Caffeine hosannas

[cleolinda]

Lamictal, Day 5: The initial new-medication buzz is wearing off. Still feeling fairly good, though, and--strangely enough--my appetite is better. I'm struggling a little with the writing, but I think that's because I've reached the "need more input" phase of having written myself out and needing more research and/or material inspiration.

Also, I'm sleeping really, really well.

I opened the fridge this morning to get some milk and there... exactly at my eye level, next to the iced tea... was a gleaming peridot bottle of Mountain Dew. It may have had sunbeams from heaven and angels floating around it singing holy arias; I was still a little groggy. Sister Girl must have left it in there for later, since she's off work today for a Culinard thing this evening. I stood there and stared at it for a very long time. I could still go downstairs and get it, you know. It could be mine. It could be mine.

Irwin family to decline offer of state funeral.

Colleges grapple with student suicides. Yeah, I'm pretty sure changing the locks isn't the way to handle it.

Austrian discusses years of captivity.

Time to Learn a New Word: "Unbox." An interesting download-only Netflix alternative from Amazon that will include day-after episodes of TV shows.

New Republic editor discovered to have sockpuppeted his own blog.

James Frey and Random House settle reader lawsuits. "Readers who bought the book on or before Jan. 26, the day Frey and the publisher acknowledged that he had made up parts of the book, will be eligible for a full refund, The New York Times reported Thursday, citing an anonymous source familiar with the negotiations. The readers claimed in a lawsuit that they had been defrauded because the book was sold as a memoir instead of fiction."

Gwen Stefani Gets All Dolled Up.

Ah, the unphotoshopped Gawker picture. It... doesn't look much more like the parents, really. People are saying it has Tom or Katie's eyes, but I don't see it. But at least I don't feel like the baby's going to suck my soul out through my tear ducts with this one.

The Fountain booed in Venice? I actually sat up and cried "WHAT?" out loud. That is how invested I have become in this movie.

Terry Gilliam to make graphic novels when he can't make movies.

"Perfume" film released after 15 year rights battle. By the way, I found a trailer on my hard drive that I didn't even remember downloading. They left the orgy in.

MGM plans 5 movie sequels. "Wednesday's announcement included the unveiling of thrillers Species 4, WarGames 2, Into the Blue 2 and romance Cutting Edge 3, along the Legally Blonde title which, Sands said, will not star Oscar winner Witherspoon." Well, I know I'm excited now.

Will Ferrell in Blades of Glory, possibly Prince Valiant. Just go look at the picture. You'll understand.

Paris Hilton, DUI, blah blah blah. It's a tough call--you can't enjoy the schadenfreude without acknowledging her existence, which is basically her evil plan in the first place.

Comments

[promise19.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on Day 5 and no head explosion! Yays!!! And I admire your will power in ignoring the siren call of the Dew. :-D I don't know if I could have done it.

[queentab.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link to that picture of Will Ferrell. I needed a good chuckle. I've been looking forward to that movie for months now. Forget Ice Castles. This is what figure skating movies should be about.;)

[anatsuno.livejournal.com]

sorry if this is a stupid thing to say, especially because I am actually glad for knowing, but isn't it a spoiler thing to talk about the perfume's orgy? *meep*

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah... I was hoping I could fudge the spoiler issue by being vague. Like, if you don't know what I'm talking about, no harm done!

(Also, I'm kind of hoping people who wouldn't have gone to see it otherwise will be like, "Orgy?! I'm there!")

[anatsuno.livejournal.com]

(I am SO there. indeed.)

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

Nooooo! How does an unarmed San Diego Charger get shot repeatedly by the cops and Paris Hilton doesn't even get tazed? That's a Paris video I wouldn't mind seeing. In fact, I'd like to register "Paris + Tazer" as my official OTP, if I may.

And w00ts for pater Irwin for keeping things in perspective.

Also, comics creator extraordinaire and LJ-er Lea Hernandez, aka divalea, just lost her house, artwork and several pets in a house fire (http://divalea.livejournal.com/376129.html). Thankfully she and the family made it out unhurt, but obviously they can use any help they can get. Paypal info here (http://divalea.livejournal.com/376360.html), but prayers and good vibes are also good. She's one of the good ones, so keep her and the family in your thoughts.

[rebel-waltz.livejournal.com]

a WarGames sequal? but why?

[adoresixtyfour.livejournal.com]

20+ years after the fact to boot. Nope. Don't get it.

[3hours.livejournal.com]

Lack of imagination, unable to come up with new and original scripts for movies?

[megmatthews20.livejournal.com]

Funny enough, I was just watching that the other day wondering what a modern day sequel would be like. Get some guy like Flinkman from Alias to stumble onto some big government weapon of mass computerization, and yeah. Fun times.

cheers

[bigeyedrabbit.livejournal.com]

She was being expelled from the dorm, the school informed her, because she violated her housing contract by attempting suicide.

Wow. Just when I thought I thought I was pretty much numb to the cruelty and downright ignorance of the people running colleges, that sentence smacked me in the face.

[count-01.livejournal.com]

Here's another one for you: a friend (also a New Yorker) apartment-hunting in the Bronx was very happy she wasn't carrying her service sidearm (a New York cop, by the way) when the lady offering her the place said her dog wouldn't be welcome, but she would be. When my friend the police officer said her dog was old and mostly slept a lot, the lady suggested she just euthanize him. You know, so she could then pay an outrageous amount of her tiny paycheck to live in a crackerbox studio in a Bronx brownstone that hadn't been rehabbed since 1962 (and then, only to make the apartments smaller and less convenient to move a sofa into.)

I would have been grateful to be unarmed at point, too.

[t4-flirt.livejournal.com]

that's just sick. i would have hit the lady, unarmed or not.

[lannamichaels]

And they wonder why some suicidal students don't dare try getting help.

[azuresquirrel.livejournal.com]

She was being expelled from the dorm, the school informed her, because she violated her housing contract by attempting suicide.

My reaction to this: WHAT. Not even a question, just a statement. WHAT. Yes, because clearly she attempted suicide because she was trying to bother other students in the dorm. Not, y'know, crushing, untreated depression or anything like that. I hope that this story will lead to public outcry so that this stupid college will change its policy. Once again, WHAT.

[this-quiet.livejournal.com]

There was a Cutting Edge 2? Seriously.

[exiledprincess.livejournal.com]

I vaguely remember hearing about it, but blocked it out. There is only room for one Cutting Edge in my universe.

Also, because I must, ,Toe Pick!

[cosmob.livejournal.com]

A made-for-TV (or straight-to-video, it's hard to tell) affair, I do believe. ABC Family touted it as an original production, anyway.

[tabbyclaw.livejournal.com]

Yep. TV movie. Starred Christy Carlson Romano (Ren Stevens/Kim Possible) as the daughter of the main characters from the original film. Yeah, I refuse to acknowledge it, too.

[fateorlate.livejournal.com]

OMG, want the Gwen dolls so bad.

[megaleena.livejournal.com]

'Their' baby is clearly a pre-pubescent Hitler and with him as a father that makes sense.

Creepy, is what I'm trying to say.

[shempskaya.livejournal.com]

Are we sure they didn't buy a baby off of Bjork? Coz that's who that kid looks like to me.

[megaleena.livejournal.com]

Oooh, that would explain the Icelandic eyes!

[chrryblssmninja.livejournal.com]

Yay! Perfume icon!

Yeah, I saw a report on German TV about it. They interviewed the director (Tom Tykwer, "Run Lola Run") and he seemed pretty cool about it. And it looks so pretty...

[channonyarrow.livejournal.com]

Every picture of that kid reinforces my belief that Katie Holmes was pregnant for eleven months with a pillow, and it took an extra two months for the kid to get shipped to the States from China. But I'm glad she had the pillow - a 13 month pregnancy would have been really noticeable.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

I still feel really odd about being attracted to that red-haired girl in Perfume, given that I've been told she's fifteen. It's like this wild oscillation between "OMG so hot" and "NO! Too young! Ew!" The one thing I'm certain of is that girl's got great hair.

Re Lamicital: If you're doing so well on the current dosage, does it really make any sense to raise it? Are you still getting those headaches?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

No headache today. The thing is, I'm going to be on 25 mg for two weeks. I "feel" the Lamictal a lot less every day. By the end of two weeks, it may be obvious that it's not enough. You have to keep going until you get to a point where you go, "Nope, this is too much."

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

Glad the headache's gone. I worry about you, is all, and then I worry that worrying might annoy you. And then I laugh at myself for overthinking absolutely everything. *smile*

[ninepointfivemm.livejournal.com]

I am all kinds of upset about the way those colleges are treating their students. Seriously, change the locks? Expel students for checking themselves into a clinic? I thought the 20th century was supposed to have taken leaps and bounds for mental health, but clearly not. If they're that bad off, then why can't they just send the kids to mental health facilities instead of out-right expelling them? If they're worried about the health of other students, then wouldn't placing them into a mental health clinic help better than expelling some kid who could potentially go on a rampage? (I'm not saying most of those kids would, but that's the only reason why I could fathom some school to try that.) These colleges are acting like they're doing all they can, but I don't think they're trying hard enough.

I'm not depressed, and I'm not considering suicide, but I've had dehabilitating anxiety bordering on agoraphobia in the past, and I'm offended that anyone would treat people with mental health problems in such a manner. That really, really upsets me.

[freezingeva.livejournal.com]

I am really excited about Perfume. The trailer was good. I am in the middle of reading the book. Unfortunely in my town I am going to have to wait until it comes out on DVD.

[edda.livejournal.com]

Will Ferrell, you own my soul.

[t4-flirt.livejournal.com]

... was a gleaming peridot bottle of Mountain Dew. It may have had sunbeams from heaven and angels floating around it singing holy arias

Ohhhh, Mountain Dew....*sigh*
I don't remember the last time we had 'real' soda around. *sits at computer drinking off-brand soda from local dollar store*

[the-wanlorn.livejournal.com]

Wow, mix depression, anxiety, and a healthy dose of paranoia and you've got one student saying fuck therapy, I'll deal by myself, or take the easy way out if I can't.

For fuck's sake, now I don't know if I even want to go find a non-school-affiliated shrink because hey, what if I get "busted" for that? It's not like I can go home since then my thoughts go from "Gee, my meds have stopped working and I kind of want to die... *woe*" to "I am a worthless lump of shit, I wonder if I can still reach that tree branch with my rope?"*

Hallo, living proof that those colleges are run by stupid fucktard comment on cleolinda's journal. *angry*

[koritsimou.livejournal.com]

Man rolls himself in oats, lets horses lick him (http://www.ksby.com/home/headlines/3855917.html).

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Oh... oh my.

a 69-year-old Huntington beach man

Of course he was 69 years old. Of course he was.

[koritsimou.livejournal.com]

About what I said. Along with "Heeeeee."

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

Paris Hilton drives herself?

[gold-tree.livejournal.com]

Haha, that was my reaction too.

[word-herder.livejournal.com]

Just wanted to say that I appreciate your brief snippets about how you're doing on a different medication. I'm going to visit a psychiatrist next week to talk about what treatment options I need to follow, and you encourage me. It is possible to do this; it is possible, if one only gives it all a chance.

I'm nervous. But I've made too many half-assed attempts at treating my depression, none of which have worked; it's time to deal with it fully.

So thank you.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Best of luck!

[kpachayagolobka.livejournal.com]

CUTTING EDGE THREE?!?!?! WTF?!

I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to toe pick veto that one; how did they even get away with the second one?

blargh...

and baby Suri still kind of freaks me out. I don't know, maybe it's just that Leibowitz takes perfect pictures, but that baby looks like she's made out of alabaster and mink fur...

[dives.livejournal.com]

Can't people just let the baby be cute and small and infantile? For Pete's sake! If it's adopted, great, a small kid's got new parents. If it's not, great, a child has sprung forth from the womb of Katie Holmes.

I'm just not cut out for all this celebrity watching.

[kosher-jenny.livejournal.com]

College officials say such expulsions are not punitive; Halpern said Hunter's policy was aimed at protecting students' privacy and shielding them from schoolmates' prying eyes. At George Washington University in the nation's capital, spokeswoman Tracy Schario said the idea is to give suicidal students a break from the stresses of university life and encourage them to seek help.

By changing their locks and expelling them?! What. The. Fuck?! Jesus Christ how the fuck are they supposed to seek out help if they're afraid that they could get kicked out of their housing or expelled? It can be hard enough for people to seek help as it is!

She was being expelled from the dorm, the school informed her, because she violated her housing contract by attempting suicide. The 19-year-old was allowed to retrieve her belongings as a security guard stood watch.

I just can't believe that this is legal. I am just seeing red about this right now.

[megmatthews20.livejournal.com]

Hurray for Perfume! I actually like the actor they got for that. He's pretty cute in Enduring Love and Layer Cake. He's like a shyer, more dweeby Orlando Bloom.

Also love the girl from Peter Pan being the red-head. Wonder what her family thought of that role. I think she's a great actress so yay for her.

And of course ZOMG YAY RICKMAN AND HOFFMAN!

Got enough yays? Check.

cheers here's to dancing back and forth in anticipation of Perfume

[angiepen.livejournal.com]

OK, gotta love this:

George Washington's Schario said the school's treatment of Nott was not an attempt to limit legal liability, but "to protect a life."

Because yeah, taking a student who's already depressed and maybe suicidal and kicking him out of his dorm is going to cheer him right up. [facepalm]

And I'd like to know what they do for students who don't have a "home" to go to. It's all fine and dandy for the kids who can just move back in with mom and dad, but what about kids who are putting themselves through school and aren't particularly welcome at their parents' house? It does happen; my mom put up a number of my younger brother's friends who'd been kicked out by their parents when they were too young for that to legally happen, really. I can only imagine it's even more common once the kid hits eighteen. For someone in that position to buckle down and make it to college is incredibly admirable, and then to get kicked out of their housing just because they're going through a rough spot? Jeez....

College officials say such expulsions are not punitive; Halpern said Hunter's policy was aimed at protecting students' privacy and shielding them from schoolmates' prying eyes.

Bullshit. If that were their goal then they'd have moved them to someplace else, away "from schoolmates' prying eyes." If you want someone to attract less attention you don't toss them out onto the sidewalk with a pile of possessions.

What assholes. :(

Angie

[drpeprfan.livejournal.com]

Wait...what would merit a War Games sequel? A better WOPR that didn't take up an entire room? I thought the computer gave up...unless someone turns Joshua on and makes him bad, haha. It would probably have to do with terrorism instead of nuclear war...or something. Hopefully they don't kill it, and they should give Matthew Broderick a cameo in it.

Ah, Mountain Dew. I'm guessing you're an original fan, not Code Red.

I can't remember reading if you had seen Snakes on a Plane or not, but I saw it and thought it sucked. Maybe if you wanted to write a M15M on it, you should see it. The movie basically (unintentionally) makes fun of itself, though. And most of it would comprise of: Snakes: *crawl around and bite people in every place imaginable*; Passengers: *scream, get bit, and swell up all nasty-like* *are mostly dead*; Samuel L. Jackson: *gets pissed at the snakes cramping his style* (repeat).

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

PERFUME. OH MY GOD, I HAD NO IDEA!

Where is that trailer?? Where, where??! *googles*

[la-sonnambula.livejournal.com]

At the public screening following the boo-filled press screening, The Fountain received a 10 min. standing ovation (http://browse.guardian.co.uk/search?search_target=%2Fsearch&fr=cb-guardian&search=fountain+venice&N=). It may be a movie that divides viewers like Marie Antoinette.

Perfume is faring better with the critics (http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1867420,00.html). Here's a longish article (http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,435918,00.html) on the movie that concludes with a review. I'm impressed that the director scored the film as well, I think he did a great job with both directing and composing in Run Lola Run. Also impressive is that the soundtrack is performed by Berlin Philharmonic under the baton of Simon Rattle. I wonder if the perfume tie-in by Thierry Mugler will be available in the states.

OMG, I couldn't recognise Wendy Darling (http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/0,5538,PB64-SUQ9MTYwODImbnI9Mg_3_3,00.html) at first.