Weekend in Review and a New Link
I succeeded in being very lazy this weekend. By watching the baby a lot, I was able to fool my wife and get away with avoiding productive work. Didn't keep me from finishing Ilse, of course.
Anyway, I was watching "Finding Nemo" on Saturday, hoping it would calm our little boy better than the "Baby Einstein" DVD that makes him scream, and I seriously cried at about three or four different parts. Jesus H. Christ it was bad. It's all the father/son stuff, I guess. So my wife and I went to see Brokeback Mountain, and I brought a pack of tissues in anticipation of my wimpering meltdown. And then nothing happened. I didn't even come close to crying. I liked the movie a lot, but it never got to me in that way. We both thought the movie could have been more moving, but the emotion was so understated and repressed, it brought nothing out of me. Maybe I just didn't believe the love was conveyed convincingly. The suppressed feelings between Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-Fat in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" were much more tragic to me, and not just because it was a heterosexual relationship. The gay relationship Ang Lee portrayed in "The Wedding Banquet" was much more intimate and passionate. Perhaps the screenplay was the hindrance.
I really liked the performances, though. Heath Ledger was great. The cosmetic aging of the characters was pretty weak, only Jake Gyllenhaal's was remotely believable. But the camera work and landscape shots were gorgeous. So, still no big cry out of me. I don't know what's going to bring it out. Maybe I should just watch "Miracle" or "Hoosiers" again, or better yet "The Pride of the Yankees" (in which Babe Ruth was played by... Babe Ruth!). It's totally okay for a guy to cry during a sports movie.
About the Super Bowl I have nothing to add to what everyone else is saying: bad officiating, generally boring game, and pretty so-so commercials. I still like the Ameriquest Financial "Don't judge" commercials, but this year's fave award goes to the Ford Escape Hybrid commercial with Kermit the Frog mountain biking, kayaking and rock-climbing. That was awesome! Kermit rules.
As for the new link, I have some explaining to do. It often appears that my links are merely back- scratching for a link already given to me. It's not, but the people I link keep beating me to the punch. I link to sites I enjoy and that I think others should and will like. It is not a cyber tit for tat. In fact, I still have links to people who have REMOVED me! (What's up with that, Peach and Marisa?) Anyway, there are several reasons to visit The Bawdy Cloister, run by The Rowdy Theologian:
1. He's smart and funny, and leaves very good sarcastic comments.
2. His site is humbling. If you think you have a lot of trivial, pop-culture-nostalgia knowledge in your head, wait until you see what he's got going on. We are not worthy.
3. If you liked my beard, you'll like his 4x more. (That's roughly how much thicker than mine his beard is.)
4. He hosts a daily trivia quiz that's really stirred the competitive juices in me. I would probably be in the lead this month had I not forgot to do Sunday's quiz. Dammit! Anyway, you can go up against me, RT and others in obscure trivia every day. So it's got that going for it.
5. Total Burger Chef fixation/obsession.
6. I told you to check it out. So you have to. Now! (Especially you, Bliss. I really think you'll enjoy it.)
So there you have it.
I can't think of a good way to end this post.
iPod: Too busy typing to notice, but "A320" by Foo Fighters is on now.
Anyway, I was watching "Finding Nemo" on Saturday, hoping it would calm our little boy better than the "Baby Einstein" DVD that makes him scream, and I seriously cried at about three or four different parts. Jesus H. Christ it was bad. It's all the father/son stuff, I guess. So my wife and I went to see Brokeback Mountain, and I brought a pack of tissues in anticipation of my wimpering meltdown. And then nothing happened. I didn't even come close to crying. I liked the movie a lot, but it never got to me in that way. We both thought the movie could have been more moving, but the emotion was so understated and repressed, it brought nothing out of me. Maybe I just didn't believe the love was conveyed convincingly. The suppressed feelings between Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-Fat in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" were much more tragic to me, and not just because it was a heterosexual relationship. The gay relationship Ang Lee portrayed in "The Wedding Banquet" was much more intimate and passionate. Perhaps the screenplay was the hindrance.
I really liked the performances, though. Heath Ledger was great. The cosmetic aging of the characters was pretty weak, only Jake Gyllenhaal's was remotely believable. But the camera work and landscape shots were gorgeous. So, still no big cry out of me. I don't know what's going to bring it out. Maybe I should just watch "Miracle" or "Hoosiers" again, or better yet "The Pride of the Yankees" (in which Babe Ruth was played by... Babe Ruth!). It's totally okay for a guy to cry during a sports movie.
About the Super Bowl I have nothing to add to what everyone else is saying: bad officiating, generally boring game, and pretty so-so commercials. I still like the Ameriquest Financial "Don't judge" commercials, but this year's fave award goes to the Ford Escape Hybrid commercial with Kermit the Frog mountain biking, kayaking and rock-climbing. That was awesome! Kermit rules.
As for the new link, I have some explaining to do. It often appears that my links are merely back- scratching for a link already given to me. It's not, but the people I link keep beating me to the punch. I link to sites I enjoy and that I think others should and will like. It is not a cyber tit for tat. In fact, I still have links to people who have REMOVED me! (What's up with that, Peach and Marisa?) Anyway, there are several reasons to visit The Bawdy Cloister, run by The Rowdy Theologian:
1. He's smart and funny, and leaves very good sarcastic comments.
2. His site is humbling. If you think you have a lot of trivial, pop-culture-nostalgia knowledge in your head, wait until you see what he's got going on. We are not worthy.
3. If you liked my beard, you'll like his 4x more. (That's roughly how much thicker than mine his beard is.)
4. He hosts a daily trivia quiz that's really stirred the competitive juices in me. I would probably be in the lead this month had I not forgot to do Sunday's quiz. Dammit! Anyway, you can go up against me, RT and others in obscure trivia every day. So it's got that going for it.
5. Total Burger Chef fixation/obsession.
6. I told you to check it out. So you have to. Now! (Especially you, Bliss. I really think you'll enjoy it.)
So there you have it.
I can't think of a good way to end this post.
iPod: Too busy typing to notice, but "A320" by Foo Fighters is on now.
posted by CBK at
10:37 AM
