Digging A Hole, Gleefully
► So it seems we're getting the tail end of Hurricane Irene. In the middle of the night my bedroom was 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) but by mid morning my room had dropped to 22 degrees Celsius (71.6 Fahrenheit). The wind was so strong my bed kept shaking and I couldn't realize why until I noticed that one of the curtains had caught under my legs and the wind was so forceful the curtain was shoving my legs. Several things in my room were knocked over by the wind too.
It's been raining steadily and hard since the early afternoon. Hard to believe tomorrow is supposed to be sunny.
► The mood in the apartment is much better today, and Deana actually seems relaxed. Since going to work tomorrow, her first day after 3 weeks off. Hopefully she'll be fine, and things will be okay at work.
Dad came by for a visit this after, which surprised me as I was taking a nap. He ended up staying for a bit, insisting on helping me do the dishes (which I had admittedly let pile up after a week). I washed, he dried. It was nice getting to chit chat for awhile.
Originally I was planning of going out on Wednesday with Dad to run errands and pick up groceries and stuff (Wednesday is when I'll get my pension money for September). But since he won't be back from golf until 2:30pm, it was decided we'd go on Friday instead. Actually, I pushed for that because after all the money I spent in the past week, I want to wait a couple of extra days. It's not like there's anything I urgently need to pick up.
► When I was neck deep in the middle of Derek's Folly earlier this week, ComiConArt had uploaded more drawings to Ebay the auctions of which were ending today. There were a few I liked a lot but one drawing in particular I really wanted, Marvel's Medusa by Alisson Rodrigues (I think Alisson is one of the strongest artists represented by ComiConArt and I've been wanting to get a drawing by her for awhile). Not being able to help myself (obvious right now) I bid $17.67 on the drawing. Thing is, I really wanted it, and since I rarely see Medusa drawings on Ebay and have so far won known, I decided I'd be willing to bid much more. So I upped my bid to $43.67. This morning someone else bid, raising the price of the drawing to $30.99. To my surprise and relief there were no further bids, and I actually won the drawing. The reason it was a big surprise is how last week I failed to win any of my first choice drawings, getting a couple of secondary, third and last minute picks.
The only hitch in my winning the drawing is that I don't have enough money left in my checking account to pay for it. I knew that already, but figured I could wait until early Wednesday morning to pay for it, since that's when I'll be getting my next pay (I was told by the seller 2 weeks ago that a few days delay in payment is fine as long as payment is within 7 days). That was the plan, but last night I started to feel guilty about sitting on the auction for 2 and a half days on purpose, so I just put the drawing on my credit card. That's fine, I'll just cover that purchase on Wednesday, no harm, no foul.
► Five Beloved Yet Deeply Disturbing Coming-of-Age Films - I'll grant that the older I get, the more Ferris Bueller comes off as a conscious-less douchebag, but the little girl in My Girl is a murderer? Stretch much?
As for Stand By Me, yeah, ending the movie with an afterward describing the horrible fates of 3 of the 4 kids is disturbing, but I don't think the movie really was intended as a kids film. Funny, 24 years since I saw the movie and I still can't watch it for the pie contest/mass vomit sequence. Ugh.
► The 25 Best Remakes of the Last 25 Years, Presented Without Comment - I'll add a comment: This seems like an awfully subjective list in parts.
► Comics Should Be Good: 52 Responses to the DC Reboot - From the sprawling, trying-to-hard-to-be-cute and irritating (I can't believe I read the whole thing) article:17) And while we’re bitchin’ - Oh my God, I am SO with the pro-Oracle lobby. What’s Batgirl‘s origin/motivation? She likes Batman and she plays superhero dress-up. What’s Oracle’s motivation? She faces down incredible trauma and uses it to make herself into a better hero. It’s one of the most effective origins in comics, IMO, and it’s coupled with a damn-near completely original superhero MO. And were losing it to regress to a character that was already a second try at a derivative character. Pass.
I appreciate and respect that so many fans love Barbara Gordon as Oracle, and how much the character did to represent a multifaceted disabled character and hero. But I love Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, and it's been over 20 years since the character has existed in anything but occasional flashback stories. A 20+ year run of Oracle stories is impressive, but goddammit, I want my Babs back as Batgirl! It's my turn!
Besides, Gail Simone has said this is a Barbara Gordon who was paralyzed and was Oracle, but is now healed and stepping back into her former Batgirl role. The history is still there.
► DC Relaunch: Astro City #1 - A Monthly Title - Whoa, whoa, is this true? I hadn't seen nor heard this before tonight, and this article is a few weeks old (also I rarely put much stock into what the perpetually smug Rich Johnston says), but man this would be nice if it is indeed true.
► 10 Lessons Hollywood Can Learn from This Summer's Movies - Do you ever get the feeling some people just really don't like Ryan Reynolds? This summer seems filled with backwashed backlash against the guy. He's not a a consistent box office winner? He's lead 1 movie solo (Green Lantern, which should be on course to break $200 million) and I don't understand why The Change-Up's failure is his sole responsibility. But that doesn't mean he's not solid and shouldn't still be allowed to be the lead in movies.
Let me think of a comparison... If I recall correctly, George Clooney is considered a major Hollywood star and A list talent, yet he has not headlined a movie that has broken the $100 million mark in North America. At least none that weren't a Batman or assemble Ocean's film.
Quote of the Moment
Dobbs: You can try to kill me, Dan. But you can't. You can only make me dead.
- Dead & Buried (1981)
Drinking: Orange Crush
Eating: Arrowroot cookies
It's been raining steadily and hard since the early afternoon. Hard to believe tomorrow is supposed to be sunny.
► The mood in the apartment is much better today, and Deana actually seems relaxed. Since going to work tomorrow, her first day after 3 weeks off. Hopefully she'll be fine, and things will be okay at work.
Dad came by for a visit this after, which surprised me as I was taking a nap. He ended up staying for a bit, insisting on helping me do the dishes (which I had admittedly let pile up after a week). I washed, he dried. It was nice getting to chit chat for awhile.
Originally I was planning of going out on Wednesday with Dad to run errands and pick up groceries and stuff (Wednesday is when I'll get my pension money for September). But since he won't be back from golf until 2:30pm, it was decided we'd go on Friday instead. Actually, I pushed for that because after all the money I spent in the past week, I want to wait a couple of extra days. It's not like there's anything I urgently need to pick up.
► When I was neck deep in the middle of Derek's Folly earlier this week, ComiConArt had uploaded more drawings to Ebay the auctions of which were ending today. There were a few I liked a lot but one drawing in particular I really wanted, Marvel's Medusa by Alisson Rodrigues (I think Alisson is one of the strongest artists represented by ComiConArt and I've been wanting to get a drawing by her for awhile). Not being able to help myself (obvious right now) I bid $17.67 on the drawing. Thing is, I really wanted it, and since I rarely see Medusa drawings on Ebay and have so far won known, I decided I'd be willing to bid much more. So I upped my bid to $43.67. This morning someone else bid, raising the price of the drawing to $30.99. To my surprise and relief there were no further bids, and I actually won the drawing. The reason it was a big surprise is how last week I failed to win any of my first choice drawings, getting a couple of secondary, third and last minute picks.
The only hitch in my winning the drawing is that I don't have enough money left in my checking account to pay for it. I knew that already, but figured I could wait until early Wednesday morning to pay for it, since that's when I'll be getting my next pay (I was told by the seller 2 weeks ago that a few days delay in payment is fine as long as payment is within 7 days). That was the plan, but last night I started to feel guilty about sitting on the auction for 2 and a half days on purpose, so I just put the drawing on my credit card. That's fine, I'll just cover that purchase on Wednesday, no harm, no foul.
► Five Beloved Yet Deeply Disturbing Coming-of-Age Films - I'll grant that the older I get, the more Ferris Bueller comes off as a conscious-less douchebag, but the little girl in My Girl is a murderer? Stretch much?
As for Stand By Me, yeah, ending the movie with an afterward describing the horrible fates of 3 of the 4 kids is disturbing, but I don't think the movie really was intended as a kids film. Funny, 24 years since I saw the movie and I still can't watch it for the pie contest/mass vomit sequence. Ugh.
► The 25 Best Remakes of the Last 25 Years, Presented Without Comment - I'll add a comment: This seems like an awfully subjective list in parts.
► Comics Should Be Good: 52 Responses to the DC Reboot - From the sprawling, trying-to-hard-to-be-cute and irritating (I can't believe I read the whole thing) article:17) And while we’re bitchin’ - Oh my God, I am SO with the pro-Oracle lobby. What’s Batgirl‘s origin/motivation? She likes Batman and she plays superhero dress-up. What’s Oracle’s motivation? She faces down incredible trauma and uses it to make herself into a better hero. It’s one of the most effective origins in comics, IMO, and it’s coupled with a damn-near completely original superhero MO. And were losing it to regress to a character that was already a second try at a derivative character. Pass.
I appreciate and respect that so many fans love Barbara Gordon as Oracle, and how much the character did to represent a multifaceted disabled character and hero. But I love Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, and it's been over 20 years since the character has existed in anything but occasional flashback stories. A 20+ year run of Oracle stories is impressive, but goddammit, I want my Babs back as Batgirl! It's my turn!
Besides, Gail Simone has said this is a Barbara Gordon who was paralyzed and was Oracle, but is now healed and stepping back into her former Batgirl role. The history is still there.
► DC Relaunch: Astro City #1 - A Monthly Title - Whoa, whoa, is this true? I hadn't seen nor heard this before tonight, and this article is a few weeks old (also I rarely put much stock into what the perpetually smug Rich Johnston says), but man this would be nice if it is indeed true.
► 10 Lessons Hollywood Can Learn from This Summer's Movies - Do you ever get the feeling some people just really don't like Ryan Reynolds? This summer seems filled with backwashed backlash against the guy. He's not a a consistent box office winner? He's lead 1 movie solo (Green Lantern, which should be on course to break $200 million) and I don't understand why The Change-Up's failure is his sole responsibility. But that doesn't mean he's not solid and shouldn't still be allowed to be the lead in movies.
Let me think of a comparison... If I recall correctly, George Clooney is considered a major Hollywood star and A list talent, yet he has not headlined a movie that has broken the $100 million mark in North America. At least none that weren't a Batman or assemble Ocean's film.
Quote of the Moment
Dobbs: You can try to kill me, Dan. But you can't. You can only make me dead.
- Dead & Buried (1981)
Drinking: Orange Crush
Eating: Arrowroot cookies