Monday evening, playing Boomshine

[cleolinda]

So I had a pretty full weekend--two viewings of POTC3 and lots of rum, for starters. The Lovely Emily took some pictures of the dogs for me, which I'll put up when I get them. The thing is, I wanted them because Sam was getting his summer cut on Saturday, and said cut has turned out so badly that I wanted a good picture of him all befurred before it happened. I mean, you lose two dogs in one year (and the only pictures, other than the few I've posted here, of them are trapped on my now-internetless cell phone), you start to think about these things. And it's a good thing that I did, because we asked for his fur to be cut down to about two inches long, and they shaved him. Our vet was so mad at the groomer that he (allegedly) fired him, although I have to think that there had been problems before that. We also got a letter that said our vet had made "a sizable donation" to veterinary research in Meko's name, and he told us shortly after we adopted the new pups that "it was a privilege" to have us as clients. So, he's kind of protective of us, I guess. Although it kind of makes me wonder what his other clients are like.

And then we watched The Fountain this afternoon, and I slept a lot. I ended up drinking so much Coke at the two movies that I didn't sleep at all there for a couple of nights. Like, I'd just lie there slowly going insane until five in the morning. At one point I got up and made the bucket icons (see previous entry) just to have something to do. Oh, and I got new glasses on Saturday, because--as you may recall--I was sitting in my first viewing of POTC3, and about an hour in, the damn left lens fell out. This has happened a lot over the last six months, and I've been carrying around a pocketknife so I can screw the lens back in. Except this time, it fell out in a dark movie theater. The sad thing is, I actually found the screw. It was in the process of trying to fix the glasses in the dark, because I sure as hell wasn't going to leave, that I dropped the screw and couldn't find it. And it was at that point that I started to reconsider the "getting up and leaving" part of the process. Woe. So I literally--and I cannot express to you how literally I mean this. I'm not abusing an oft-abused word; I mean this literally--held the left side of my glasses together by pinching the frames shut for an hour and forty-five minutes solid. I actually asked all the friends I was sitting with if they had any string, for God's sake, because I've actually tied them together before, and I'm now thinking about always carrying a little box of dental floss in my purse for that purpose from now on.

You are probably wanting to ask one, and exactly one, question right now, and that one question is, Why the hell didn't you get new glasses six months ago? Look around your house and think about all the things you keep meaning to do or to fix, and that's why. Except that we extend that quirk of human nature to every single aspect of life chez Jones: if it ain't on fire, it can get fixed tomorrow. As of Friday night, my glasses were "on fire," figuratively speaking.

Oh, also because Shelby had bitten them. Actually, Scout had pulled the glasses down off the end table where I thought he couldn't reach them, and when the left lens inevitably popped out, Shelby grabbed hold of that. So when I emerged from my Death Flu-Cold fever du jour, I found Scout licking the frames and Shelby chewing the lens like a piece of gum. This is why I always ask for the bulletproof shatter-resistant whatever-you-got lenses, yo--instead of prying tiny shards of glass out of my dog's throat, the lens just had a constellation of very attractive punctures on each side. So I actually WORE THE GLASSES with pinhole bite marks on them all last week, because bitten lenses? Not on fire. Bitten one-lensed glasses? Flaming.

So then I had to have the full eye exam (although I refused, point-blank, to sign the Please Let Us Dilate You form, because I am in quite good ophthamalogical health and my only problems are a slight astigmatism of the left eye and mild nearsightedness, to the point where I have been told that I could actually drive without my glasses), which involved about five years of shining laser beams into my eyes, but my ophthamalogical fitness was confirmed, and I got some new DKNY frames that were reasonably close in style to the previous pair (Sergio? They broke after only two years, as opposed to the Armanis that lasted six. Buyer beware). I'm still breaking them in, of course, as my left ear is apparently situated a good deal lower than my right, but I can actually see clearly again.

Also, istoo has reminded me that I need to make a book-related announcement. You may have gotten an Amazon UK email or seen the page for a book called Cut: Movies in Fifteen Minutes. This is, in fact, the paperback version of the original book; there is no second book (yet). I actually had no idea that the title or cover art had been changed until--actually, I believe it was Gunther at trailer_spot?--showed me the new page a while back, and I kept forgetting to mention it. I'm mostly afraid that people are going to buy it thinking that it's a separate book, which it isn't, but as far as I know, the content is the same as the hardback, if you really are in the market for a copy.


Alabama Is the Center of the Universe: Alabama boy kills 1,051-pound hog, bigger than Hogzilla; Aruba back on case of missing Alabama teen. From mustang_bex1126: Unusual Pioneer: Alabama School's First White Grad; from clodia_risa: 'Stealth racism' stalks deep South.

80-lb lizard shot twice, slinks away.

Mo. man burns books as act of protest. Tod Goldberg, however, ain't buyin' it.

Fallen soldier's family adopts Iraq puppy.

I SAID GOOD DAY, SIR!

O SNAP.

O SNAP 2: Electric Boogaloo.

Geoffrey Chaucer Hath a Blog: I CAN HATH CHEEZBURGER?

The addictive yet relaxing Boomshine.

Charles Nelson Reilly, Tony-Winning Comic Actor, Dies at 76. If you're of my generation, you probably know him best as Jose Chung from The X-Files.

A headline juxtaposition for the books: Lindsay promises to "curb party antics", meanwhile, her father wants her to return to rehab; A Searching And Fearless Inventory Of Lindsay Lohan's Crashed Car [After DUI] Turns Up 'Usable Amount' Of Cocaine.

'Pirates' sets Memorial weekend mark, but still falls short of Spidey.

Rush back to save old enemy in 'Pirates.' "[When] I was staying at the Chateau, West Hollywood was rancid with pirates last Halloween. I was very tempted, if it didn't involve a 2 1/2-hour makeup job, I was so tempted to go out and just walk down Sunset Boulevard and knock everyone in a bandanna with a sword in their belt out of the water by parading along as Barbossa. It would be kind of fun."

MTV Movie Blog hearts Keith Richards (video). Oh my God, he really did model Jack after Keef.

From the Horrifying Movie Pitches file: Keira as Princess Di?

Naveen Andrews and Parminder Nagra to star in 'Fallen Hero.'

Hope Davis Joins Next Charlie Kaufman Film.

McGregor Launches Second Motorcycle Odyssey.

Nicole In the Saddle -- New 'Australia' Action Shots Arrive.

New stills of Daniel Craig in The Golden Compass; there are also some new shots of Eva Green at The Costumers Guide (*waves*).

Kate Winslet on the set of Revolutionary Road.

Bonham Carter on Bellatrix Look in OotP: "Sunset Boulevard Thing Going On."

Crap Lindsay Lohan movie gets far better poster than it deserves.

Harvey Weinstein Calls Luc Besson a "Has-Been."

Director Alex Cox Says He's on Hollywood Blacklist, Lashes Out at Kirsten Dunst of all People.

'Silver Surfer' coin steams U.S. Mint.

'Becoming Jane' Trailer Hits Web.

trailer_spot: Interview, Introducing the Dwights, I Know Who Killed Me, U2 3D, Ocean's Thirteen, Angel-A, more.

"National Treasure 2 Trailer: Praying for Sweet Release of Death."

Celebrity Past Lives for the lulz:

"Russell had a very violent life as an English convict. He was transported to Van Diemen's land (now Tasmania) in the early 1800s for living off the earnings of prostitutes."

"They vowed to commit suicide so that they could never be parted. One night, Justin climbed up to Cam's room. They went up to the roof and, hand-in-hand, they jumped. Both died instantly, causing horror and grief for both families. The spirits of two white swans have been with them ever since."

"In the early 1800s, Liz was a hillbilly growing up in the backwoods of Kentucky, where her mother taught her about the healing properties of roots and herbs. Liz married a second cousin and had several children, but continued working as a healer."

Diego Luna as Michael Jackson in "Mister Lonely." I have no idea what this article says or if there is visual proof of this horror, because I immediately screamed and closed my browser.

Comments

[thunderphoenix.livejournal.com]

Allow me to administer a hearty "WTF?" at the Silver Surfer quarter thing.

And I sympathize with your eyeglasses difficulties. My left lense is such a holy terror that I usually carry a screwdriver with some spare screws in the handle in my wallet just in case it gives me any crap.

[marumae.livejournal.com]

Definitely not alone in the glasses thing Cleo, before I got my new pair I was having problems with the screw in my lense falling out too X_X; *sympathizes*

[scornedsaint.livejournal.com]

You may have gotten an Amazon UK email or seen the page for a book called Cut: Movies in Fifteen Minutes.

I just found that e-mail in the bowels of my junk mail this weekend and ordered two copies (now that I'm going to college, my friends can't steal my copy constantly and they needed birthday presents. It's better for all of us).

I was wondering if you could mention the Adrienne Shelly foundation (www.adrienneshellyfoundation.org) in your next linkspam, if you haven't already? Adrienne Shelly was one of the few female directors out there, and if Waitress is any indication, she would have had an amazing future ahead of her had she not been murdered. For any woman who wants to enter the film industry or is just sick of seeing the Best Director nominations read like the membership of Get Rid of Slimy Girls, they should check the foundation's website out.

[marumae.livejournal.com]

The Daniel Craig link is broken and leads to Nicole Kidman in the saddle. ^^;. Also, god I love Helena Bonham Carter. Brilliant for her playing Bellatrix.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Dammit, I can't find the real link now.

[arielchan.livejournal.com]

"[When] I was staying at the Chateau, West Hollywood was rancid with pirates last Halloween. I was very tempted, if it didn't involve a 2 1/2-hour makeup job, I was so tempted to go out and just walk down Sunset Boulevard and knock everyone in a bandanna with a sword in their belt out of the water by parading along as Barbossa. It would be kind of fun."

Oh Geoffrey Rush. Oh. ♥ Jack Sparrow may be the slightly cooler character but you? Are kinda more awesome than Johnny Depp. Srsly.

[catystorm.livejournal.com]

Boomshine fervor is, like, sweeping ye olde friends list. x___x; Can't. Stop. Playing.

[evilsimon.livejournal.com]

Aw, man, not Jose Chung. *woeface*

Also, I hear you on the ears-not-aligned thing. My eyes are also crooked. It gives me a very...tilted look.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

You are probably wanting to ask one, and exactly one, question right now, and that one question is, Why the hell didn't you get new glasses six months ago?

No, I am not going to ask that, and do you know why? It is because my mom has been pestering me to get new glasses for ONE FULL YEAR AS OF NEXT WEEK. That's why.

They're not actually broken -- house not on fire -- but so scratched up I can hardly see out of them, and also my eyes have changed prescription slightly. (Same issues as you, but my astigmatism's gotten worse recently. House quietly smoldering, let's say.)

[plazmah.livejournal.com]

Oh noes, first Clyde Bruckman now Jose Chung? *sad face*

The combination of Naveen Andrews and Parminder Nagra makes me oh so happy right now.

[lauramcvey.livejournal.com]

Awwe, I liked the first National Treasure. It was very American (we Canadians have the most boring history EVER) but it was fun. So . . . the second one's gonna suck? *sad face*
Actually, the picture on Keira's IMDB profile page looks a bit Di-ish. I'm so tempted to make a joke about Elazabeth and Di's shared personality traits, but I'm afraid of offending somebody.
The celeb past lives make me snicker. Why are all the couples former siblings . . . ?

[katiger.livejournal.com]

Hasn't 'Becoming Jane' been and gone?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I don't know that it ever actually came out in the US.

[katiger.livejournal.com]

Ah that makes sense then.

[thegeneralerin.livejournal.com]

Rush keeps getting more and MORE awesome.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Go to trailer_spot and do a ctrl-F search for "Unscripted." There's basically a self-run interview with him, Chow Yun-Fat and Bill Nighy, and he's hilarious.

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

Diego Luna is just playing a Michael Jackson impersonator, if that makes it any better. XD

[sonneta.livejournal.com]

"Unusual pioneer" and "Stealth racism" links don't work.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Someday, I will have an entry where all the links work. Today, however, is not that day. Sigh.

(Which is to say: fixed.)

Golden Compass

[amberkb.livejournal.com]

You know...until I saw the actual trailer for Golden Compass...I had no clue what it was about, didn't really care. Now I'm all excited to see it. That and National Treasure 2. But I digress....

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

Hiya,

A dangerous, *four-foot long* lizard?

Australia collectively laughs at you:

http://www.bluemts.com.au/reptilepark/animals.asp?catID=12&ID=90

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I hear y'all have spiders the size of ponies. On the other hand, here in AL, we have Hogzilla II. It's a tradeoff, I guess.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

I think you need a Hogzilla icon.

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

Hey,

We have a bird (Cassowary) and octopus (Blue-Ringed) that can kill you, and even the Platypus is dangerous (males have a venomous spur on their rear legs). Oz for the Ornery fauna win!! *g*

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

Cleo, is that you over in the comments on the Tod Goldberg entry on the book burning?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Actually, no, it isn't--what does it say?

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

link:
http://todgoldberg.typepad.com/tod_goldberg/2007/05/fucktard_of_the.html#comment-70943112

I'm actually not too surprised, because the tone didn't sound anything like you. Weird coincidence, though.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, not me. I always sign myself as "Cleolinda" or "PrincessCleo" if I have to identify myself; "Cleo" is more of an end-of-email signature, or for situations where we've already started talking. I was worried that you meant that someone had signed herself "Cleolinda," because I have pretty much never come across anyone else using that name online, so it's pretty well identified with me--but, obviously, it would be super easy for anyone to start using it.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

Okay, I see.
--
Various things I want to tell you or keep forgetting to, that you may already know anyhow:

OOTP's release date just got changed to July 11th.

Deuce's cancer (http://www.dooce.com/archives/daily/05_22_2007.html) is (http://www.dooce.com/archives/nubbin/05_25_2007.html) back (http://www.dooce.com/archives/daily/05_29_2007.html). I saw the entry a few days ago, but you were so psyched for Pirates that it didn't seem right to mention it then.

The Miss Universe Pageant was eventful this year (http://tv.yahoo.com/miss-universe-2007/show/41744/news/urn:newsml:tv.reuters.com:20070529:mexico_missuniverse_dc__ER:14501):

During the evening gown parade, Miss USA, Rachel Smith, slipped on the runway and landed on her bottom, although the slip didn't stop her earning fifth place.

This year's contest was marked by controversy, with a handful of Mexicans booing Smith in the run-up to the finals because of what they saw as U.S. unfriendliness toward illegal immigrants.

Miss Sweden, Isabel Lestapier Winqvist, unexpectedly pulled out of the event because of complaints in her country that it degrades women. Sweden has won the Miss Universe crown three times in the past.

In another hitch, Miss Mexico was made to change her outfit for the regional dress contest after her original dress, decorated with brutal images of rebels in a 1920s religious uprising being hanged or shot, drew accusations of poor taste.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I saw about Dooce's cancer--that's terrible.

[elsajeni.livejournal.com]

I just got back from seeing AWE for the second time, this time while tipsy. OH MY GOD FUCKING CRABS AND SHIT -- DOOMED ROMANCE -- THIS IS MUCH BETTER THAN WATCHING IT SOBER.

[edda.livejournal.com]

Boomshine could only be improved if they used that old Charles Trenet song "Boum!" in the background like they do in that Absolut vodka commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7YPm9_bZ7U) that I can't stop watching.

I'd comment further on your linkpsam, but OMG MUSY KEEP PLAYING.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I see you on the glasses front. The right lens of mine popped out quite unexpectedly back in September 2004, only two weeks after I got the new frames/lenses. Unfortunately I was living in Finland, 1000 miles from home, at that point and could hardly take them back to my optician! Found an optician locally (in the station of all places) and, in broken Finnish and English, managed to get it fixed for free and as I waited - the lady put a teeny-weeny glasses bolt in there!

Almost exactly a year later, this time only 100 miles from home but working full time with a 90 minute commute each way, the left lens popped out one day at work. Long story short, about two weeks later I had had the screw replaced twice and they had twice ignored my explicit instruction to give me a bolt to match the other side. "Well on the bright side this way you only have to pay £2 not £5" says person at optician. I am not highly amused.

Flash forward to summer 2006, my two-yearly gap between appointments is up and I tell my optician that yes, I will be getting new lenses despite the change being minor. Because I'm damn well getting rid of these defective frames. He was very apologetic (as I would expect, I go to an excellent practice) and made a note that I should be given a (sizeable!) discount on my next frames. However at that time I am unable to find frames - lady downstairs is insistent that I must get old lady glasses or emo glasses, which I refuse to do. Anything even vaguely like I want is "just not fashionable right now". We check out a nearby chain-optician and find a small mountain of frames just like what I want, but my blood sugar gets low and we leave without making a decision.

Flash forward to now. I'm still wearing the defective frames, despite the left lens having popped out another time, this time on the train. In all this time, right lens has not done so much as a wiggle.

Erm, moral of the story - you're not the only one who procrastinates. But at least you can get by without your glasses - I cannot see a single thing, having a field of vision of approximately 3 inches, but only if I close one eye.

Other moral of the story - if you need your glasses fixed, go to an Instrumentarium in Finland ;0)

(And on entirely different matters, do you have any way of contacting Amazon and getting them to change the "perfect partners" suggestion - right now it's suggesting you get the paperback version of your book alongside the hardback version as perfect partners!)

[flamingtoilet.livejournal.com]

It could be worse. At least your eyes aren't SERIOUSLY crooked like Shannen Doherty. I can't even look at her without becoming dizzy.

[obigrrl.livejournal.com]

heh!

of all the trailers that were shown on thursday night, National Treasure 2 got the biggest and loudest cheers/applause from our audience :-D

i personally can't wait to see it yay!

[ironclad1609.livejournal.com]

I really really liked National Treasure 1, so I am carefully optimistic about the second, no matter what they all say :P

Really enjoyed the Unscripted interview with Rush, Fat and Nighy. Nice guys. :)

[songstressicons.livejournal.com]

Somebody (or possible somepeople) have probably pointed this out to you by now, but Amazon.UK is offering the paperback and hardcover editions as one of those dealy 'by two for cheaper' things. It seems weird to offer two copies of the same book as a 'deal'.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's basically what I'm trying to warn people about, although I should probably say so more clearly.

[pinstripe-bindi.livejournal.com]

"I Know Who Killed Me"? There is something very lulz-inducing about that title.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

It's very Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?

[mitchy.livejournal.com]

From the Horrifying Movie Pitches file: Keira as Princess Di?

I seem to be in the minority but I think this is great casting. Keira resembles her just enough that when she captures the mannerisms, she'll be a dead ringer for the Princess and the accent isn't going to be a problem. And she's a good enough actress I think she can nail it.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Maybe I'm crazy--you're not the first person who's now said that she looks like Diana; maybe I just haven't really looked at her (Diana) recently. Really, though, it just seemed like Diana is still such a controversial subject that no good would come of making a movie about her just yet, particularly in Britain for a British actress; that was more the level I was thinking about.

[mitchy.livejournal.com]

I think if it's handled as well as "The Queen" was, it just might fly. Depends a lot on the tack the movie takes - manipulative minx or victim of evil Royal Family or something that mixes the two. It wouldn't be without controversy but a good movie just might be able to ride the storm.

[newsong.livejournal.com]

Your eyes are the same as mine - slight Astigmatism and nearsighted, but I can drive without glasses.

I think my Mom has told me to get my glasses tightened like 3, 4 times this month. *shifty eyes*

jinx!

[sevenmarie.livejournal.com]

i just had a thought! (scary i know) maybe you jinxed yourself on saturday when you called yourself one-eyed cleo! haha (well jinxed your glasses at least)

[sweetdeily.livejournal.com]

I love reading your entries- so full of interesting little quirks! ^^ one eyed Cleo? heh. I hope POTC3 was good (haven't seen it yet.... yet...)