Monday, January 28, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
UnWanted
So I looked at the graphic novel Wanted today in Kinokuniya. I wanted to check it out, since I had heard about the film version being released this year with Angelina Jolie. The basic premise is that regular-guy office worker with cheating girlfriend and repressive life finds out one day not just that the world is run by supervillians who killed off all the heroes in 1986, but that his dad was the head honcho The Killer (snappy name) and that he has inherited his father's powers. Instead of going the Spider-man route of rejecting the evil, he chooses the bad-guy side.
Sound interesting? You'd be wrong.
I read the first two chapters out of five and I felt like I wanted to lay down and scrub out the inside of my brain. Those first two chapters cover the guy's finding out about his dad, then his "training" which involves first realising that he "hated the whole fucking human race", then killing random people, then killing and raping his way through anyone who'd every wronged him or looked at him crosswise since childhood. Then he's kidnapped by his own people and beaten and tortured for five weeks to "make him less afraid of pain" or some shit. It's macho bullshit lines, like him killing his first person and comparing it to "fucking Marilyn Monroe without a condom". Christ. It's self-destructive nihilistic wish-fulfillment taken to extremes. I was disgusted. The closest I'd come to feeling this way from a book or film was Fight Club. And I think this was worse. It's the kind of thing you expect people like that gunman in Virginia to enjoy.
It actually left me in a depressed rotten mood (almost a fugue-state) for the rest of the day, with scenes out of it playing through my mind like an annoying song off the radio. I'm still trying to shake it off.
The last line of the book is something like "This is my face as I'm fucking you up the ass" and it's a full-page panel of his face and bare chest, grinning through gritted teeth (I should mention that the protagonist is drawn to resemble Eminem).
Jesus fuck.
Sound interesting? You'd be wrong.
I read the first two chapters out of five and I felt like I wanted to lay down and scrub out the inside of my brain. Those first two chapters cover the guy's finding out about his dad, then his "training" which involves first realising that he "hated the whole fucking human race", then killing random people, then killing and raping his way through anyone who'd every wronged him or looked at him crosswise since childhood. Then he's kidnapped by his own people and beaten and tortured for five weeks to "make him less afraid of pain" or some shit. It's macho bullshit lines, like him killing his first person and comparing it to "fucking Marilyn Monroe without a condom". Christ. It's self-destructive nihilistic wish-fulfillment taken to extremes. I was disgusted. The closest I'd come to feeling this way from a book or film was Fight Club. And I think this was worse. It's the kind of thing you expect people like that gunman in Virginia to enjoy.
It actually left me in a depressed rotten mood (almost a fugue-state) for the rest of the day, with scenes out of it playing through my mind like an annoying song off the radio. I'm still trying to shake it off.
The last line of the book is something like "This is my face as I'm fucking you up the ass" and it's a full-page panel of his face and bare chest, grinning through gritted teeth (I should mention that the protagonist is drawn to resemble Eminem).
Jesus fuck.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
It's been a funny sort of day.
And it's only 11:37.
Woke up, was ready and prepared nice and early, then got a call from my dad, who was trying to burn a CD on his laptop. After ten minutes of me going through it with him, we realised his CDs were defective. We then spent a further 20 minutes gonig through how to remove and add files to his flashdrive. So I went from way early to leaving just barely on time.
The reason I wanted to leave early was that a parcel had arrived at the post office. I had ordered this from eBay:
Dad paid for it. I bought it on the 14th, and they had shipped it from Japan by yesterday. Those Japanese are industrious. At least their postal workers are. So I picked it up. Then I stopped by Better Read Than Dead to look for the third His Dark materials book. See, I bought the first one isn a cool format, then had to buy the second one in a different format. But this time they had the second and third in the good format. So I got those, then took a bus into work.
I was expecting to be on the phones today, so got there nice and early. Turns out I'm on back-of-house instead. Woo hoo! For those out of the loop, that means data entry and order fixing, without having to be on the phone. It's much better.
So then I set up my Prime. It's glorious. It's awesome. It's attracting the attention of every nerd in the room. And it's got a different plug.
FUCK.
It's ok, though, I have an AC/DC adapter at home.
So then I go to buy coffee for me and Adrian from the stand by Central. I order, I wait. Two strong flat whites, two sugars and a caramel shot each. Comes to $7.20. I give him a ten, say "Just make it eight." He look startled. "Are you sure?" I say "Well, yeah." He then goes. "Oh, here. have this too, for the wait." and gives me a piece of raspberry bread. Huh. Goes to show. Always tip your barista.
Even Steven's back, baby.
Woke up, was ready and prepared nice and early, then got a call from my dad, who was trying to burn a CD on his laptop. After ten minutes of me going through it with him, we realised his CDs were defective. We then spent a further 20 minutes gonig through how to remove and add files to his flashdrive. So I went from way early to leaving just barely on time.
The reason I wanted to leave early was that a parcel had arrived at the post office. I had ordered this from eBay:
Dad paid for it. I bought it on the 14th, and they had shipped it from Japan by yesterday. Those Japanese are industrious. At least their postal workers are. So I picked it up. Then I stopped by Better Read Than Dead to look for the third His Dark materials book. See, I bought the first one isn a cool format, then had to buy the second one in a different format. But this time they had the second and third in the good format. So I got those, then took a bus into work.
I was expecting to be on the phones today, so got there nice and early. Turns out I'm on back-of-house instead. Woo hoo! For those out of the loop, that means data entry and order fixing, without having to be on the phone. It's much better.
So then I set up my Prime. It's glorious. It's awesome. It's attracting the attention of every nerd in the room. And it's got a different plug.
FUCK.
It's ok, though, I have an AC/DC adapter at home.
So then I go to buy coffee for me and Adrian from the stand by Central. I order, I wait. Two strong flat whites, two sugars and a caramel shot each. Comes to $7.20. I give him a ten, say "Just make it eight." He look startled. "Are you sure?" I say "Well, yeah." He then goes. "Oh, here. have this too, for the wait." and gives me a piece of raspberry bread. Huh. Goes to show. Always tip your barista.
Even Steven's back, baby.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Light from the heavens
I was struck with the strangest urge this morning. About a block from work I was suddenly and irrevocably hit with the need, NEED, mind you, to sit at home, drink Belgian beer (preferably from Delirium Tremens or Chimay), watch Mystery Science Theatre 3000 and play video games.
This urge struck with a force to stop me walking.
Keep in mind, this was at 7:42 in the morning.
*sigh*
Oh, and after her 14 days off work and 1 day back, Tanja has decided she wants to retire. Heh.
And when I got to work, my schedule was screwed. First I was put on 7 am starts this week (outside my availability, which starts at 8) but they've put me to work the weekend next week. Let me put it clearly: I don't work weekends!
Supervisor's sorting it out, but still.
This urge struck with a force to stop me walking.
Keep in mind, this was at 7:42 in the morning.
*sigh*
Oh, and after her 14 days off work and 1 day back, Tanja has decided she wants to retire. Heh.
And when I got to work, my schedule was screwed. First I was put on 7 am starts this week (outside my availability, which starts at 8) but they've put me to work the weekend next week. Let me put it clearly: I don't work weekends!
Supervisor's sorting it out, but still.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
So Tanja and I saw the Golden Compass. Twas a good time. Not as twee as Harry Potter or Narnia. Kick-ass battle sequences, interesting story, and they didn't give away everything ion the first chapter, leaving some mystery for the rest. Nicole Kidman was a slimy lizard-like creepy woman with a bad monkey attached to her. So a real acting stretch for her. Picked up the book on the way home. Much different tone. Very 19th century, and much less child-like-wonder than the film. It's STEAMPUNK! Hooray! I spent what was I'm sure a boring 20 minutes explaining steampunk to Tanja. I'm annoying that way.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
My Daemon (apparently)
Going to see the Golden Compass tonight with Tanja (after a decent review from the Totally Rad Show).
Applicatrixing.
Cannot blog. No time. Currently wading through a university job application with no less than 9 fields of selection criteria, all of which require a paragraph about things like:
“Customer service skills: Demonstrated superior client service skills and highly responsive to customer enquires; Capable of maintaining customer focus while dealing with the pressure of multiple, concurrent demands for service in a fast paced, intense environment”
And then I have to say why I’m good at that. I don’t know why! I just know that I am! And it’s for a Card officer. You know, one of the people that makes the ID cards and stores the information? All this! For that!
“Customer service skills: Demonstrated superior client service skills and highly responsive to customer enquires; Capable of maintaining customer focus while dealing with the pressure of multiple, concurrent demands for service in a fast paced, intense environment”
And then I have to say why I’m good at that. I don’t know why! I just know that I am! And it’s for a Card officer. You know, one of the people that makes the ID cards and stores the information? All this! For that!
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