Film Fetish: "Kagemusha"

Kagemusha (1980)
- directed by Akira Kurosawa


In 16th century Japan a lowly thief is coerced into assuming the role of doppelgänger to a powerful and well respected warlord amidst a great civil war. Things become complicated for this kagemusha (shadow warrior) when his master is struck down and killed in the field and is expected to undertake the role and responsibility of the warlord full-time. The situation worsens when a newfound kagemusha discovers the ruse. Now the new warlord and his advisors must do all that they can to maintain the charade in hopes of staving off any attacks on their weak and vulnerable clan from increasingly suspicious warring parties.


Oh disappointment. How very disappointing this movie was. It had all the makings for a great film, but failed to live up to expectations. I had great hopes for this film, but even if I didn't I'm sure I'd still walk away from having seen this movie with a heavy heart. This was a definite case in style over substance. Everything was pretty much top-knotch, save for the actual story. It was sooo boring. Worst of all, it wasn't the least bit insightful or meaningful. It sorta just meandered about for an excruciating lenght of time. All the while I kept hoping for it to turn around, alas that didn't happen. :(

To be fair though, this wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen. But that's no way to go into a movie-going experience, with lowered expectations. You hope for something halfway entertaining and redeeming... especially from a film directed by such an accomplished artist. When you don't get that... it feel all the worse 'cause it seems like a betrayal. But oh well, they can't all be winners. And as I mentioned, not everything about this movie was a throw-away, it has loads of style. This film is a pure feast for the eyes and an interesting take on the pageantry of war.

5/10 This is a toss-up, even for Kurosawa fans. An interesting premise for a film, but not enough to carry the film the length at which it ran. The meat of the film is very thin... sorely lacking any true substance. But if you're looking for nothing more than some great eye candy, well look no further.

DS333, disillusioned.

001.132.365

• Odd numbering for this post.
• I've been away for the last two days, during which I would've posted... which would make this my 132nd post.
• I'll be playing catching up for the next few days.
• I'm dead tired.
• Time to brush my teeth, listen to Monday's The Howard Stern Show and go to bed. ;)
• Goodnight kiddos.

DS333, sleepy.

001.129.365

• Nothing like a little family bonding to get you outta yourself.
• I feel really good tonight.
• I'm dying to clip my fingernails.
• I washed my Apple Leopard t-shirt today. :D
• I'm gonna miss my next two "feature" posts.
• I'll be in Laughlin for a few days celebrating my Dad's birthday. ;)
• I need to pack. D'oh!
• It's gonna be rough being away from my machines. :|
• I crave the Net. :P
• Time to head out kiddos.

DS333, changing orbit.

Memory... "Speed Walker"

When I spoke about this feature for the first time, there were a few memories that sorta rose to the surface. And as I mentioned before, they're not all perfectly clear. The most important ones are usual just swaths of emotion. As is the case with this one...

I remember being in elementary school. But I don't remember what grade exactly. If I had to guess I would say I was in 2nd or 3rd grade... well maybe even 1st. I'm not sure. But I remember leaving school and walking home with my Mom. Given that she was taking me home meant that that day we were let out of school early. Those were the very best days 'cause that meant that my Mom would take me home. Those days were few and far between, those short days, more often than not my Dad would pick me up in his truck and we'd drive home. Which was fine, but I loved walking home with my mom. She'd always take me to the donut shop across the street for some ice cream or maybe the liquour store for some candy. I loved it. And I loved that the days seemed so long since school was cut so short. There was just something about it all that struck me to the core... that stirkes me still when I recall the memories. I think back on them very fondly.

One of these days, however, I don't hold in high regard. It's funny how you forget the most important thing about some memories... sadly I'm missing something here. I remember my Mom and I getting into something on one of these days. Rather I think I got into something... I was mad for some reason, about what? I have no idea. I can't remember. But I remember the feeling of what it was about, and I know I was in the wrong. I was being bratty and difficult. I had turned a perfectly good time into a bad one; one of my favorite days into the worst. Right out of the gate. Just as soon as I got out of school. I know that 'cause I can see where it happened in my mind. It was at the nearest stoplight at the school. I started giving my Mom the silent treatment (I've never been the tantrum type). All of this so far I don't feel too bad about. I mean I do, but it's the kinda thing that just sorta happens.

What I feel so horrible about is what happened next. Along with giving my Mom the silent treatment I was also ignoring her. I wouldn't even look at her face. I had pretended to be alone. I was locked away in this bubble of anger and frustration. I crossed the streets all alone. Distancing myself further and further from her, all the while not giving her a single glance. This kept going for so long that I didn't even realize that I left her blocks behind, not noticing we weren't even on the same side of the street. I felt so bad about that. About leaving her behind. About walking so fast so that she couldn't keep up. What's worse is having felt what I did but being too proud to turn back. I was hurt about earlier and now ashamed and guilt-ridden. More than anything I just wanted to get home. And that's what I did. We both walked home. Together, but alone. It was horrible. Even more horrible when years later my Mom recounted the tale as an example of a time when I hurt her. I never meant to, but I did. And I knew then. I haven't forgotten, and at the time she hadn't either. We never fought growing up, so this is one of those things you can't really forget...

The memory serves in some way as a warning. I'm sometimes distant though I don't mean to be cold. If I allow myself to become locked into whatever it is I am at the moment I could end up hurting people I don't mean to. It's a strange balance you have to strike as an introvert. It doesn't necessarily mean you're antisocial in the strictest or clinical sense. You just want your space. But you have to know how much is too much. I never want anyone to feel like I'm pushing them away. Not the people I love anyway. So... I call this to mind lest I forget that lesson. I don't ever want to feel like that again... and if having to remember this keeps that in check, well then I hope I never forget.

DS333, open.

Film Fetish: "Dersu Uzala"

Dersu Uzala (1975)
- directed by Akira Kurosawa



Set in Siberia during the early 1900's, a Russian army explorer on a surveying expedition encounters and befriends a quirky, eccentric and incredibly resourceful elderly Nanai hunter. The hunter, Dersu Uzala, agrees to join the expedition and successfully guides them through the harsh and treacherous terrain of Siberia and ultimately forges a life-long friendship with the troop's leader, Vladimir Arsenyev...

I was pleasantly surprised by this film. I was very wary and hesitant about being able to enjoy this film for a few reasons. First, it was only the second color film that was helmed by Kurosawa and the first I had seen. Secondly, I was totally unfamiliar with the cast, which consisted mainly of Russian actors, which was another first for Kurosawa. And lastly, the film had nothing at all to do with Japan. No Japanese actors, settings, issues, etc. I felt that Kurosawa was treading dangerous and unfamiliar territory.

But as I've said, I was pleasantly surprised. More than that, I was just plain wrong. The film itself was as gorgeous an any of Kurosawa's previous films. It was shot beautifully and the color only enhanced the experience and lushness of the Siberian and Russian landscape. The cast was amazing, especially the two leads. I was absolutely enthralled. I feel foolish for worrying about Kurosawa's ability to deal with a people and a place outside of his usual scope. No matter how you cut it, he's an accomplised director and this project only helps to prove that point.

As far as the story is concerned, I was more than satisfied. At once it was both uplifting and melancholy. It perfectly portrayed the collision of two worlds: the old and the new; a meditation on the rural and the industrial. I don't want to give much away but there's a lot to take away in that respect. This was a lovely film.

7.5/10 What more is there to say than it's a great Kurosawa film? :P Definitely outside his typical fare, but a great film nonetheless with a powerful message and equally powerful visuals.

DS333, surprised.

001.126.365

• I hate sports! >:( Well most televised sports anyway.
• I missed Kitchen Nightmares tonight on FOX because of some fuckin' baseball game. >:O
• Tonight's South Park was another homerun. I can wait to see how the "Kyle Sucks Cartmen's Ball Trilogy" finally plays out. :P :D
• I've missed the last two episodes of Bionic Woman. Thank the maker for torrenting. ;)
• Today's The Howard Stern Show was sorta heavy (no pun intended). I hope Artie Lange works out his issues.
• I've been kinda analog the last couple of days... maybe the last few. :|
• Finally filled out my Last.fm profile to my satisfaction. :D
• I need to fill out my Virb profile. :|
• Washing dishes is such a different chore ever since the iPod entered my life. Amazing what a little hardware will do for ya. ;) These last few years have been amazing. :P
• The Internet Channel on the Nintendo Wii is a godsend. When it's able to connect. I'm hoping it'll become the gateway drug I want it to be for my parents. :P
  
• I've been conjuring up a lot of lost memories over the last few days. I don't know what to think of that...
• My dreams have been... not troubled, not torturous, not painful... but I feel aching. I wish I wasn't so sensitive.
• I wish I could forget.
• Hmmm... I don't feel like talking all of a sudden. ;)
• Goodnight all you little stars, planets and satellites. :)

DS333, thinking.

Gray Matters

Integrity seems to be the watchword of the day. Though the concept is never far from my mind, it's at the forefront tonight.

I happened upon this blog post from the webmaster of one of my favorite blogs (Laughing Squid), Scott Beale, about photography theft. Beale himself has been a victim of this sort of thievery many times in the past, and it always infuriates me to learn about it. Thievery is nothing new, of course. It happens all the time. You might say a lot worse happens on a daily basis and I would be hardpressed to disagree. A lot more is happening out there that I should be angered by and focused on... and I am. But I suppose the reason why this irks me so is that it's a crime very specific to the Net, and at direct odds with the philosophy and/or spirit of it. Though that's really more about my perception of what the Net is. In reality I know it's not a utopia, but a muddled gray microcosm (perhaps macrocosm?) of the everyday world we live in. But I like to think that it's not. I like to hold the Net and it's community to a higher standard. I expect people to be honorable. To expect anything less would be so depressing, though I'm sure a lot less disappointing. Still I have this idea of what it should be, and how people should act. It goes against the grain. The Net often times, a lot of the time actually, feels more communal than the communities we live in... and that sense is what is piqued when I hear something like this happening. It feels like it's happening to me, when it happens to us.

Later in the day I got word of Apple's iTunes store offering a digital boxset spanning the entire career of Led Zeppelin. And that really set me off. Not the news itself, just the mere mention of Led Zeppelin. I'm not sure if you're keyed into the whole controversy involving allegations of plagiarism surrounding the band's first album, but I'll assume you are and that you've heard the evidence and have no doubts these aren't mere allegations. These guys are plagiarists of the highest (lowest?) order. This situation is all the more sickening when you consider these guys are artists, and that the crimes themselves are so blatant. It's repulsive. I don't know where a person goes to betray that brotherhood and sisterhood of artists.

Just now I finished watching an interesting episode of Law & Order: SVU that mused on the morality of torture during wartime. Earlier in the night The Biggest Loser hinted on the concept of ethics, like so many of these reality t.v. competitions do. So it seems that I'm being inundated with Black, White and Gray today. I especially enjoyed this last instance since a lot of these Law & Order plotlines are so outlandish and hyperbolic. Love the extremes because they provide the perfect ground to test ourselves and our ideas. When I say extreme, I guess I really mean to say Gray. The Ambiguous is the arbiter.

What really pissed me off about Scott's post, and the others like it, is that it brings to mind how easy it is to live correctly and how many people choose not to in spite of that fact. Photography theft is all about attribution. It's nothing more than giving someone credit for something they've done. Given how easy it is to operate and communicate online I just can't understand how someone could do anything but that. There's no reason to steal. As infuriating as it is, I think it's more sad than anything else. Which is the case with Led Zeppelin. I'm a classic rock fan, though I myself hadn't yet gotten around to delvnig into Zeppelin's work, I knew enough about them to know what amazing artists they were... and still are. So it's just disheartening to know that they've stolen when they were more than capable of creating a name for themselves all on their own. It mars everything to know what they've done. And it's sad because I can't forgive an artist for stealing from another.

Instances like those, in my view, are very Black & White. But what exactly does it mean to be right and wrong? Objectively (or maybe Universally?) speaking, I know there is no right and wrong. That's to say there's no Right & Wrong in the typical sense of the words. When I speak of Right... I speak more about Truth. But what exactly is Truth? What I mean to say is that for me, Right & Wrong, is more about honesty and deceit. We could argue about morality for an eternity because I feel there are no absolutes... it's all subjective, except when it boils down to honesty and deceit. There's a definite Right & Wrong here. We all know what it means to lie. Whether we care about what that means in another story. But in that regard it's good to know where we stand. Veering outside of that space is where it gets tricky. And not because there's no definitive answer outside that space, there is. I know what I just said, about there being no absolutes, and I'm right. We're not gods. We have it within ourselves to be, but a lot of us aren't. It's near impossible to see out of our Third Eye. We live in a world of discrimination (at this point I should make it clear that I'm speaking about discernment, not negative discrimination). We just do. We're very judgemental creatures. Which is good. For the most part. It's good to live by a standard; a set of rules. We see in Black & White.

What I love about The Ambiguous is not confronting a situation with no answers, but the exact opposite, the Gray is more Black & White than we'd like to believe. Everyone says it. The world, life, is all shades of Gray. That's a lie. We trick ourselves into believing the world and the situations it presents us are ambiguous; that there are no easy answers. That there is no Right or Wrong. But there are. There is no Gray, that's subjectivism. The inability to see clearly speaks more to our unwillingness to accept the truth about ourselves and who we are as people. The Gray is rooted in fear. We do things thinking, "...there was no other choice". But there is always choice. There are two paths to any one destination. Taking the darker, we like to think it says nothing of who we are. But we don't see things as light or dark, just complicated. At least that's the internal language we speak when there's a fear to confront ourselves in the mirror. Gray is about sussing out our light and dark personalities. The Ambiguous serves as a prism. I like to think of the extremes as opportunities to find out who we are. They're not points at which you throw up your hands and shirk your accountability and responsibility. Seeing Gray is a matter of being unable to reconcile our Light and Dark. You've done something wrong, something bad... what does that mean? Does that make you a bad person? No. This is a growing point. Time for introspection. If there is a lot more Gray in your life than Black & White that's a pretty clear indicator that you fall on one side of the fence, the side you feel most uncomfortable accepting or coping with. Accept who you are. We never like to think of ourselves as wrong of bad people, but maybe we are. And if we're not, the onus is on us to not see Gray, but White. We should always move to do what is right, what's honest. The Gray Matters are always fading. We choose whether or not it fades to White, or fades to Black.

DS333, fading...

Downloadable Nostalgia

So I mentioned in the previous post that I got my grubby little mits on a Classic Controller for the Nintendo Wii, something I've been meaning to pick up for the longest time. My main motivation for getting it was being able to play some oldschool games via the Wii's Virtual Console. The Virtual Console has been around as long as the Nintendo Wii, but I've only recently been obsessed with the system when Nintendo uploaded Super Metroid for purchase. I loooved that game when I was growing up. Even though the Super NES is no longer with us (my brother gave it away to some relatives in Arizona), I still have the original cartridge. :D It's such a great game, if you haven't played it you should do yourself a favor and buy a Wii just so you get the opportunity... it's one of the greatest games of all-time. ;) Anyway, being a Super NES title meant that the game required playing with more buttons than the standard Wiimote could deliver. I bought that one piece of hardware so I could pick up that one piece of software. :) Best $20 ever spent in the history of the world. ;)

I just started playing the game a few days ago so I haven't made much progress... at least I don't think I have. I've forgotten a lot about the game. :P Well not too much... but the fact that Metroid Fusion borrowed so heavily from Super Metroid makes keeping track of certain things confusing. It all seems familiar, and at the same time it doesn't. Anyway, I'm having fun... and I have all the time in the world to fall in love with it again and learn it inside-out.

Along with Super Metroid, I picked up some NES titles that I've been dying to get my hands on. Things from my childhood... things that I never got to know on a personal level. For the most part, a lot of the classic titles out there I only remember as games my brother played through and beat. My brother was a master gamer, and at the time I was too young to really do anymore than watch. Now that I'm older though and I'm a more competent gamer, I've been dying to get a crack at a few games that hold this sacred space in my memory. These titles seem mythic... or legendary. Thinking of them brings me back... back to that mindset... brings me back to being a little kid. So it's sorta weird... overcoming this fear I have with them, 'cause I feel as though there's no way I can possibly beat any of them. :P But I don't know, we'll see how that goes.

I picked up Donkey Kong, which wasn't one of those games but just a game I've been dying to own. It's so classically classic and it plays a very integral role in the history of Nintendo, how could I not get it? Then I picked up Kid Icarus, which absolutely is one of those games. I know my brother's beaten it... though, I doubt I could. I gave it a test run the other night... it seems easy enough, but I hope it's only a matter of patience and perseverance. :P And the main NES title I picked up was Zelda II - The Adventure Of Link! :D The only major Zelda title I've yet to beat. I know it's a bit of a doozy, but I think I can beat this one. My brother has... and I remember it being a real bitch. Here's hoping I'm a better gamer than my brother ever was. :P

Anyway, just wanted to update you on all the titles I'll be losing myself to in the next several months. :P I love the Fall. :D

DS333, time travelling.

001.123.365

• This blog enters its adolescence!
• Finally got my hands on the Classic Controller for the Nintendon Wii.
• Downloaded a piece of Wii Ware recently, The Internet Channel!
• Downloaded a few titles on the Wii's Virtual Console.
• Recently saw Ridley Scott's 1982 futuristic Philip K. Dick adaptation, "Blade Runner: The Final Cut"! :D
• Borrowed the 20th anniversary edition DVD of a childhood classic, "Monster Squad", from my brother. :D
• Got back my "The Big Lebowski" and "Death Proof" DVDs. :D
• I need to become more proficient in GIMP.
• I don't think I'll finish completing a Halloween costume... I don't wanna half-ass it. :(
• Diving into my Radiohead catalogue a lot lately.
• Found a perfectly elegant way to start saving my change... in two large Pom tea jars: one for pennies, and one for the rest. ;)
• Lifehacker's becoming more and more useful.
• I need to check out Apple's guided tour of Leopard.
• I should go bye-bye now. :)

DS333, dreaming of electric sheep.

The Art - "Self Portrait - Fire Gnome"

Self Portrait - Fire Gnome

approximately 5 1/4" x 8"; ink on paper.


This is the eleventh piece in my 70-part David's Book (AKA The Blue Book) project.

This self portrait is pretty much a direct response to the last one. It's no coincidence that it immediately follows it within the order of the book. I wouldn't think of creating two self portraits back to back, but I was more or less forced to do so.

While I was making my way through ...Red Face, I suppose I used a bit more force on the pen than usual, because it seems I was able to tear tiny holes within the paper that allowed ink to bleed through to the next page. There was no way I was thinking of scrapping the paper because it was marred, since they were tiny blotches I knew I could work around them and incorporate them into the next piece. But what to create next? I somehow didn't think it was right to disregard the accident... if that makes any sense. I felt that because the ink came from ...Red Face, the next piece should honor that in some way. Looking at the blemishes brought to mind sparks. Then I started to think of the way fire was instrumental to ...Red Face; if he was the fire, this next one would be the spark; an offshoot.

So the ...Fire Gnome was born, with the idea of honoring and taking cues from ...Red Face. Because the ...Gnome was a spark, I thought I'd scale down my usual image size. And since I was gonna make something humanoid, it's diminutive size led me to create something impish and gnome-like. So taking cues from ...Red Face, the entire image is pretty much self explanatory. You can see the fire, you can see the face, you can see the demon, you can see the samurai; all whispers of something greater and more refined. In regard to the rest of my sketches, this piece truly is a sketch. It was meant to be rough. Just a swath of an idea. I imagine he is an envoy of ...Red Face. Maybe one aspect of that creation? Pure anger? Probably not. Something on the order of Chaos I think. Anyway, like I said it's just a sketch... I can't say I put all that much thought into the piece, everything was pretty much written out ahead of time. I just drew what I could see.

DS333, divining.

Projected Projects > "Run"

Yup that's it. I need to run more. :P I did quite a bit of runnig today and boy was it a rude awakening. I'm torn up right now. :( My quads ache like a mofo... my throat burns... me knees are in shambles. It's a sorry sight. I'm just dead tired right now. It's a clear sign that I need to get back to that old passion of mine. I'd write more... but I feel... ugh, I just wanna rest! :P Forgive me. ;)

DS333, in recovery.

001.120.365

• It's my 26th birthday! :D
• Piss off and take a rain check. :P ;)

DS333, aging.

"What Happens Next?"

Talk about a rude awakening. :P I was checking out my Virb° comments today and found this little number waiting for me. I'm officially 26 years old today! :O :P Kinda shocking, since it's the first time I've seen that number associated with me... especially since it came earlier in the day (guess Virb°'s servers are located somewhere in the East). But it's well past Midnight, so I actually am 26 now, well officially anyway. I won't technically be 26 until 9:40a.m., that's when this little bundle of horror and beauty was brought into the world, and you know how I'm all about the details. ;)

I thought it was kinda crazy that out of all the quotes I have randomly shot out to my Profile that this is the one that first greeted me, rather apt wouldn't you say? It's a quote from one of my all-time favorite books, the second book in Clive Barker's mythic trilogy masterpiece, Everville. It's spoken by the Jai-Wai Rare Utu. And what the fuck's a Jai-Wai? An avatar. A mask. An illusion. The physical manifestation of the transcendent. Mostly an objective observer. Indifferent to the joys and sorrows of the world, but ever consumed by them, the Jai-Wai feed on the unfolding of the human story. Never satisfied, they continually ask, "What happens next?"

I wonder. And if I could know, would I want to? Probably not. The surprise is everything afterall. It'll all be a mixture of joy and sorrow for sure. All life is a marriage of fortune and tragedy. Fortunately, more than ever I feel ready to endure anything that comes my way. I suspect this will be a good year. Certainly better than the last. Talk about a horror. :P I need to get back to a time before... well not get back to, but mold something new with the energy from before. More than any other, I hope for this year to be the most formative, 'cause there's no fucking way my 27th is gonna get shot to hell. That's such a beautiful number. Nothing should taint that. I know, I'm being cryptic... you'll have to indulge me, it's my birthday afterall. ;) :P

Anyway, I'm feeling very happy for some reason. :D It feels good. I hope you all have a great day, and a great year. ;)

DS333, firmly planted in the late 20's. :| :P

The Long Walk...

Taking a cue from my Sister, who has taken to blogging about getting some regular exercise, I've decided to take up an old habit of mine: walking.

I used to walk everyday. But over the last few months I've been receding into my cave more and more. Waking up later and letting the Sun burn out. So that by the time I'm up and ready to greet the world I've lost all the light and going out on my own becomes a risky proposition. So I just stopped. But I'm slowly turning my world on its head and I've begun to greet the Sun earlier in the day. Only recently have I ventured out into the world to walk my well-worn, beaten path.

I actually went out for a walk today, and it was great. I've always loved taking walks, especially long walks. I love them for a variety of reasons. Mostly for the solitude I suspect. By nature, I'm a solitary creature. Don't get me wrong, I love company... I really love it in fact. I just prefer my socializing in small doses. For the most part, I'd much rather prefer being alone. I know why that is, but that's not the focus of this post. ;) So having some time alone is a huge motivator for taking walks. But what's great about it, is that I'm not really alone. I'm out and about in the city, but only orbiting (like any good satellite should ;) ). I kinda get off on the idea of being alone within a crowd. ;)

There's the whole fitness aspect as well. Which was probably the main motivator for this recent round of walking. I certainly wouldn't say I'm out of shape. But I do need to be more active, on so many levels! :P So I thought I'd work my way up that ladder in the most basic sense. It's good to get out there and move every once and a while. And that's what I'm hoping to do again, on a more consistent basis. It couldn't hurt any. Well, save for all the car exhaust and overall urban pollutants. :P

What I love the most about walks though, is the one-on-one time with The Thin Man and JoeyBot (my iPods ;) ). I looove music, and I love singing to music... even if it means only mouthing the words. I love forming the words... performing the art... interacting with the poetry. And the city street provides the perfect private setting for just that. When I do decide to exercise my voice, it's too quiet for anyone to hear over the sounds of the city. It's a perfect cover. ;) If I wasn't a graphic artist... and had a true talent for music (and a voice), I'd absolutely pursue a life as a singer-songwriter. *dreamy sigh*

But there comes a time every now and then when walking isn't necessarily about walking. There comes a time when it becomes all about mind over matter. Testing my endurance and perseverance. It's during these times that I crave the long walk. I love it. I want it. I need it. That I don't know why. In some way it's almost masochistic, but not quite. And if it was, it wouldn't be an unhealthy strain. I suppose I just need to feel like I can overcome... or overpower the world. I need to feel in control. And I never feel more intact then when I can use my mind to push my body to a point where it's not supposed to go. I love moving out of my comfort zone now and again. I'm sure that's true of just about anyone. It's that drive that I think gets us into trouble. But by the same token, it also rewards us with an enrichment gained from new experiences. It's a tough line to walk. It's risky and dangerous. Though it can be walked. And so now I guess we're not talking strictly about walking... though I guess we never were to begin with. ;) It's all reference for something else. And walking calls that to mind, to those concepts and ideas... so I suppose you could say it's almost ritualistic for me. Like so many things are. It's all about reference.

DS333, meandering.

001.117.365

• It was an overcast day.
• Thinking that lifecasting, in the casual sense of the word (blogging, photosharing, etc.) would be a brilliant solution should my future self ever need to find my past self without ever being found out. ;)
• I wanna start watching Journeyman... I think I've missed about five episodes. I won't torrent this time though, I think NBC offers a streaming solution now.
• My shoulders kinda hurt, and I know why. I'll never do that again. :P
• Completed a rush job last night and came up with a wickedly cool Birthday Week icon. :D
• I don't know that I ever wanna migrate to Photoshop... I like the idea of staying loyal to an open-source solution like GIMP.
• I need to wean myself off MailPlane and start using Mail again.
• I need to buy some soil for my gardening project.
• Heroes is getting better and better each week. In my view anyway. ;) :P
• Had some BBQ pork ribs today, and am getting ready for a second round. :D
• Caught with all my TV (well, save for Journeyman now :P ), but now I'm a bit behind on some vidcasts.
• I'm continually striving to strike a balance. :P
• Being a generous seeder makes me happy. :D
• I have a ton of American Doll Posse World Tour shows I've yet to transcode and listen to. :|
• I've been stumbling upon some really great videos on the Net lately. :)
• Time to head out I think... I might lose the energy I have to include links with this post. :P
• G'night all you hidden Tiger Faces.

DS333, turning.

Lyrical Exegesis / "Show Me Forgiveness"

Show Me Forgiveness
- Björk (Medúlla)


Show me forgiveness
For having lost faith
In myself
And let my own interior
Up to inferior forces
The shame is endless
But if soon
Start forgiveness
The girl might live


At the moment I thought it would be a good idea to delve into songs that are currently on the brain, rather than tried & true favorites of old. I want things to feel current here; in the moment. And I always have a few songs at any given moment floating around my head. Things I can't shake. Not that I would want to. But something is always with me, and I thought it would be interesting to share not just an interpretation of the songs themselves but also those things that are at my side and in my head. That thing that is responding to the songs.

One of the most interesting things about songs, to me, is there mutability. They can be used and or strike us in many different forms. Sometimes they're just catchy pieces of musical instrumentation that the body can't resist moving to. Sometimes they're an expression of political or social ideals. They can be mantras and prayers. Maybe even diatribes. They host an energy waiting to be focused by the artist and the viewer. Although we're not always privy to an artist's intention. But that's not at all important nor necessary. The song itself tells us where it wants to go, in direct response to where you want to go. While there's an element of mutability inherent in them, there is a form. There are limits to the way a song can be transmuted. The change is the most interesting thing to me. Because it's the change that informs me about myself.

Show Me Forgiveness has been acting as a meditation for me for quite some time. The song is performed by Björk and first appeared commericially on her experimental vocal album, Medúlla. It's unique in that it's the only true a capella piece on the record, which works beautifully within the context of the song. While I find Björk to be an incredibly strong and talented singer, her voice appears to be lacking in this song. It feels weak... and somewhat unclean. That is to say that there is an impurity lurking about the song. Also a vulnerabilty. There's an openess within the song that feels intimidating, and the vocal performance reflects this. Imagine performing at a recital attended by a throng of billions.

The performance lends itself to this idea of meditation. There's an inner dialogue happening here. A singular voice in the dark directed toward the self. And this is precisely how I've been using it lately. My birthday's coming up soon, and like most anniversaries I've been thinking of using it as a growing point. Zero point for change. But for change to be successful I think it's important to finish our old business. And I suppose there are things that I haven't been able to let go of... or these things haven't been able to let go of me. I once told a friend of mine long ago that I never had any regrets, nor would I ever. And he was always shocked by this, 'cause he had numerous regrets and couldn't imagine a way of life that was different from this reality. And while the statement might seem strong, strong enough to push to the point of incredulity, it was true. Sure, I wish some things didn't happen. Maybe things could've been different (they always could). But the wish, the desire was never burning. They were only ever passing thoughts. Presented with the same situations and knowing the outcome, would I change anything I had done? No. Never. I was steadfast in that regard.

Years have passed since I had that conversation, and things have changed; life happened. Do I have regrets now? Yes. Given the opportunity to play out parts of my life differently, would I? Yes. I've never known regret, but I know it now. And more than anything I wish I didn't feel this way. I wish things could be different. And there's an anger here... directed toward myself. For letting things happen the way they did. Because they didn't need to happen. And I knew not to... but I did anyway. I could hear the voice, but still I ignored it. And while nothing terrible happened, nothing so dire, I still regret it...

Show me forgiveness / For having lost faith / In myself First off I should say how interesting I think the context within which this conversation is taking place is. The idea here is that I didn't listen to myself; my inner voice; the unconscious voice; the true self. In doing so, I landed myself in this situation because I didn't listen. Now I come here asking for forgiveness. And it's sobering to consider the manner in which this is taking place. There are two elements at play here. The voice and the void; sound and silence. The conscious voice directed toward the unconscious void. Sound meeting silence. And when I had thought I had been humbled before, I feel it even more now because I'm unsure of there ever being a response. I (small I) didn't listen before, so why should I (big I) now? This image of sole voice and void I find the most enriching because it forces me into a state of humility. I feel as though I'm talking to a great and infinite wall. Searching for a sign, a crack... anything. Praying for forgiveness.

And why ask for forgiveness? What's at the root of this problem. Yes, I didn't listen, but so what? What does that mean? What does it mean to be here, humbled and on your knees? Why did you let this happen? Why did you betray yourself? Why was this acceptable? How could this happen? To lose faith in the world, and in others... but most of all in yourself is the greatest crime. There's the line. You were strong and steadfast in your beliefs. You were strong... once. This happened because you were weak...

And let my own interior / Up to inferior forces And that's not to say you shouldn't be weak, or weakness in wrong. There's a difference between weakness and vulnerability. Weakness is fine, if weakness means being open and vulnerble; trusting. Weakness is only ever wrong when it means short shrifting yourself. Being masochistic. Opening yourself not up to love, but deliberate pain and abuse. You've crossed the line. You've lost faith. You've lost your worth, or at least your lack of faith makes you believe you're worthless. And so things like this happen. You've let them in, the undeserving. But it's here at your weakest that you find your greatest strength. Here you are tested. Life has happened and experience has transmuted your knowledge to wisdom...

The shame is endless Never again will this happen. But the knowledge of knowing where you were and where you are now, what that meant, fills you with a great sadness, shame and much guilt. Made all the greater by the scope of the transgression. But it's important not to dwell. Not to lament. You were lost once, and you could just as easily be lost again... this time in your shame, and spiral into self hatred. Thus opening yourself up to those inferior forces. Shame here is humbling and constructive. It's not meant to be damning and destructive. It's a means to an end.

But if soon I love the reference of hesitation here: "if". Are you ready for forgiveness? Up to this point it's always been a question. Will you forever be in the position of asking for forgiveness?...

Start forgiveness Or will you take it? Start, begin forgiving. The attitude, posture and perspective have changed. The revelation has changed question to demand; hesitation to assertion.

The girl might live And now, just maybe, all will be forgiven.


DS333, assertive.

Projected Projects > "Tagging And More Tagging"

Ahhh... tagging. The watchword of the world of metadata. Tagging: data about data. It can be such a source of strength and weakness. It's incredibly powerful when implemented correctly. It allows us to dive through vast amounts of data to find exactly what we need. What we want, when we need it. In a world that's ever expanding, tags and tagging are become more and more vital. Implementation, however, is still the one Achilles heel in this system. For the time being, this is by and large, a manual process. And if you're at all familiar with The Digital, manual is a tough pill to swallow when you've become accustomed to a world of automation. Tagging in itself is its only barrier, because it's so daunting to undertake. For the most part we eschew the system. But I'm not going to avoid it any longer. It's time to make another change.

So I'm going to attempt to tag all of these posts from now on to make searching this blog not such a pain in the ass. I'm going to bring order to the chaos. But I'm not making the change for the benefit of future posts. This change in retroactive. I'm going to attempt to tag all of the posts I've published thus far. All 114 of 'em. But it's going to take a while. I don't plan to get this done in a day, of even a few weeks... my plan is to attack the problem bit by bit over an extended period of time. Going full tilt seems too daunting and discouraging and could possibly put me off of the project. So I'm gonna do what I can, when I can.

So why even post about this? Well, it means I get to cheap out on a post. :P But more than that, having something set down in print kinda puts my ass to the fire. I've said I'm gonna do it, so now I'm gonna be held accountable. Maybe not by you, but by my internal Tag Nazi. And it shouldn't be hard. I started tagging my Flickr photos... well I've always been doing that, but I've gone to an extreme with those set of tags. And one of the things I learned about them is that they can always be refined. I think the main inhibitor working against me is my Perfectionism Strain. I kinda wanna get it right from the beginning. I want the system to be complete from the outset. I feel I should be aware of every possible tag I may ever want to use in the future before I begin the process. But that's crazy. I'm gonna just suss out what categories I can already see forming and work from there. Just getting the features in order will be good enough for me. So you can look forward to some order on this blog in the coming days and weeks. Hope you enjoy it. ;)

DS333, organizing.

001.114.365

• Finally installed those printer drivers for the tiny Canon printer (Selphy CP400).
• Printed some family photos.
• It rained today! :D
• I hope it rains on my birthday. It didn't last year... but I got it two years back-to-back the years before. :D
• Finished watching loads of TV today.
• I looove "Kithen Nightmares".
• I <3 chef Gordon Ramsey.
  
• "Pushing Daisies" is my new favorite show. :D
• My legs are cold. :(
• I need to sleep.
• Imported some family photos into iPhoto.
• Tracking numerous things via Adium thanks to Twitter Tracker. :B
• I need to sleep. ;)
• Had too much Coke tonight.
• Need to brush my teeth.
• Tomorrow's a new day. ;)
• Having an interesting dialogue with someone.
• I'm tired.
• Time to sleep.
• I hate weak seed strength.
• I wonder if I'll complete my Halloween costume. Maybe I'll start planning tomorrow?
• Need to pee. :P
• Heading out kids... can't think right now.
• Too much on my mind right now.

DS333, pondering.

TV Time

Ever since I took it upon myself to dive head-first into the Web 2.0 sphere, I've become more obsessed with web content, i.e. blogs, microblogs, podcasts and vidcasts. As a result, I've sorta lost track of keeping a routine with my TV shows.

The new Fall TV season has been a real bitch trying to keep a handle on. I don't really know when anything airs. Only a few of the shows that I'm devoutly loyal to have their schedules etched in my memory. For the most part, the new shows are falling to the wayside. Thank the maker for torrents though. And thank the maker for Transmission as well. :P

With tracker and client in hand I've been able to corral a lot of the new shows I've been meaning to keep tabs on. But even those are piling up. So tonight I plan to go hogwild with some TV. I'm very excited. ;) What's in store for me tonight? ER, Kid Nation, Pushing Daisies, Kitchen Nightmares... yeah I believe that's it. Oh yeah!... I missed the most recent episodes of South Park and The Sarah Silverman Program too. D'oh! :P

Being online as much as I am means not being subjected to the tons of commericials I normally would that would keep me on schedule. So I also gotta remember to track down these airtimes and load them into iCal. Very productive. ;) Here's hoping Old Media is still as entertaining as New Media. :D

DS333, channel surfing?

Heart & Sole

Well now that Summer's dead and buried... for the moment anyway. Damn you, you Solar Zombie! *pumps fists in the air* As I was saying, now that Summer's passed, it's time to enjoy Fall. Only problem with that is that I find myself bitching about the cold rather than the heat. :P

We humans are so finicky, annoyingly so. I'd be fine with the weather if it wasn't for my poor little feet. :( They're lightning rods for the cold (yeah I know, totally massacred that metaphor :P ). But you get my meaning. ;) The rest of my body is in perfect harmony, but once night falls the torture begins. :P I can never heat up my feet. Which is a strange thing since I tend to wear boots and all... I don't know why it happens. I've got all the socks I should be wearing, but that doesn't work either. Nor do blankets. :( Eventually all of these things working in concert do the trick, but it's such a slow process. :(

Every night, on nights like this, I pray that I'll wake up the next morning with hearts in my feet. I've heard that's the reason why our feet get so cold. 'Cause they're extremities and are so far flung from the heart. I need more blood pumping down below. :P ;)

So pray for me this Fall and Winter, may the gods make my wish come true. I want Feet Hearts. :P If not that, just to be warm and comfy would be enough... yeah... maybe that's a better wish. ;)

DS333, (""') <3

001.111.365

• Oooh hoo! Post 111! :D Doesn't it just look awesome?
• I need to remember to mention more than what happened "today" on these third posts.
• I finally installed Greasemonkey (a Firefox extension). :D
• My beard's itchy, should I shave now?
• I haven't gone through all my daily blogs yet.
• I'm developing what's sure to be a killer headache if I don't get off the Mac soon, but I can't. :P And I'm gonna do everything I can to avoid taking aspirin.
• Had some chocolate pudding today; yummy! ;)
• Odd bit of synchronicity: I was checking out my Jaiku page last night lamenting it's apparent death in my world, and then today news breaks that Google has acquired them. Wild. Still won't get me to use it though. It's too full-featured... so it seems like any other social-network. Twitter would've been a smarter buy. It's very different in a lot of ways. Less is a whole lot more in this instance.
• I'm gonna try to set-up a printer tonight. Ugh, I hope all goes smooth and clean. I hate installing drivers! >:O
• "The Biggest Loser" is the greatest show on TV right now. :P
• I'm so in love with Twitter's new tracking feature... it's a beautiful form of data mining. I'm hunting for diamonds in the rough. ;)
• Everyone in the house is sick... oh god, I better not be totally raped on my birthday. I don't wanna get sick!!! >:O Not on my birthday. :(
• I need to pee.
• I hate dust.
• I've been using Quicksilver more and more... and my god! How did I live without it? I'm sure I haven't even tapped 10% of it's potential. :D Very exciting. :B
• I was never a smiley guy until this year.
• I've got a shitload of TV shows to catch up with. I torrented a lot of the ones I missed in the last two weeks.
• I need to start drinking more tea.
• The ability for subscribers of Last.fm to see who visited their profile page is creepy. :P
• I really need to pee. :P
• I'm so glad to see that "Arpeggi" made it on "In Rainbows", initially it wasn't.
• I had a dream about the Akira Kurosawa soundtrack I've had my eye on lately. Must've been spurred on by last night's post.
• I'm slowly but surely uploading photos from our Memorial Day Weekend trip to Arizona on Flickr. I'll surely hit my free account limit, but that's cool... it's such a slow process. Tagging can be... trying. :P
• Time to head out. ;)
• G'night all you "Weird Fishes".

DS333, really needs to pee.

Film Fetish: "Red Beard"

Red Beard (1965)
- directed by Akira Kurosawa


Set in 19th Century Japan, Red Beard documents the tumultuous relationship between a seasoned doctor and his reluctant intern. Unwilling to submit to Red Beard's (Dr. Niide, played by Toshiro Mifune) rules and methods of care, the young intern, Dr. Yasumoto (played by Yuzo Kayama) does everything he can to get ousted from the meager facility and return to his life of luxury serving as the personal doctor to the Shogunate. However, Red Beard won't make that an easy task. Held "prisoner" under Red Beard's supervision, Yasumoto begins to learn that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to Red Beard, his facility and the patients within...

And so all good things must come to an end. :( Long time Kurosawa-collaborator, Toshiro Mifune gives his farewell performance as the stern Dr. Niide. in Red Beard. And what a performance it is! Perhaps Mifune's best, which should excite any Kurosawa fan. His performance aside, Red Beard is one of Kurosawa's greatest ensemble features. While each character isn't developed to their fullest throughout the film, there's enough there to drive home a great meditation on humanity, loss and redemption. Certainly not a medical film, Red Beard is all about heart and humanity. Happy hearts and tortured souls. The hospital and doctors serve as a perfect metaphor for individual understanding, acceptance and compassion in the face of ignorance, intolerance and cruelty.

8/10 While it's hard to articulate, this is a great film with loads of heart. Objectively, it's beautifully scored, shot and performed. If you're in the mood for a classic drama this is the film for you.

DS333, pondering

Explained, "Lyrical Exegesis"

Fancy talk for song interpretation. ;) I wanted a forum in which I could go in depth with my own interpretation of my favorite songs. So now I have it. :D I don't exactly know how I'm going to go about tackling a song... or rather how I'm gonna tackle the posts themselves. I'm speaking specifically about the formatting. I don't know how I'm going to arrange the lyrics and where I'll insert my own dialogue and what not. This will defintely be a work in progress so bear with me yet again. :P I wish I could provide the songs themselves... but I don't like wearing the pirate hat. But wherever I can, I'll try to provide links to legal sources where you can sample the tunes to better engage each post. If nothing else, at least you'll have the lyrics and links to places where you can buy the tunes yourself. ;)

Anyway, that's about it. Pile on another new feature. :P I'm gonna try to rack my brain and come up with as many forums as I can for this blog. Since I'm coming 'round to the 122nd post, this blog is about to move outta it's infancy and into it's adolescence; I want to be done with all the structural stuff before that time comes around. :D

DS333, planning.

001.108.365

• Post 108, quite important. The Goddess post. ;)
  
• Woke up a bit earlier than usual. Hooray for me. ;)
• Shaved my head and trimmed the body hair. Fun, fun, fun. :P
• Trimmed my fingernails.
• My brother came over today.
• Introduced my brother to the Nintendo Wii's "Wii Shop Channel".
• Went to Starbucks... still on the hunt for my drink. :(
• Taking a trip outta town for my birthday. ;)
• Charging up The Thin Man (my 2nd Gen iPod Nano) right now.
• Catching up on some Howard TV.
• Sleepy.
• Eating some Rold Gold mini pretzels and slurping down my Frap. :)
• My wrists hurt.
• It's getting colder. Summer's truly dead. :D
• I wanna say something, but I can't. Too personal. ;)
• I'm a tease. ;)
• Time to head out.
• G'night all you fishies.

DS333, swimming.

Finished Business

Y'know those things you've been meaning to do for some time, but just haven't got around to? Well I have more than a few things on that lengthy list. :P But what really frustrates me is having things on that list that just shouldn't be there. Well I got rid of two of those little gnats recently. (Hmmm... for some reason "recently" looks really weird. I feel like its spelled wrong, but know its not.)

A few weeks back I tried to rip some audio from a couple of DVDs packed in as extras for some albums I bought. I searched around and found some pretty helpful tutorials for doing this on the Mac, but I failed miserably. :( You're golden if you can extract AC3 files from those DVDs, but I was only able to get PCM files from mine. They were horrible. I was sure I'd never get much use out of the programs I downloaded to get the job done. But I recently bought the 2-disc edition of Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof" (2007) on DVD and fortune smiled upon me. ;) Soon after I watched "Grindhouse" on opening day in the theatre I was hooked by the track that played during the end credits: April March's "Chick Habit". I bought the track on iTunes as soon as I could. I was happy. In a blissful ignorance. Until I watched "Death Proof" again on DVD. Then I learned that the track I'd been listening to was incomplete. It was missing a critical segment sung in French. Well guess what I set out to do? :P Needless to say, I now have the "complete" version of "Chick Habit" sitting in my iTunes library. :D It sounds so pristine. I'm happy. ;) I'm so glad I was able to salvage that DVD extraction/conversion workflow... 'cause it works like a charm for true DVDs.

If you're on the Mac and interested and doing the same thing that I did, check out that link I provided above (I found post #14 by darelon to be the most helpful. :D ) and download these programs: 0SEx and mAC3dec. Happy ripping! Enjoy. ;)

This next little to-do has been long overdue. I don't know why it is, but my poor little iMac G5 doesn't do very well with Flash content. My iMac is really old school, still working with the PPC architecture, and the processor goes insane when it runs into a piece of Flash it doesn't like. Those fans start spinning and I start fuming. >:O I can't stand it! But it's not a problem with all Flash content, mainly embedded third-party supported ads. Grrr! Well my brother's been using the Flashblock extension for FireFox for what seems like centuries and I love it! I just never installed it. :P I don't know why. Chalk it up to extreme laziness. Anyway, I was ranting about system resource-hogging Flash ads recently and a friend of mine suggested that I run Flashbock. I already knew about it, and knew I should... but something about that night finally pushed me toward the installation. :P I'd like you to all know that I'm now a proud user of Flashblock and it's made a world of difference in my life. I'm happy yet again! :D (Doesn't take much, does it? :P )

DS333, happy. :D

Digital Milestones

I've been looking for a place to post these screenshots. I'm not a fan of posting sreencaps on my Flickr account and this is pretty much my only other venue. They're nothing special, but I'm a huge numbers guy so they're special to me in their own little way. All of these were taken from my Virb° "YOUR HOME" page where I can track how many unique visitors check me out; my latest friends' announcements; profile comments, etc. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time when I captured these little lovlies. Destiny? *"Twilight Zone" theme*

This first one is the first screen cap I bothered to take of my Profile Views. I'm sure it's obvious why. It's my number of course. ;)


Here's one for all you potheads. :P 4:20 dude!


The all important Mother Goddess Number, we bow to thee:


Finally, I caught this one just the other night. The Mark of The Beast! :O


DS333, eyes open.

001.105.365

• I'm in love with the new Twitter update. :D That is, I was once they fixed their whole "older/previous" posts problem. Everything's peachy now and the site looks more gorgeous than ever. :D
• I need to give my DVD audio ripping workflow another go with "Death Proof". I bought "Chick Habit" at the iTunes Store soon after I saw "Grindhouse", but it's apparently an edited version. :( I forgot the version used during the end credits had a section sung in French! I must have it! :D
• I'm having problems blogging these days. :P Though, I'm not gonna give up. ;)
• I can't believe I've made over one hundred posts already. *pat on the back*
• The new Fall TV Season is in full swing.
• I'm struggling to hang onto "Bionic Woman"... I'll give it another couple of weeks.
• I need to catch the season premiere of "ER", I totally forgot about it last week.
• I gave up on "Survivor: China". :|
• I love my scanner. :D
• I need to read more physical media! Bad Joey! :(
• My boots are still stunningly polished. <3
• I hate ants.
• I can't wait to see Tori Amos perform in December. :D
• I need to run. "The Howard Stern Show" is almost on. ;)

DS333, running.

The Art - "Self Portrait - Red Face"

Self Portrait - Red Face

approximately 8" x 10 1/2"; ink on paper.


This is the tenth piece in my 70-part David's Book (AKA The Blue Book) project. This self-portrait marks the point at which I began to gain control of the book. So far, every piece created after this one has been completed. :D

As I've said, this is a self portrait. Not the first and certainly not the last. What's funny, given all that I've said about the rest of my work, is that I don't feel all too comfortable sharing the story behind this piece. Maybe "comfortable" is too strong a word, but I'd like to keep certain things personal... and mysterious. ;) So I won't being going in-depth on this piece or any of the other self portraits I have in the works. Like everything I create, this portrait is symbolic. It's obviously not meant to mirror my physical form. :P But I did want to maintain the form of a face. So, it should be familiar in that respect. But everything's distorted. Everything's energized. Skin, flesh, hair and bone have been fueled by fire. This is violence. This is anger. I imagine this to be my Samurai Face. It's all meaningful; a collection of stories in the form of a face. My stories; my face. The Red Face.

DS333, aflame.

Film Fetish: "Sunshine"

Sunshine (2007)
- directed by Danny Boyle


Some 50 years in the future, human life faces extinction as the Sun begins to die. Our only hope for survival lies in the crew of the Icarus II, a group of eight intrepid scientists from around the world whose mission is to deliver a thermonuclear payload into the heart of the Sun in hopes of reigniting its core and saving humanity. Though the situation becomes even more complicated when the crew receives a distress signal from the Icarus I, whose crew was long thought to have been lost forever, and now must decide between veering off course to save the crew and claim it's payload or stay the course and complete the misson as originally planned.

Words cannot describe how much I loved this movie. I was in complete awe. I'm finding the problem with these reviews is articulating my joy, love and excitement for these films. Of course, it's not my goal to watch shitty movies, so I better learn how to cope. ;) So here I go...

I thought this movie was great on so many levels. Technically it's an amazing film, in that it's one of the most beautifully shot movies I have ever seen. Each frame, no matter how trivial, is a work of art. It would be enough to just look at this movie and walk away with an enriching experience. But what's great is that the movie's greatness isn't limited to just the aesthetic, it carries over to the sound design as well. The score for the film compliments the visuals perfectly. Together they create this incredible mood that's hard to match. If nothing else, this movie is one of the most atmospheric and immersive experiences you'll have.

Technically the movie's solid. Which is where a lot of movies hit the wall. They have loads of style, but lack any true substance. Thankfully that's not the case with Sunshine. I felt the film exceeded most others on an artistic level. The story was simple enough to follow but allowed for room to grow. Its progression was so subtle and clever. Everything came together so perfectly to create this overwhelming sense of tension and doom. Though, it's something you only notice after having seen the film. It works so well onscreen that you don't notice anything while you're watching it. I thought that was an amazing achievement in itself.

What I was most thankful for though, was the way the science of the film was handled. Given the scope and magnitude of the story, I think they were able to hold everything together quite well. It all seemed real and believable. Very little of the film seemed impossible to the point of being laughable. Which again, given the nature of the film and the track record for other films of its kind, I thought that was an achievement in itself.

I could go into the film a bit more, but I'd risk boring you with all my kooky symbolism talk. :P Aside from that, it would be spoilerish. And while I do allow myself a space on this blog for spoilers... I don't wanna go there with a film like this. It's best experienced as a virgin. ;)

9.5/10 If you're a fan of sci fi you'll love this film. If you're a fan of the astro sciences you'll love this film. If you're a fan of suspense & thrillers you'll love this film. If you love film, you'll love this film. ;) Go watch it!!! :D

DS333, de-virginized.

001.102.365

• I didn't see much of Sunlight today. These days, that's a very good thing. I'm very photosensitive to light right now. :(
• Read some article about the importance of sunlight and its effect on mood. I should start walking more often... like I used to.
• Radiohead released details about their new album, "In Rainbows", and the adjustable pricing for their digital download is making waves on the Net.
• I wanted to watch "Death Proof" again tonight. :D But didn't. :(
• Had some Pioneer Chicken today. The gods are have shone upon me. ;)
• I have a Frap chillin' in the fridge too. :D
• I shined and polished my steel-toed Doc Marten's tonight. Ahhh, it feels so good. ;)
• I'm so excited about today's "The Howard Stern Show"... it's gonna be a doozy... Sal and Christine get marriage counseling from Dr. Keith Ablow. :D I can't wait! T-minus 1 hour and 55 minutes. :P
• My hands always get fucked up, I don't know why that is. :(
• I'm due for some sketching tonight. :D
• The weather is so beautiful these days, damn I love Fall. :D
• "Blade Runner: The Final Cut" comes to L.A. on the 5th of October... that and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" are gonna be great ways to celebrate my birthday. :D
• I still have "Pan's Labyrinth" and "Litte Children" on hand and I haven't watched them. Bad Joey!!! *smack* :(
• I love leather boots. :D
• I love a lot of things. ;)
• Damn, just remembered I was supposed to bone up on my QWERTY skills this weekend. D'oh! :P
• I think it's time to eat. ;)
• Goodnight all you little meep meeps. :D

DS333, meeping. (what's that? :P )