And I say Part 1.5 because I don't have time to write a full-fledged article on the nature of sex and relationships - this is a follow-up to an earlier post ("On a gray day...") where I talked about how sex may not be a goal of a relationship. Well, guess what - read an article today (I forget where) about how men and women view sex and relationships differently. Basically, men apparently have sex as a goal in the relationship, i.e., in order to a relationship to be good, there must be good sex. Women, on the other hand, value the relationship side of it more, i.e., if the relationship is good, then there will be good sex.
Now, upon seeing this, it makes me wonder about the dynamics of gay people like myself. Obviously, there are some people who are like the males while others are the females. So, I suppose it's not really a nature-versus-nurture thing, seeing as this dynamic also exists among ourselves.
As I said, I'd write more, but I have a set of window blinds to put up. Perhaps more next time :)
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Pellet Review - The Chronicles of Narnia (The Lion, The Witch...oh, you know which one!)
So continues the trend of really long movie titles ("Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" anyone? Of course there's always "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"....Let me just give kudos to the upcoming remake of the "The Poseidon Adventure", now just called "Poseidon".)
Based on a children's book series, this first adaptation (of maybe seven) gets off to a promising start. Of course, there are parts of the plot where I can see a few things coming (what do you expect - it's a children's book!) but what I find fascinating is the maybe not-so-obvious parallels it is trying to draw between certain aspects of Christianity (namely Jesus and his sacrifice and subsequent resurrection). Granted, naming the eldest child (translated: first apostle) Peter kind of gets the message across, but I think when Alsan the Lion King (he he he) said "It is finished" I think the message gets delivered point blank.
Just out of curiosity, I did surf the 'net and sure enough, there are forums galore regarding this subject. Imagine that.
It's a fantastic movie to look at, though. The CGI animation is nothing short of amazing and it is truly leaps and bounds from the first CGI talking-animal flick I've ever seen ("Babe"). Sound-wise, though, I'm not sure if it's my settings or the actual audio mastering (or is it that Brit accent) but the dialogue seemed faint - I was afraid of turning it up for fear of having some big explosion scene coming up and thereby scaring my poor mom witless.
Recommended.
Based on a children's book series, this first adaptation (of maybe seven) gets off to a promising start. Of course, there are parts of the plot where I can see a few things coming (what do you expect - it's a children's book!) but what I find fascinating is the maybe not-so-obvious parallels it is trying to draw between certain aspects of Christianity (namely Jesus and his sacrifice and subsequent resurrection). Granted, naming the eldest child (translated: first apostle) Peter kind of gets the message across, but I think when Alsan the Lion King (he he he) said "It is finished" I think the message gets delivered point blank.
Just out of curiosity, I did surf the 'net and sure enough, there are forums galore regarding this subject. Imagine that.
It's a fantastic movie to look at, though. The CGI animation is nothing short of amazing and it is truly leaps and bounds from the first CGI talking-animal flick I've ever seen ("Babe"). Sound-wise, though, I'm not sure if it's my settings or the actual audio mastering (or is it that Brit accent) but the dialogue seemed faint - I was afraid of turning it up for fear of having some big explosion scene coming up and thereby scaring my poor mom witless.
Recommended.
Friday, April 21, 2006
Random Thoughts
Can I move within this silence and not disturb my sleeping heart?
The mind turns to the comfort of insignificant things,
Yet the spirit longs to be disturbed by those who know it.
Connect with me, then, through these hands that hold nothing
And free these stifled mumurs of a soul that seeks no bounds
As it declares to the world its intent to be discovered
By all, by one, but never by none.
I cannot move within this silence and not disturb
For truly there is no silence to be found here.
Then my eyes soak in the sight of you not unlike a thirst unquenched
Many years did this drought stay with me - or were they days or moments?
But like a mirage does everything else fade away
These mad world sounds around me turn to whispers.
And just as I strain to hear what they say, you touch me
The universe stands still
All is quiet, all at rest
Silence. Like a song that reached its end.
Finally, it is within this silence
That my sleeping heart awakes.
The mind turns to the comfort of insignificant things,
Yet the spirit longs to be disturbed by those who know it.
Connect with me, then, through these hands that hold nothing
And free these stifled mumurs of a soul that seeks no bounds
As it declares to the world its intent to be discovered
By all, by one, but never by none.
I cannot move within this silence and not disturb
For truly there is no silence to be found here.
Then my eyes soak in the sight of you not unlike a thirst unquenched
Many years did this drought stay with me - or were they days or moments?
But like a mirage does everything else fade away
These mad world sounds around me turn to whispers.
And just as I strain to hear what they say, you touch me
The universe stands still
All is quiet, all at rest
Silence. Like a song that reached its end.
Finally, it is within this silence
That my sleeping heart awakes.
Pellet Reviews (Combined): Mirrormask / The Island / A.I.
We still haven't gone to a "real" movie in a while - but I managed to get my hands on a "free" pass to Mission Impossible 3 so at least I know we'll be going in the next month (expiry date and all).
What we have watched here at home of late is "Mirrormask", "The Island", and "A.I.". Not really enough time to write individual reviews so here goes....
Mirrormask - Damn if this thing doesn't look good on the big screen. Really dazzling and creative visuals. But after watching it for a while, it does tend to get a bit tiring, meaning visual overload. Too much of a good thing perhaps. But the story is somewhat ordinary - teenage girl runs into a real-life crisis and retreats into dreamworld where things get (somewhat) resolved....although the narrative does not spell it out that way. But still a good showcase for home theatre. I remember one scene where giants fell out of the sky, and I swear I *felt* the air being displaced as they came down with a huge THUD.
The Island - Great concept, good action flick to watch. A great popcorn movie, therefore not genre-redefining. Another good one for the home theatre.
A.I. - As always with Steven Spielberg, this is a beauty to watch. A bit sad/bittersweet though. Not sure if the kiddies can appreciate this, but it does pull at the heartstrings as the story addresses a universal longing in all of us - the need to be loved by someone. And the affirmation of it. What it shows us is sometimes, what we think we want is not necessarily so. In the story, the main character thought what he wanted is to become a real boy so that he can be loved. What he learns in the end, well, I won't spoil the ending for those who haven't seen it. But I had to reach for a tissue. So there.
What we have watched here at home of late is "Mirrormask", "The Island", and "A.I.". Not really enough time to write individual reviews so here goes....
Mirrormask - Damn if this thing doesn't look good on the big screen. Really dazzling and creative visuals. But after watching it for a while, it does tend to get a bit tiring, meaning visual overload. Too much of a good thing perhaps. But the story is somewhat ordinary - teenage girl runs into a real-life crisis and retreats into dreamworld where things get (somewhat) resolved....although the narrative does not spell it out that way. But still a good showcase for home theatre. I remember one scene where giants fell out of the sky, and I swear I *felt* the air being displaced as they came down with a huge THUD.
The Island - Great concept, good action flick to watch. A great popcorn movie, therefore not genre-redefining. Another good one for the home theatre.
A.I. - As always with Steven Spielberg, this is a beauty to watch. A bit sad/bittersweet though. Not sure if the kiddies can appreciate this, but it does pull at the heartstrings as the story addresses a universal longing in all of us - the need to be loved by someone. And the affirmation of it. What it shows us is sometimes, what we think we want is not necessarily so. In the story, the main character thought what he wanted is to become a real boy so that he can be loved. What he learns in the end, well, I won't spoil the ending for those who haven't seen it. But I had to reach for a tissue. So there.
If I were a government employee....
...do I get a 10% discount off my tax owing this year? As a bank employee, I get really good benefits like discounted rates and all that. But I'm owing quite a bit of money this year to the government and the thought crossed my mind. Something like "government employees get a 50% discount if they pay their tax owing before April 1st".
Working from home today but I'm planning to step out to go to the bank to pay up. That's why this crossed my mind. Just really lucky that my bank is right around the corner - so convenient.
We finished painting the main floor of our house this week and I gotta say that it looks great (short of a few touch-ups here and there). I think we'll take a break from doing house work and do some fun stuff (like shopping for furniture). We're celebrating the hubby's birthday here with my family on May 13, so we're hoping to have the place in good shape for visitors by then.
Well, leaving in a few minutes. Then I better get some real work done.
Working from home today but I'm planning to step out to go to the bank to pay up. That's why this crossed my mind. Just really lucky that my bank is right around the corner - so convenient.
We finished painting the main floor of our house this week and I gotta say that it looks great (short of a few touch-ups here and there). I think we'll take a break from doing house work and do some fun stuff (like shopping for furniture). We're celebrating the hubby's birthday here with my family on May 13, so we're hoping to have the place in good shape for visitors by then.
Well, leaving in a few minutes. Then I better get some real work done.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
On a gray day.....
6:15 p.m.
Just waiting for my friends to show up. Tonight is card night and they are coming here to (hopefully) give me more money. Once again, the hubby is away on business, and I gotta say that it really sucks coming home knowing that I'll be going to bed alone again. That's why I keep myself busy, so that I'll be so tired that once I hit the sack I really won't notice that I'm sleeping alone.
Random thought: I don't mind pots calling kettles black, as long as the pots own up to being what they are.
I have meant to celebrate my 1000th hour on CPAP a couple of weeks ago. Celebrate you say? How can that be a celebration? Well, consider that 1000 hours = 142 nights of sound sleep (on an average of 7 hours of sleep a night). Now really, isn't that cause to be happy? For all you folks considering whether a CPAP machine is worth it, yes it is!! If I'm on the machine, I sleep straight through - no half-waking up at various times in the wee hours of the morning. I mean a straight, solid sleep. Plus, the hubby gets to sleep all the way thru too! None of that snoring anymore!
(Granted, spontaneity suffers a bit, but I think we've matured enough in our relationship to know how to plan around it. Besides, not everything is about *that*.)
So someone asked me before (who shall remain nameless and if you are reading this, you know who you are) if one can consider sex being the goal of a relationship. Personally, sex lends a lot to the growth of a relationship (especially in its early stages), but one will have to consider that in a life partnership, there will come a time when one or both will not be as - say - virile as they are in youth. So if sex was a huge, huge part of the foundation, then you can imagine that if that is taken out of the equation then you may find yourselves one day looking at each other with nothing to talk about.
I'm not saying that sex is not important. It is! But it is also important to establish a solid emotional and mental foundation so that you will have other things to connect with each other as time passes. And in a way, this internal connection is so much harder to work on than the physical part....and if you don't start on this earlier in the relationship, then really there is not a huge chance of the relationship surviving much later in life.
But that's just me. Now, for you lucky bastards who still have hot sex in their 70's without the assistance of Viagra, you will have to tell me your secret so I can start training. Yeah, right, like I know anyone in that age range who I would be familiar enough with to have that conversation.
See, this is what happens when you stay indoors on a gray day like today. I gotta get out more.
Just waiting for my friends to show up. Tonight is card night and they are coming here to (hopefully) give me more money. Once again, the hubby is away on business, and I gotta say that it really sucks coming home knowing that I'll be going to bed alone again. That's why I keep myself busy, so that I'll be so tired that once I hit the sack I really won't notice that I'm sleeping alone.
Random thought: I don't mind pots calling kettles black, as long as the pots own up to being what they are.
I have meant to celebrate my 1000th hour on CPAP a couple of weeks ago. Celebrate you say? How can that be a celebration? Well, consider that 1000 hours = 142 nights of sound sleep (on an average of 7 hours of sleep a night). Now really, isn't that cause to be happy? For all you folks considering whether a CPAP machine is worth it, yes it is!! If I'm on the machine, I sleep straight through - no half-waking up at various times in the wee hours of the morning. I mean a straight, solid sleep. Plus, the hubby gets to sleep all the way thru too! None of that snoring anymore!
(Granted, spontaneity suffers a bit, but I think we've matured enough in our relationship to know how to plan around it. Besides, not everything is about *that*.)
So someone asked me before (who shall remain nameless and if you are reading this, you know who you are) if one can consider sex being the goal of a relationship. Personally, sex lends a lot to the growth of a relationship (especially in its early stages), but one will have to consider that in a life partnership, there will come a time when one or both will not be as - say - virile as they are in youth. So if sex was a huge, huge part of the foundation, then you can imagine that if that is taken out of the equation then you may find yourselves one day looking at each other with nothing to talk about.
I'm not saying that sex is not important. It is! But it is also important to establish a solid emotional and mental foundation so that you will have other things to connect with each other as time passes. And in a way, this internal connection is so much harder to work on than the physical part....and if you don't start on this earlier in the relationship, then really there is not a huge chance of the relationship surviving much later in life.
But that's just me. Now, for you lucky bastards who still have hot sex in their 70's without the assistance of Viagra, you will have to tell me your secret so I can start training. Yeah, right, like I know anyone in that age range who I would be familiar enough with to have that conversation.
See, this is what happens when you stay indoors on a gray day like today. I gotta get out more.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Pellet Review - Saved!
"If God wanted us to all be the same, why did He make us different?"
Certainly one of the many words of wisdom that struck home near the end of the movie. Sure, it might be on the lighter side of "wisdom", but there were a few truths there. For those who are not familiar with the movie, "Saved!" is about a group of young 'uns who attend a Christian school, with the focus on one girl who wants to "save" her boyfriend from being gay. Ah, there's the hook right there for yours truly.
There were a lot of funny moments too ("I am FILLED with Christ's love!!!" one character yells as she throws a bible at her friend). But you really have to be in an open frame of mind to watch this movie...if you are anything like the character I mentioned, then you might be throwing the DVD player. And that's not good. Really.
Suffice it to say it was a feel-good movie (for us anyway). As far as sound and vision is concerned, since it's not the kind of big-screen movie that demands good visuals and rockin' sound, then they were all right by us.
Plus, it's good to see that Macaulay Culkin is still alive.
Certainly one of the many words of wisdom that struck home near the end of the movie. Sure, it might be on the lighter side of "wisdom", but there were a few truths there. For those who are not familiar with the movie, "Saved!" is about a group of young 'uns who attend a Christian school, with the focus on one girl who wants to "save" her boyfriend from being gay. Ah, there's the hook right there for yours truly.
There were a lot of funny moments too ("I am FILLED with Christ's love!!!" one character yells as she throws a bible at her friend). But you really have to be in an open frame of mind to watch this movie...if you are anything like the character I mentioned, then you might be throwing the DVD player. And that's not good. Really.
Suffice it to say it was a feel-good movie (for us anyway). As far as sound and vision is concerned, since it's not the kind of big-screen movie that demands good visuals and rockin' sound, then they were all right by us.
Plus, it's good to see that Macaulay Culkin is still alive.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Pellet Review - Corpse Bride
Did I forget to mention that we watched Corpse Bride last night? At home, natch. I still feel spoiled watching a movie at home eating home-made popcorn. Anyways.....
All in all, the movie is good, I felt it was somewhat slow in the beginning but definitely started to pick up once the Corpse Bride made her appearance. Wonderful voice performances all around, but as usual, Johnny Depp made the character come to life (pun intended). Of course it helps that the claymation guy looked and acted like him, but it still takes a certain skill to pull it off.
As always, the animation is good, considering the amount of work that must've gone in. Of course, it's probably not for everyone (some of us may feel that this style is somewhat dated) but it's a pretty good romp for those who do appreciate it.
Sound-wise....it could be my system, or the DVD, but I strained to hear some of the conversation. Couldn't quite make out what some of the lyrics were, but as I bumped the volume up later on, it wasn't so much of an issue. Other than the dialogue, the sound was good.
Overall, it was a little feel-good movie which had enough twisted humour that shouldn't scare away the wee ones. That is, if neon-green dancing skeletons are their thing. This one didn't win the Oscar for Best Animated flick, though - it went to Wallace and Gromit (guess which one I want to buy next!) I also want to watch Howl's Moving Castle (the other nominated flick)...it's by Miyazaki, so I guess I can't really go wrong with that one. I'll keep y'all posted!
All in all, the movie is good, I felt it was somewhat slow in the beginning but definitely started to pick up once the Corpse Bride made her appearance. Wonderful voice performances all around, but as usual, Johnny Depp made the character come to life (pun intended). Of course it helps that the claymation guy looked and acted like him, but it still takes a certain skill to pull it off.
As always, the animation is good, considering the amount of work that must've gone in. Of course, it's probably not for everyone (some of us may feel that this style is somewhat dated) but it's a pretty good romp for those who do appreciate it.
Sound-wise....it could be my system, or the DVD, but I strained to hear some of the conversation. Couldn't quite make out what some of the lyrics were, but as I bumped the volume up later on, it wasn't so much of an issue. Other than the dialogue, the sound was good.
Overall, it was a little feel-good movie which had enough twisted humour that shouldn't scare away the wee ones. That is, if neon-green dancing skeletons are their thing. This one didn't win the Oscar for Best Animated flick, though - it went to Wallace and Gromit (guess which one I want to buy next!) I also want to watch Howl's Moving Castle (the other nominated flick)...it's by Miyazaki, so I guess I can't really go wrong with that one. I'll keep y'all posted!
Project woes (and whoa's)
2:38 p.m.
Got the word today that my close-to-a-million dollar project is being put on indefinite hiatus. Be careful what I wish for? I wanted the project to be done and over with, but (whoa!) this was somewhat unexpected. Of course the joys of being project manager now kick in full steam (risk mitigation! risk contingency execution!). Of course this impacts two other projects I'm looking after, but I think I need time to digest. My personality type says so. So there.
And today was my first day to "communicate" the news to other employees and its impact in a people-manager capacity. I suppose this skill will improve over time, but hopefully it won't be over not-so-good news like this one.
Well, I suppose it is good news. There was trouble in paradise in the beginning, I think, so better to stop this now than burn in production hell later. Sad thing was, our stream was going so well. But hey, that's life for you.
So that dinner at Le Petit D. tonight....methinks I will partake of some wonderful bubbly to help decompress. And maybe test out the karaoke set-up at home tonight? (Hard to believe me and the gang used to go out at least weekly for a karaoke-fest. Good times....)
Got the word today that my close-to-a-million dollar project is being put on indefinite hiatus. Be careful what I wish for? I wanted the project to be done and over with, but (whoa!) this was somewhat unexpected. Of course the joys of being project manager now kick in full steam (risk mitigation! risk contingency execution!). Of course this impacts two other projects I'm looking after, but I think I need time to digest. My personality type says so. So there.
And today was my first day to "communicate" the news to other employees and its impact in a people-manager capacity. I suppose this skill will improve over time, but hopefully it won't be over not-so-good news like this one.
Well, I suppose it is good news. There was trouble in paradise in the beginning, I think, so better to stop this now than burn in production hell later. Sad thing was, our stream was going so well. But hey, that's life for you.
So that dinner at Le Petit D. tonight....methinks I will partake of some wonderful bubbly to help decompress. And maybe test out the karaoke set-up at home tonight? (Hard to believe me and the gang used to go out at least weekly for a karaoke-fest. Good times....)
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Happy 4th (again!!)
4:40 p.m.
Well, last night didn't really go as planned. Le Petit Dejeuner was closed due to a power problem...making this the 4th or 5th time we've planned to have dinner there and it just wasn't meant to be (other times there was a private function, they closed early, they weren't open for dinner that night). Considering that the 15th is the 4th anniversary of our first date, then we will try again tomorrow night. The schedule says they're open until 10 p.m., so at least we won't feel rushed.
Today felt like a blah day. Interestingly enough, I had some pre-work to do for "Managers Making Connections", a course for (you guessed it) Managers. In there was a self-assessment checklist, asking what my motivations are. And unsurprisingly enough, I'm a "go-to-work-for-paycheck" kinda guy. Surprisingly, this is supposed to be indicative of stress. Hmm. And here I thought that having that kind of detached attitude is supposed to help diffuse stress.
Looking forward to a quiet night.
7:06 p.m.
How to make a happy song happier? Make it faster!! I got my CD-Single of "Seasons of Love" tonight and it has a few good mixes. I will listen to it on the way to work tomorrow, but for those who wonder what it sounds like, check out www.amazon.ca and look up the disc. There are track samples there.
Speaking of the song, do you know how happy I was to sing it at the concert? Also, I was doing my Gollum impression during the Bagatelle. Don't ask.
I'm so glad that someone actually heard it over the speakers. I'll definitely try and keep my ears open when we get our DVD. Can't wait. Precioussss DVD....yesssss......
Well, last night didn't really go as planned. Le Petit Dejeuner was closed due to a power problem...making this the 4th or 5th time we've planned to have dinner there and it just wasn't meant to be (other times there was a private function, they closed early, they weren't open for dinner that night). Considering that the 15th is the 4th anniversary of our first date, then we will try again tomorrow night. The schedule says they're open until 10 p.m., so at least we won't feel rushed.
Today felt like a blah day. Interestingly enough, I had some pre-work to do for "Managers Making Connections", a course for (you guessed it) Managers. In there was a self-assessment checklist, asking what my motivations are. And unsurprisingly enough, I'm a "go-to-work-for-paycheck" kinda guy. Surprisingly, this is supposed to be indicative of stress. Hmm. And here I thought that having that kind of detached attitude is supposed to help diffuse stress.
Looking forward to a quiet night.
7:06 p.m.
How to make a happy song happier? Make it faster!! I got my CD-Single of "Seasons of Love" tonight and it has a few good mixes. I will listen to it on the way to work tomorrow, but for those who wonder what it sounds like, check out www.amazon.ca and look up the disc. There are track samples there.
Speaking of the song, do you know how happy I was to sing it at the concert? Also, I was doing my Gollum impression during the Bagatelle. Don't ask.
I'm so glad that someone actually heard it over the speakers. I'll definitely try and keep my ears open when we get our DVD. Can't wait. Precioussss DVD....yesssss......
Monday, March 13, 2006
Happy 4th!!!
2:00 p.m.
Today Marc and I are celebrating our 4th anniversary :D
Lives changed since then - no doubt Marc's and mine did (English majors feel free to correct this) - but I wonder if any other life was changed since then. Not to be ego-centric here, but I would like to think that maybe because of our meeting - and all the things that have happened since - we have changed some people's perspectives on live and love and all that wonderful jazz.
Just out of curiousity, I also looked up IMDB.com to see if anything of note popped up. Well, we share the date with Neil Sedaka's and William H. Macy's birthdays....
I also don't remember it raining this hard last year, too.
So, tonight we plan to have a quiet dinner at Le Petit Dejuener - one of our fave places to have brunch. They also served a wonderful dinner a while back, truly delicious. We've only done it once, since it was a bit on the expensive side, so what better reason to go back? Then, we were going to the Rainbow Cinema to catch a movie, but now that we have a home theatre, there's not much motivation to spend money on a non-blockbuster. So - movie night at home, with a bottle of bubbly, a nice blanket, fresh-made popcorn (did I forget to mention I got a popcorn maker from Marc for Christmas?) All is right with the world.
Today Marc and I are celebrating our 4th anniversary :D
Lives changed since then - no doubt Marc's and mine did (English majors feel free to correct this) - but I wonder if any other life was changed since then. Not to be ego-centric here, but I would like to think that maybe because of our meeting - and all the things that have happened since - we have changed some people's perspectives on live and love and all that wonderful jazz.
Just out of curiousity, I also looked up IMDB.com to see if anything of note popped up. Well, we share the date with Neil Sedaka's and William H. Macy's birthdays....
I also don't remember it raining this hard last year, too.
So, tonight we plan to have a quiet dinner at Le Petit Dejuener - one of our fave places to have brunch. They also served a wonderful dinner a while back, truly delicious. We've only done it once, since it was a bit on the expensive side, so what better reason to go back? Then, we were going to the Rainbow Cinema to catch a movie, but now that we have a home theatre, there's not much motivation to spend money on a non-blockbuster. So - movie night at home, with a bottle of bubbly, a nice blanket, fresh-made popcorn (did I forget to mention I got a popcorn maker from Marc for Christmas?) All is right with the world.
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Ten Years Later....
At this point, I really believe running a blog is aspirational 😆But fear not, the blog adventures have continued, but just on a different ...
