The Cruel Tutelage of Vi Mo

In case you don't know, the title is a play on the chapter of Kill Bill Vol. 2 called "The Cruel Tutelage of Pai Mei". Get it? Vi(cious) Mo(mma). ;-) And if I was a guy and could grow a beard I'd have a long one like his.


Sometimes my methods of enlightenment are a bit too similar to Pai Mei's, but most wise students know that their most difficult teachers are usually the best and most effective. And learning the most valuable lessons should involve some challenge and struggle. One shouldn't expect it to be easy to learn great and powerful things. Wise students should also, instead of getting angry and offended by a tough teacher, be honored and grateful that the teacher is even bothering with them. And you can be certain that a tough teacher has learned that toughness from her own hard lessons and hard teachers.

Well, of course, this is fantasyland, but if I was a Kung Fu expert you can be sure that I'd be just like Pai Mei. I could kick your ass without moving much more than a finger. You wouldn't know what hit you.

Maybe I'm just in an ass-kicking mood and the only way to express it is through these encoded words pounded into the make-believe realm of cyberspace, and since none of that is really real then it shouldn't matter what I say or do. It's all fake and secret (incomprehensible to me) codes anyway, unlike a firm kick to the ass that would leave a very real and unmistakable bruise.

Aeron the Hare

I haven't seen "The Golden Compass" or read the book(s). But Bee had this fun quiz so I had to try it. ;-)

I'm not sure if I'm well matched with Aeron the Hare. But hey, you take what you get, right? ;-) This daemon soul-keeper idea is very similar to shamanic animal spirit guides. Apparently, Aeron is one of 31,748 Hare daemons (so far) in a total daemon population of 853,745.

Dear Quentin Tarantino,

I'm sure you get all kinds of kooky letters from crazy freaks with their 'brilliant' movie ideas. Well, I'm pretty kooky and crazy and maybe a little freaky and I do have a movie idea, but I'm not promising anything brilliant. ;-) Just so you know, I'm a hometown girl from Knoxville, just in case that might help a little. :-) I really love some of your movies that I've seen, especially the Kill Bill movies, Sin City (your influence as guest director is obvious), and Pulp Fiction. I'm sorry to admit that I haven't seen all of them. Maybe someday I'll get caught up on some movie watching.

Anyway, if you sex it up a lot and fictionalize most of it, you could make a really funny and quirky movie based on my life. Just a few of the real elements to start with are my status as a vicious momma who drives a red Corvette convertible (when I'm not driving a bunch of kids around in an 'evil', full size SUV - Ford Expedition). Well, that's kind of a good start, don't you think? ;-) For some of the fantasy elements you could have me involved in torrid affairs with Lubos Motl and the Pope. Okay, just for a disclaimer to make sure no rumors get started I must tell you that in actuality Lubos Motl has only ever shown the utmost impeccable integrity towards me, and of course the Pope doesn't even know me. But let's get back to the fiction. Another plot twist possibility could involve all this global warming garbage and how me and my cohorts form a secret alliance to stop the evil AntiChrist who is leading the world astray, and so on.

Kate Winslet would be the best choice to play me. She's much prettier than I am, but that's how it's supposed to be in movies.



These pictures from Romance and Cigarettes capture some of the vicious momma spirit, I think.

Maybe Jude Law could play Lubos, or even you. I know you like to show up in your movies. And maybe Anthony Hopkins could play the Pope. We could throw in Viggo Mortensen as a mystery man without whose aid we couldn't succeed in our mission. Probably Alec Baldwin would be good as the AntiChrist. I really dislike him anyway. He's a true cad so it might not be too much of a stretch for him to play that part.

So there you go. There are lots of cool music ideas too, but I won't get too carried away. I do think that you would have the vision and humor to create a fun, interesting story with these elements. And maybe you could even ask Michael Crichton to collaborate on some of the scientific aspects of the story. I like his movies too, though they are much different from yours. It might be a very strange but complementary mixture to have you two working together. But maybe you two hate each other and it is a terrible prospect? I have no idea. I'm just throwing around some wild notions.

Have a nice holiday.

Sincerely,
Rae Ann

PS How could I have been so thoughtless? I should have mentioned my best friend's brother, Walt Foreman, who is a novelist and filmmaker in California. I think he might have some good ideas too.

Movie Recommendation

I just watched Madea's Family Reunion, and wow, it was great! It was absolutely loaded with humor, excellent wisdom, and very sweet romance. Very touching and poignant movie, but also laugh-out-loud funny, especially the title character, Madea. She's a great example of a hilarious vicious momma. ;-) If you get a chance to watch it you won't regret it. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Where the Streets Have No Name

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future

Fly Like An Eagle by Steve Miller Band

It's never been a big secret that I am somewhat certifiably insane. I'm not ashamed in the same way that anyone with any other chronic condition should not be ashamed. Is Stephen Hawking ashamed of his condition? I don't know. I doubt it because he, like me, probably realizes that shame is a total waste of valuable mental energy. Some people might not like that comparison of Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) with mental illness, but in reality both are chronic conditions that affect the nerves and brain. And even with treatment, those with mental illness are never really "cured" just like they still have no cure for ALS. I find it a bit concerning that some illnesses gain a celebrity importance while others that are more prevalent and just as dangerous are left in the shadows, or where the streets have no name.

I could continue my rant about the history of mistreatment of mental illnesses and the continuing social disinterest and stigmas, but I'm not really up to giving a good enough rant at the moment. I've got some mental "house cleaning" to do.

It's been painfully apparent to me from my earliest social memories that I've not been like the "typical" females. Maybe it was an early sign of my later problems. I don't believe that it is a social conditioning problem. It must surely be some inherent, genetic trait. My sister is very much a "typical" female. We were raised in the same conditions so it doesn't follow that upbringing had anything to do with it. Incidentally, although we love each other very much, we do acknowledge that we are completely different and not always compatible. This has got to be because of my inability to "understand" typical female behaviors and thinking. Maybe it's a type of autism? ;-) After all, nowadays they say 1 in 166 kids are autistic, so why wouldn't that apply to adults too? (I don't "believe" in most of the new "epidemics" because the numbers of certain conditions aren't actually increasing. The rate of recognition and diagnosis is increasing.)

Well, anyway, there is one particular type of female that I've never been able to tolerate. That is the catty woman. (More modernly known as the female 'bully') My own definition of a catty woman is a woman who insults and picks on other women in ways that mostly only other women recognize. As you can read in some of the articles linked above, female bullies are often charming and clever so that they disguise their true natures, especially to males because they are so easily fooled by women. ;-) Well, I would consider it a somewhat "typical" female trait to consciously try to make oneself look better than she really is (especially to males). I think it is fair to say that one reason men aren't as perceptive of many female tactics is because their corpus callosum (not to be confused with Corpus Spongiosum or Cavernosum) are smaller which limits their ability to process social interactions.





Hey, maybe my corpus callosum is too small and that's why I have trouble with some women? I guess they don't make a magic pill for that since I don't ever get any spam emails offering some wonder drug or herbal supplement to "increase your corpus callosum by three inches!" If you ask me, that might be more beneficial to the world than a pill meant to increase the "corpus spongiosum (or cavernosum)" by three inches. ;-)

Where was I? It's hard to find your way when the streets have no name. (lol, yeah, that was pretty lame)

No really, what was I going to say? Was I finished about the catty women? I'm not sure, but I'll move along anyway. I am capable of engaging in catty behavior in response to someone being catty to me. Sometimes that is enough to stop them, but when it's not I'll just fight like a man. Life is too short to waste time verbally sparring with some catty bitch when really all it takes to shut her up is to "manhandle" her. Anyone of any gender who's ever been bullied knows that the only effective way of stopping a bully is to beat the crap out of them. That way you've taken all their power away. It might not be pretty, but if it works it's okay. And really, any bully who's dumb enough to pick another fight with someone who's beat them really needs to be beat again. ;-)

I'm aware that some people find this attitude distasteful and uncouth and offensive. Fine. Whatever works for you. But I'm betting that my approach is more effective. Oh, I just thought of something. You could compare female bully behavior to those who demand "political correctness" and other such totalitarian things. The "consensus" on global warming uses the same tactics as female bullies to try to discredit anyone who questions them. Maybe that will make it more understandable to men if I give examples like that. I would say, what's the difference in people doing that to each other's groups and individuals doing it to each other? It's all the same with the same end results. So it's despicable behavior regardless of how many people are involved.

Oh, yeah, and to some men, when a woman fights back like a man, they will mistakenly think that she is the bully and not the other one. They are the easily fooled and charmed guys with a really tiny corpus callosum. ;-) (As far as I know there is no correlation between callosum size and spongiosum/cavernosum size.)

You know, I really need to stop bringing up the spongiosum/cavernosum because it keeps making me lose my thoughts. ;-)

By the way, I'm fairly certain that perimenopause has begun and it feels exactly like being a teenager again. It's just like adolescence except in the other direction. Anyone who remembers a difficult adolescence should empathize.

I'm pretty sure I had more to say, but I'm getting hungry. Since my appetite has been bad lately I should eat. (was trying to think of some funny joke about sponge cake but ???)


Addendum: Very strange. Today must be "crazy movie day" on the cable movie channels. First I saw "Mad Love" (1995) with Drew Barrymore and then "Proof" (2005) with Gwyneth Paltrow. I hadn't seen either of them before and enjoyed both. "Proof" was especially interesting and it "hit home" in some non-trivial ways. One thing was that the sisters' relationship reflected much of what I wrote above about "typical" women and not "typical" ones. (Paltrow's sister character was the "typical" one.) But of course, no mathematical proofs are involved in my own personal issues, though if I had to pick something to try to prove it would be that God does exist. ;-)

The Great Global Warming Swindle

Please see Lubos Motl's post on this for a more detailed analysis of this documentary.


This is a must-see for everyone: all skeptics of global warming as well as true believers, as long as they can set aside their preconceived notions and objectively view the real facts. This is an eye-opening film for those whose only information on the imaginary "planetary emergency" comes from the AntiChrist himself and his lie-filled and erroneously titled piece of garbage, "An Inconvenient Truth." And the US TV networks really need to pick this up and broadcast it.

Update: The film now has its own domain.

If you are interested in real science and real truth please watch this 1.25 hour film:

The Woman of His Dreams

My best friend's brother is an aspiring film-maker in LA. He has a short film in a contest for a Dreamworks mentorship. The more views and good reviews it gets the better his chances. Please take 5 minutes of you time to view it. I just watched it, and I think it is absolutely stunning - visually and pacing and all those other qualities that make good films. You can sign up to post a review, but it isn't necessary to sign up to view his or the other films.

Please watch it and help Walt in pursuing his film-making dreams:

The Woman of His Dreams by Walt Foreman (click it!)


You won't regret it! Thanks!

Best Chick Flicks Ever

I just watched Kill Bill Vol. One the other night. And I have to say that it is my kind of 'chick flick', maybe even the best chick flick ever. I have no use for the typical 'chick flicks' because real life is emotional and challenging enough that I don't need to get caught up in some sappy shit in a movie. If I'm going to watch a fantasy about how to deal with life's problems it's a better investment in my time to watch something completely fantastic and outrageous like the Kill Bill movies. I had seen Kill Bill 2 when it came out and liked it a lot, and I just watched it again. While I really like both movies quite a lot, I think I do like Vol. 1 better.

My favorite scene in Vol. 1 is the boardroom scene when O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) assumes her position as the top boss of the Tokyo underworld (mafia). One of the older male under-bosses (Tanaka) is openly and strongly resentful that she is not 'pure' Japanese but is part Chinese and part American (and a woman). After allowing him to express his disrespect and dissatisfaction O-Ren demonstrates her position:

O-Ren Ishii: [after she cuts off Tanaka's head, in Japanese] So you all will know how serious I am, I shall say this in English.

O-Ren Ishii: [in English] As your leader, I encourage you from time to time, and always in a respectful manner, to question my logic. If you're unconvinced that a particular plan of action I've decided is the wisest, tell me so, but allow me to convince you, and I promise you right here and now, no subject will ever be taboo. Except, of course, the subject that was just under discussion. The price you pay for bringing up either my Chinese or American heritage as a negative is I collect your fucking head.

Just like this fucker here. [holds up Tanaka's head]

Now, if any of you sons of bitches got anything else to say, now's the fucking time!
[pause and silence]

O-Ren Ishii: I didn't think so.

O-Ren Ishii: [calmly, in Japanese] Gentlemen, this meeting is adjourned.

Where can I get me one of those personal armies of assassins? ;-) Seriously though, what I especially love about these Kill Bill movies is that the main character (The Bride) is what could be described as the Ultimate Vicious Momma. The revenge she sought throughout the two films was primarily motivated by her Maternal Instincts. Sure, there were some other 'minor' revenges along the way (like with rapist "Buck") that were purely personal and not related to the loss of her daughter. But the big list is all for taking away her daughter, even more so than their trying to kill her. If she'd been through the experience but had never been pregnant she might have still felt compelled to take revenge, but she wouldn't have had the same strength of purpose to actually succeed.

Another aspect of the characters that I really liked was that they, for the most part, recognized and accepted that The Bride was justified in her revenge. They knew that they did her wrong and that it was entirely fair for her to try to repay them. I guess that's part of the 'honor of bandits' or whatever. Not that their acceptance of her revenge meant they weren't going to fight against it. But they knew they 'had it (a fight) coming to them.' These characters were professional assassins (or 'warriors') who understood the reality and philosophy of war, which says that you are allowed, and probably even expected, to retaliate against someone who has wronged you. You have that right to seek revenge, but don't expect it to be easy.*

I rarely get to see movies when they first come out so all of this is probably old news to most people. But I was pretty impressed with the movies and wanted to note it anyway.


*This idea isn't really so different from the "certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" of the Declaration of Independence.

The Worst Movies I've Ever Watched

1. The Day After Tomorrow

Don't even get me started on that one. I'll just say they completely lost me when the passenger jet flew directly into the huge storm.


2. Mission to Mars

I was so disappointed with this one. I had anticipated a great space movie but got an exercise in emotional stupidity instead.


3. Cabin Fever

Dumb, dumb, dumb! However many minutes of my life I'll never get back. The only reason I watched it to the end was to see just how dumb it could get. How do people get the financing to make such stupid movies??


Yeah, okay, so that's only 3, but I'm only counting movies that I've actually watched all the way through. There are many more that I've either refused to waste my time watching or have only watched parts of. And not that my taste in movies is so very sophisticated or advanced since I list among my favorites Mars Attacks, Little Nicky, and House of 1000 Corpses. But what makes those movies good compared to the ones listed above is that they don't take themselves seriously. They are kind of silly by design. They are over the top but in a clever, satirical way. And to me that is funny.

"Twisted thoughts that spin 'round my head"

Sometimes I remove myself from the popular. It's some kind of odd rebellion against those things that are 'in' or 'hot' at the moment. I'm not sure why I do that. It's not because I think I'm too good or above it or anything like that. One example is the movie Pulp Fiction (1994). I just saw it for the first time earlier this year. I was probably the only person between the ages of 20-50 who had never seen it. Maybe when there's so much hype about things I think that it's just hype. If it seems too good to be true then it must be, right? Anyway, I did finally watch Pulp Fiction, and I'm glad I did. I really liked it a lot and have wanted to watch it again, which is for me the sign of a good movie. Maybe there's something about being exposed to something long after the fact. Maybe it gives you a different perspective. I'm not sure if I'd have liked it as much or more if I had seen it sooner. But asking that is like asking what the world would be like if I hadn't been born. It's pointless.

The entire decade of the 1990s was crap for me. I missed a lot of the pop culture stuff then because I was deep in the Darkness of Depression, and many difficult things happened over the years. Sometimes it seems like a bad dream to look back. The decade started off bad with one of my grandmothers getting killed by a drunk driver in Jan. 1990 and ended with a wounded marriage and unexpected pregnancy in Dec. 1999. In between those I lost my mother and all of my remaining grandparents. There was some good though. My kids were the best. But even bringing them into the world was unusually difficult and painful.

Much of the music of the 1990s is unfamiliar to me. Maybe I avoided music because it was too emotionally charged and I didn't need any more charging. Maybe I just couldn't relate to much of it. Maybe I immersed myself into Led Zeppelin and other 'classic' rock which was old, familiar, and comfortable. I don't really remember. This might sound absurd to many people in their 30s-40s, but I never listened to Pearl Jam's cd Ten until this week. Now that I've heard it I think that I might have gone completely insane if I'd listened to it when it came out. I just wasn't ready for it until now.

I like it very much. It sounds, to me, very Zeppelinesque (well, later Zeppelin), the track "Oceans" especially. Of course, I had heard some of the songs like "Jeremy", "Alive", and "Even Flow", but three songs do not a real impression make (pardon the Yoda syntax). But my favorite is "Black" because it is truly a masterpiece marrying the emotion and music and lyrics to make a complete sonic experience that takes you to a place you only get glimpses of otherwise. And if I'd heard it back in the 90s while all my pain was so raw and fresh I don't think I'd have been able to endure it.

Now that I've mostly left the Darkness behind I am playing catch up on some things. Does anyone else feel that way about certain things?

A little fluff...

I need to lighten the mood a little since I've been so serious lately. When I need a mental escape I usually go rent some movies. I've watched four movies over the last few days. I sometimes feel kind of dumb talking about movies because I see them so long after they've been released. But feeling dumb doesn't usually keep me from saying something, so here goes.

The first was Sin City. I loved it! It was absolutely visually stunning. I'm not familiar with Frank Miller's graphic novels on which the movie was based, but that didn't keep me from being engrossed in the film. I really like Bruce Willis too. The older he gets the better he gets. I think Demi Moore is an idiot. I'd take Bruce over Ashton any day. Anyway, it was gritty, graphic, and somewhat gruesome without being gross. The structure of the story was cool too. That might have been the influence of the guest director Quentin Taratino. This is definitely not a movie for the kids. It has bad language, nudity, sex, and lots of violence, but as my dad has always said any movie with all of that has to be pretty good. I think this is one that I'll end up buying. I only buy movies that I know I'll watch many times.

The next was an oldie, the original 1975 Stepford Wives. I had seen the remake with Nicole Kidman and liked it a lot. And I had seen bits and pieces of the original over the years but never saw it in its entirety. It was very well shot and interesting. I liked it, but it gave me a bad dream that David left me for a midget. LOL I suppose my subconscious was saying that it's my fear that David would be happier and more satisfied with a midget Stepford wife than with me. Maybe I don't want to delve too deep into that one. There were several things in that movie that 'hit home' so to speak. Anyway, if you've never watched this film you should rent it. You'll get a kick out of the mid-seventies fashions and home decor.

And then I watched Hidalgo. I admit it, I was watching it for Viggo. He's every bit as sexy as a cowboy as he was as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings movies. But I was very impressed with the movie itself. The scenery is beautiful in all the different locations- the American West and the Middle Eastern deserts (shot in Morocco). This is a family movie too. No bad language, nudity or sex. There is some violence, but it's not gory or anything. If you like Indiana Jones and the Mummy movies then you'd like this one. It's a great adventure story, and it's based on real events. I liked the incorporation of Native American spirituality and the ideas of free will and determination. Oh, and if you like horses then you really must see it. I think this movie is largely under-appreciated. I thoroughly enjoyed it (and not just for Viggo).

And finally, I watched The Ring Two. The first Ring movie scared me real good. I even had trouble sleeping after seeing it the first time. There's just something about evil little kids that is so unsettling that it's hard to shake. I can't say I was disappointed by The Ring Two, but it didn't scare me like the first one did. I wasn't disappointed because I hadn't set my expectations very high. It was a decent horror movie, but it lacked the punch of the first one. They did more to explain why Samara was doing what she was, but it seemed to fall a little flat because they almost made me too sympathetic toward her. I mean, geez, this kid just wants a mommy who loves her. Come on, Rachel (Naomi Watts), give a little love won't ya? Seriously though, it was kind of anticlimactic when they finally sealed her up. And I don't really understand that part anyway because in the first movie they exhumed her body out of the well. This movie is another example of why it usually isn't that satisfying to further explore certain stories. Like Rosemary's Baby, we don't really need to see another movie that further explains that one because it's scarier not knowing. It wasn't a waste of time watching the Ring Two, but I don't think it's going on my 'to buy' list.

Redemption: What's Your Price? (or there's a little Stepford in all of us)

Yesterday I was reading madman's Friday post (no longer available), and it is in a similar vein to what I have been thinking about recently, the idea of what you've done that you didn't expect you'd do when you were much younger.

(For the perfect song to accompany this post click here.)


I think we all have a price at which we can sell some aspect of ourselves. Remember that movie, Indecent Proposal, where the wealthy John Gage (Robert Redford) offered a million dollars to Mr. and Mrs. Murphy (Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore) for a night with the wife? (It's been on TV a lot lately.) That is an extreme example of selling yourself and the price you're paid not being nearly enough. But all of us at various times have 'sold' or traded our time or some other facet of ourselves in exchange for something. It might be the salary you're paid for the hours you devote to your employer. Maybe it's the love you get from your partner that insures your fidelity. It could be some material possession like a house or a car that 'buys' your commitment. Some people are cheaper than others. But you can look at most our relationships as being largely based on the exchange of goods, services, or more nebulous things.

When I was a teenager I thought that my price to get married would be an excessively large diamond. I was brainwashed by those commercials that told me that the size of the diamond was determined by how much the man loved the woman. But then I grew up and fell in love and all that diamond business meant nothing. My wedding set does have diamonds, but it's not something gaudy and expensive. And over the years I've noticed a trend that the larger the diamond the less successful the marriage. Go figure.

I am my husband's second wife. He was married to the wrong woman right out of high school and was divorced before I even graduated from high school. (We didn't live in the same state back then and hadn't met yet.) There was some 'baggage' from that marriage and another previous relationship that was put up on the bargaining table when we started talking about getting married. The 'price' for me marrying him was that we would live in a different house with all new stuff. I didn't want to start my married life surrounded by things he had shared with another woman. This was our beginning.

Then when I unexpectedly ended up pregnant with our third my price went up to a newer, bigger, and easier-to-live-in house. I essentially traded my independence and part of my personal potential to be a stay-at-home mom, so I wanted and needed a better place to do my job. I don't mean that to sound negative at all because in selling off much of my independence I gained more 'free' time to explore my creative side. The secret to successful trades is for each party to feel like they are getting a good deal. I guess you can call that relationship or personal free-enterprise.

And I'm definitely no Stepford wife. I'm not that good. I've always loved Amelia Earhart's quote, "I cannot guarantee to endure at all times the confinements of even an attractive cage." And I'm reminded of an article I read last year about the reinstatement of the strict, conservative Sharia' laws and how some Muslim women might find it comforting and secure in these uncertain times. I wish I had bookmarked or saved it somehow because I can't find it now. I'm not defending or condemning any of that. I'm just saying it's another example of trading independence and freedom for security.

Most recently I exchanged some of my 'right to complain' in my marriage for a red Corvette convertible. Does that sound cheap? I guess that's a matter of perspective. I'm not trying to devalue the gesture of David buying me my dream car. I know he wouldn't have done it if he didn't love me. But I think I was born lacking some part of the romantic gene because I also see it as a practical move on his part. How can I complain about some things now? That sort of idea. Not that I've sold off all my power and influence in my marriage. Oh, no, there's much more bargaining to come, I'm sure.

So I'm curious, and I wonder, what's your price? And how has it changed over the years? What bargains have you made in your life? What bargains do you foresee in your future?


And maybe it's all about redemption anyway. What does redemption mean?

REDEEM 1 a : to buy back : REPURCHASE b : to get or win back
2 : to free from what distresses or harms: as a : to free from captivity by payment of ransom b : to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental c : to release from blame or debt : CLEAR d : to free from the consequences of sin
3 : to change for the better : REFORM
4 : REPAIR, RESTORE
5 a : to free from a lien by payment of an amount secured thereby b (1) : to remove the obligation of by payment (2) : to exchange for something of value c : to make good : FULFILL
6 a : to atone for : EXPIATE b (1) : to offset the bad effect of (2) : to make worthwhile : RETRIEVE
synonym see RESCUE


But maybe redemption is only a hallucination? Or delusion? Or dream?

(to be continued... or probably not)



*This is an inferior version of the post that blogger lost yesterday when I clicked 'save as draft' so I could come back to finish it later. But now it seems that it has turned into something bigger than I can handle in one post.

(Not Quite) Blinded by the Light

Don't you just hate when you've missed your moment?

It seems my



has become



so this isn't the great post I had hoped it would be. I shouldn't have left it so long, and we all know that bulbs always burn out at the most inconvenient time. And some of the stuff that was lit up wasn't worthy of writing about after all. So briefly, here are some of the salvaged fragments of the broken tungsten filament. (for a great explanation of how light bulbs work click here)

Sexy Baptist Singles: I think it's my Tennessee Bible Belt upbringing that causes me to cringe a little when I read that. When I was a kid the Baptists were the last of the denominations that would embrace the word 'sexy' or anything that involved sex in any way. The words 'Baptist' and 'sexy' just don't seem to belong in the same phrase because the Baptists have been the primary advocates for the Abstinence Movement even before it was a Movement. When I was a kid even married sex was somehow dirty to the Baptists. Why is it okay to advertise Sexy Baptist Singles when it's not okay to go to Disney World? I'm sure that dating site isn't affiliated with the 'official' Baptist Church, but still, it seems so contradictory to me. Why not advertise 'Attractive Baptist Singles' instead? Oh, yeah, sex sells! Even for the Baptists!

disclaimer: I'm married to a sexy Baptist. I mean no offense to Baptists whether or not they are single or sexy or both.

I watched the movie Constantine last week. I wasn't familiar with the comic that it was based on so I had no preconceived notions of what it should be like. I've read that fans of the comic (Hellblazer) were disappointed by the movie. Well, that usually happens with movies based on novels or comics. I try to enjoy movies for what they are, their own telling of a story, regardless of where the story originated. I like religiously themed movies like this even if they aren't theologically correct. Hey, it's entertainment. My primary requirement for a good movie is that I can suspend my disbelief which means basically that the characters matter to me and that I don't focus on the unreality of the story but do develop empathy and involvement. (for a better explanation of suspension of disbelief click here) I have a problem with some sci-fi movies that very blatantly violate basic facts, like some Sci-Fi channel movie that was on the other day about killer spiders. When some men in business suits investigated a space craft crash without any protective gear they lost me right there. Makes me wonder how some of these movies get made in the first place.

Anyway, I liked the imagery and set design of Constantine. The look and atmosphere of a movie are usually more important to me than the dialog or other elements. I'm a very visual person so if it doesn't look interesting then what the point in watching? It's a visual medium after all. And Keanu Reeves is nice to look at too. A lot of people don't like him and say all of his characters are the same. I happen to like his characterization and style. Take a look at a bunch of Robert Redford movies and you'll see that all of his characters are pretty much the same too. (I'm not dissing Redford. I had a crush on him for years until he turned into a piece of roughly tanned leather.)

Okay, back to Constantine, although its ending was predictable I still enjoyed the ride. It was fun and entertaining. I enjoyed the theme of Good vs. Evil as it was presented in an old-fashioned sense but with a modern tone. If you like religiously themed movies in the vein of The Omen, The Seventh Sign, Stigmata, End of Days, etc. then you'll probably enjoy this one. I'd give it 3 stars out of 5.

(That was a sorry-ass movie review, but if you want a real review there are plenty to be found.)

Now on to the more nebulous subjects of God, Good and Evil, and Light and Mirrors. I had promised some such garbage about God as a Disco Ball and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. But now I'm not sure that I know exactly what I was getting at there. Maybe I should light one up and see if it helps illuminate the shadowy convolutions of my brain. In the meantime I'll just post this much and hope that I see the Light again.

Speaking of movies...

This weekend I just watched the movie Mystery Men. It was on my long list of want-to-see movies. I don't get to the cinema very often to see things when they are released, and I make it to Blockbuster to rent things on a very infrequent basis too. I found Mystery Men in the 2/$11 bin of dvds at Walmart. I figured $5.50 to buy it isn't that much more than $3.99 to rent it, and I've got it forever if I like it.

It was good. I liked it a lot. But I have to qualify that. I was a bit out of my mind when I first started watching it. The intro is very bizarre and I was thinking 'what the hell?' for the first 10 or 15 minutes. Then it started making more sense. And I was getting enthralled by the set design and all the weird combinations of sci-fi and white trash culture. The city was obviously futuristic, but the details were all right out of the Generation X catalog of pop culture icons. The Disco Boys and the Corvette limo were totally awesome. Casanova Frankenstein's castle was perfect with the gothic disco look. If I ever built a castle it would probably look like a gothic disco.

The 'ragtag' team of super-heros was funny. Of course I was particularly intrigued by the Shoveler. I think it would have given the story a lot more opportunity for puns if he had been the Hoer. But, I do realize that a shovel makes a better weapon than a hoe. Hoes are generally peace loving and not violent at all. Hoes just aren't well suited for conflict and fighting. We're lovers, not warriors. I've never heard of anyone getting hoed to death.

I think this movie is vastly under-rated and under-appreciated. I'm glad I bought it because it's like The Big Lebowski in that it gets better each time you see it (I've watched it 3 times so far). Even if the story of the 'little guy' being the hero isn't appealing to someone the look of the movie is worth the time to watch it. It's a real visual treat, as I think movies should be. That's why you watch a movie instead of reading a book, so you can see it.