And we're back...but for how long?

General Blogging
Well, things have changed quite a lot since my last post. When was that? May? June? In a nutshell, I had 3 jobs and an insane amount of stress. My friend moved in, which didn't really go according to plan/how we hoped it would go. I'm moving to New Hampshire on the 25th of September {12 days!} and have been under an AMAZINGLY huge amount of stress because of all of this. Did I mention that? I think I did.

Thankfully, though, I don't work anywhere again until sometime after I get to New Hampshire, thereby allowing me to wrap up things in Maryland, continue packing, pay bills and change my address for everything pertinent in my life.

In Other News:

News/Stuff About Celebrities and Movies/Music/TV Shows/etc.
Movie News:
-Stephen King's The Dark Tower series is going to be getting both a movie and a TV treatment. Words can't express how happy I am...or was until I realized that Ron Howard has directed both 'Angels and Demons' and 'The DaVinci Code'. Eeee.

I can't think of a better way to present the material, though, so I'm happy with this outcome. Now I just need to see if the casting will cause me to rage or not.

Actor News:
-There was a possibility that Martin Freeman would be playing Bilbo Baggins in the 'Hobbit' films. Apparently, this was a rumor, and it's not going to happen. While I like him as an actor, I cannot see him as Bilbo. My top two choices for Bilbo are either Simon Pegg or Michael Sheen. Considering how well the Lord of the Rings films were cast, I know I probably won't have anything to worry about.

Most Recent Movie(s) I've Seen in Theatres:
'Going the Distance'


Directed by Nanette Burstein, and starring Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis and Christina Applegate, the film is about a couple, Garrett {Justin Long} and Erin {Drew Barrymore} whose one-night stand turns into a long term relationship, and eventually a long-distance one when she has to move from New York back to San Francisco to finish her last year of grad school. Unlike most chick flicks, guys could like this and probably would. It's a little cruder than I was expecting, but that was refreshing. Justin Long and Drew Barrymore were a cute couple {especially since they did/are dating/I don't even know in real life} and most of all believable.

The supporting cast of Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day and Christina Applegate were amazing, as well, which was a nice change, especially since most supporting actors in a romantic comedy can fade into the background.

Overall, I give it an A-. It felt a bit long in some parts, but at just under 2 hours, it's almost a new phenomenon in movies today.

Grade: A-

Most Recent Book(s) I've Finished:
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

After watching 'Capote' for the third or fourth time, I figured it was time to read the book. I'd never read anything of Capote's before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. He was an amazingly talented writer, and I fully intend on getting more of his books. The book was one of the first true crime novels ever written, about the deaths of the Clutter family in 1959 in Kansas and the subsequent tracking, capture and execution of their killers; Perry Smith and Richard "Dick" Hickock.

The book, while not a quick read, moves along very steadily, and never once did I lose interest in the story or what was going on. One thing that struck me was that the more I read about the killers, I felt a mixture of disgust, horror and sympathy. In 'Capote', Truman says to Perry that he doesn't want the world to see him "as a monster". And it's no small feat that Capote has managed to humanize the killers,and Perry especially, since he was the one who killed the entire family. And even after reading, and realizing that Perry was a sociopath, I still manage to feel sympathy for him because of the atrocious upbringing he had. It's no excuse for what he did, but in a way...I guess I can understand it more. He said to Truman, "They [The Clutters] never hurt me. Like other people. Like people have all my life. Maybe it's just that the Clutters were the ones who had to pay for it."

I feel it's a book everyone should read.

Grade: A+

Miscellany
Funny Picture(s) I've Found:


The Song Currently Stuck In My Head:
'I Don't Wanna Dance' by Hey Monday



Hot Guy Of the Day
Clifton Collins Jr.



Quote of the Day
“Sometimes you have to be a high-riding bitch to survive. Sometimes being a bitch is the only thing a woman has to hold on to.” - Vera Donovan, 'Dolores Claiborne'

Anything Else I Can Think Of
Band You Should Be Listening To:
Metric


While not a new band, Metric have become one of my new favorites. I fully recommend buying their album 'Fantasies', released last year, or even just listening to the song they contributed for the 'Scott Pilgrim' soundtrack. Emily Haines' voice is a thing of beauty, and I look forward to seeing her and the band perform in October as Muse's opening band.

"EVERYBODY knows Saturday night's 'Fuck Night'!"

Indeed. In. Deed. Title is from Patton Oswalt's 'My Weakness is Strong'.

General Blogging

Well, despite my best efforts, I have once again begun neglecting this thing. This time letting two months go by before I make a real blog post. When I use my Livejournal {see, Tim, not only Russians and emos use LJ still}, I use it as my diary, and to mainly help me keep track of all the things I do on a given day/week/whenever I update it. As it is, I can barely remember to make a daily post on that thing, so this gets more neglect.

I'm sorry little blogger. As Muse say, this is the last time I'll abandon you.


News/Stuff About Celebrities and Movies/Music/TV Shows/etc.
Most Recent Movie(s) I've Seen in Theatres:
'Iron Man 2'

Directed by Jon Favreau, starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johannson {ew}. I don't consider myself a huge comic book fan, and certainly not a comic book movie fan {mainly the Marvel films, since they tend to suck}. Considering what we've been given over the last few years; the X-Men films {awful}, the Spiderman films {alright but not the best}, the Fantastic Four films {never seen, but in my opinion they didn't look that good} and the Hulk films {haven't seen the one with Eric Bana, but I enjoyed the one with Edward Norton}, the Iron Man films were like a breath of fresh air. I absolutely loved the first one and had high to middling hopes for the second one.

It didn't disappoint. The action was great, the dialogue was awesome, especially between Tony and Pepper. Robert Downey Jr. was amazing. He's always good, but he's become a hugely favorite actor of mine. And not just because I think he's gorgeous beyond belief. I liked him a lot in 'Zodiac', and he hadn't even blipped on my radar yet.

The only issues I had were the villain/villains; Whiplash and Justin Hammer. It seemed like they could have just gone with one or the other of them. It was nowhere near as bad as the trifecta of villains in 'Spiderman 3', though. I also had an issue with the inclusion of Scarlett as the Black Widow. She seemed very unnecessary, especially since we never found out who she was, aside from her name.

Those things aside, I loved the movie, and can't wait to see it again.

Grade: A

Most Recent Book(s) I've Finished:
The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume 2: The Magicians of Caprona / Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones

After starting this book in August of last year, I got pretty far into it, and then promptly set it aside after I started to get busier/started reading other books. Anyone who's reading this/knows me should know that I am a particularly voracious reader. As it is currently, I am reading seven books at the same time.

Anyway, all of that aside, I very much enjoyed this book. Diana Wynne Jones is always put in the young adult section of the bookstores, next to the plethora of teenaged vampire and other supernatural books. And I agree that she is a young adult writer, but she is one of the better and more accessible ones out there today.

The stories contained in the book take place in two of the nine worlds in this universe. Every person has one life in each world, and witchcraft is very common among them, though is it not in every one. Chrestomanci is a title bestowed on an enchanter with nine lives, meaning that instead of having one life in each world, he has nine in only one. This distinguishes him as a very powerful enchanter, and the only person who is able to make sure the magical balance in each world stays as it is.

The Magicians of Caprona and Witch Week, while not as compelling as the two books in volume one; Charmed Life {which got me into Wynne Jones} and The Lives of Christopher Chant, are still good reads, and will keep you interested throughout the story. The characters, mostly children or teenagers, are written well and feel very real. They grow and change as the stories progress and you can see it as you read it.

Grade: A-

Miscellany
Funny Picture(s) I've Found:

Patton Oswalt is right. This is the worst Judy Blume novel ever written.

The Song Currently Stuck In My Head:
'Alejandro' by Lady Gaga



Jackie Earle Haley:


Hot Guy Of the Day
Bradley Cooper.


Quote of the Day
"Hitler was a whiny teenager. He didn't get into art school so he killed all the Jews. And by the transitive property of Math, Hitler is Darth Vader."- Mary


Anything Else I Can Think Of
A Video You Need to See:
Bill Hader interviews himself about 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs'

"Well, you just hand me that fucking shoehorn over there, I'll take this t-shirt off and show you who's the best around HERE!"

If someone said that to me, I would love them even more through my tears of laughter. Especially if that someone was Dylan Moran. Title is from 'The Cream of Irish Comedy'.

General Blogging
Well, it seems like I've missed an entire month of blogging. If you can believe it, though, not a lot has been different from any other months, but here is a quick run down of things that have happened. I have:

-Saw Muse for the 4th time {they get better every time!}
-Applied for a ridiculous amount of jobs.
-Got 3 job interviews {one of which I still have to go to}
-Got new glasses
-Saw some movies; 'Legion', 'Shutter Island', 'The Bourne Supremacy', 'The Bourne Ultimatum', 'Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire', 'State of Play' and 'Rendition'.
-Managed to save quite a lot more money
-Had an acquaintance commit suicide
-Visited my friend in West Virginia

Pretty good, all in all.

Best band in the world.

News/Stuff About Celebrities and Movies/Music/TV Shows/etc.
Movie You Should Be Excited About:
'Legend of the Guardians'


Aside from the TOTALLY inappropriate trailer music, this movie looks GORGEOUS and I am so excited for it to come out.

Directed by: Zack Snyder
Starring: Hugo Weaving, Emilie de Ravin, Helen Mirren, David Wenham, Geoffrey Rush, Sam Neill, Jim Sturgess, Abbie Cornish and Ryan Kwanten.

Movie News:
'The Hobbit: Part 1' has two more actors in it, according to rumors; David Tennant is playing Bilbo Baggins, and Ron Perlman is playing Thorin Oakenshield. I personally wish that Simon Pegg was slated to play Bilbo {how awesome would that be?!}, but I love David Tennant, and I am definitely still seeing the film. Ron Perlman as Thorin is a pretty interesting casting choice, but I like him as well.

Actor News:
-David Schwimmer is engaged. I never thought I'd care that much about him to post something about it on here {or any of my blogs}, but there it is.

Most Recent Movie(s)/TV Show(s) I've Seen At Home:
'Gran Torino'

Directed and starring Clint Eastwood, this was an absolutely gorgeous movie. Surprisingly hilarious, if only because Clint Eastwood as an older man spewing racial slurs at random points is pretty hysterical. The movie has a good plot, though because a lot of the younger cast hadn't acted before, a lot of the delivery of the lines was kind of awkward. I wish I hadn't waited so long to see this, but I'm glad I finally did.

Grade: A-

Most Recent Book(s) I've Finished:
Blankets by Craig Thompson.

One of the most gorgeous and sad graphic novels I've read, and one of the quickest reads, too. Which you would not expect for a novel over 500 pages. I was able to read it in a little over an hour {while still absorbing it}, and enjoyed it immensely. If you're looking for a good graphic novel, I definitely recommend Blankets

Miscellany
Funny Picture(s) I've Found:

His face KILLS me every time.

The Song Currently Stuck In My Head:
Telephone feat. Beyoncé - Lady Gaga


My love for Lady Gaga continues to grow by the day. She's like Madonna and Gwen Stefani rolled into an awesome package of...well, fabulousness and fierceness. And I don't even like Madonna.

And can I just say that if Britney Spears had actually used this song {since Gaga wrote it for her}, it would have been fucking wasted. I like about 4 or 5 of Britney's songs, but she is nowhere near the "Princess/Queen of Pop". Especially now. It's safe to say Lady Gaga has far surpassed her, and she's younger than Britney, too!

Hot Guy Of the Day
Jason Sudeikis. I'm seeing 'The Bounty Hunter' on Friday, and I cannot wait.

He's absolutely adorable.

Quote of the Day
"Ah hah ha! Who was he? I know, one of those blue eyed guys with loads of teeth and hair and skin and all that modern shit. And he always looked as if he was on a boat. And he gave up his job in cybergenics to go and plant trees in some fuckin’ place. And he had *long* lashes and could quote huge chunks of Baudelaire as he stirred his cafe latte, and he wrote a whole load of books and never told you and you were doubly impressed because one day you found them in an airport. And, and he played lead cello in the Bulgarian orchestra and didn’t tell you until you’d spent an hour twanging around on your ratty fucking guitar looking for the first two chords of ‘Doo Doo Ran Ran’. And he was mysterious and everything. He couldn’t call ‘cause he was smuggling Cro-Crobian children across the border to get them to safety, using his fucking knowledge of missile tactics, and his inheritance and everything. And then he got involved in some underground documentary film group and was killed in a really tragic way for sedition. One of those guys, huh?!"- Dylan Moran

Anything Else I Can Think Of
A Video You Need to See:
Dylan Moran always needs to do stand-up, because he just oozes hilarity: