tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45685220769873653122024-03-19T03:10:53.584-05:00C.R.A.P.The <b>C</b>ommittee for <b>R</b>andom <b>A</b>ctivities and <b>P</b>lay<br><br>If I hide myself wherever I go, am I ever really there?notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.comBlogger165125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-11624815190306430262009-11-25T11:50:00.001-05:002009-11-25T11:50:16.094-05:00The Swell Season featuring Jason Segel - Nov 18, 2009<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/9bZF6Kx88LM' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/9bZF6Kx88LM'/></object></p><p>Oh, Marshall, you're the best!</p></div>notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-20654303407259451102009-10-30T20:32:00.001-05:002009-10-30T20:34:43.059-05:00I have nothing amusing to say...But maybe breaking my non-writing streak will help me come up with things?<br /><br />I'm babysitting Alex and another kid right now, and they're playing some cat game on the Wii. I'm still pretty sure they'll both turn out straight.notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-47823538379569534892009-06-25T21:48:00.000-05:002009-06-25T21:39:56.157-05:00random notesEd McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and now Michael effing Jackson? (Not to mention David Carradine less than a month ago, which I am still attributing to the five-point palm exploding heart technique.) Ok, Death, you can piss off now. Not that I am emotionally invested in any of these people, but MJ especially represents my childhood! Thriller still scares me and I'm 27! Too weird. Godspeed, dead people.
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<br>The heat. This is August weather. We haven't had pleasant summer yet. I have no air conditioning in my car. This weather can officially suck it.
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<br>Speaking of suck it, Don't ask, don't tell can go right ahead as well. If you're willing to get shot at defending our country, you should be allowed to stick it in whomever you want as long as you both consent and are old enough to do so. I'm deeply sick of bigotry. If you must have Don't Ask, make it for the straights too. Oh, they're not expected to be asexual because they like people with opposite genitals. It's bullshit.
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<br>And finally, I hope and pray for the people in Iran, that thet find justice and peace soon.
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<br>This is what you get when I don't blog for so long!notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-18294342399411151862009-05-11T08:15:00.002-05:002009-05-11T08:17:09.272-05:00Hee!Regarding the President's speech at the White House Correspondence Dinner:<br /><br />Mr. President, I love you.<br /><br />Seriously, go to Youtube, it's phenomenal!<br /><br />Side note: Jon and I have officially been dating two years. Squee!notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-62127956678892854082009-04-13T09:27:00.001-05:002009-04-13T09:27:20.665-05:00Susan Boyle - Singer - Britains Got Talent 2009<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/9lp0IWv8QZY' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/9lp0IWv8QZY'/></object></p><p>Man, I'd forgotten how much I love "I Dreamed a Dream." Good on this lady!</p></div>notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-52159322347939902592009-03-18T15:15:00.001-05:002009-03-19T11:38:22.956-05:00FaithThere’s something that’s been bouncing around my mind a lot for the last few days, and it’s something I feel pretty strongly about, so I’m gonna be serious for a few minutes about it.<br /><br />Most people know me know that I was raised Catholic, and got 12 years of Catholic education. I never went through Confirmation, but you can’t be raised in an environment like that without finding yourself identifying with it, especially because my mother’s mother was a practicing Catholic who sent her own kids to Catholic school.<br /><br />Initially, faith wasn’t a complicated thing for me, and I wanted it to be. I remember in sixth grade our teacher told us that questioning our faith was a way of showing growth and maturity. And I specifically remember sitting on the porch swing on a beautiful day and thinking, “Well, what if it’s not true? What if we’re wrong and other Christians are right?” and various thoughts of that nature. But I distinctly remember thinking, “I’m doing this because I’m told I’m supposed to, not because I really doubt my religion. God is real and I’m Catholic, that’s that.” I was even an altar girl, and I loved it. I remember the Masses I would serve, and making it a point to stand straight with my hands folded at my waist, to kneel nicely and not sit back on my legs like I would do in the pew, and to bow deeply and respectfully before the altar, because I wanted God to see me doing my best. Plus I got to play with the big candle lighter, which was fun, and the priest, Father Tom, was super nice and every so often, servers would get to go have pizza in the rectory or even get out of class to serve a funeral Mass. I also remember watching the consecration of the Host very earnestly. I would try to picture the Holy Spirit coming down from the beautiful domed mural above the altar and entering the bread and wine. Being all of 10 or a little older, I didn’t know the Catholic Church’s position on transubstantiation, or if I did it was very easy to accept. And I always thought one day I’d be able to see it, or feel it, or tell the difference in some way, but I’m not sure I ever did. But my bridge with the Church hadn’t even started yet. That waited for high school.<br /><br />It might have been partly because of my ADD. I always felt bad during Mass because even on my best day there was no way I could keep myself focused on the ritual and being prayerful the entire hour. I fell asleep one year at Easter Mass during the homily, but that was a rarity. Usually, I just fidgeted and let my mind drift, and would feel guilty when that would happen. I wanted to feel close to God, why couldn’t I just pay attention? And Mass in high school was in a gym with about 800 other kids, so it was easy to sit with a group of friends and mostly mess around. Of course, some of my friends got into Wicca and Buddhism, and I read about both and even tried a little Wicca on by way of reading books, but was never really able to follow through much. But there were elements of both I either understood or liked. For instance, spell casting in Wicca just seemed to me a very active form of prayer, an extra element of control. Our senior year Christian Living teacher led us through meditation in class on Fridays, and I liked that as well. I had a couple of friends who were very in love with their faith, something that always gave me a stirring of envy, but I didn’t seem to get the same feeling they did in the little chapel, even though I wanted it.<br /><br />After high school, and a funeral Mass for a friend, the first Mass I went to was when John Paul II was dying. He’d always seemed like a good, kind man, and as any kind of Catholic, I wanted to go to be a part of a community to acknowledge his passing. And I was glad I went. But I didn’t feel compelled to start going to Mass regularly as a result.<br /><br />Then, a couple of years ago, during Lent, I decided to really throw myself in and give it another try. One of my work friends was being confirmed and given First Communion at the Easter Vigil, and our co-worker, another convert, had that spark I remembered from my friend in high school, and I wanted it. I went to Mass every Sunday during Lent, and tried to pray the rosary every day. I thought, “God, if this is where you want me to be, show me. Help me feel it, because I want to find the right place for me.” I was hoping God would flash me a big old neon sign and make it obvious, because apparently I’m not that observant in these matters. At the Easter Vigil, I knelt and cried, and prayed, “Alright, God, I’ve got nothing to offer you right now but my brokenness, but if you want it, it’s yours.” I felt better thinking that, but I didn’t feel that revelatory “This is where I belong” feeling I’d been hoping for.<br /><br />Depending on how you look at it, there are a lot of reasons for that. Catholics might say I’m stubborn, since I don’t accept the whole Catechism and teaching of the Church. I’m pro-Choice, though I hope to never have to make that decision for myself, and am thoroughly in favor of birth control. I’m pro-gay marriage. I’m your typical bleeding-heart liberal. I know there are people like me in the Church, but I find it so frustrating because I want to find a place where I feel like the people around me believe like I do and not like a fraud. And I don’t want to change those beliefs necessarily. It’s not that I don’t want to be open to that inner voice. It’s that I have a really hard time in believing in a God that would create all of us as imperfect creatures, who is supposed to be like a parent to us, but will only love us if we do things His way. Or, correction, He’ll love us, but He’ll still choose to separate us from Him forever if we don’t get it right.<br /><br />Dating an atheist hasn’t been easy all the time either, as a person with a background of religion if not a working location for it. There are lots of logical reasons not to believe in a God. It certainly simplifies things. Stuff just happens, the whys are all scientifically linked, and there’s meaning to be found in that, too. I like the idea that the molecules that make up me will go be a part of things forever, regardless of what happens to my soul when I die. The easiest thing in the world to do would be to just let logic explain everything, and stop thinking so much about the rest of it.<br /><br />But I can’t.<br /><br />Because deep down, in my heart of hearts, I do believe in something. I believe that God, or whatever you want to call him/her/it, has been with me in my worst moments. There have been a few personal instances where I felt God hear me and make doors open in my life that needed to open. Many times have I been outside on a beautiful day and felt overwhelmingly grateful to whatever it is that caused all this to be and caused me to be there to appreciate it. I’ve seen love and compassion from others that was like being able to see a part of what God is like. And the philosophy that I’ve come to in myself and am trying to make work with the part of my brain that’s programmed to follow rules is this: There is no wrong. (I feel guilty even typing that. Catholicism runs deep!) If God is infinite and created the entire universe and each and every one of us, wouldn’t it make sense that there would have to be a lot of ways to figure who He is and how to get to Him? And even more importantly, don’t we do more to honor whatever God it is we love and serve by being loving and compassionate towards others? What kind of God do you believe in that wants you to list His grievances to the rest of the world? Don’t you do more to show God by being someone who thinks and learns and loves and screws up and goes back and starts again?<br /><br />Maybe it’s true that I’m rationalizing my desire to be a heathen, or whatever. Maybe I’m totally wrong and God disapproves of everything I’m saying. And if that’s the case, I’m trying to be open. But I really wish churches spent more time making people feel like they wanted them there and value them as they are and less time making them feel like they get everything wrong.* And that’s my long-winded, non-coherent religious ramble.<br /><br /><em>*ETA: If you stop by and read this, say hi and let me know if you feel similarly or can see where I'm coming from. It would be nice to feel less lonely. :)</em><br /><br />*Hat tip to Revolution Church for being the kind of Church I’m describing. If I’m ever in New York, that’s where I’ll go!notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-5459465011522732372009-02-16T19:42:00.000-05:002009-02-16T19:36:23.980-05:00Notes om The Amazing Race 14Mike and Mel are freaking awesome. They can stay forever.
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<br>Preston and Jennifer may irritate me, but I totally laughed when Preston said, "I don't even like cheese. In fact, I may never eat cheese again." It's kind of a bummer to eliminate a team first week before you can really tell how a team is gonna be.
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<br>Phil signing "You are team number 1" was freaking adorable. So deliberate, and so "Look what I learned!"
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<br>I usually like the rednecks, but I'm iffy about this season's iteration of them. Points, however, for acknowledging the eyebrow of dubiousness.
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<br>Brad and Victoria are hilarious. "You should totally be jealous of me." Sweetheart, you just jumped 70 storeys. I would be grateful, not jealous. *shudder*
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<br>I'm so glad the race is back on!notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-89081545041379444682009-02-13T14:26:00.001-05:002009-02-13T14:27:32.148-05:00Trays Romanteek!<a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100510986">This story</a> and accompanying comments are pretty cool. I even added one!notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-69079799339390184112009-02-11T12:04:00.002-05:002009-02-11T12:04:48.446-05:00Spifftastic<a href="http://improveverywhere.com/2009/02/09/high-five-escalator/#more-835">This</a> kind of stuff makes me unreasonably happy. Random interaction is freaking awesome.notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-30509692659538905122009-02-10T14:23:00.003-05:002009-02-10T14:42:30.730-05:00A Tip for the GuysI don't know if any guys read this, or at this point even if any<em>one</em> reads this (which I couldn't blame them for, sweet baby James I've been a shitty blogger lately), but if they do, as the commercial festival of love approaches, I'd just like to emphasize one point that I think guys often overlook. (Damn, that was a wordy and poorly constructed sentence!) Here's the tip, the greatest way to make your girl think the sun shines out of your ass even if you leave the toilet seat up: <br /><br /><strong>It's all about small gestures</strong>.<br /><br />More than big, shiny gifts (which we like) or expensive dinners (which we also like), girls like most to feel that someone cares enough to do little things for no reason. Jon stopped by when he was on-campus yesterday and left a bag of Hershey's Kisses on my car seat because he knows they're my favorite. And it just still makes me smile because it's just so sweet. It showed he was thinking of me and that he wanted to let me know that.<br /><br />I'm not saying don't do Valentine's Day or whatever. I'm just saying it's way more meaningful to drop a $3 bag of candy on her chair every so often.<br /><br />Just a tip!notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-55293621550162957632009-01-29T15:35:00.001-05:002009-01-29T15:37:46.727-05:00My Nephew is GORGEOUS<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0O90ijZS2ju6QtMiHMuaajuM165m4rTDvEG8sblKAa9nwhQ1hxXbWNFyjpsOsp2aIhPU21oXqkSMtDNwF9sfBfugz2gPOUC1qHSnZF12v5maBcDvwSCoRzT6Wtnd2b9MfB9aReFoHL-k/s1600-h/Tyler+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296817545458565778" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0O90ijZS2ju6QtMiHMuaajuM165m4rTDvEG8sblKAa9nwhQ1hxXbWNFyjpsOsp2aIhPU21oXqkSMtDNwF9sfBfugz2gPOUC1qHSnZF12v5maBcDvwSCoRzT6Wtnd2b9MfB9aReFoHL-k/s320/Tyler+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmGv1QnyRQqiC-eIdZwu1C6D49UYJFwV9MIeDUF3UYHFfOta255bHErDfqbSaAyd_8lXZQzgQ33fwZzyNg0IbRtITs0IvQLRTFmILhFnPLJF9hnBCIQNaBm6UCZYI4VCbd981-H3L2OQ/s1600-h/Tyler.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296817401393319650" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmGv1QnyRQqiC-eIdZwu1C6D49UYJFwV9MIeDUF3UYHFfOta255bHErDfqbSaAyd_8lXZQzgQ33fwZzyNg0IbRtITs0IvQLRTFmILhFnPLJF9hnBCIQNaBm6UCZYI4VCbd981-H3L2OQ/s320/Tyler.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div></div><div>See? The second picture is my favorite so far. :)</div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div></div>notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-29922083866333567532009-01-21T10:32:00.002-05:002009-01-21T10:33:14.356-05:00A Happy Sight<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxGMRg5AXLbmvuhyECFdGt30hnV8sCxfYV8HVCRO7i56Wh9a7na9SRjYpEGVgD0FBYcUYSZ_pTk-q9sKj-VUNgOqkBO8Zv4G3AeJF98uNyQkHgG1VxFvq_icsf6Z36b_Mp0qBr3WSxRQ/s1600-h/seeya.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293770443601538434" style="WIDTH: 271px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxGMRg5AXLbmvuhyECFdGt30hnV8sCxfYV8HVCRO7i56Wh9a7na9SRjYpEGVgD0FBYcUYSZ_pTk-q9sKj-VUNgOqkBO8Zv4G3AeJF98uNyQkHgG1VxFvq_icsf6Z36b_Mp0qBr3WSxRQ/s320/seeya.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-74731716053945703452009-01-05T13:49:00.001-05:002009-01-05T13:50:31.968-05:00Regarding Prop 8If <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/couragecampaign/sets/72157611501972510/show/">this</a> doesn't break your heart, I might wonder if you have one.notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-29766845264710640872008-12-31T11:37:00.001-05:002008-12-31T11:39:33.550-05:00Year in Review Meme1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?Hmmm… what did I do new this year? I stayed in a bed and breakfast, that was fun! <br /><br />2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don’t recall making resolutions. I had been telling myself that I was going to give up regular soda for New Years, but I know I won’t stick to it. I’m going to set the bar very low and say I’ll exercise<br />at least 5 minutes 3-4 times a week. I’ll probably still fail. Whatever.<br /><br />3. Did anyone close to you give birth? A bunch of people I knew in high school did. And the Twin will sometime soon, but probably in ’09, unless she goes into labor to spite me for writing this.<br /><br />4. Did anyone close to you die?My grandma.<br /><br />5. What countries did you visit? Here… here… here. Fuck, I need to get out more.<br /><br />6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? A shitload more money and a car that doesn’t break down every six fucking weeks.<br /><br />7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Arbor Day. No, seriously, I have no idea. There will be things to remember, but not a specific day. Maybe January 20, because that’s when Grandma died.<br /><br />8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Hmmm… I managed to take care of myself for another full year, which was nice. I’ve sustained a happy relationship, which is also good.<br /><br />9. What was your biggest failure? Not keeping my apartment clean and not managing my money better.<br /><br />10. Did you suffer illness or injury?Nothing major. The biggest one was falling down in my apartment and skinning the piss out of my elbow. I’d forgotten how bad that shit hurts!<br /><br />11. What was the best thing you bought? Tickets to see Flogging Molly with Jon.<br /><br />12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Jon’s been awesome, despite his insane amounts of stress, and his mom is a lovely person. The Twin for surviving pregnancy! Obama’s, for being awesome, winning, and coming to Indiana a whole bunch. Oh, and Indiana went blue, so that’s pretty awesome!<br /><br />13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Sarah god-damn Palin, Stupid ass California’s Prop 8 bull-shit.<br /><br />14. Where did most of your money go? Away. I wish I could figure it out better.<br /><br />15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? I get excited by stupid-ass things, because I’m essentially a six year-old off the ADD meds. But Liss being pregnant is pretty damned awesome, and Jon ponying up and saying he loved me was also a highlight.<br /><br />16. What song will always remind you of 2008? I’m Yours, Jason Mraz. He’s bad-ass. And anything by Flogging Molly.<br /><br />17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer? Probably happier, in all likelihood fatter, and almost definitely poorer. Oh well.<br /><br />18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Cleaning, knitting.<br /><br />19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Being completely and pointlessly idle.<br /><br />20. How did you spend Christmas?At my sister’s, then with my dad, then at Benihana with Jon and his mom.<br /><br />21. Did you fall in love in 2008? Yep, every day.<br /><br />22. What was your favorite TV program? Countdown, The Daily Show and the Colbert Report. Also Pushing Daisies. (Stupid ABC) And 30 Rock and The Office. I watch too much TV. And Jon and Kate Plus 8.<br /><br />23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? You betcha! I didn't even know about Sarah Palin last year. (Sorry, Queen, your answer is too good to get rid of. And also true!)<br /><br />24. What was the best book you read? The Poisonwood Bible. I also read a lot of good non-fiction, whose names all escape me now.<br /><br />25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Flogging Molly and Ingrid Michealson.<br /><br />26. What did you want and get? I got another visit to the Wild Animal Park. I think the is the first time I've returned to a place I had vacationed before.<br /><br />27. What did you want and not get? A lot of money and for my car not to be dead.<br /><br />28. What was your favorite film of this year? The Dark Knight was pretty awesome, as was Wall-E<br /><br />29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? It rocked, actually, though I had to check my blog to verify it. I got roses from Jon, and the A&E Pride and Prejudice, which I’ve watched three times through, a giant poster to color (which I’m still working on!) and fun books, and had good meals with people I love. I turned 26.<br /><br />30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Having more money. Keeping the apartment clean.<br /><br />31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? “Is this clean? Have I worn it to work this week?”<br /><br />32. What kept you sane? The pets, Jon, cable and Zoloft. Also Julie, my counselor.<br /><br />33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Barack Obama. Smart is hot.<br /><br />34. What political issue stirred you the most? The election in general, and Prop 8.<br /><br />35. Who did you miss? Mary, my grandma, grandpa and Aunt Ruth. <br /><br />36. Who was the best new person you met? I think my co-worker Ned. I can’t think of other people I’ve met really.<br /><br />37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. I honestly don’t know. I just try to show up every day and be myself as best I can and hope that works for people. My biggest thing I guess would be to express love whenever possible and not hold onto stuff too much.<br /><br />38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. “I been spending way too much time checking my tongue in the mirror/and bending over backwards just to try and see clearer.”notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-20378698873727727492008-12-03T13:02:00.002-05:002008-12-03T13:04:38.293-05:00No on Prop 8 Video<a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff8/prop-8-the-musical-starring-jack-black-john-c-reilly-and-many-more-from-fod-team-jack-black-craig-robinson-john-c-reilly-and-rashida-jones">This is hilarious! </a><br /><br />On another note, how does one embed a video, if it's not from Youtube and therefore idiot proof?notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-39130296054300649102008-11-27T09:29:00.000-05:002008-11-27T09:25:56.608-05:00Review: AtonementWhat a good movie! I shouldn't be surprised, it got excellent reviews. It's funny, Keira Knightley is a good actress, but I never really appreciate that until I'm watching something she's in. Although I still think she needs a sandwich. But performance-wise, she was really good, and didn't overdue it with weepiness and such. And James McAvoy was really excellent as well, and super hot to boot!
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<br>The visuals in the movie are quite lovely, too, from Knightley's beautiful emerald gown to the distopic image of the Ferris Wheel idly spinning on the beach as men bled and ships burned. But what I really liked was the sound motifs. The tapping of the typewriter, the scratching of matches and metallic ring of lighters, used to set a cadence for various scenes. This is one of those times where everything, the visuals and sounds and performances, made the movie come together. I really liked it.
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<br>An awfully depressing movie for Thanksgiving morning, but I'm following it up with Little Children, so that ought to perk things up. *snerk*notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-47829086689299026392008-11-26T10:20:00.002-05:002008-11-26T10:21:14.029-05:00Unintended EffectI am an unapologetic carnivore, and I found <a href="http://www.peta.org/cooking-mama/index.asp?c=pcmgb08">this game</a> hilarious.<br /><br />Sorry PETA! No tofurkey for me!<br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving, Homies!notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-1358927121528508802008-11-24T10:28:00.001-05:002008-11-24T10:29:36.340-05:00Lethal Cute!<a href="http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1821511">*snort*</a>notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-70395453906056942002008-11-14T08:49:00.001-05:002008-11-14T08:49:31.683-05:00Prop 8 Special Comment<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/Py1d_zHmUgY' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/Py1d_zHmUgY'/></object></p><p>I swear, I'm not gonna be all politics all the time, but Olbermann says more here about fighting Prop 8 than I ever could.<br /><br />It makes me want to make out with him, or a chick, or whatever.</p></div>notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-16635030447951857832008-11-12T21:44:00.000-05:002008-11-12T21:41:23.966-05:00You've always wanted to know...Who's on <a href="http://match.com">match.com</a>. And we want you to know, it's generally women who giggle for no reason incessantly. Or sing opera scales poorly. Men? Whatever. Though people who use this site are more women than men, we thought you should know. Giggling women.
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<br>Fucking commercials.notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-68690133498682429972008-11-06T20:03:00.000-05:002008-11-06T20:43:45.208-05:00an entirely apolitical post!Dear Wal-Mart,
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<br>Christmas music in the stores already? Is that really necessary? This is the reason I end up hating Christmas music. Please fucking stop before I convert to Judaism to justify my despisal. (That may not be a real word, but it's how much I hate the utter infiltration of Christmas commerce.)
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<br>Bah Humbug, you jerks!
<br>Angienotanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-16166281869628624212008-11-05T10:22:00.002-05:002008-11-05T15:37:26.954-05:00YES WE CAN!!What an amazing feeling. I can't wait to see what we can make of this.<br /><br />Edited to Add: Congratulations and Kudos to Senator McCain for speaking and acting with such grace last night. The other party is never the enemy, and Senator McCain loves America, too.notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-43192222466811987212008-11-04T18:51:00.001-05:002008-11-04T18:52:38.858-05:00Commencing with the breath-holdingCome on, results! I need to know! *taps elbow crook for a vein*<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I need information!</span>notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-50664691667733324662008-11-03T18:53:00.000-05:002008-11-04T08:26:16.113-05:00ahemOn this, the eve of a truly historic election, I'd like to put two things out there:
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<br>1. I hope that Senator Obama's grandmother rests peacefully, knowing that her grandson has done so much good even before the vote counts are in.
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<br>2. Jesus was a liberal community organizer. I'm just saying.notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4568522076987365312.post-8952170284022065702008-11-02T11:30:00.000-05:002008-11-04T08:26:39.812-05:00Commercials that make me love my DVRThere are certain commercials that, when I see them, I hit my fast forward button immediately, because if I didn't, I'd break my TV. Here are a few examples:
<br>The Glade commercials. Excuse me, the Glah-Day commercials. I know what! My house smells nice and I've been complemented! But oh, no! I bought my candle/air spray at the grocery store, and I'm afraid my friends will think I'm not a big enough asshole if I didn't pay a lot of money for it so I'll lie, only to be busted by obvious product placement, which we'll all laugh about. So we're all big enough assholes! Shut up, stupid Glade commercial.
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<br>Male Enhancement ads. I watch Cheaters sometimes because it makes me laugh. And there's a commercial for wiener-growing pills. And this pretty lady reads her lines vacuously and talks about the "size of a certain part of the male body." Because you can't really love a guy with a small dick.
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<br>The Sham-wow commercials, or any commercial involving Billy Mays. Hey, Billy. Switch to decaf, and stop yelling. And Sham-wow guy? I know your soul is dying because you're shilling a shop-towel on basic cable, but you're creeping me out. Also, you look douche-tastic. However, I grudgingly admit that the towels seem kind of nifty.notanillusionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11950738178858717020noreply@blogger.com0