Friday, February 06, 2004

A small digression from, let's say, reality

A small digression from, let's say, reality

I just finished watching Takashi Miike's first Dead or Alive movie. Now, after the opening sequence--a barely coherrent pastiche of violent images cut like MTV had a coke addiction--I didn't exactly know what to expect from the rest of the movie. The rest turned out to be a typical Cops vs. Yakuza vs. Triad shoot 'em up story...in form anyway, if not in content. Expect to be somewhat to extremely shocked by the images in there. They've really got something to get everyone's respective goat in the picture, but the plot primarily revolves around the gangwars and the cop(s) stuck trying to fight both sides. Then there's the end. If you've heard anything about this movie, it probably involved the end muttered in low whispers in dark corridors passed along with hushed glee. The ending! The ending! Have you seen this ending? No, but I hear it has one!

I just watched the ending, and I've got to say that every movie--every movie--should end like this one. It's not just an ending, it's THE ending. Check it out; brace yourself; and enjoy the ride.

Thursday, February 05, 2004

I forgot to mention

I forgot to mention

You all know Eric. Some call him P, some call him Skala-ka-lac (mutha fucka). I'm not exactly sure what the ladies call him, but I'm sure it's flattering.

He's got a blog now, and it's a cool experiment he's got going over there. Check his first post to see what I mean. Click the link above, or check him at the link to the left. Show him some love.

Wednesday, February 04, 2004

Whirlwind tour of the semester

Whirlwind tour of the semester

So I haven't been in my home for more than one waking hour per day since the weekend, I think. I basically come home to sleep and shower. It's gotten to the point that I only buy non-perishable food because I never know when I'm going to be back here. That reminds me; I've think I still have some leftovers in the fridge that I should probably toss...

It's just strange to me that for the previous three years of college, I'd spent most of my time in my dorm/house and hadeveryone come visit me. I could pretty much sit in one spot and do everything I needed to do. I think it goes without saying that class isn't something I need to do. I'm not sure that anyone really needs or even benefits from class, but I could just be jaded these days.

It's not that I don't enjoy my classes this semester. On the contrary, I enjoy almost every single one of them. The problem is that there is one that I'm taking that I already hate, but I need it as a requirement to get the ol' degree. Whine, whine, whine.

So my days essentially start with my first class and end when I roll back into the apartment at sometime around two or three in the morning. This being the case, I'm starting to learn to embrace the nomadic lifestyle. My bookbag hasn't quite become a closet yet, but it's adapting rapidly. I have at least three books and a newspaper in there at any given point and I usually have a custom made mp3 CD in my disc player so I don't get sick of my music for a while. Now I just need some clothes and baggies of cereal to become an army of one. I also need to stop leaving my shit across the bi-town area, but that's something altogether different.

Before that happens, however, I'm trying to consciously invest in some quiet time with the kids. Now, I don't just mean this to be a euphemism for masturbation. In addition to that, it means I'm trying to spend some time--at home or otherwise--just chilling out with myself. That's been harder to do than I originally intended, but I still count hanging out and watching movies with a few loved ones as quiet, beneficial time (note: that one is actually not a euphemism for masturbation).

It's working out rather well, and I'm also trying to maintain a (slightly) healthier lifestyle in addition to keeping up with me. I'm trying to cut back substantially on my drinking, for example. Considering I've been drinking everyday of the week since just before the end of Christmas Break, I've got a lot to cut back. Same with the cigarettes. I've armed myself with some trusty toothpicks (although I need to find some that don't taste and smell like spray paint) to substitute one oral habit for another. I haven't really had an alcoholic drink since Saturday. And as far as the cigarettes are concerned, it's been one day and I think the paint fumes from the toothpicks are getting me high. Not the same as nicotine, but a guy could learn to live with it.

So as you can see, I'm in a kind of transitive state at the moment. I'm sure I'll either keep everyone posted or forget all about it. Let the betting pools begin.

Oh, and if someone is in the dark about everything going on in February, I'll invite you to take a look at Todd's page (Feb. 1 entry) for a look-see at all the events we've got laid out to combat the longest shortest of the year. Kudos, and I hope to see everyone out and about this month. An update with the East Meets West Conference: the guy I'm going to see has an event at 11am this Saturday. His name is Walid Raad, and you might have checked out his stuff from the link I provided in a previous post. If you like what is good, holy or otherwise, join me there this Saturday.

Peace.

Sunday, February 01, 2004

There was a game in there somewhere, I think

There was a game in there somewhere, I think

If anyone watched the Super Bowl, you saw about four minutes of real game and one second of this. I'm not sure if I can say anything about it that wasn't already said at every Super Bowl party in the world. As far as surprise guests are concerned though, count me surprised.