DO NOT WANT

I went to the post office today down here in the International District where I work, and like always, I passed a great big poster in a bookstore that looks a lot like this, only with less T and more A…

…and I thought to myself that anime is yet another pop culture phenom that infantalizes as well as hypersexualizes women, and being the unhip old person that I am, I then pondered that perhaps it is mainly a young guy thing and that perhaps it’s effect on young women is similar to that of traditional straight porn, which is to say, in a word: Eeeyuck.

Alas, as I found out today, it appears that on the contrary, the effect/word is Squeeeeeee!

Apparently there are, in fact, so many young women who want to live up to this high standard that they willingly sacrifice their adulthood comfort for genuine artificial “anime eyes.”

It’s hard to find actual manufacturer’s web content on these (perhaps you have to search in Japanese), but the various news articles on them all pretty much say this:

Anyone who’s seen Japanese comics, cartoon videos or anime art is instantly struck by the common look of the girls - big eyes that, by making the rest of the face look small, add the cuteness and sex appeal prized by many Japanese men. Since no amount of cosmetic surgery will make actual human eyes larger, some girls are trying another way to up their cute quotient: extra-wide contact lenses!

Personally, I think “anime eyes” are like a gateway drug. It’s just the big wide baby eyes now, but it’s only a matter of time before they’re badgering the dentist to give them “that cute ‘n sexy toothless grin.”

Technorati Tags: anime, anime eyes contact lenses

Brokeback Batman

I finally saw The Dark Knight this weekend. My mind was a teeny bit foggy due to a sinus infection and various pharmaceuticals, but lucky for me, it’s not really the kind of film you have to strain your brain to enjoy.

Besides, with a cast like this, what’s not to love?

Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman infuse style and personality into what could easily be caricature sidekick roles; Gary Oldman lends acting gravitas to Commissioner Gordon; Madame Gyllenhaal gives class and intelligence to “the Girl” part, and of course the drool-worthy Christian Bale makes this Batman the first one truly worth watching.

And then there is Heath Ledger.

Yes, his performance is inspired, hypnotically so. Which is why I walked out of that movie sad, as sad as I was when River Phoenix, another “best of his generation” actor, died with a gut full of drugs.

I know acting is just an art, and actors are not agents of world peace. Still, if you appreciate that kind of art, it’s always a tragedy when one of its most gifted goes too soon into the dark night.

Technorati Tags: films, Batman, Heath Ledger

I know it happens to the best of us, but that doesn’t make me feel any better.

Today was one of those days all writers dread: the notorious “Holy mother of Jehosephat! Burn this before someone reads it!” day.

I know it happens to all writers. Virginia Wolf, Jane Austen, May Sarton, Doris Lessing, Tolstoy’s wife. All of them had days when rereading their writing made them shake their heads and go sign up for classes on gas pumping.

But that doesn’t make me feel any better when it happens to me.

The worst part is the feeling I’ve let my characters and their fabulous stories down. “This could be so amazingly awesome,” they seem to say to me, tears of rage standing in their eyes, “and look what you’ve done. It’s like reading a thesis on sewage processing.”

I miss my heroin

I mean, heroine.

Operation Spend Money was a month-long hiatus from writing my story, and towards the end of it I had the curious sensation of missing people who don’t actually exist.

Interestingly, in getting reacquainted with my main character, it seems as if I understand her a little better than before. I’m not quite sure how that works, though I suspect it has something to do with getting out of my own way.

In any case, my muse seems to have enjoyed the holiday she took whilst I was slaving away.  Apparently, lounging about in warm, sunny climes, drinking margaritas served by attractive, attentive pool boys does wonders for jump-starting the imagination.

Do I look my age?

Or do I just not pass for 21 anymore? Guess not to Holly, anyway…

OLR-1/2DRM Photos: Part 2

Before ‘n after photos of the Operation are up on Flickr! To entice you to view the whole set, here’s a brief history of the living room of Chez Potpie:

This is what the living room looked like in 2003 when Kevin and I bought the house:

Seriously, the entire house was decorated like this - think Laura Ashley on speed. The pink carpet stank of pee, no doubt from the little poodle we found in the utility room. The walls are really, really bumpy, and if you look closely, you can discern a swirly sort of pattern. We’re pretty sure she had painted flowers all over her living room walls, and only painted over them when she had to sell the house. The mind reels.

However, I can’t honestly say our own treatment of this room was much better. Until last month, this is what it looked like:

Over the last 5 years, this room has suffered my various attempts at decorating that for one reason or another were aborted. The only thing on the walls since 2003 had been that mirror; we got blinds but we never did get curtains.

When we decided to get serious about redecorating, I told Stephanie that I wanted to keep one couch, the carpet, and the red table lamp. She could do whatever she wanted with everything else and I encouraged her to show no mercy.

Four weeks, four thousand dollars,¹ and a wave of Steph’s magic wand later - this is how the living room looks now:

Between the hazy light and my little digital camera, the pictures don’t do the room justice. A pro photographer friend of Steph’s and mine, Marit, is going to come over once the back-ordered accent chair is in to take some photos for their portfolios. Then this room will get the imaging treatment it deserves and I’ll share it with you.

For the first time in five years, my house feels like my home, and it couldn’t have happened without Stephanie the Super Designer. Among her many talents, foremost is her ability to help her clients identify their own style and let them run with it, whilst using her own good taste to gently steer them away from potholes in the road. This is the mark of a great designer.

One last note: to those of you who made it to the (fabulous) party last Saturday, neither Stephanie, Kevin or myself is responsible for the scary bathroom. That one’s pure howler monkey.

1. This figure includes the cost of redecorating the dining room. [↩]

OLR-1/2DRM Summary: Part 1

It’s 5:30 am and my b-day party starts in exactly twelve hours. As I have roughly eleven and a half of them to kill, I thought I’d provide Rib readers with a summary of Operation Living Room & Half Dining Room Makeover.

The short version is that it was a smashing success.

For those of you with stamina, here’s the long version…

Continue reading »

Creepy vintage cartoon

Smooth Criminal

For various reasons involving death-wish drivers in rush hour traffic, silly eight a.m. meetings, and false advertising,¹ I was in a foul mood by the time I got to work this morning.

After sending off a snarky email to a project manager and her entire team who have ignored my emails and phone calls but still expect me to read their minds and write their crap, I decided I’d better steer clear of any form of contact with humans until I chilled.

So I checked my feeds and discovered that the best chill is a thrill.

That crazy gal over at Unhinged has a couple of old Michael Jackson live videos posted. Respect!

Back in the day, I had Thriller on vinyl and I wore that mutha out.

In keeping with the spirit, I’m posting my own tribute to MJ - with a little help from his friend Fred Astaire, who said of him:

“Oh, God! That boy moves in a very exceptional way. That’s the greatest dancer of the century.”

If you like old movies, especially musicals with amazing dancing in them, check this out. It’s a slow starter but the shot of Astaire at about 1:35 is worth the wait… and the scene with the blonde slides across the floor on her hip to Astaire at 2:59…and Cyd Charisse in a red dress with legs for days… Oh, just watch it.

1. If it’s not really a belt clip, Ace Hardware, don’t call it one! [↩]

Harry Potsticker flies again

In case you couldn’t tell from the banner I had on my blog that counted down the days to the final Harry Potter book release…I’m a HP geek.

I can’t believe we have to wait until November.

Hat tip to Bayou for being on the ball.