June 30, 2004

ha. the third day of my work week and i'm finally getting some nice sleep. since i only worked last night i don't have much to talk about this morning so here are two links definitely worth reading:

Cheney gets hella booed at the Yankees game monday night

we heard about this a while back as an option but here's more talk from a Bush appointee about the possibility of the november elections getting canceled or rescheduled if terrorists strike the US again

sheesh, that didn't take long; here's a bit of heart-warming news: US prosecutors refuse to uphold an Iraqi judge's order acquitting an Iraqi citizen of attempted murder of coalition troops. let freedom reign, indeed. US prosecutors said they that under the Geneva Conventions they were not bound by Iraqi Law. what is it good for, then?

today is the last day for NHL teams to sign up their soon-to-be Free Agent players. july 1st is the date. there's a lot of talk of Montreal making another offer to Kovalev, and there's also talk about them offering Palffy something as the Kings can't seem to be able to sign him. we'll see. Gainey is not done, that's for sure :)

definitely unintentionally hilarious, sitcom-worthy pic of Britney (with mom?). the past 6 months have not been good for our young BritBrit.

np: brandy, afrodisiac

Posted by Anonymous | 8:32 AM |

June 29, 2004

god almighty! Michael Moore had thought of it. this is cool. the rushed release of Fahrenheit 9/11 had us hoping for something else -- a dvd release date around september-october. well, our wishes have been answered: Fahrenheit 9/11 is coming to dvd in september (news courtesy of dark horizons). and yes, it's conciously coming out before the elections so folks who haven't seen it yet will have a chance to in the comfort of their own homes :)

np: brandy, afrodisiac

Posted by Anonymous | 2:11 PM |

good morning. everyone had a great night? i had to go back to the optometrist again this morning. 10:15. not bad but not great when my shift ends at midnight and i'm dead tired. i got an appointment with the wrong doctor yesterday. he did check me out but since the 'abrasion' in my left eye was still there he asked to get an appointment with my original doc because only he knew if the abrasion had healed a bit or not. so this morning i went and the good doctor had better news. although it hasn't healed 100%, he did ask me to not wear my contacts for another four weeks if i could. i have an appointment on august 2nd to see if it's all healed by then.

great day for music lovers today. lotsa good stuff came out this morning. but i'm on a tight budget until next week's pay so i held myself off to two buys:

lloyd banks - the hunger for more (limited edition with bonus dvd available)
brandy - afrodisiac (timbaland produced 60% of it, and at least one kanye production. nice)

two great articles from 1115.org:

the wonderful Joe Biden tells the President what he thinks of his staff. must be read to be believed.
oh, and yesterday Iraq became a "sovereign" nation. go read up for a concise list of all the things the US made sure to put in place well before the so-called Iraq interim constitution was drafted. sure to bring fuzzy warm feelings to everyone. apparently the President was right - the iraqis can govern themselves. apparently. he wouldn't lie, would he?

np: gorillaz, gorillaz

Posted by Anonymous | 11:28 AM |

woohoo -- we're still a country!! :) the Liberal Party apparently won the election. of course it appears to be a minority government but i'll take over a conservative government anytime. wow. whew. that was close. i only got home from work and this is the first news i ran across of this. i don't know the details yet but it feels good. i'm gonna go eat a bowl of cereal and watch some of the coverage if there's still some on. should be. if my calculations are correct, the west are about to close their polls right now. talk to you all tomorrow. you can sleep well tonight.

np:

Posted by Anonymous | 12:31 AM |

June 28, 2004

my two weeks off are over, folks. back to the old grind stone. but it's not too bad. later on today when i get into work, i'll see if the boss' two weeks off (for mysterious reasons no one is sure about) were extended. hopefully yes. also, i'll be given a new working partnet as the one who i'm going to spend the summer with got some kind of infection and is out until mid-july (but they're still making him come into work; he's actually gonna replace the boss if she's not in :) that'll be cool).

Canada: go have a say in the future of your country. and please don't elect a conservative government. btw, i just realized that by tonight, we'll know if we have a non-liberal government or not. hopefully not.

the Habs also sent Stéphane Quintal to the LA Kings. good riddance. sort of. he was okay and a nice person but he always made me feel as if he wasn't really a hockey player. he's just big and plays okay. (ha. Cristobal Huet, who we got from the Kings saturday, and i knew nothing about, is actually from France :) ha. that's nice. can't wait to see him in interviews. it'll be cool to hear the french accent on a hockey player :)

also, we're gonna know within the next three days whether Alex Kovalev remain an Hab. he becomes a free agent on july 1st. Gainey will make him another offer (he tossed him one last week but Kovi refused). i do believe that first offer was just for show. there's no way Gainey is gonna let Kovalev go and there's no way Alex is asking for $10 million a year, so. here's to hopefully very exciting news before wednesday :D

np: constantines, shine a light

Posted by Anonymous | 8:59 AM |

June 27, 2004

hello. i'm back from my short trip to montreal. yes i did see Fahrenheit 9/11. my experience was weird, though. i thought the film, although sometimes exceedingly well done, was kinda boring. my expectations for a Bush expose were probably a bit high, even after the huge backlash over this "controversial" film. but as i was watching the film i realized why i had problems getting into some of it -- i already knew most of the "explosive" facts about this administration. so even though i'm extremely anti-Bush, i'm actually not the audience for this film. weird, uh? i would really love to hear comments from people who didn't know all the stuff about Bush, the Saudis, and the Iraq invasion. although, the film does bring all of the info into an (almost) concise two hours, which put together makes for a better tool to get Bush out of office than any of us raving about him for the past three years. i have a few more thoughts on the film. i won't go into details out here about it. if you wanna know my thoughts or wanna talk about the film, please help yourself in the comments. i'll gladly take you up on it. is it a good film? hmm. i would have loved to have gone in with almost no knowledge of this man or the administration's sinister plots. it woulda blown my mind. but what i did see was a really good film that lost it's thread a bit after an hour and then came back nicely to tie it all in (some of the film is extremely well done). btw, this is not propaganda. the controversy is so overblown, it's ridiculous. go see it and judge for yourselves. especially if you're an american.

but before i got to Fahrenheit 9/11, we went to Ikea :) nice. we were on a tight schedule (i wanted us to get to the theater half an hour before the film was to start. the roommate thought i was delusional that the film would be sold out at 2:30 pm on a beautiful sunday afternoon. we arrived at 2:10 and the line was going into the mall :) and we got there in time too 'cause 5 minutes later and we would've had to settle for aisle seats. people were asking around trying to find seats for two, for god's sake :) if the film wasn't sold out, it was damn close). we somehow forgot about my shelves and the roommate reminded me i wanted to leave for the film in 5 minutes so we didn't go back (thank god i listened to her, though :) but i did get was this beautiful and cheap chest of drawers (whch, btw, is cooler and so not pink in real life :) i'd spotted in the catalogue last fall, i believe. but i hadn't had a chance to go to Ikea since. i also snatched up a small wall lamp to read in bed. i just put that up. i just put aside the rest of my evening to put together the chest of drawers :) and after going back and forth over where to put in my bedroom i finally found the most perfect way to organize my furniture!! only two pieces to move so it's not too bad. i really love this new idea :)

np: constantines, shine a light

Posted by Anonymous | 8:36 PM |

good morning, all. here are my plans for today (changed slightly from last night) -- i'm going to montreal to see Fahrenheit 9/11 (i should post my comments later on tonight) but i'll swing by Ikea beforehand to get a few things. and what's changed, you say? well, i was going alone because the roommate didn't wanna have to drive to montreal again (she'll have gone 3 or 4 times by wednesday). i was pissed but that wasn't gonna make me change my mind. but. last night she asked if i was still going. i said yes. she told me to call before i left this morning (she's at her boyfriend's). well, she changed her mind :) i'm happy about that. have a good day. i'll be back later on this evening.

np: constantines, shine a light

Posted by Anonymous | 10:25 AM |

June 26, 2004

George W Bush, bringer of freedom and goodwill to the world. poor President Beady Eyes can't even have a minimum amount of class when he gets out and visits other countries. even the White House staff got in on the action, which is weird 'cause you'd think they'd have more of an objective view of the proceedings. but no. it seems their brainwashing of the american media has resulted in them believing their own fictional role in the world.

as for myself, i used my freedom well this afternoon. after salivating over the Ikea website and catalogue for about half an hour, i went on a cleaning spree in the apartment :) it felt great. a second spring cleanin; this one on june 26th :)

np: wilco, a.m.

Posted by Anonymous | 3:47 PM |

for those of you staying indoor this saturday afternoon, the 2004 NHL Entry Draft is going on; check it out on TSN or ESPN2. personally, i can't wait to see who Montreal pick and if they've made a couple of trades or not.

update, 7:18 pm:

i didn't watch the draft after the 20th pick of the first round. it was so long. the commentators were fun and helpful but i didn't know any of the players being drafted so i tuned out. but. i just heard that we, Montreal, got a few players in trades!! dayum. we gots:

Radek Bonk (Ottawa Senators via LA)
Cristobal Huet (LA)

Bonk is the surprise here. definitely one of the Sens' high-profile player. sadly, though, we got rid of Mathieu Garon (and a 77th draft pick) for these two players. i'm upset that he's leaving Montreal but i guess i'll get over it. can't september get here already???

np:

Posted by Anonymous | 12:18 PM |

no one's up at 8 on a saturday morning. the internet is empty.

last night i took off all the goddamn price tags on my new used cd's. there's always glue left when you take off the stickers but thankfully i got some medicated pads just to take off glue like that. i got my system down. and i usually don't mind it but last night it got to be a bitch. i had nine cd's to take care of, goddammit! i was listening to a demo tape of myself and it was fine. this one had some good songs on it. but then, after twenty minutes of it you sorta get irritated by having to scratch those stickers off (one or two on the back of the case, one on the cd and a last one on the tray under the cd) and the music kinda gets frustrating also. lol. anyway. after, i think, about 45 minutes i finally finished them all and was happy about it. but it was 12:50 am or something. i finally went to bed. i woke up around 7 this morning, though! i couldn't see myself going back to sleep so i got up. and to make up for the lack of sleep i gave my body, i decided i'd go out running :) and i actually did. i really did. the night fog hadn't even lifted yet and it was chilly outside. perfect. the streets are empty at 7:45 in the morning. so out i went. by that time the fog had somewhat lifted and the sun was waking up over it. and i used a whole new route also. i ended up running on this street that goes into a more country feel. this one street had huge trees hovering above it from both sides and the lots were bigger so they had more woods in there. with the fog and the waking sun, this reminded me of Virginia and South Carolina. when i was a kid, our parents took us camping there every summer for a month or two. it was bliss. i think i jogged for about twenty minutes in that scenery and came back home. i procastinated a lot these past few weeks so twenty mionutes ain't too bad for me. so, by 8:13 i was back home and my jogging was all done for the day :)

ps. do you guys rent movies? new releases? seen any good ones lately? i've been off the new releases for some time now but i remember thinking there were more than a couple of really interesting ones coming up - right now i can think of a few; got any comments on these? Big Fish, In America, The Son (Le fils), Station Agent, Mystic River (read that, because of the hype, it's a bit underwhelming - true?), and The Fog of War. i'm sure there are others (btw, i saw Bad Santa and Paycheck). i'd love it if you could send me some comments or suggestions. thanks :)

np:

Posted by Anonymous | 8:50 AM |

June 25, 2004

The Criterion Collection finally reveals the upcoming titles slated for release after august:

249 The Battle of Algiers | Gillo Pontecorvo | 1965 | 3 disc set *
250 John Cassavetes: Five Films
251 Shadows | 1959
252 Faces | 1968
253 A Woman Under the Influence | 1974
254 The Killing of a Chinese Bookie | 1976
255 Opening Night | 1977
256 A Constant Forge | Charles Kiselyak | 2000 **

that set, with Cassavetes' major films, looks mightily impressive. too bad the films will only be available as a unit and not sold invidually. i'd love to get some of those films. ooh, my birthday is in the fall :P

* one of the bonus features on disc 3: How to Win the Battle But Lose the War of Ideas: a conversation about the contemporary relevance of The Battle of Algiers between former National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism and author of Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War on Terror, Richard A. Clarke, former State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Michael A. Sheehan, and Chief of Investigative Projects for ABC News, Christopher E. Isham :)

** portrait of the life and art of Cassavetes

np:

Posted by Anonymous | 8:18 PM |

stuff was bought - and then some. please keep in mind, though, that all of the following were purchased at used record stores. i found two albums at the first store and thought that would be good enough. i hadn't been there for weeks so i was expecting a bit more but their stock doesn't seem to be changing like it used to. oh well. still got two good albums. next up, the almost-creepy store where you expect all the stuff you find to be stolen goods. but. it's the store where you can make the most awesome discoveries since not many people go in there for the cd's (mainly electronics, bikes, guitars, etc). so there are many hidden gems amongst the shabby look of the place. and finds were made :) check out the last five albums, especially the indie ones. this is the place i found two early Arab Strap cd's last year and an Elliott Smith on the same day. they'd also received a bunch of really early Yo la Tengo cd's i'd never heard of. my thought: some indie kid in the city had been in serious need of cash that week. too bad for him/her. i'm picking it all up :)

slum village - trinity (past, present and future)
garth brooks - ropin' the wind (the limited series)
mystikal - tarantula (neptunes! rockwilder and scott storch too. not too bad)
blur - song 2 (japanese 8-track cd :) there since last fall. finally picked it up)
low - secret name
luna - pup tent
songs: ohia - the lioness
wilco - a.m.
yo la tengo - genius + love = yo la tengo (2cd)

as i was waiting (for like ten minutes) for the guy to finish off with the two guys who were looking into buying a bike, i glanced over at the small dvd rack by the cash register. it's always stuff like Resident Evil or Titanic. but then i noticed the top of one case for a split second ... it said Criterion Collection :D it was Henri-Georges Clouzot's Diabolique ... $14.99 canadian. lmfao! of course i got it!! :) i never thought i'd run across Criterion discs in used bins. and because these guys don't the value of the Criterion Collection, of course priced it like any discarded Mary-Kate and Ashley flick :) hurrah for me!

needless to say, i didn't stop by the video store to rent something for tonight. lol. not that i'm gonna watch Diabolique, but after buying all those cd's i was kind of burnt out of spending :)

np: spoon, girls can tell

Posted by Anonymous | 6:16 PM |

Fahrenheit 9/11 is out. go see it.
as for myself, i thought we'd get it but i was wrong. i think there weren't enough copies. i don't wanna have to wait even a week before seeing this so i think a trip to montreal this weekend will be in order.

whoa. when you think about it, this is pretty mindblowing. go read the stunning revelation found in a draft report of the 9-11 Commission: The Cheney Coup | courtesy of daily kos

np: wilco, yankee hotel foxtrot

Posted by Anonymous | 7:50 AM |

June 24, 2004

happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, everyone! the Saint-Jean is the Quebec national holiday so i'm helping celebrate by only listening to Quebec artists all day today. but. there is one catch. this holiday still leaves a bad taste in my mouth because it's been hijacked by Quebec separatists and people still see it as a francophone holiday. but. it's about quebecers, isn't it? (btw, like i always mention: i'm a white Quebec francophone. and still proud of it. so it's not a rant against quebec francophones; it's a rant against the ones who still (and prouldy, i might add; but unconsciouly so) hold a fascist agenda. it's unbelievable to me. this province needs to get its head out of its ass and get real. we're still living in the 70s. this province, as with all of Canada, has a multitude of beautiful cultures to offer. french included. please stop with the xenophobia. so, as i was saying. i'm consciously expanding what is considered quebecois on this day. you can also play along and put any of the (non-francophone) following artists on - off the top of my head: Melissa Auf Der Maur, Rufus Wainwright, Kid Koala, Amon Tobin, Bran Van 3000, and The Stills. i'm fuckin' sick of francophones in denial or in fear (stop with the fuckin' paranoia, will ya? we're not under siege at all. breathe a little) about what Quebec is. be open about it. we're not losing our culture at all. learn to accept others' cultures and this will be a much, much better place to live, you'll see. rant over. this sickens me, though. i love my country and my province. today is about loving my province; not about hating and bashing non-francophones. the world has moved on and what is left of the proud protectionism of the 60s and 70s is hate and xenophobia. well, our culture has expanded. we haven't lost our language (a lot of them still hold the belief that language is our culture (and they delude themselves by going to see Armageddon dubbed in quebecois; i've said before and i'll it (again and again): it doesn't preserve your quebec culture, you prick. the film still has very american values). well, it is part of it, and i don't wanna lose it, but it's not the biggest one. culture is a lot more things than language: it's mainly a set of attitudes and behaviors among people. not everyone in this province who speaks french has the same culture as i have. we express ourselves in french. but that's pretty much it. open up your minds. we need to let the other cultures that live here be part of our own. we're not gonna lose our identity. hell, as much as we've tried, they haven't lost theirs. we need to accept them into our own -- quebecers. i'm sad to say that we still don't). we seriously need to wake up and realize this. so have a happy, safe, and fun Saint-Jean today. i'm always torn when we get to this day. torn between deep disgust for the very real highjacking of the fête by separatists and genuine love for this part of my culture. as far as i know this fête is still about quebecers, not about separatists, so i'll be celebrating my love for this province in my own personal, dogged way :) it's the only way i can to keep my sanity :)

np: dumas, le cours des jours

Posted by Anonymous | 8:26 AM |

June 23, 2004

god i'm still on this thing.
but i just wanted to say one last thing. please go sign the petition to Draft Bruce Springsteen. you know the story. but there's something i didn't know - that Andrew Rasiej, the promoter, also asked a bunch of other bands (most notably REM) about coming down to NY for this thing. and they all said if he built it they'd do it. so please help him build it. thanks.

np:

Posted by Anonymous | 6:11 PM |

i need help. a nice little shove will do. i want to order Ozu's A Story of Floating Weeds/Floating Weeds set. i can get it for $43 (cdn), taxes and shipping included. not bad. i really just need a little shove to get me over that last hump, though. i'll also finally be ordering Kurosawa's amazing Throne of Blood for the same price. i rarely buy any dvd's in stores nowawdays -- especially not Criterion discs.

np: underworld, dirty epic/cowgirl

Posted by Anonymous | 2:43 PM |

Bad Santa (unrated) by Terry Zwigoff, 2003

the film's really funny for the first two acts, but sadly loses its bite and goal towards the end (i thought). but the film is worth renting for a lot of things: the superb performance of Billy Bob Thornton, the chemistry between him and Tony Cox, and the beautifully relentless writing (it missed being outta this world by this much). i even showed a couple of quick scenes to the roommate because she was on her lunch break and had to run out. well, not ten seconds into the first clip i showed her that she started laughing her ass off :) that's a great sign from someone who had no interest whatsoever in the flick. Bernie Mac is somehow made unfunny (the outtakes are fun, though). but John Ritter is really good with the few scenes he's given. really good, funny film. btw, i had no idea Joel and Ethan Coen had executive-produced this film. that's probably why Billy Bob got attached to this, from their collaboration on the superb The Man Who Wasn't There.

np: underworld, dirty epic/cowgirl

Posted by Anonymous | 2:28 PM |

Paycheck by John Woo, 2003

word of advice: you do need a ton of suspension of disbelief to be able to get through this movie. i'm not saying it's impossible. it is. but you need to remind yourself to suspend your disbelief. it comes in handy.

in the end, it's one mess of a movie. 'preposterous' is the word that kept popping into my head throughout the whole film. see, it made me realize just how amazingly good Paul Verhoeven was when he made Total Recall. the story's are the same; someone gets his memory wiped clean and finds himself in big trouble he has to understand before he gets killed. but Verhoeven was able to make us care for, of all people, Arnold's plight (although it's been ages since i've seen that film. i'd have to re-watch it to see if it still works now that i'm not a kid anymore). this is something John Woo, but more specifically Ben Affleck, aren't able to. Affleck doesn't seem to have the balls to pull this type of character -the action character- off. he still seems too unsure of himself. it's apparent in a lot of his bigger films. i do like the guy, i'm not an Affleck basher by any means, but i've never really seen him as an actor. he strikes me as something else (a writer? director?). he did give a couple of really good performances (Good Will Hunting, but especially Chasing Amy) earlier in his career, but when it comes time to play macho or the action hero, whoop, he's gone. i will admit, though, that i was surprised at various points during the film to find myself finally forgetting i was watching Ben Affleck. i'll give him that. i just don't buy a) the earnest and corny in love Affleck, and b) the tough and serious Affleck. that's for the main character. now for bit players. Uma Thurman actually doesn't add anything to the film. she doesn't do much and is only useful as the 'love interest'. nah, actually. Affleck's not even fighting for her. he's mostly trying to right the wrongs he did. he's kinda saving the world (thankfully, that phrase is never used in the film). so, what's Uma doing there? well, she kicks some butt, but not as much as in Kill Bill. just enough to keep some sort of background noise. is she his sidekick? nope. not really. Ben solves everything on his own. what is she good for, then? really - nothing. she gives a sub-adequate performance (there's a couple of scene in which she's just too cartoon-y) and that's it. her character, although the only tangible link to Ben's muddled past that he trusts, is irrelevant. she's there so she can give him later on in the film that i now forgot. yeah, it's that relevant, apparently.

now, the main thing i was looking to save this movie was John Woo and the action. the only set piece i do remember is the bike sequence (with big black rubber helmets that make $20 million stars look goofy instead of macho and tough). and it doesn't disappoint. but it's the only scene that impressed me. the rest is the stuff of every other big hollywood action movie.

the idea for the film, based on Philip K Dick's novel, is a really good one. and some of it is really well executed. but the screenplay as so many plot holes it can barely sustain itself. this is where the big part of preposterous comes in and blows you away. (you need to look past these gaping holes if you wanna be able to make it to the end). i don't know if these were in the book or if the book was condensed too much. i have no idea. but i was shocked to see a film done by so many good people with so many obvious unanswered questions or just lousy writing.

it came this close to being a really cool film, but it ended up just being really annoying instead. too bad. now let's move on with our lives.

[ hmm. i guess i did have more to say about this film, after all :) don't rent it. or if you do, make sure you're a Philip K Dick fan so you'll at least enjoy some of it. as for anyone else, just rent Total Recall. but there is one reason to rent the Paycheck disc -- it includes the wonderful preview for Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. brilliant, brilliant stuff. as much fun as the title implies. ]

np: underworld, dirty epic/cowgirl

Posted by Anonymous | 1:58 PM |

oh god. so sunday, i think, me and the roommate are taking a walk around the neighborhood and find 'missing cat' notes taped to a few mailboxes. there's this small cat that i've seen the children kinda dopting over the past week but i don't think that's him. well, there he is, playing with the kids right now, and damn if that cat doesn't fit the description. he's grey and has a white spot on his belly. now, there's a lot of cats like that. he only needs to have that chipped ear. but i'll need to go check him out. which i will do this afternoon because i can't, in my right mind, let that family not have their cat and think it's gone forever. it's been about a week. what if they have kids? but, the two kids out front kinda have adopted him. as far as i can tell they don't bring him in the apartment, though, which is a good thing. but the little girl's playing with him and following it around with a ball, trying to get its attention. they've even brought a bowl out. the ties are starting to grow. i'll go pick up my mail soon so i'll stop by and tell her a family's lost their cat and this one looks like it could be it, etc. urgh. damn. i hate this. best case scenario: it's the cat, the girl misses it, bugs her parents about it and they get her one :) she'll get over it (right? that's what i have to keep telling myself).

update, 1:51 pm:

so i went out and wrote down the phone number for the missing cat. the note said the cat was 'dark' grey. the one i'd seen was light grey. in any case, the chipped ear would give me a definite answer on the cat's identity. when i came back the little girl and boy were not on the steps outside their apartment building. the cat was alone. i went towards him and as soon as he saw he got up and came down the steps to meet me. lol :) my cat's not as social as this one! fuck. lol. anyway. so, no, the cat's ears were both fine. this wasn't it. but when i went on my short walk i did see a cat with long, dark grey hair go in some bushes. so i called the number and told the lady this. she said her cat's fur was short and almost hung up on me as soon as i was finished. she didn't even seem grateful. let her find her damn cat. i'm done.

np: underworld, dirty epic/cowgirl

Posted by Anonymous | 1:03 PM |

June 22, 2004

a late -and very short- post:

the Associated Press is suing the Pentagon and the Air Force today over the unreleased portion of George W Bush's military records!! wow. i'm stunned. this, is big. you can bet the White House thought this was over and done with months ago :)

i just saw that and thought it was worth at least two minutes of blogging time.

i just watched Paycheck but i think i'll keep my thoughts (however few there actually are) for tomorrow. probably. now on to Bad Santa :) have a good night.

np:

Posted by Anonymous | 9:36 PM |

well, i was expecting it yesterday afternoon. but the day passed and nothing. today was the day, though! the 69 Love Songs box set arrived! it looks good too. i don't like the lyrics being crappily written all over the booklets but hey, the rest of the set is nice enough. now. i should start listening to it. lol. what a job that will be. if i like it i'll go get Merritt's i album.

well, i did it. after not having rented any movie from the video store for the past two months (online rental has quickly become my bestest friend) and only watching Criterion discs day and day out for the past ten days, i decided it was time to give my brain some well-deserved rest. i went to the video store and rented Bad Santa (unrated) (i ain't writing down that 'badder santa' crap. lol) and John Woo's Paycheck. i've wanted to see Bad Santa (although it kinda got lost on the buzz radar rather quickly). as for the second film (the deal is two movies for two days for $7), i had a couple of options (although not nearly as many as i was expecting there to be) but decided on the John Woo action film. even though it may not look too awesome and spectacular, a John Woo film is ten times better than any other type of action film. bring out the popcorn!

no cd's werre purchased, used or new (i want that new Masta Killa album; and maybe the latest Jadakiss too?). i'm holding off on it until friday or this weekend. btw, i started listening to the latest Ghostface album this afternoon. first time listen and it was in the car, but, it made a surprisingly good first impression. more old school 70's r&b than i was expecting. good bunch of songs. i liked the style too. kind of lounge-y hip hop. "run" is definitely a standout. just found out RZA did that :) nice.

np: kid koala, kill your darlings

Posted by Anonymous | 4:37 PM |

it looks like we're gonna get a bunch of rainy, or at least very cloudy, couple of days around here. the roommate is leaving me alone for the next few days (in fact, i'll only see her tomorrow for a few minutes before she leaves and then i'm not expecting her before sunday :) but i don't have any rented dvd's anymore. i watched them all last weekend (how in the fuck did i go through four movies and a Chappelle disc? i was surprised i could). so i'm thinking that if i don't get the two that are on their way today i'll do something i haven't done in weeks. seriously. i haven't been in a video store for at least five-six weeks. lol. and i know there were a lot of new releases coming out that looked interesting. got any suggestions? thanks.

today i should go drop some additional info the roommate forgot to put in for her passport. then i'll drop by a used record store or two, and finish things off with a short trip to my mom's house (she's giving me my brother's Brita (yay - i got two now! :), some dry vegetarian food he left her before moving out west, and a vegetarian recipe book of his.

oh, so last night i actually went to bed at the same time as the roommate and her boyfriend, around 11 (ha! being on vacation rocks :) i like being able to go to bed early when i can. i can rest up and sleep better when i do). but i put on an album, as i always do when going to sleep, on my discman. the disc of choice? Prodigy's The Fat of the Land because the new one is dropping later this summer and i'm actually psyched about it (it's been seven fuckin' years!!) and it'd been a while since i last listened to this one. and boy. that album can kick you and your brothers' asses! man! it was relentless. and Liam Howlett produced this thing. i never realized that. he's good. that's one motherfucker of an album.

Badly Drawn Boy's new disc, One Plus One Is One, actually streets today in canada. who knew? i thought we had the same street date as the US (july 27th) but apparently someone thought better of it. thank you, mr or ms. americans can order the UK import.

i'm thinking of waiting till i get my pay thursday to get the Masta Killa cd. sounds interesting. (cd+dvd edition available for those interested.)

the Wilco is also out. drop those mp3's and go get yourself a copy.

update, 12:18 pm:

nothing new but it's the first official word that's gotten me really excited about the next season. it should be good. thanks to dark horizons for this (there are no spoilers, only mentions of regulars becoming non-regulars - stuff we've all heard but i'm keeping it hidden in case someone is really trying hard to stay away from 24 news):

Elisha on Next Year's "24":

First up she confirmed the reports that Kiefer Sutherland will be the only regular character next year are true, with her part reduced to 'recurring' status - "I'm coming back as also recurring. I think the only regular on the show for the fourth season will be Kiefer. They haven't given me any episodes so far, I have the choice to either do the ones that they write me in or not, depending upon my schedule".

She also revealed that "I think they have a really great idea coming up for the fourth year, sadly I probably won't be as involved as much as I have been in the past three years, but it has been a great run for me and I'm content with that because I think they have some different plans . I hear they're bringing on some really great actors also, so while you're losing a couple of your regulars - you'll get be getting some pretty great new ones".


np: kid loco, kill your darlings

Posted by Anonymous | 8:30 AM |

June 21, 2004

The Cranes Are Flying by Mikhail Kalatozov, 1957 ; the criterion collection

this is one of the most beautifully shot, well-directed films i've ever seen. Kalatozov uses extreme high and low angles shots for at least the first twenty minutes of this film, and rather than come off as awkward, pretentious, and cold, it heightens the film's narrative and gives it a poetic spirit befitting two people in love. the film centers around a young couple deeply in love caught by a burgeoning war. had i not known this film was russian i would've been sure it was italian. the passion Kalatozov creates in his shots and the performances of the two leads is simply amazing. the film does lose some steam after the first half (understandably so, seeing as the story veers into war and its possible consequences). but it's worth renting just for the beauty of 75% of the film. one of the many gems that can be found in the wonderful Criterion Collection.

np:

Posted by Anonymous | 1:12 PM |

good morning, all. here's something to help you wake up (probably not in a good way, though): bland Jenna from Survivor and hubby make a sex tape and in some magical way it finds its way to the public. yep. via reality blurred

i woke up at 7:30 this morning, and, contrary to previous mornings, i wasn't able to go back to sleep and decided to just get up. i don't have to be in tip-top shape today anyway. i spent a damn good part of my morning updating the Garbage portion of my collection catalogue (which made me realize i actually don't have the rubber-sleeved "subhuman" 7". fuck. i really thought i did).

it's too early right now so that's all i have for you but i'll update if there's any breaking news, i swear.

np:

Posted by Anonymous | 10:10 AM |

The Pornographers by Shohei Imamura, 1966 ; the criterion collection

it's not as provocative as the title might suggest; rather, it's a cool story set in a conservative society (which still applies to our society, btw) about two men who happen to make pornographic films for clients. the pornographic aspect of the main characters' lives is never displayed, though, it's only used so we can be witness to the people's sexual needs. the film is about our attitudes towards sex. it's also surprisingly funny. i wasn't expecting that. i thought it was going to be some kind of experimental film. but it's not. in fact, Imamura keeps the whole thing so light while tackling a very challenging subject that it is a normal film. there's nothing shocking or lewd about it at all. i wasn't expecting to be as entertained as i was. this film was a nice surprise. highly recommended.

np:

Posted by Anonymous | 9:35 AM |

June 20, 2004

"there were connections between al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein." yeah. an al-Qaeda agent was treated in a Baghdad hospital and Bin-Laden tried to communicate with Hussein, which Hussein flat-out refused. you invaded a country for that?? got any terrorists in the U.S.? you better make sure 'cause someone could bomb the fuck out of your country for that, you know. meanwhile, back in the 80s, your dad, Bush I, sent Secretary Rumsfeld to Iraq to talk with Hussein on how to better gas the Kurds. i'd say that was a definite link, wouldn't you? chill the fuck out, asshole.

i went out jogging this morning. it'd been a while and since i've been on this health kick for the past week, taking up running again had been on my mind. it felt good. although, i did get exhausted faster than this spring when i was getting out to run three times a week. but it felt good. hopefully i can manage some sort of regular running schedule these coming weeks. the first few weeks are always the hardest; after that it becomes second nature.

np: electric six, fire

Posted by Anonymous | 12:26 PM |

June 19, 2004

a quick hello to the people coming in from trash-talk :)

np:

Posted by Anonymous | 10:54 AM |

Stray Dog by Akira Kurosawa, 1949 ; the criterion collection

one of Akira Kurosawa's earlier films. i'd never heard of it until Criterion thought of adding it to their collection. this one is a police drama. a rookie cop (Toshiro Mifune - yay!) gets his gun stolen and retraces his steps over several days to get it back. Kurosawa split off his point-of-view onto two different characters - Mifune's Murakami and Takashi Shimura's detective Sato. and the thing is, what with Mifune becoming the legend that he's become, it's Shimura's quiet, contemplative portrayal of the wiser detective that takes your attention [ time to check out his imdb credits: he's also in Kurosawa's Yojimbo, Sanjuro, and High and Low. and he's in Red Beard!! woohoo! i got that one but haven't watched it yet. ooh, Hidden Fortress.. :) also got that one. he was in Throne of Blood??? ...Seven Samurai. Ikiru! :) ...Rashomon. well. i'm in for a treat, aren't i? i always thought Kurosawa's actor was Mifune but i guess he's also got another fetish actor with Shimura. i'm blown away right now ]. the film takes place during one mother of a heatwave (which Kurosawa brilliantly translates onto the film) while the two cops try to find out in which hands the gun might have fallen. while Murakami's plight is interesting (the gun might be used in current crimes), he seems to be much more torn about it than i was; which made the Sato character that better suited to follow and connect with. the first half of the movie plays almost like a silent film, with a score playing quietly in the background. even though nothing major happens during much of the film, Kurosawa always keeps it compelling and moving along. i didn't think this film would be up-to-par with Kurosawa's other, more well-known, films. but i was wrong. dead wrong. even though it's quiet, this is one captivating film. and i have no qualms about positively recommending this as a rental to anyone interested in spending two hours with a good film - and a definite buy for Criterion lovers.

np: manitoba, up in flames

Posted by Anonymous | 9:54 AM |

June 18, 2004

wish me luck, for i am about to embark on one massive dvd-viewing weekend. i'm spoiled too -- i got me some great food yesterday (all healthy and shit too), the roommate happens to be out in montreal, and i get a boatload of cool dvd's to check out. so i've got three full evenings to enjoy these hopefully fine, fine films (and what amazing editions from criterion). yeah, i'm a loser; but a damn happy one right now :)

akira kurosawa's stray dog (criterion collection)
francesco rosi's salvatore giuliano (criterion collection, two-disc set)
mikhail kalatozov's the cranes are flying (criterion collection)
shohei imamura's the pornographers (criterion collection)

you got any thoughts or comments on these films?

np:

Posted by Anonymous | 7:21 PM |

ohmyfuckinggod. how in the hell did we get a Zatoichi film ??? fuck. this was highly unexpected, to say the least! i had to scramble to find out which one it was. it's Kitano's film from last year. this is pretty cool. anyone seen this one? will i miss much if i haven't seen a single film from the series?

does anyone have the canadian edition of PJ's Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea? the tracklisting on the back says we have the bonus track "this wicked tongue", and yet, i can't find it on the cd. was this a typo brought over from the UK album? do you know anything about this?

in the interest of being healthy i should go out and shoot some basketball this afternoon. it's hot and humid out but it's also cloudy so it's not gonna be too bad. hopefully i'll also get some rays to hit me. i need to start some kind of tan :)

hey, amazon.ca just shipped the 69 Love Songs set!! should be here monday afternoon. yay for that.

update, 2:55 pm:
lo and behold, i actually did go out and play some basketball this afternoon! and i ended up doing forty minutes of it too :) not bad. i'm proud of myself. but i don't think i got much of a tan, though, because the sky was getting cloudier and cloudier. but my legs were burning. feels good. probably from the exercise. yay for me. god knows i needed it.

np: pj harvey, stories from the city, stories from the sea

Posted by Anonymous | 11:26 AM |

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by Alfonso Cuarón, 2004

we finally went and saw the film! wow. after waiting for two weeks too. okay, first off here are my thoughts on the first two films in the series -- they sucked. the main reason: Chris Columbus didn't seem like he wanted to direct them so he only shot the script and called it a day. but i did end up picking up the books (thanks to the roommate who's got 'em all) and they're really good. they truly are page-turners. anyway. so last fall i started reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. thing is, i got lazy this year and only picked it back up a few weeks ago and i recently spent more than a few afternoons pick it back up. i never thought i'd get to finish it before seeing the film but it was fun. then last night - the film. at this point i wasn't excited about seeing it but it's the first time i really wanted to catch a Harry Potter film in theaters. why? Alfonso Cuarón. i couldn't wait to see what he would do to the series with his darker, more serious style. and that doesn't disappoint. the kids are more normal, the tone is bleaker, etc. but i only found myself following the film from scene to scene. there was no excitement. but. i found out why towards the end -- i knew what was coming up. there was no excitement. it was all, "ah. nicely done. right. oh yeah, that." that sort of thing. but then came the point where i'd stopped reading the book. and things just picked up and never let off until the very end. so i do believe the whole film is like that; i just knew what was around the corner, is all. so it put the flow of the film off for me. the kids give better performances but you can still see some non-actor moments in Daniel Radcliffe (but he is better than in the first two films. Alfonso just wasn't able to make him a true actor for every single frame). Gary Oldman, with the few scenes he has, somehow makes you care about his dark character. JK Rowling's talent, i believe, is to lay down tracks and scenes that will always have a role in the way the story works out in the end. and you rarely see 'em coming. and the film works like a charm. storylines come in and out, and important info that will play out later on is divulged without your knowledge. and when the film's over, or when things are revealed, you go, "oh... that why (this and that)!" (and the sexual innuendos are pretty clear for adults :) i couldn't believe it when the first one appeared. go Alfonso! :) with this film they've got a chance to turn the sterile series into the exciting series it can be. i would have loved for Warner to give Alfonso the rest of the series. somehow that didn't happen. but thank god Chris Columbus is not doing the next one (Mike Newell is). hopefully they'll keep him on only as a producer and i'll be happy. but no one will make me as excited as i was when i first heard Alfonso Cuarón was directing this. it was a fluke. which he took and ran with. this film is fun. roomie - bring on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! i'm all fired up about reading the next Harry Potter adventures.

ps. the roommate, the big Harry Potter fan, who's favorite book of the series is the third one, gave it a big thumbs up and clapped to herself when the credits rolled :) i couldn't give it a better approval than that.

np:

Posted by Anonymous | 9:26 AM |

June 17, 2004

'morning, all.

i need your help again. in my newfound quest to eat healthier i've been looking into getting a water filter for the apartment. i've been looking around this morning and i decided to settle on the Brita brand. now. i don't know what kind of filter i wanna get - the faucet filter, the pitcher, or the big ultra max water dispenser. any thoughts or comments on this most pressing issue? (although, the brita space saver water pitcher is looking rather good right now.)

update: scratch that. i got the Brita Space Saver Water Pitcher :) i had to do two stores before finding this exact one. boy do they have a lot of different Brita pitchers. thank god i did my research beforehand. i'm happyhappyhappy about this :) i'm on a sort of health kick this week; since i saw Super Size Me last weekend. for some reason this film connected with me at just the right moment in my life. like everything else in life, you just have to be open to it to accept it.

np:

Posted by Anonymous | 9:28 AM |

June 16, 2004

Method & Red: wow. actually, this show wasn't half bad. i actually really liked it. laughed my ass off real hard at least three times. but there is one thing -- Fox, please get rid of the fuckin' laugh track already! p-lease. it adds nothing. in fact, it makes it look like the jokes aren't funny and you need the canned laughs to get through the show; which, i just found out, is really not the case. the show is funny. as long as they don't make the white folk/black folk thing the main point of the series, this show will be ready to go. Method Man and Redman are just naturals. it's amazing. and they have a great chemistry together. i was floored. so yeah, get rid of the laugh track asap and continue with the good writing (great Paris Hilton joke :) it's like a saturday morning cartoon with Meth and Red. only not as corny as that sounds. the fit is definitely perfect.

update: yay! at least i'm not alone in this fight against the Meth & Red laugh track - Sonia Mansfield of the san francisco examiner says the pilot was sent out to critics with the track on but hopes it will disappear as soon as episode #2 rolls out. hopefully it was a mistake and they'll see that they don't need it (seriously, it annoys the viewer and hinders the show more than anything).

np:

Posted by Anonymous | 11:57 PM |

well, i finally gave in. i upped my credit card limit and ordered the Magnetic Fields' epic 3-disc 69 Love Songs (thanks to the folks who told me to get this). it's kinda insane, though, really. but i was able to drive the price down with coupons and free shipping - $50.60. not bad. i wanted it before my two weeks off were over so i could a) bask in the sun while listening to it, and b) be free and have no worries while listening to it (trust me. it works in my head). it seems appropriate for that release (such a monumental work; and about love, to boot. i'm seriously happy getting this. it's just how i had to go about freeing up some money that i'm not too thrilled about). in my mind, i'm keeping the same credit card limit, though. this was a one-off (right. no one ever says that) and it's the first thing i'm paying off when i get my pay next thursday. god. this was eating me up. still is, but i gave myself parameters so i do feel a bit better about it. i'll feel definitely better once i've paid it off, though. do i sound like an alcoholic? lol. see you all later. i'm gonna go make myself a nice dinner and sit down to watch Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Cure. nice...

ps. if you have had some kind of experience with 69 Love Songs and have liked it, could you please let me know so as to alleviate some of my fears? :) thanks.

np:

Posted by Anonymous | 8:07 PM |

wow. i started looking up my online canadian music stores to see if they had the Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs box set. after being surprised to see the set at a couple of stores for $57 (not bad) i found it at amazon.ca for $45 !! i got a bunch of albums i wanna get but i'm close to broke right now. the credit card limit might get an update for this. pay's next week. i'll see what i can do. can i really wait a week for this set?... :) maybe, maybe not.

anyone seen a movie that blew their mind recently? recommend.

i might do a mix cd today. i've been wanting to do one for a while now but lately i've been listening to new albums i hadn't had time to get to (got lots of those lying around, waiting). but it's sunny out. it'll be a toss-up.

tv: the summer season gets it's first real (although admittedly very weak) shot in the arm tonight with Fox premiering The Simple Life 2 (ugh) (8 pm and then a second episode at 9 pm) and the abysmal-looking Method and Red. although, i will be tuning in to the latter if only because, according to Chris Ryall, the pilot's not as bad as it looks, and the show could actually end up being really good. i'm gonna tune in to see Meth and Redman's chemistry. that should be good. and then i'll turn away when a joke's made about black people being poor and rich white folks being too uptight for their own good. please let it be about more than that. (please.) (oops. Fox managed to cram in a new Andy Richter sitcom, Quintuplets, between the two Simple Life episodes tonight. 8:30 pm. catch it before it gets yanked off the air in two weeks (deservedly? it looks bad. bring back Andy Richter Controls the Universe instead, Fox).)

np: big boi, speakerboxxx

Posted by Anonymous | 10:21 AM |

June 15, 2004

Glengarry Glen Ross by James Foley, 1992

director James Foley just sits back and lets David Mamet's wonderful words come to life. first thing i noticed was the camera work. colors are bright and primary, and Foley likes to move his camera around, that's obvious, and he does it incredibly well, but, most importantly, it never weighs the film down; it has a theatricality to it, as if you're on-stage with them. and the actors ... my god. there's literally not one moment where i was bored. i was riveted through the whole thing. Jack Lemmon is simply brilliant. same for Pacino. everyone holds his own fucking place, it's amazing. the performances - and the whole film - are hypnotic. pure fuckin' cinema.

np:

Posted by Anonymous | 10:55 PM |

i broke my promise to drop by the record stores this afternoon. i just shelled out $238.87 for new brakes up-front on my Volkswagen. he changed the two brakes. simple as that. i came straight home after that. i need to get over the shock of that. lol. an album might be bought tomorrow. but not before that. i still hear a tiny creaking sound. it must be coming from the back tires. probably some rust caught in there. i only hear it when i'm backing up (slowly). at least the two front brakes are now done with. new ones. won't have to change or worry about them for years now. that feels good. i'll see about the small noise if it bothers me too much. next pay's next week. i can definitely wait it out.

Posted by Anonymous | 2:52 PM |

June 14, 2004

Le corbeau by Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1942 ; the Criterion Collection

great idea about an anonymous poison pen letter writer setting a small town on fire by revealing all the little secrets of its inhabitants to everyone. but the film, as mean and nasty as it can be, meanders too much, and it also gives us too many reasons to suspect every single person in the film of being 'le corbeau' so that when the identity and motivation of 'le corbeau' is finally revealed i was not surprised by any means. too bad. great dialogue, though. snarky wit that had me laughing my ass off at a few points. i'm definitely gonna look up Clouzot's other titles on Criterion but i was a bit disappointed by this one. i'm the one to blame because i had built up this film to such a high standard in my mind, though. the transfer is alright; nice black and white with some shimmers and jump cuts. the audio, though, is horrible. the hisses are bearable but it's the metallic alien noises in the background that disturbed me. they were not part of the original sound design, that's for sure. but there's one extra that's worth the price if you liked the film - a Bertrand Tavernier interview about Le corbeau and the political context France was under at the time with the Nazi occupation. incredibly fascinating.

Hearts and Minds by Peter Davis, 1974 ; the Criterion Collection

this is the Oscar-winning Vietnam war documentary. see this with Fog of War and i think you're set. what a sobering, compelling, and truly scary film this is. there's no posturing or pretense. no Michael Moore (even though i do kinda like him) to hit you over the head with the horrible nature of war. this is what it is; the portrait of a mistake. i don't need to tell you that the film also has a very timely feel these days. you all need to rent this film. a sobering look at the true nature of war, and its grave consequences. no sentimentality, no false pretense. Peter Davis just lets the camera roll and he rarely veers off the path of asking 'why?'. it's a momentous film, that's what it is.

Posted by Anonymous | 8:49 AM |

June 13, 2004

amazing summer day. hot temperature but very low humidity (around 36%), windy, and some clouds are making it the ideal day.

i need your thoughts on the following:

animal collective - sung tongs (worth the hefty pricetag?)
m. ward - transfiguration of vincent
nick drake - five leaves left, bryter layter, pink moon (kind of no-brainers, these three)
magnetic fields - i

update:

nick cave and the bad seeds - no more shall we part, nocturama (i always mistake nick cave for nick drake, and vice versa)

thanks :)

Posted by Anonymous | 4:56 PM |

sunday morning funnies.

well, the sexy girl squad just left. see, the roommate was celebrating her birthday yesterday and had a bunch of friends drive down here. they were going out to eat and then off to a club or two. they do this every year. i know these girls because i meet them for an hour or two every year when they come down. but i don't feel easily comfortable with new people. i never know what to say, etc. so i stepped out yesterday so i wouldn't have to answer questions about why i wasn't coming with them -- hmm. and one of these friends is incredibly beautiful and last year, as they were leaving and i'd just disclosed i wasn't going out with them, looked me straight in the eye as she passed me and asked me to come. wow. lol. i was starstruck right then and there. (she does have a boyfriend, though :) so this morning i heard them coming in at 4:30 am. i woke up around 10 am to the sounds of girlish laughter in the living room and decided to go join them before they left. a bunch of nice girls, that's for sure. (they even put on my brand new New Year disc :)

so that's it. the apartment had that sweet girl smell :) there's nothing better than that.

Posted by Anonymous | 11:41 AM |

June 12, 2004

Super Size Me by Morgan Spurlock, 2004

the man is a genius. okay, so we all know by now what this film is about. and you'd think, like i did, that, haha, pretty cool idea, now what's for dinner? but wait. the idea is not the only thing smart about this film. no. you gotta see it to experience the real deal. like, we all know junk food is bad for us, right? of course. but we still eat it, right? well, same logic applies to this film - we know what it's about and what the guy goes through, but we don't really know until we see and understand it for ourselves. do yourself a favor and go see this film. Spurlock is one of the funniest, most down-to-earth on-camera guy i've seen. he's not necessarily out to get McDonald's and co, he goes into the experiment wide open, even when the odds are seriously stacked against him (and his liver). it's the coolest film i've seen this year. unpretentious and eye-opening. put me off junk food for a quite while ...

Posted by Anonymous | 7:24 PM |

two weeks off. starting last night at midnight. how 'bout that? it fucking rocks, if you ask me. although, if you were to ask me this morning i'd probably only nod a yes and leave it at that. i went to bed über-late last night (for me anyways). around 3 am. i'm usually groggy the next day if i go to bed later than 2 am. i woke up at 8 this morning but was surprisingly able to go back to sleepyland until 11 when the roommate called me up from her boyfriend's. 8-hour sleep. not bad.

i'm really digging Melissa's Auf Der Maur album. really digging it. and i don't know what the critics' problem is with her voice; it's the thing i'm falling in love with!

dug out Sonic Youth's Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star this morning 'cause i wanna see if i could stomach purchasing Sonic Nurse (any thoughts?). i played this one out years ago, along with Dirty (the Butch Vig years). it's fun to go back to it. lotsa mixtape memories. i can still sing along to it perfectly. i need to get me that Deluxe Edition of Dirty. shit. i hope they still got a copy at the store.

lots of really cool dvd's making their way here, rental-style. these two weeks are gonna be well-spent :) oh yeah, i'll have to get some sun too.

Posted by Anonymous | 11:21 AM |

June 10, 2004

spent a lot of time in stores this morning. i'm in serious need of new clothes. i got me some nice Columbia pants and a t-shirt. that'll do for today. then i got the roommate's gifts for her birthday. went grocery shopping and finished things off with a couple of gifts for myself:

pj harvey - uh huh her
felix da housecat - devin dazzle & the neon fever
!!! - louden up now

i got the only copy of Louden Up Now available in the city; it was showing up as in stock in their computer but it took two of friends of mine who work there and five minutes to locate it).

ps. anyone catch Regis & Kelly this morning??? when i tuned in Lindsay Lohan was on. the two minutes i saw were horrific beyond belief. it was a strange kind of Bizarro World version of the show. i tuned in just in time to see Kelly Ripa, whom i usually like, ask Lindsay about the bad press she's getting. she was hinting at something there. she said something like, "you know i've gotta ask you this". it was a very strange moment. i knew. i was beyond embarrassed for Lindsay, and the show. Kelly asked her (it was so unbearably awful at this point that i was tuning in and out) ... if her boobs were fake ... take a moment to let that sink in. she didn't just blurt it out so they could move on. no. she was strangely getting a kick out of all of this and wanted a real answer. it was fucking awful. Lindsay couldn't say anything other than blush, early morning disbelief, and give an answer along the lines of "i'm not fully developed yet". maybe that's true, maybe it ain't. i don't know. i haven't been there. but that was one cringe-inducing four minutes of morning television. i'm sure whatevs shit his pants right then and there.

Posted by Anonymous | 1:57 PM |

June 09, 2004

Garbage finally get their interim site!! and what a looker it is. simple but very cool. nothing has been updated yet, except for the "extras" section with the band's favorite books, artists, and movies/dvd's; it's now a pretty extensive list of really cool things. go read up.

gas prices around here continue to drop to the rate of one cent a day. it's not a whole lot but it's surprisingly to see it go down every day. yesterday it was at 93.4.

Posted by Anonymous | 9:51 AM |

June 08, 2004

good morning, all. the roommate's being an ass again but aside from that everything else is alright.

Nikolai Khabibulin wins the Stanley Cup. congrats also go to Dave Andreychuk for finally getting his name on the Cup. aside from that i couldn't be more pissed and bored at the same time. go figure. let the 2004-2005 season begin already.

from the digital bits: "Warner Bros. has finally officially revealed that they'll street a 9-film DVD box set, The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection, on 9/7 (SRP $99.92). The set will include 7 new titles (Dial M for Murder, Foreign Correspondent, Suspicion, The Wrong Man, Stage Fright, I Confess and Mr. and Mrs. Smith) which will also be available separately for $19.97 each. The set will also include a 2-disc Strangers on a Train: Special Edition ($26.99 separately)" a Strangers on a Train 2-disc set!!! very cool. anyone wanna buy off my two-sided disc? :)

news discs worth your cash today: PJ Harvey, Sonic Youth, !!!.

Posted by Anonymous | 9:36 AM |

June 07, 2004

observe OJ's sharp mind at work. people hated on this guy? can't see why. he's a sweetheart, really.

Posted by Anonymous | 2:22 PM |

terrorism = islam extremism. what? now you got Rumsfeld peddling this half-assed idea? i really gotta start siding with muslims on this one and say that the Iraq invasion probably was a holy war after all.

dear media, could you please stop linking islam and terrorism, please? or if you really have to mention certain terrorist groups' religion is islam, could please also do so when commenting on christian groups as well? thank you very much.

simple word association:
muslims/islam.

tell me you didn't see "terrorists".
thank you. the media is happily going along with the Bush White House.

dear media, please educate yourselves.

Posted by Anonymous | 1:19 PM |

June 06, 2004

my movie night was delayed, again, so i ended up only watching one film (god those Criterion discs, even when including only a handful of extras, take time to go through, don't they?

Pickup on South Street by Samuel Fuller, 1953 ; the Criterion Collection

a pulpy film noir tale about a convicted pickpocket who steals from the wrong person. this was my first Sam Fuller film. i'd heard a lot about him since Criterion released this film, his third on the label. even though it looks like a caper with some '50s-type music playing under most of the scenes, this film is set apart from its contemporaries is Sam Fuller. at first glance, i didn't find much of anything original about the film other than the lead performances (especially Richard Widmark as the pickpocket and Thelma Ritter as Moe; Widmark brings some redeeming quality to the role without romanticizing it. he's the leading man in this film but he's still a petty criminal and he's not asking you to care for him). i liked that Fuller doesn't make us feel sorry for these characters or use corny tricks in order to gain our trust. these people are who they are and that's that. Fuller also knows how to use a camera. check out the opening sequence to see how agile a camera could be, even in the '50s, and the beautiful shadow work accomplished in the shack scenes at night. but the Criterion disc also has a fascinating interview with the still-colorful Fuller (defintiely a character all his own) and one mean and extensive essay by Jeb Brody on Fuller that made me understand the rawness of the film's director and by extension, of this film. it's a conventional film noir, but, the main characters are petty thieves and there's a raw, vivid energy boiling beneath the surface. i have a feeling Fuller expressed it more and more as time wore on. this is one fascinating find for me. and this disc is definitely a must-rent.

Posted by Anonymous | 9:07 PM |

funny as hell, and oh-so-appropriate picture of Bush over at Bartcop this morning (top of the page). here's a link to the comment-less pic for prosperity's sake (the comment really adds something, though).

so the day is overcast as i'm waking up this morning. i could go shopping a little today. there's this one used record store i was boycotting because they didn't take care of the cd's they were holding (they're always scratched; but they still played alright). maybe i could swing by. it's been a while and it used to have the most interesting cd's because folks don't think of going there for music (it's first floor is filled with instruments and electronics). i might drop by to see what they got. i could also watch one of the Criterion discs i got on rental. i know i'm gonna watch at least one tonight.

last night i couldn't get to sleep so i listened to the cd that was in my cd player, BRMC's "Take Them On, On Your Own". track 5 inspired me to start a list of songs for a potential mix i'd love to do i'd call "Down and Dirty mix". i don't want it to be depressing, just dirge-y, with some snake-y, dirty bass. i'd put some older PJ Harvey, Nine Inch Nails' "hurt" or "something i can never have", some Primal Scream, some Depeche Mode, the more experimental Butch Vig-era Sonic Youth, and Leonard Cohen's "waiting for a miracle". got any ideas on other songs i could put on there? thanks.

oh, for you canucks riding in cars -- i finally filled my gas tank up yesterday. thursday the price had gone down two cents to 95.4. it still cost me $44. my tank wasn't entriely empty, i still had just over an eighth of gas left.

Posted by Anonymous | 9:22 AM |

ah, damn.
Tampa Bay wins Game 6 3-2 after 33 seconds of the 2nd overtime. the series is now tied 3-3. Game 7 will be played monday night in Tampa and i won't be able to watch it 'cause i'll be at work. it's gonna be bittersweet now anyway. i wanted the Flames to win it tonight in Calgary.

Posted by Anonymous | 12:04 AM |

June 05, 2004

2004 NHL Playoffs Finals

Game 6
Tampa Bay 2 Calgary 2; after 2 periods

Calgary tied the game, again, with two minutes left to go in the second period. the Flames haven't opened up the offense yet. here's hoping for a third period breakout. plays are breaking up all over the place, but as the game goes on Tampa's getting the better chances.

Posted by Anonymous | 9:54 PM |

tonight. the Calgary Flames have a chance to nab that coveted Stanley Cup (it will be waiting in the building) and become the 2004 NHL Champions. at home. and right in front of their new nationwide audience. nothing could be more perfect than this. go Flames go. i'll be glued to my set from the puck drop right down to the end. tonight at 8 eastern on ABC, CBC, RDS.

today was a weird day. sunny but not as hellishly hot as i'd feared it would be. i actually went out rollerblading with the roommate alongside the river here in the city. it was nice and cool. then i got back home, watched some tv and i just woke up from an hour-long doze i couldn't get away from :)

this morning i finally sat down and watched The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum by Volker Schlöndorff and Margarethe von Trotta. i wasn't sure i could get into a serious film anytime soon but to my surprise, it wasn't as heavy as i'd imagined it to be. and Angela Winkler, who plays Katharina (and who later on teamed up with Schlöndorff on Tin Drum), just blew me away. she's got an innocence and a strength that just cuts through the film at times. and the ending. wow. those who've seen this film know. although very small and subtle, i got my mind blown. excellent film (with a very twisted score too) and a great Criterion package (solid transfer showing off Joss Vacano's dark cinematography and a couple of half hour interviews and a short documentary).

Posted by Anonymous | 6:08 PM |

June 04, 2004

lots of stuff to mention this morning:

2004 NHL Playoffs

Final Series
Game 5

Calgary WINS 3-2 in overtime!!
oh wow, this was my dream, for them to win game 5 so they have a chance of winning the Stanley Cup saturday night (the only remaining game i'll be able to watch) in Calgary. the home crowd will be c-razy.

our movie theaters (two of them) got Alfonso Cuaron's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, of course (i really need to finish the book first). but, we also got Super Size Me in the original english (it's a documentary so they don't have too many choices with that) subtitled in french. the surprising trend is that this theater has started stocking smaller movies even if they're not dubbed in french. very cool.

as i mentioned earlier this week, i had to get glasses made so i can let my eyes be lens-free for a couple of weeks. well, i got them the prescription on monday and the girl told me it would take a week. i was happy but i took that estimate with a grain of salt since the roommate, who got her glasses made at that place, had said it would take between a week-and-a-half to two weeks. that would take me to the middle of next week. well, yesterday they called to say the glasses were ready!! i was happy. but i getting ready to leave for work so i didn't go. i'm gonna go get them this morning and work with them tonight.

and yesterday i received two new (rental) discs, both Criterion discs:

Double Suicide
Pickup on South Street

the weekend is looking good :)

i've also started listening to the Scissor Sisters disc i got earlier this week and it's kinda good. first listen was in my car and that's not a great way to listen to new albums (dodgy sound, the environment is more suited for well-known material). i listened to it again on my discman as i was dozing off to sleep and i gotta say, it's a hell of a lot better. especially their cover of "comfortably numb". it flows better with earphones on. you notice how it follows nicely the one-two punch of the first two songs. the album is, right now, much more dance-y than i expected it to be. more DFA than Cream (70's music was referenced a lot in reviews).

update:

i got me glasses :)
and they're so looking good, on their own and on me :) i'm so psyched 'cause i've never been a glass-wearer! i got about two weeks to go without contacts, which is fine (except for work. i'll deal with it but i'd rather have had my contacts than my glasses on), but i'll definitely be sporting the glasses on and off when i get back to the contacts. this is a definite plus in my week :)

bought groceries and the following:

auf der maur - auf der maur
constantines - shine a light

(i saw the Felix da Housecat album at HMV but it was $19.99 so i thought i'd get it cheaper at the other store but they still don't have it. a trip back to HMV to clean up that mistake will be order this weekend.)

Posted by Anonymous | 8:50 AM |

June 03, 2004

CIA Director George Tenet resigns; Bush says he did a superb job.

Posted by Anonymous | 11:06 AM |

June 02, 2004

the only date that matters:

Fahrenheit 9/11 :: June 25th
any questions?

is anyone else blown away by this fuckin' news??
this so makes my week.

Melissa Auf Der Maur:
"In the past 10 years, I've been going home to Los Angeles or New York after the big tours," said Auf der Maur, who divides her time between here and New York City. "This was the first time I went home to Montreal, and it was so exciting. There's a love that I have for that city - and within the first 24 hours, I had had my favourite meal at my favourite Vietnamese restaurant, and then a poutine within the next 12 hours."
this makes me happier than i have a right to :) it's the poutine part.

oh, some other good news:
Auf der Maur is clearly focused on
her new album and tour, with some Montreal club dates being planned for the summer.
very cool because the only date she had in montreal (the article says a few warm-up dates but i never heard of them) was opening for The Offspring two weeks ago. pretty lame for the hometown girl. we owe her much better than that.

::astounded::
She's also gotten support from her mom, her rocker boyfriend, Andrew W.K,
what. ...what?? fuck me. sorry if that was old news but i never heard that one. wow. i am floored. i'm impressed. although i'd much rather have her to myself, she's one of the only women who's boyfriend choices i haven't been able to dump on. not a single one. wow.

this week i was starting my full-time schedule at work, monday-friday. we're replacing these two guys that have left for the next 3-4 months. i took the job because the other guy doing it is a work friend. and it's the only job where we get to work with someone. it'll be fun. our boss wasn't there monday. that was a nice surprise. and we knew she wasn't coming in tuesday because they'd be busy making schedules during the day. but the best news came last night when we learned that she wouldn't be there ::all week::!! no one knows why, even the guys who are replacing her. they just know it's at least this week. we think she got stressed out (again) and had to take some time off work. very cool for all of us :)

Posted by Anonymous | 10:24 AM |

June 01, 2004

okay. since watty's answers were so much fun, i'll play along -- Tuesday Twosome:

The first two things you do...

1. When you wake up:
turn on the computer so it can be ready after i;
put on my contact lenses. used to. i'm off of them for a couple of weeks, thanks to the good ole eye doctor (new glasses coming in next week! i'm not a glass-wearer so this'll be fun since they apparently look good on me).

2. When you get out of the shower:
towel dry;
put on deodorant, do hair

3. When you get to work/school:
get there a bit early so i can have a bit of a buffer zone between the time i arrive and the time i have to do actual work;
talk to friends and coworkers

4. When you get into the car:
turn the key;
put on music. radio is a necessary evil only when i don't know which cd i feel like listening to

Posted by Anonymous | 1:05 PM |

2004 NHL Playoff Finals

Game 4
Tampa Bay wins 1-0 against Calgary. please remember to thank Khabibulin, won't ya? and i couldn't have been happier about the Nieminen hit on Lecavalier. that was a beauty. Lecavalier needs to get hit on a regular basis.

series tied 2-2, dammit.

well, news on Robert Rodriguez/Frank Miller's "Sin City" never fails to put me in a great mood (do they have my list of favorite writers/directors/actors on their desks?) and today's new tidbits worked wonders:
Sin City: "Rosario Dawson has joined the ensemble of the Robert Rodriguez/Frank Miller-directed Dimension Films noir drama "Sin City." Dawson will take part in the third and final segment. Rodriguez based the film on Miller's graphic novel series. The finale also stars Benicio Del Toro, Clive Owen and Brittany Murphy. Quentin Tarantino is considered likely to direct some of that episode..."
gooddammit :) the casting of Rosario was enough to make me happy, but then you add Quentin to the movie? fuck me.

Clerks: the 10th Anniversary will be a 3-disc set.

what's the date on the Matrix trilogy box set? i have no idea, but this puppy will be a 9-disc set!! both the first and second films get 3 discs each and the third one two discs, with an extra disc for bonus material. i still haven't even seen Revolutions and believe like all the rest of you out there that the series lost it's wheels after the first film (except for some really inspired action sequences), i'm definitely getting this set. wow.

Posted by Anonymous | 9:45 AM |