Paperwork Never Ends

[shanmonster]

It feels like I've been doing nothing but scheduling for the past week. I'm starting to go snakey!

I'm spending today doing creative work, though. I think I'll start another tribal belt, and have it ready to sell at the tribal dance workshop in a week and a half. I purchased the wool for tassels today, and I'll do the tassels up on Saturday as a demonstration at Rising Artisans. So today, I'll pick out fabric to go with the yarn (purple, green, and red jewel tones).

f00dave took me to see Troy last night. After reading reviews, I was prepared to be let down, and I was. Nevertheless, there were parts I enjoyed. I liked the fight scene between Achilles and Hector, although Achilles' signature move (hopping through the air with a sword thrust as an afterthought) is very, very silly. When he used this move in the climactic fight scene, I actually snorted like a little pig.

Eric Bana did a bang-up job as Hector, but Brad Pitt's acting was wooden. His physique impressed the hell out of me, though. He's always been buff, but when did he grow those giant muscles? Wowza. And speaking of big muscles, did you catch a glimpse of Boagrius (played by Nathan Jones)? Holy shit! I found this news story particularly amusing:

It has been reported several places that actor Brad Pitt ironically injured his Achilles tendon during shooting. The Sydney Morning Herald (an Australian newspaper) is reporting that the injury actually occurred during Pitt's one-on-one fight scene with former WWE wrestler Nathan Jones. Jones plays a warrior giant named Boagrius in the film.

It's a wonder he didn't get his leg torn clear off!

What is with the strange name pronunciations in Troy? Who the hell are Preee-am and Menna-louse? Is it just me, or is the moderately-attractive Helen not the most beautiful woman in the world? I think Polydora was a hotter tamale. And must Patroclus be relegated to the position of "cousin?" I'd much rather have seen an Achilles/Patroclus scene than the Achilles/Briseis scene we were treated to. I guess Hollywood blockbusters just aren't ready for gay alpha male heroes.

I won't even go into other details, like the anachronistic coins on the eyes, the lack of beard on most of the Hellenes, and the rampant atheism of the lead characters (when Odysseus was the only doubter in the epics). Oops. Maybe I just did go into detail....

Ok, now before I get back into sewing mode, here are a few links I've dredged up:

Last widow of a Civil War veteran dies: She ain't no Scarlett O'Hara, but she's interesting all the same (thanks, zombienought).

Dancer swirls on bed of nails: Some world records happen because only one person in the world is silly enough to attempt a task in the first place.

Electron Band Structure In Germanium, My Ass: "Abstract: The exponential dependence of resistivity on temperature in germanium is found to be a great big lie. My careful theoretical modeling and painstaking experimentation reveal 1) that my equipment is crap, as are all the available texts on the subject and 2) that this whole exercise was a complete waste of my time" (thanks, The Stick).

Independent and Distance Learning Audio Downloads: Listen to lectures on topics like science fiction and fantasy, fundamentals of music, and dying and death in contemporary society.

Hope for burned student: If ever anyone needed a face transplant, it's Jacqui Saburido. I hope it works out for her.

Boo Got Shot: Now with translation!

Judge rejects slave trauma as defense for killing: "A Portland lawyer says suffering by African Americans at the hands of slave owners is to blame in the death of a 2-year-old Beaverton boy." What a load.

Herding Cats: It's the first cat-rustling video I've ever seen.

Lynndie: Making Imperialism Fun: "If only we Americans studied history more, we'd understand that Lynndie's improvised tableaux, like the 'pyramid of naked Iraqis' or the equally classic 'aiming gun/thumb at captured Iraqi's balls,' come straight out of the Greco-Roman canon, or even further back--from the Assyrians, masters of this sort of fun." Well, that's one way to look at it....

Bush is Lord: Yikes!

Comments

[minstrel70.livejournal.com]

After reading reviews, I was prepared to be let down, and I was.

Don't you mean that you were prepared for it to be a bad movie, in which case you weren't in fact let down?

It's turning out to be a rather pathetic summer for blockbusters.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

I was prepared for a bad movie and saw an ok one. Does that qualify as a let-down?

The movie isn't the worst I've ever seen, by any means. It's just rather mediocre, excepting a few stand-out performances (like Hector).

I don't understand why the director felt long shots of Brad Pitt making soulful expressions were useful to the plot, though. Perhaps he thought that staring off into nothingness made Brad's acting seem better. I think it just made him look stoned, though, like in True Romance.

Have you seen the trailer for the new King Arthur movie? It looks like a real stinker.

[minstrel70.livejournal.com]

No, I haven't seen that trailer, but I can imagine the movie will stink. Or, rather, I can't imagine there's anything new and interesting to be done with the King Arthur story.

Pretty much the only thing coming out anytime soon that I have even a slight interest in seeing is The Chronicles of Riddick. It's not trying to be anything but what it likely is: just a fun sci-fi/action flick, light on acting and long on special effects.

[zombienought.livejournal.com]

It seems like, just as I was getting
all maudlin about my problems, news
articles about Jacqui began to re-
emerge. I started thinking about how
much worse some people have it.

Again, thanks be to the Internet.
She'd have less to occupy her, if
not for the net.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

And somewhere out there is someone who makes Jacqui realize she doesn't have it so bad. Eep.

[zombienought.livejournal.com]

Man, I don't know about that. They'd
have to be limbless, too, I'd think.

This reminds me. I should hobble over
to Wal-Mart some night this week so
I can look at the people with worse
lives than me working the checkout
lines. :-/

[nymphie.livejournal.com]

I read the story about the civial war widow. Really interesting. So she was 21, married an 81 year old, he fathered a child, and then died and she married his grandson? So that would make her child her husband's uncle? Confusing! :)

I also read the story about the burn victim. That's so sad, what I thought was sad was that she said she wanted to go to school. But I thought that was interesting that in the face doner operation, the person would not be recognizable. But I doubt they would look exactly like the doner either because of the new owner's bone structure. SO I guess it'd be like an infusion of the two. Also, would the eyebrows and eyelashes on the new face still grow?

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

I don't think the woman married her own grandson. I'm guessing it's a grandson from a previous marriage, because there's no way the man could live long enough to have a grandkid of marriageable age if he started sprogging in his 80s.

[nymphie.livejournal.com]

Good point, I guess I figured it was from a previous marriage. Still, quiet a confusing love life. So, an 81 year old new dad. Well, I guess men don't go through menopause or anything like that...

Troy in Fifteen Minutes

[hellsphreak.livejournal.com]

If you haven't read it yet.. Go read.
The writer is brilliant.. It's damn funny!

Troy In Fifteen Minutes (http://www.livejournal.com/users/cleolinda/99710.html)

If you have, oh well.. never hurts to promote it some more.. :p

Re: Troy in Fifteen Minutes

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Brilliant!

Re: Troy in Fifteen Minutes

[hellsphreak.livejournal.com]

wh00t, I finally sent the ShanMonster a brilliant link! Do I get to be on your A-List?

Heh. Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did.