A month of Good Intentions...

In which i make life long choices, and have fun doing it.


So we're in august 2010. We're so far in the future that we have surpassed Lisa Simpsons wedding.


Evidence:







Honestly at no fixed point in time did i have any idea what i would be doing with my life in the future.

One fantasy that remained was that i wanted to be a film director or writer. Recently it has molded into the idea that i want to be a "cineauteur". Which means i want to be involved in the make process of all aspects of film or tv production. I want to be adept at all parts of my interest and weigh in as much as possible on everything that i love.

No obviously, this isn't something you can train for. More practically for the immediate future i have to get a 2nd job, i have to save money, and i have to go to college and learn.

I have to take charge of my life entirely by myself. And despite the muddle of the past year, and my lower mood during my recent blogging gap, i feel i have to express myself, i have to control my fate, and i have to live my life as it comes.

I just worked 2 days in a row. That's 100 euro. Straight away i had to give 20 to my dad for petrol costs and for 10 euro credit i desperately needed for my phone. I need more hours in my current job, and i also need a second job.

By August 5th i expect some CAO offers to come through. I have no idea what i am likely to get, but for the most part i'm convinced i will have to differ or decline them. I can't afford college again yet. My parents are not able to support me any further, and they are currently going through some aesthetic and cosmetic changes to the house and its gardens.

I have not talked to them about any of this. I haven't had a strong clue of what i'm going to do, or at least what i want to tell the parental units. For the most part i avoid conversations with them, i don't want to fight.

The most recent issue is that i just passed my road theory test. At my own expense, one weeks wages, and now i have entered into a sort of deal with my parents to get driving lessons. My Mother will fork out for my provisional license and i will pay for alternate lessons. However adding me to the insurance on any of the cars is next to impossible. It would cost 700E or so until the next policy change over date, or some such, and the in excess of 1,500 a year. Frankly that sounds like an insult, and money better spent on education or even supporting me if i decided to move out of the house and possibly avail of benefits, or live off 2 or 3 low pay jobs.

As well as the up coming CAO offers over the next month is an interview with Bellyfermot and their film course.

For this i need to prepare a portfolio of some kind. Including video work, 20 photos, Storyboards, screenplay drafts etc. I hope to work on this over the next month.

This is where my student film comes in. A documentary style thing of asking friends who volunteer their time, what they would think if they were to go to war, in space. And also other issue's specific to them and Irish youth.

This gives me an excuse to repair and plaster up a lot of my friendships that have been damaged over the past year, and also to rekindle old ties to school friends and so on.

On top of my portfolio commitments is the over barring stroke of good luck that is the chance to return to nursing. Thanks to the mother of all technical fuck ups i have a chance to do 2nd year, a third time. Now frankly i have reached the overwhelming consensus in my emotions that this would be the worst thing possible. That i do NOT want to be miserable in that course for another 3 years. That despite it being a steady career and allowing me to go anywhere i just could not commit to it. I would be so aware that i could repeat past mistakes that i would be miserable. I do not want it.

That and frankly as a peer group, beyond the friends i already have, i don't want to have to socialise with more nurses. They would all be THREE years younger, or more. This is a large stretch, and frankly its scary and alienating. Its hard enough to approach girls as a shy male as it is, but to have to return to the same situation that i have crashed and burned in again and again is just humiliating. I see nothing positive about choosing it.

My Friends and school mates are now all graduating/graduated recently. I however am nowhere further in the world than i could have been 4 years ago. I have bigger ideas, bigger aspirations and bigger dream than where i have ended up.

For the most part emotionally and socially i am still a lost and confused teenager, at 22. I feel i have not reached artificial milestones inside my head, and frequently this bothers me. I am shy and closed in and find it hard to be assertive or to let loose or open up to new people. I also find it hard to be heard, or to have anything interesting to say that i know will be heard. I'm a bundle of uncertainty.



However what i know i can be certain about is my love of Cinema. And my vast imagination that i have had to suppress and let only slip out slowly from time to time to distract myself from reality.

In the past few weeks i've taken to wasting even MORE time on the Internet, like the cyber-addict i am. Amongst that time wasting has been Switching wholesale to Tumblr as a blogging medium and means of dulling my brain, so i don't have to think about the outside world. Its damn near addictive, its twitter on crack for internet hipsters and fanboys/girls. Its not a bad place, but the time spent on it is. I really should unfollow some people, and post more meaningful stuff, but be restrained about it. I have also noticed that my twitter use has pretty much died off as a result. Yes there is auto shares and so on, but me actually expressing words and not video and photo, all but gone.

Shocking really. And it must all be rectified.


I am amongst the Job Aspirations, the saving of money, the life decisions, the social life, the portfolio etc, also hoping to make a stronger stab and maintaining my blogging, and web-presence.

Thus i am writing this, of course, and getting my self-narritive touch back. Also expect film and music reviews to come thick and fast and more often as i embrace my interests instead of self moaning, as has been a common theme of this here blog.

I may also take a stab at annotating, editing and improving the links and narrative of older posts. I've hinted at this several times, but usually i have not. I've made stabs at guides and link lists and so on, but usually its all been half arsed. Hopefully i will be a better blogger. Spring cleaning is needed.

Another issue which i especially felt today, is that i am lonely. I know i need my better stab at a social life and so on but i really do feel that i am starting to really feel the need to be with someone, to have a significant other. I know i am going to be VERY busy over the coming months, but i really am lonely. I have urges not only of the sexual kind but also to share my time with someone. Ye know to really love someone, and to be loved. I'm not even sure if i have ever been in love. The whole PG thing was hormones reaching an impasse where to two of us had to hook up and explore ourselves in order to survive as young adults, as for love, i don't know if it was there.

Then my fling in January? I was so ALONE that the only strong friend i had made in Australia was a release. A threesome and then being part of cheating, wasn't exactly the most normal way of going about anything like that, but i needed someone to be with, and for the week i was leaving, it was exactly what i needed. The following "trouble" was sort of insulting, it was no slight on anyone else, i NEED to be me. I need to live my life and make my own mistakes. I needed to feel something other than pure sadness and loneliness. I was on the edge of screaming. Stuck with an unfamiliar sister in an alien country 11,000 miles from what tenuous friendships i had was hell. And with my parents dragging me home because i was living exactly the same as at home, with no one, not even myself, believing that i could find work. It was Utterly shit. And frankly i don't regret my personal actions, i needed a friend, and i needed a good "root".

But despite how busy i know i have to make myself this month, i am raring to go. I want to embrace it all. I want to document it, i want to share what it is like to be me via this blog as i have in the past, and i want to develop and become the person i want to be.

I have the side urge of wanting a physical person to share this with, beyond friendships, but realistically i don't know if i can also attain this. I probably am still not "ready" for it, but then again, can you be ready for "love" or even the lust i so desperately want to quench. Despite not being fully interested in more promiscuous or impersonal aspects of some of modern youths sexual practice's and courting methods, i to want to get my rocks off. I don't see the full appeal of one night stands or constant flings. For the most part i want Relationships. At the same time my body wants to have its way with many attractive women, but my emotions want someone to talk to and share things with all at the same time. I don't want to separate them. I want a partner in life/crime/love etc, purely sex isn't as appealing to me.



I'd rather the affirmation of a relationship, than the gratification of a one night stand.



Its the one thing of over the next month i am still uncertain about.



Bring it on regardless.

Sometime's a post is too late to be relevant...

In this case a post talking about what I did on Tuesday.



After all, I'm writing this 5 minutes before Thursday...


Well anyway, i'll keep it far briefer than the jotted abstract plan i scribbled into my notepad on the bus home. (More on this later)


I had my counsling appointment around mid-day so arriving in town close to 9am i went straight to an internet café.

Unfortunately i know this café all to well, for somewhere that is 1 euro an hour and popular, they really jip non-members on bandwith. I open firefox every time and it frequently crash's or is too slow to be used properly.

Last week i got to see 20 minutes of the glee finale before my credit ran out with little trouble, but this week i struggled to open article's about the mineral deposit's discovered in Afghanistan. (LINK)

Which was annoying. So i opened the game folder and couldn't have been arsed being PWND online by people with less of a life than myself, but their own computers..., so i opened up HALO: Combat Evolved.

Kickin' it oldschool.

I played for over an hour.

I went all the way from the first level, onto Halo itself, saved all the escape pods, then brought the fight to the Covenant on their Battle-Cruiser. Just when I rescued the captain i thought, hey this has been a long time, i better stop.

So i closed it and realised i had only about 15 minutes left. Good waste of time.

Appointment went well, sort of a depressing session that i doubt anyone wants to hear about. And frankly i don't want to go there.

I texted friends, but no one was about. Yay, another day alone in town.

I hoped to see Tegan and Sara in Tower Records but finished to late to get there on time.

I passed tower records at about 235 or so and there was a super huge crowd of Lesbian's, Hipsters, Gay men, Rocker youth and almost no-one older than 25.

I just walked on. I window-shop'd, looked at mobile's etc.

Then when attempting to google IFI Screen times on my phone outside of HMV i looked up and saw the Heathers standing there on Grafton Street.

I then started thinking, they must have been at Tegan and Sara, they are after all Ireland's answer to them so to speak. I also thought, My wallet is full of money, i could go right in to HMV, directly behind me, and buy a copy of their Album, Sticker promoting the Discover Ireland ad and all, and try and get their signature. But i just didn't. Didn't even take a photo.

My phone and good camera at hand if need be for any photo opportunity or blogging thoughts. But i just didn't, to melancholic from my session and pissed off with being alone and having no one to talk to or spend my time with.

I walked back down Grafton Street and as i walked i saw a group of young lads harrasing a street preformer.

One was actually perched on a lamp-post whispering in his ear trying to make him flinch or something. (it being one of those stay still preformer's)

As i walked they continued on as-well.

They then came across this guy:



Different part of the street, but the same street performer.


The bullying group of louts aproached him, one said "remember this guy".

They all stopped in front of him. One bent over and lifted than put down his tips cup.

The performer broke his pose and stared at them.

I continued to walk but couldn't help but keep watching.

I had wanted to drag the prat of the lamp-post when i first saw them, now i was concerned for the safety of the performer.

But as they crowded around him, others here and there in the street were taking notice, and the guy somehow persuaded them to fuck off. Crisis avoided.


I Turned back towards Tower Records when i saw that the crowd had now evaporated.


I smiled as they were still playing their latest album over the speakers.

I saw a small crowd at the foot of the stairs, some people taking and posing for photo's.

I approached from behind but couldn't pass, so i doubled back.

As i walked up the other aisle i realised it WAS actually Tegan and Sara.

Cool, they're still hanging around about an hour after the brief gig started.

I walked towards the magazine's, aiming to look at this months Empire, but then walked back to take a photo with my phone.

As i approached they were finishing up and they passed me, on their way out the back door. Missed opportunity.


However, hour's later i read a blog post about them. My lack of knowledge was truly blown out the window. I found out they were sisters...

Embarrassed i thought they were a married Lesbian couple, maybe it was their hair, maybe it was their massive lesbian/bi and indie/hipster/trendy fan base. I have no idea where i came up with this idea, maybe it was on from a stupid idiotic flame comment on youtube trying to argue that Tegan and Sara were better then Heathers, on a Heather's video at that... I'm not quite sure.

What i do know is, that i am fucking glad i didn't stop this international talented stars for a photo. They're Sisters, not a Lesbian Married couple, fuck that could have been awful if it came out in some way, although how i don't know, but i feel like such a tit for thinking it!

I then went to the Cinema, well first i walked about a bit.

Touring the cinema's so to speak. I walked to the Screen first and read the movie time's.

Girl on a Train, didn't recognise it should be good, i read a notice about 2 movie showing's cancelled, instantly forgot.

I expected the movie, which was in an hour's time would be a foreign movie, as i had not yet heard of it, and i read film blogs all the time.

The Savoy didn't have anything as soon as the Screen. So i walked on to Cineworld.

I bought popcorn in a centra.

I got to cineworld and saw no good choice's within the same time frame.

I struggled to try and set up an Unlimited card. 19.99 a month get's you UNLIMITED film's.

A dream i had thought about since i was 16 and going to every new movie with DS.

Now i had money, i would make it so. But the auto-form wasn't working easily, then it somehow couldn't find the address of my bank from a certain code, and since i didn't know the address myself, i couldn't finish to form... shucks.

I walked out, phoned my boss to find out what hour's i was working, saturday only, just for now. For about the billionth time he answered his phone by explaining he'd call me back, and then told me when i was working.

This has happened every single week when i have gotten him on the phone. He never ring's me back. It's as if it's an automatic response of his i think? He seem's to be so busy that he answers his call's this way?

Or does he genuinely have something to say to me each time, or does he forget about it? Who know's?


I then walked through Little Italy, over the millenium bridge and along the key's.

I had money to burn. I had dreamed, and figured out it was possible to buy an Inq Chat, €99, but i had to reserve money for my netbook which would arrive later in the week. (more on this when i get it, and review it, but the Irish Revenue office wanted to rob me blind with pointless taxes just to get what is rightfully mine).

So i decided to break a twenty on buying a the 2nd volume of Scot Pilgirm, in the run up to the movie i hope to buy them all.

I grabbed it on the shelf, the first one i picked up didn't have a price, so i comparred with the neighbouring one, 9.99.

I went to the till and handed the man the book.

I then took out a twenty and held it out.

But this was a PROPER comic book clerk.

He actually didn't say anything. He was like a comic book clerk ninja!

He placed the book on the counter gently.

Whipped up a paper bag, that i didn't ask for from under the counter.

He gingerly and carefully slipped the book in, it's thick, it wasn't going to bend and dog ear easily...

He then pulled a cellotape dispenser from the side of the till.

All the while i was still holding out the money.

He folded the end neatly and exactly and sealed it with the cellotape.

At this point i had pulled my money back, almost expecting a re-enactment of Rowan Atkinson in Love Actually.

I then pay'd the man and went to the cinema.

In turns out that Girl on a Train had been cancelled.

So i went to see Greenberg staring Ben Stiller Instead.




A review tomorrow, hopefully.



As for the earlier mentioned blog jotting in my notbook. Well i came up with several blogs i want to write over the coming weeks, especially with my netbook arriving.


The list is as follow's:


The Godfather: The viewing of a legend part II and Part III

Urban Landscape's series:

(in which in blog about urbanism, and cities, and transport, and my love of Sim city etc etc)

Post's within that series including:

Love of art Deco (photo's i took in Melbourne and stole from the web)
Shop front's of Dublin Study ( a large series of photo's i took on Dublin streets a few months ago)
Dublin's lack of Density - History, development, case for transport, green, waste, poor planning etc
Intermodeing/ my love of Public Transport and lack of interest in Car travel, and loathing of how it's infrastructure is used.
The Future:
        - Agglomeration's (super cities)
        -transport innovations
         -desnity/design/architecture
          -food/power/water/people - study of Malthusian theories of overpopulation and chanlenge's facing humanity.
        -extra-terrestrial living.


Lyrics retrospective/Poetry - Posting my old lyrics and poems.

Film Producing blog - My student film if i get around to it.

My opinions on Independent film and Irish film.

Continuing the music meme, which i abandoned...

Something about my funny way with words....

A massive case study series on the "NEED" for a New Star Trek Series.


And something i came up with when looking out the window that really got my mind going...:


Loitering vs Society: The battle over Animal instinct and human constructs.

Believe me that one may sound odd, but i had a really juicy argument flowing when i thought of it.




Toodle's for now.

Brief update 2:

Tomorrow i will be in Dublin, for a weekly visit.




Among the many thing's i will be doing is popping into Tower Records at 2pm to catch Tegan & Sara for free in advance of their gig tomorrow night, which i don't have tickets to.







Few people are about town, but i might also catch a milkshake/white hot chocolate and the 2nd Scott Pilgram book, and maybe even a movie?



Who know's. I'm sure my twitter will eat up my credit on Snaptu or mobile web anyway, as i microblog to dull the boredom of walking about on my own after my errands have been run etc.

I may even do the usual window shopping where i delude myself that I NEED a new phone. My INQ 1 is still going strong, but i would LOVE an INQ Chat, or an android phone. Of course i would need to earn a lot more money than i currently earn. Which is training wage's, which i should enquire about actually since i should be due Minimum wage soon enough.

(Techie swoon)

In other job related news, if i had a driver's license i have been informed by a family friend that with my limited nursing experience i would be qualified to be a Pharmaceutical Representative. This could pay very well, so i should get on the whole driver theory thing pronto. It could also be a way of saving for college, next Calendar year, instead of the comming academic year for which i would be broke, destitute and stuck with Nursing or blessed with a course choice i can't pay for. More news as it happens....




In other news, i watched The Godfather 2 and 3 over the weekend, another post soon, possibly tomorrow morning from my usual Internet café when i need to pass time.




Also, the follower widget, to your left, is still on the fritz. I will try every other day to fix this. If you dear reader have a google account, then the toolbar at the top of the page has a follow button. You can also copy and paste the Url of this blog into your RSS Feed Reader of choice i you want to.


And down at the very bottom of the page, is The Like Widget. Links to music, photo's, video's, their tour date's and their twitter. Enjoy the slice of wonderousness that is the like, without me having to gush about them every other post :-P


Toodle's.

The Godfather Part 1: Viewing a Legend.

I'm 22, and only now have i seen this movie.





By the lonely and all engrossing glow of my Portable dvd player, at 2am on a Tuesday I slid the cover slip off the crisp and un-used box set. I felt the grooves and bumps of exquisite packaging and briefly took in the Stylish photo graphs and gave a flip view to the descriptions, just to take it all in.


I opened the 4 disk case like a book, struggled to move quietly in the dead of the night, and un-clipped the Disk, The Godfather Part 1.


I struggled with the cabinet containing my clothes, and removed a drawer, to fit my hand through and manipulate the one isolated socket. I plugged in the Charger and creeped about slowly. I had tapped into the mains and was raring to go.

I turned off the light and discarded my cloths, still waring my under ware, cause's that's how i roll.


I struggled and decided what level of blanket comfort i needed and adorned my Comfort top, 4 size's to small, a worn and bawbaly grey and oh so comfortable, i couldn't say nay.

On with the little black button and the credits rolled, no menu, no choice's, just cinematic gold.




I had never seen this movie as a whole, or been old enough to appreciate it when i had passed it's legend emitting from the tube. I knew several name's, i knew all the players, i even knew the big moments, but forged on without caring.


Classic film's can't exist in a vacuum with Virtue and reverence. The very essence of popular culture mean's this legendary film, older than i am now by the time i was born, has been payed discreet homage, ripped off, emulated and parodied loosely so frequently and with such blatant disregard for those not in the no, that i had seen most of the key scenes without seeing the movie.

I couldn't complain. I had held out long enough, i had to see it. I was not in the position to wait for a Cinema screening Towering over me in the glow of a projector, with sticky floors, high levels of infectious particles and allergens associated with crowds, or the specific saliva satiating saltiness of overpriced popcorn.

With just water, a double bed, a blanket, a comfort top, and a lonely glow, i sat, gasped, guffawed, wanted to scream WTF and was truly entertained.

The setting was beautiful, the fashions noticeable, the culture tangible and the world seemingly epic. The second dialogue explained the time, and characters were set out, i wanted to know the answers of this world, i wanted to context of all those spoilers shared and given exposition. I was in the deepened, passing into a world where both the familiar and the unanswered had to be watched closely and understood.

The cyclical nature of Vengeance. The characters not bit parts, but shinning lights of the culture and vital plot points from time to time. The struggle and evolution of family members and the innocent. It all came together in a tapestry i had only seen glimpse's of. A cultural snapshot, out of focus or damaged by other people's honourable homage's.

Like an Archaeologist i pieced together what i already knew from fragments and in the past had created a unique and unfinished picture in my head. I knew it was supposed to be grand, i knew it had epic qualities, and most certainly knew it was treasured.

But in watching it myself, in finally getting around to a classic. I was finally on the same page as those who gave it the time and dedication i finally found the room for. This IS a Classic.

This is among the Greats.

This is a cinematic experience i will treasure.

This is something that will change how i view stories, as many will pale in relation to this.

A movie so great it appears everywhere and is spoiled, and poked at in so many genre's and mediums that it is impossible to escape it's influence.

Out of the Vacuum of Ignorance and incomplete speculation, i found the time for a masterpiece. And i loved every frame, every second, every nuance, every line, each gunshot i did not expect made me skip a heart beat, every moment i had not seen was fresh clean and left me in Awe. This is Cinema at it's best.

And i can't wait for more.

Snap Happy #18

Well here are more humourus picture's i have collected over the past few days.



With the end of Lost, we now have to just remember the good old days, of always making fun of it in meta-memes:




Talking of CSI and the CSI effect, which is sort of a bad thing, since all Jury's expect the Police to have concrete Scientific evidence with no doubt etc etc

Ever thought of how to leave behind false footprints?

Here's the shoe's to do it:




I WANT THEM!

Not because i have a plant to kill anyone, or anything like that, but if i had to.....



Now other than that one time, it's never Lupus.




But it might be....


I think some Dubliner's would feel the same way on certain streets:










A map of California from the Silver age of Cinema:



What a magical landscape, it can be used to represent the whole world!






.......


Who wouldn't want to wish Happy Birthday in this Whovian way:




Screaming Kitty Approve's:







Also For all Dublin Based Film Buff's, here's a chance to do something great:



You all know this little guy. He's outside the Screen Cinema. A comendable art-house type cinema that is a love of many.

The Usher, sometimes called Mr Screen is part of a cobble stone raised area on Townsend Street and is part of the Plaza type nature of the very large junction that make's up: D'Olier Street, Fleet Street, Townsend Street, Hawkings Street (Bus's only), Pearse Street and College Street (restricted by the College Green Bus-gate at certain time's)

The Island near-by also contain's the Steine Monument which marks the sight of the Liffey's old Shoreline.

This little Square is vastly under appreciated. As the Cinema is of Cinephilic importance, there are many bus termnini around these streets, as well as historic locations and the Beautiful Gothic Pearse Street Garda Station.

There is a Pub Quiz in MacTurcaills 

Price: €5 per person, maximum 5 people per team

Team Screen are hosting a film quiz to raise some money for Mr Screen's garden. Despite the inside of the Screen being a haven of loveliness, the outside certainly isn't and we think Mr Screen deserves better. Whether you care about that or not we know that you all want to exercise your film knowledge and battle for film nerd supremacy. There will be fantasmagoricle prizes and cheap drinks, pints €3.50 and cocktails €4.

First prize, a private screening of a new summer release for you and your friends. 

All of this is part of a fund raiser to DO SOMETHING to beautify the square, and clean it up. As i have encountered it's dangerous nature myself, having fallen on it and narrowly missed glass a few times.

Considering the Ominous and ugly nature of the Neighboring Apollo House and Department of Health and Children, the area does need a good face lift and a feeling of being a square, and not a thoroughfare like College Green.

I think this Cinema, and Dubliner's owe it to themselves to get drunk, reference pop-culture and make the city More pretty.

Sit-Rep- what's going on etc

You all know what it's like.

You're a blogger, you have the intention to blog at least once a week, or more frequently. But then you hit writers block or just don't feel like writing.


That's what it's been like for me for the past few day's. I had plenty of things to say, hell i had 3 blog posts planed out and did several thing worthy of blog posts. But i really didn't feel like bothering.

I'd rather be sucked into the mindless recesses of the internet than do a duty is signed up to, which is be narcissistic and tell a story, or share what i've seen, know, enjoy, or have done.

So what have i done you may ask?

Well if you haven't heard, i have been working. Okay i only work at weekends and only one or 2 days, but it's MONEY!


This means i was searching ebay for Camera's for My Amateur Film. Anything i could get for about 50 euro should do the trick.

In my lacking infinite wisdom, i bid on a Netbook as well, because i wanted one. And i uh... WON!

So now i am the proud owner of a soon to be arriving 7 inch netbook.

It's small, black, and weak as hell, but it was 61 EURO!

Here she is:



I will take a picture of it in My hands when it come's, sometime in the next week.


Now this little thing runs Windows CE. Which is apparently some super small version of Windows that is sort of pre-dating XP but around the time of Millenium and other such editions.

So frankly, it's shite, old, and not too demanding.

So i plan to replace it. What with?

JOLICLOUD!

A Linux based Netbook-specific Operating System that not only has Linux/Ubuntu feature's but also now use's aspects of Google Chrome OS (thanks to the open source stuff they gave the world for free as a tease).



I can't wait to give it a try. It also predominently works off of the "cloud". Which is a computing term for the magical world of Storing and using stuff right off the internet.

I would like to think of it as Ethernet, if that wasn't an oldschool form of Networking, or as far as i know anyway.


In other news i've been to the cinema twice recently.

First i saw Hot Tub Time Machine which was fun.

And yesterday i saw Robin Hood with DS. It was a rather good movie and i hope they do make a sequel of some kind.



Also have you heard? GOOGLE TV is coming!

But what's greater than Google TV? GOOGLE TV SOCKS!



I want them!


Mainly because i am a man, i love geeky things, and i'm always running out of socks!


Back to a stronger blogging routine soon, especially since i'll have my little netbook.


What shall i call her?

Previous computers have been called, Bertha (win98)2001-2004, Sarah(win98)(2004-2006) and Lorraine(winXp) 2006-09, her hard drive is still in my possession but no PC for her).

I never refer to my computers by name, but having a name make's them special. I'm thinking Joey, any other suggestions?

On the road, to a cineplex near you...

See what i did there? Yeah i hate pun's some times.


But anyway, it seem's after some 30 years, and longer, in development hell Jack Kerouac's Classic beetnick bible On The Road is going to be made a film.

So far so good. Although there's some doubt surrounding it.

For one thing Kristen Stewart and Kirsten Dunst are confirmed stars for the adaptation. Well they're star's whose names the general public will recognise. In the Novel Female role's are scarce really, Mary Lou (Confirmed as being Kristen Stewart), Jane and a few others feature here and there, but how exactly this movie will play out is beyond me.




The two Leads the Narrator Sal Paradise and the close Friend Dean Moriarty are the main feature of the whole story. But who's playing them... Good question!







Sam Riley, Plays Sal Paradise. You may have seen him in Control, a movie about Joy Divisions origional Front man. If not, you've probably never really heard of him.

But considering his VERY good performance of Ian Curtis in Control he embodies the Jerky and manic nature of Curtis really well. If anything he's more suited to play the completly out there Dean Moriarty, if his previous role is anything to go by.

Who will play Dean, the real Thermometer/Barometer of how crazy this duo get's as they journey across America?







Garrett Hudland. Who you ask? Well he's playing the Lead in this summers Tron Legacy. Ye know, Tron, that groundbreaking special effects wonderkind of the 80s that Disney spent millions on, but few people saw or liked at the time, but now is considered legendary and culturally and aesthetically important/groundbreaking/buzzword/over-hype etc etc


He also played Patroclus in Troy. You may remember that there's a big deal made out of this Character, not only in the movie, and the Illyad's, plot. But also that there was controversy surrounding how it was changed for Hollywood audience's.


His role was small in the god awful film, but 2 very important scenes follow. 1 Being the Death of Eric Bana's Hector, the other being Peter O'Tool Delivering the ONLY worthy scene of acting in this abortion of a movie. But Patroclus was in the original a close warrior friend of Achilles and his lover. In the movie, he was demoted to unexplained Cousin. Unexplained because of Achilles apparent demi-god status, which would make a cousin very confusing for anyone who payed attention.....


I don't know Hudland at all really, so i have to wait for Tron Legacy to see if he's any good. 


But i sort of get the sense that although Sam Riley is a good casting for a more Indy movie, and because of his acting chops i can actually refer to, Hudland seem's like a massive unknown.


Both Kristen and Kirsten won't have much to do in this film, depending on where in the story they focus, but they are both strong actor's and i think they can carry the female role's that are on offer, however few of them there may be.




When reading the book myself last summer, and only finishing it a few months ago, i felt this book HAD to be seen in some form. Although i value it as a book i love, and i rarely read, i think it was meant to be adapted in some way.


But it's FAR to long to be a film. A trilogy maybe, but it would be impossible to make that way.


Instead while reading it i felt it would be best adapted as a black and White Narrated Graffic Novel or Cell shaded Animation.


It could be as long as you want and specific details could be highlighted in each frame far better than in a film, where you need the a whole lot more to grab the audience.


The real story is in the fast and manic narration of the wild adventure. Can it translate into a movie? I have no idea? But i am pretty happy that someone is finally making one!




BONUS PICTURE's:







This is the Scroll of paper that Jack Kerouac Wrote the original On the Road On. In a period of about 2 weeks or so of constant typing, Kerouac punched out his past decade of Road Trips and Beet life in a fictionalised form. And thus the legend was born.



Jack Kereoac and Neal Cassidy (Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty)

I'm so indie i listen to bands that don't exist yet...

Or so goes my favorite popular cultural meta-jibe of the moment.


After all what is indie? Fuck if i know.


Yes like most labels there's a fashion, a mind set, a certain set of political belief's and of course Music and film Genre's.


Frankly i hate label's.


I for one can't ever think of one i fit into.


I like to think of myself as a tortured un-focused, un-achieving, daydreaming possible arty type person.


I LOVE LOVE LOVE Film. It is the one medium that when i talk about it my whole body feel's like it's glowing with the smuggness i get from knowing i what i know and sharing it with the world. It is an overwhelming feeling of belonging, and being heard while at the same time talking about how you regularly escape reality. Nothing surpasses how Smug and happy talking about you're favourite art form can make you.


Some people do this with Music, some with Art. Some even do it with Fashion and lifestyles. But i, i'm an individual. Well in some area's anyway. After all i have yet to be allowed shop for my own clothes for parental fear of looking like a tramp, knacker, low-life, or some kind of fruit cake.


But in my love for film, which is generally universal and forgiving i can't say i'm any kind of Genre Thumping supporter.

Some people love Horror, Some Love Rom-coms, Some love crime. Some love blockbusters.

I. I love everything that i find good.


I have hated very few films.

Films in my hate pile include, The Ring 2, Peaches, Battlefield Earth, Spiderman 3 and Epic Movie. Oh and the last 20 minutes of Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Considering the hundreds of movies i have seen, this is a small enough list.


In terms of music i'm entirely individualistic, and in some sense's indie.

Like anyone i listen to popular music. But usually miss a few hits here and there because i avoid consuming radio.

My own taste is vastly eclectic. But i've had my musical taste best described to me by an arty person as, wait for it.


"The musical Taste of a 16 year old girl."


Okay so i admit, i love pop-punk. Fall Out Boy and Paramore being the top contributors of the Genre in my collection. But i love the genre, i love the feel, and i love the melody. But i also love pop-punk bands that no-one has heard of.

Sadly my first Major music love was Mest. A punk band. Now i look back, they were kind of awful. But they have a special place in my heart.

Quirky un-signed bands and now defunct bands from all over that i have found on myspace over the years.


A Day Away, Farewell, Mercy Mercedes, The Mile After, Holiday Parade, The High Court, Emily, The Shower Scene, Blue Syndrome, Modrocket and Yelle.

All absoloute random bands who make up my playlists and shuffle just as much as bigger Bands Like The Academy Is..., Cute is what we aim for, All Time Low, The All-American Rejects, Green Day and the "Indie-tacular" The Like.

And of course Canadian melodic masters Marianas Trench.

I'm not sure where i was taking this post, but now i will include, Youtube clips!!!


Meta-meme's, and uber quirks and so on that i just love.





Ah the Muppets, they're just all warm and fuzzy.



Out of all the summer blockbusters and so on, this little indie film has stood out to me in recent daily film blog and trailer news. I've heard little about it because it's so small time, but something just seem's to say this is going to be quite fun and charming.

Sort of like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind (one of my top favorite movies of all time) this film blends romance with Science fiction. And i have to say the Philosophical question of a timer countdown to your true love is just brilliant. That and the Catchy twist that the protagonists Timer is blank! Also sort of reminds me of the Coloured diamonds on the hands of people in Logan's Run.





Werner Hertzog. A legend of Cinema as it is. My wonderful English teacher introduced me to his work via the means of Friday's film club. I always attended for 3 straight years with the exception of only 2 or so occasions (that and falling asleep to Citizen Kane). But 2 gem's that i remember vividly are Hertzog Film's.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God Which is basically just a descent into madness and utter brilliance.


And




Fitzcarraldo Which is where he Literally lifted a steamboat up a mountain using the local people and a shit load of rope and tree's. It's mind-blowingly impressive, and equally insane. 


And this clip, where he "READ'S" Where's Wally, it's just un-fucking-believably cool!


It's total non-sense of the highest order, but at the same time it's great! Oh BTW, it isn't actually Werner Hertzog, but it's amazing none-the-less!




For now, no more quirky-ness.

An Unthinkably bad trailer...

I watch A LOT of trailers. After all i love films, and i love keeping up to date with news about film etc.

So when i came across this trailer for a movie i had yet to hear about, i was kind of surprised.

I read the Actors first, Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction), Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon, The Damned United), Carrie Anne Moss (Momento, The Matrix). Right thats some acting chops right there. We're talking reliable people for Popcorn Munching and bankable reliability.

Right so the trailer starts. 

Micheal Sheen's a baddie. Okay, i'll go with that, he was possibly the best thing in Twilight Saga: New Moon. 

He Has put bombs in 3 cities. Okay that's sinister. They're all nuclear, that's very sinister. This looks good!

  IT WAS A PLAN (Well yeah, it wouldn't be done willy nilly, its 3 thermo-nuclear devices after all, you don't waste something like that?)

OF MASS DESTRUCTION ( Well the next line say's they're nuclear bombs, no fucking kidding!)

Que Rousing Score....Maybe some tention, a few city shots, imply some action and reaction to the "PLAN".

Brandon Ralph! That poor dude who tried to be Superman, he's arressting someone, he's FBI, he appears to be on Point.

UNTIL THE FBI CALLED IN... (We Can read FBI on a shirt, we're not slow!)

They appear to have called in the Shadow of Samuel "Big Mother Fucker" L. Jackson. Yeah i'd be scared to.

And Michael Sheen's all strapped up, shirtless and out of breath. Ooo Torture! This movie's hitting above it's wait, it's going to justify torture! Ooo, now i hope it's going to be good!

IT'S SECRET Weapon. ( We just saw him, we know it's Jackson?)

Sam: "You're Only Mis-calculation in your plan... (music stops) was me!"  (Ie Don't fuck with me. You i'll unleash furious anger etc etc)

Bearded guy: "What is this place?"

Sam: "Nowhere. Doesn't Exist. Neither do we." (Oh how cryptic and Philosophical.)

SAMUEL L. JACKSON (Why the red? We recognise this bad ass mo' fo' already.)

Sam: "He has to believe, i have no Limits." ( Right okay, so your testing Sheen. You also have implied limit's? Okay still a bit cerebral, bordering on cheesy.)

CARRIE ANNE MOSS ( She must be in charge. She doesn't look to happy, to be hear or to be doing this.)

Carrie. "The suspect is being Tortured" (cut in sound and picture. Higher Pitch. Different lines?) "THIS IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL!"

Her Boss?: "If those bombs go off (picture of a bomb and ticking clock. Implying the impeding doom. 6 Days 13 hours 27 minutes, to be exact.) there won't be a CONSTITUTION!" 

Wait what? Was this movie written by the Tea-Party? 3 cities and, 3 bombs and apparently a piece of paper governing 50 states and 310 million people cease's to exist? That's one bad-ass plan!

MICHAEL SHEEN 

Sheen: "I don't need your help. (moss is offering help? Concerned for his well being, the terrorist evil mastermind needs protecting? Sam is a bad mo' fo after all??) "I can take it. I 'DESERVE' It". (Okay, we get that you've done a big wrong, we'd beat the snot out of you to, but you actually want to be tortured? What kind of sick twist is this setting us up for, and revealing in the trailer?)

BOOM! A small-ish bomb. That mean's more action!

WHEN TERRORIST (thats Sheen)

Sheen: "I'm Here because I wanna be here!" (So not only is it apparently a big "PLAN". But he want's to be there. Further reinforcing the cool twist, the tangent plot point etc. The part where they make it slightly different to other action flic's

MEETS INTERROGATOR ( That's Samuel L. Jackson, do keep up..)

Sam: "I will find you're line and i will break you." (Oh, no he didn't!)

Sheen: NOOOOOOOOOO-agggghhhh. (Either he's pissed, being tortured, denying something, or passing kidney stones.)

Carrey Anne Moss Gesticulate's, she mean's business!

Carrey: "I will not allow this to happen!"

Sam: "This is not about you!" (cut in image and sound) "This is war." "This is Sacrifice!"

Troops running about. Oh so now it's "ABOVE" the FBI. Martial law? Yeah that's unconstitutional.

General: "This operation is Terminated!"

More action, smoke, gun pointing.

How far would you go ( To what? See a good movie trailer? Buy a carton of milk?)

Samuel beats someone amongst the commotion. Music soars with Choral sounds.

To Protect your Country (Oh okay, so it's a morale question. Okay i can go with that. Eh, i'm guessing this movie shows us how it's well thought out characters and they're role's lead them to go to a certain point, in the pursuit of "Protecting" their country. We can all associate with that...)

Sam: "There's NO TIME!" ( While he's being choked? That's a strong wind pipe!)

UNTHINKABLE

Yep it truly is "Unthinkable" how bad this trailer gets towards the end! What a shame.

3D Film has now officially gone beyond a gimmick....

Now i like what 3D is doing. Avatar was good, Nightmare before Christmas in 3D was good. And i approve of a lot of other 3D movies.


But this one takes to biscuit!

Step Up 3D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89TLbK6o-og




I have not seen Either Step Up 1 or 2, or any such film's. But now the 3rd outing in this Franchise mainly aimed at certain American youths and Dance Fan's, is just taking the whole genre and the gimmick a bit to far.


There's entire sequence's in this movie that don't even appear to make sense.

I point mainly towards a scene where the main character and the male lead stand on a grate and let green spheroid's fly up into the sky with an air vent? Why?

Because they could put a camera over them with a birds eye view and then add CGI and 3D to the scene and blow gullible people's minds.

And i'm not sure, but is the group with Light Suit's and Laser's the same group that won Britain's got talent? If so far due's, but for feck sake that's just more gimmickry.

Movies, especialy of the Dance or Musical variety should have story, they should have some depth. Basing a movie around coreography, music promotion, and 3D effect's is just plain exploitation. The general Cinematography doesn't even look like anything spectacular. Adding 3D to what would have been pretty much the SAME dance movie for a 3rd time is just insulting to the cinema goer.


Although, frankly, i may actually make me want to see this one... And then again, it can only be seen this way in the cinema, so it's going to make MILLIONS! And 8.50 or so of my money may be amongst that...

Sweet Disposition....

What can i say, it's just an amazing song. I first heard it on the trailer for (500) Days of Summer, and have loved it ever since.

Image via Wikipedia

It also helped make my brief time in Australia just that bit more happy/tolerable/familiar.

It's just such a damn good song.

I know i preach that music is Subjective, but to me this song is just Sublime. Not the best song ever, that's not  possible, but ultimately a song that will be in my favorites list for decades to come.


And of course, i still love the aforementioned movie.


I was watching Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy last night and Zoe Deschenel was actually likable in it.

In Elf and as Summer, she kind of seem's like a really attractive cold person. But her quirkiness worked in Hitchhikers, even if it was a short movie.

Joesph Gordon-Levitt on the other hand could never anger me. He's just to god damn good of an actor.

From Tommy in 3rd Rock from the Sun, to 10 Things i hate about you, to a gay prostitute abused as a child, to a jilted boyfriend solving his ex's murder in the Gumshoe-fantastic Brick, to a disgruntled "Stop-lost" Soldier, hell even the psycho Dr in GI Joe, the boy can do no wrong!

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

That's why his hitRecord project sounds so damn promising. I can't explain it all myself, but it's basically a music, art, writing and film collective whose sole aim is to share it's content and intellectual property amongst it's users so that they can use it and mash it all up and make something special all in the spirit of free speech and intellectual freedom. Count me in!

And yes i first heard about it from a fellow Blogger, White Rabbit to be precise. But i didn't get around to signing up or fully hoping to embrace the idea until now.






I pine i weep, i perish for a chance to some day make my own movie, or failing that a student film (more on that later).

Toodle's.

The Dole, The CAO, some chat, Some Cider, and a whole lot of trouble...

So on thursday i was a very busy day. First off was registering for the Jobs Seekers allowence (The Dole to normal people), or at least handing in a few forms to go through the means test for it.

Image via Wikipedia

 I hopped out of the Red Merc on the Quay's in Drogheda and struggled to cross the awful road. I poped my earphones in and started to listen to music as i nonchalantly  aproached to Dole Que. With people from all walks of life, and the odd stereotype affirming people i waited in the cold.

After struggling with the preamble of bad questions, and one's aimed at catching out non-nationals, i finally got my forms handed in. Although the scowls and lack of friendly-ness from the Social Service's counter woman, weren't exactly positive or encouraging, but i'm sure she's like that with loads of us dead beats....

I still had two items left to hand in. A proof of address, hard when i don't have a job history or reason to get many official letters. And a letter from Trinity College stating i am no longer a student at their fine establishment.

I was then finished and rang my father to tell him i was done.


So i waited in the cold, briefly looking in the Vodafone shop and waited again in the cold.

Eventual the familiar sight of a Mercedes Saloon circa, anytime, returned, it's only distinctive feature being slightly more rounded lights and a red wine colour. (More on this later)

We then headed into Dublin on, shock horror, the Dublin Road. Stopping off at the Train station to buy a daily return train ticket, off-peak, for a couple of euro less than a single would be either way. All so i could have a ticket for my way home. I hate to cheat CIE/Iarnrod Eireann/ The State, but it's cheaper that way!

We drove all the way into Finglas to my dads old school where a friend and workmate of his would explain the CAO application process and help me with it.

My dad attended to some of his IT duties and then we met up with his friend.

I checked my email and deleted Facebook notifications that i could check in the real deal, as annoyingly the filters and firewalls are rather good in my dads School. Can't even get to proxies or other service's that aggregate stuff from places like facebook, twitter etc.

One a facebook email from my sister, i was in trouble..... More later....

I went through a demo of the application process and hit a wall, i needed my old Examination number, from nearly 4 years ago!

So Directory inquiries, whats the number for my old school, no i'll call them myself.

"Hi i'm so and so, i'm an old student i sat my leaving in 2006, can i have my examination number..."

Well it turns out the secretary had to look for it, and i'd have to drop in, in person. Que having to go all the way to Ranelagh.


Now once i was finished in my dads school in Finglas i had to get a bus. So i hopped on the number 19.

1.80 to get to O'Connell Street. Took about 35 minutes. In a roundabout route and a lot of narrow roads, housing estates, and going past Met Eireann, the Botanic Gardens, the Ugly mass of the Phibsburough's shopping centre, then the train station that is now a bus depot and the through street's i'd never seen before. There's a lot of windy narrow inner-city streets behind Parnell Street that i'd never seen before.


Got off the bus at the large Spar and walked the rest of the massive Thoroughfare of our Iconic street and crossed the Liffy.

Down the opposite side of Westmoreland street, the semi-dead side, to avoid foot traffic, and then across college Green via the Front arch of College Green, and Up Lower Grafton street, my ankles already aching as the uneven paving and cold air were not the same as Scrub land and, flat and heat that i have recently been walking in Australia.

Image via Wikipedia

By the time i was dodging wayward pedestrian's on Grafton Street i had already seen 5 face's i recognised. In Melbourne i NEVER saw a familiar face. In the space of a few minutes and several hundred meter's in Dublin, i'd seen loads of people. I didn't stop to talk to any of them, most didn't noticed me, one even was yawning as she saw me, but didn't have that tell tale look of realisation.

I eventual got the luas and noticed that it had now been 42 minutes since i left Finglas. Good time, sort of.

Made it to the Beechwood stop in no time and walked through the back street's to my old school.

The new gym is a bit of a shock to my old memory. It was one of the 2 lunch breaks the school use's, as i could tell with the time, and smaller crowd of pubescent male's that it had to be the same system brought in my last year.

Up the new steps to the old House, the center of the school i sat and waited for the secretary who i had spoken to earlier.

None of the students were familiar, they were all 2nd years or 1st years when i left, or worse, non-existant, not liked i knew them anyway, i wasn't a prefect and as a 6th year our private form room was the place to be, especially in winter. (Ireland...)

The Drama teacher past me, I told him i was between things at the moment.

My old Form teacher of 4 and a bit years passed me, i automatically said, "Hello Sir." He just nodded and said Hi, nothing more, like he didn't really notice.

I received my Exam number and that was it. I walked out and passed what appeared to be 6th years returning from the Village with their lunch, not a familiar face among them.

I got the back to the Luas and arrived in town. I was to meet my old nursing friend Budsey who i hadn't seen since the day before i left for Oz.

We decided on the Buttery in Trinity's Front Square to avoid the cold.

So i told Budsy what i got up to in Oz.

That is, a threesome with an Aussie friend i made online and her Boyfriend, in my sisters house, while she was away.


I won't go into full detail's, but i told of the story to PG (my ex) sort of a form of gossip, that i thought she would like to know. Mistake number 1.

Mistake 2 was that i pre-wrote the email in a word document to save using the internet to much, so as to not piss off my sister.

Well that document was apparently saved in 2 place's, and my sister found it.... She was not a happy bunny.

What doesn't make matters any easier is that my Parents are now In Australia for 3 weeks while i'm at home dog sitting.

I talked at length with Budsey about my time there, what i got up to, my crisis with my sister's anger, and of course how she had been since i'd last seen her and some idle gossip here and there.

We talked for age's in the Buttery.

I was due to meet DS for a traditional movie viewing at Cineworld at 3.10, but strangely i hadn't heard from him.

So almost out of character, i phoned him. Yes, i PHONED him.

Dear god is the world ending, Me, using a phone, for phone call's, speaking, on a phone, madness!

Apparently his phone was more fucked up than the gulf between rich and poor. And was unable to send and recieve texts.

So the movie was off. More time with Budsey.

We dragged our chatty on to Eddie Rockets and on the way, i saw more familiar Face's. More specifically people from the Society who i hadn't seen in age's, and i briefly remembered i offered to help if i was arround. But good conversation, or was it the fact i was talking about respective sex live's, kept my altruism at bay.

Wow the menu sure is larger in Empty Pockets these days. And there's an Aero 'Shake now.

I had that and half onion rings/ half chips, Budsey just the new 'Shake as she ate in the buttery when i was still saving for cinema popcorn and a real ticket stub.

I shared what photo's i could find on my phone of my time in Melbourne, mainly just attractive buildings, and more conversation.

Then we met DS at St Stephens Green and went to the Porter House for a drink or two.

We were there for a good two hours talking about anything from movies, to confidentiality to a guide to beer booklet that was sitting on our table.

Then close to leaving i found something on the floor of the bathroom stall.....

Possiblly the oddest thing i've ever found in a bathroom.

And Essay entitled:

The Potato's Contribution to Population and Urbanization:
Evidence from an Historical Experiment


This academic article, apparently, i say apparently since it use's americanised spellings, poor grammar and an apostrophe in potatoes, was just sitting there on the floor of the cubicle.

Covered in Annotated hand written notes, and a http of a TCD Gmail account i can only assume a Trinity Student took this article to the pub, and forgot about it.

I picked it up, it wasn't dirty, other than my own footprint, and brought it to Budsey and DS.

I discussed it and laughed, and concluded that handing it to bar staff wouldn't help, a facebook group was the answer.

So here it is, if you know who own's this article and if they want it back.

Go to this group:

Help Find the Owner of this Article i found in the Porter House.



That's all for now folks. Until next time.