and said it was the much requested Troy and Allister episode.'
You remember Allister right?
So, my angsty Slayer took the back seat, chose a Supergirl costume for the Hallowe'en dance and fell under a spell. Meanwhile, Allister took centre stage in a remarkably West Side Story-influenced plot about him and Troy trying to be friends again.
Morgue told us there would be no singing, but we managed to slip a little bit in there all the same. Putting that aside, it was good fun driving Giffy's Ultra-composed and together Cass up the wall with the madcap antics.
Cass: You have to show everyone you're friends!
Allister: I'm not going to kiss him!
Cass:*boggles*
The story was foreshadowed in the previous episode where I requested a sweet little scene of Allister slipping a bag of gummi worms to Troy in the school hall. The plot of this episode was based on two rival ghosts who had killed each other in a gang fight, taking possession of the two (with no apparent effect on Troy and Allister) but driving the whole town to take sides with either the Jocks or the emo/goth/artsy kids. It was very Buffy Band Candy.
One of my favourite touches was to have Allister go to the Hallowe'en party as spiderman (full mask) and then Troy turn up as black spiderman. When they saw each other at the party they immediately did spidey poses at each other.
Allister: Your friendly neighbourhood spidermen!
Troy: Oh yeah!
Cass: Oh GOD!
Somehow the visuals for this entire 'episode' were very clear for me. Margie suggested it was all the costuming and I think that's an important part of it. my favourite moment was right at the end, and I can see this as clear as if it happened. The drama is all over, no one is fighting anymore, and all the main characters have gone home. Troy and Allister sit on the roof of the school in their spidey suits, no masks. Allister cracks open a beer, but it's got spring loaded snakes in it!
Allister: AAaaaaah!
Troy:*chuckles, then opens his own beer* *spring loaded snakes leap out* Aaaaaaah!
In terms of roleplaying, I don't think I can effectively explain why I love playing this character so much. He's pretty two-dimensional but his loyalty to Troy was very real to me. I guess I just like to be silly and funny and make mischief with Margie.
PoF: guns/ponies
CO: Allister McAllister
If you go and have a look at the tshirt-surgery community on livejournal here you can see pictures of me looking very serious and showing off all the different tshirt reconstructions I've done.
I was a bit nervous about putting them all up there because the community is on average hugely talented and creative, and my recons are all straight out of the Generation T book, so I don't feel quite so inspiring. I needn't have worried, since the people on there are also very lovely and my pictures have had a fine response.
I am considering having a "T party" in the future, so that my friends who want to try out tshirt reconstruction can come over and use the book and be in a fun environment where it's alright to cut up clothing.
In other news music recording for kids just got heaps cooler. Baby rock records have put out a series of lullaby albums based on real rock bands. I have listened to the Metallica one and it's pretty awesome. Nothing Else Matters really translates well to glockenspiel and vibrophone. It's mellow. Now, to track down the Coldplay one. Other titles include Smashing Pumpkins, NIN, Pink Floyd, Radiohead and the Cure. But for babies. Love it.
(Plus the cover for the Metallica one is all black with a picture of an angry teddy bear puppet with a lightning bolt on its chest. Much cooler than the Wiggles.)
PoF: superheroines
CO: writing
Apparently Al Gore uses a lot of electricity. This came up twice yesterday because apparently it was on the news, and although neither of the people have seen An Inconvenient Truth they were very happy that Al Gore got discredited via New Zealand's news media.
Well, I'd heard nothing about any of this, so I went googling and found out what appears to be the story: Al Gore's house uses a whole lot of electricity. More than all the other houses in the neighbourhood and more per month than the average American uses in a year!
Why do we care? Because this makes him a hypocrite, and in Kiwi society that's a big sin. Plus, he's also a tall poppy, he's always going on about saving the planet and making us feel guilty for our lifestyles.
Why is it not really a problem? Because Gore's house uses green energy; solar panels and wind energy providing the power he apparently uses. Anything he can't make green, such as the hundreds of thousands of air miles he uses to get his message across he buys off with 'carbon offsets' like forests to make himself and his family carbon neutral.
Why should we get away from the 'tall poppy' syndrome in this case? Because Al Gore has arguably done the impossible and made people all over the world care about global warming. His movie has changed my life, it must have changed other people's lives. How many of us can say that what we do alters lives? So what if he uses electricity to make his Powerpoint go? So what if he flies to New Zealand, stays for three hours and then flies out again? He's making a real difference and spreading the message that needs to be heard.
(That is: global warming is happening, and there's things everyone can do to minimise the impact. In case you've missed that.)
Here are my sources for the news item that sparked this whole thing:
The Drudge Report, a right wing 'watchdog' kind of thing that came out after Gore won a best documentary oscar for Inconvenient Truth.
Response from Think Progress, a left wing organisation.
A compilation of opinions on the whole thing from The Chattanoogan.
Fox News: we report, you decide. If you keep reading down the article it is actually a balanced bit of reporting. I'm as surprised as you are.
and finally....Snopes is on the case, researching if the whole thing is an urban legend or not. (Urbandlegend.com has said it's "true, with spin".)
I couldn't find anything about it on New Zealand's stuff.co.nz news site, but then the search engine on there is a little dodgy.
What's my conclusion on all this? Al Gore is a human being. That is, he isn't perfect. He may be using massive amounts of electricity, but he's doing it the best he can; using green sources and buying up offsets. More importantly than any of this, he is making a real difference in the world because he cares about what he believes in. Why can't we just appreciate that?
PoF: tokidoki
CO: indignation?
Today I decided my need for homebaked goods outweighed the need to save money. Hence, I took myself forth to Commonsense Organics.
Man, it's expensive there! I guess they're still kinda boutique-y and they're pretty popular, so they can charge what they like, but I kept seeing things that looked good and then not picking them up because of the price.
What I did buy: Dagoba brand organic chocolate from Oregon. It's cherry flavoured, extremely dark chocolate. If I'd noticed the 72% Cocao content on the label I might have left it be. It's good, but very very rich. It cost $5 for a 56.7g bar. Not too bad for designer chocolate.
Wanaka Chocolate organic orange. Haven't tried it yet. $3.30 for a 46g 'thick'n'chunky' type bar.
Gluten Free plain baking flour. It's made by a company called Orgran, and is a blend of maize starch, tapioca flour, rice flour and vegetable gums. Sounds good doesn't it? Well, I baked cookies with it today and they taste awesome. Which is to say, it tastes the same as wheat flour in those cookies.
$7.70 for 500g, so pretty expensive. You could get a different brand's blend in a 1kg pack for a little under $20, so this one is the cheaper of the options, and they had lots of different 'themed' flours - pizza dough flour, for example and 'just add milk and butter' pancake mix and suchlike.
Still, if it means I can eat homebaking, I'll be paying what they charge. They have the market monopoly right now (as far as I know...) and I do like me some cookies. Hopefully the more people shop there the lower they can make their prices.
PoF: BIG F little f, what begins with f?
CO: days off rawk