Monday, March 2, 2009

Easynews seems to be getting slightly better; something is happening there. But not enough. I still don't have Friday's BSG and it's pissing me off. I really want to rewatch the ending.

I had a really great conversation with Mollie yesterday.

So...last night, just like the previous Sunday, I sat myself down and started to watch Lost. I'd seen the first 3.5 episodes of Season 2. I finished the 4th episode, then watched 8 more, which I enjoyed more than I expected too. I'm enjoying this method of watching Lost in long sittings. I'm thinking it must be hell to wait from week to week, but I guess I'll soon know that for sure, as even if I don't catch up by the end of the season - there will still be one more season to go before the series ends.

I have a headache. I only had 1 midrin left, which I took, but it obviously wasn't enough. I was going to have my perscription filled on Saturday but that didn't work out. Damn.

I'm about to eat.

   posted by Bald Jason at 08:15 PM
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   Tuesday, March 3, 2009

I took more pictures last night, then I shaved and showered. I got ready for Necto. I took more pictures while I waited for Mark to get home, and then took 3 more with him when he got home. I left shortly after that.

The car was still warm so that was nice, on a very cold night. I had rock star parking, about 8 feet from the door. I tipped the coat check girl, and Becky when she gave me 2 free drinks. I danced quite a bit. Flirted with some cute boys. And chatted up some friends. Aaron (I usually forget his name) & I bonded with Henry & Sam (an 18yo girl). It was fun.

After the bar I went to Kroger for some groceries. I still need to go to the bank at some point, and to Meijer to get my Midren perscription filled. Part of me wants to go now...and the other half just wants to go to bed. It could go either way at this point.

After getting home I snacked while I chatted on line. Then when that wasn't going so well I sorted e-mail. I tend to hang on to every little e-mail, even when I clearly don't need them. So I got rid of TONS of stuff I don't need. Later, I uploaded the new pix, including pix taken in January & February and sorted all of them. I uploaded some to gay.com, Facebook and Myspace, which actually took a long time. While I was uploading pix to Facebook, my ex-bf Paul chatted me up. It was fun.

I've had a fun morning.

Easynews is still fucked up. Damn it.

   posted by Bald Jason at 11:09 AM
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I took the shower. Not going to Meijer though. Mark is going to drop off my perscription today...and I assume he'll pick it up tomorrow.

I forgot to mention that I saw the new trailer for T4 yesterday and it looks awesome. I loved the first movie. I saw the 2nd one 8 times in theaters, and while I enjoyed it a great deal, I still loved #1 more. The Special Edition of 2 helped a bit. I saw T3 in theaters and bought it on dvd. It's not as good as the first 2, but it's not horrible either - and I really respected the ending of the film. T4 looks better than 3, and has the potential to beat 2 (at least from my perspective) - it definitely looks better than The Sarah Connon Chronicles.

Oh. I also read that Dr. Manhattan will have several more fully frontal shots in the director's cut. I'm oddly impressed. And that's the version I'm waiting to see to. Actually, I'm waiting to see the extra-extra long version that comes out this fall, or that's the plan. I may see it in the theater...I'm not sure.

Movies I want to see enough to see them in the theater:

Terminator 4
Harry Potter 6
Wolverine (aka X-Men 0)

I have a thing for prequels and sequels.

I may see Avatar in the theater though.

   posted by Bald Jason at 12:53 PM
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   Thursday, March 5, 2009

On Tuesday afternoon I rewatched Terminator 2: Judgment Day. I don't own the original (my favorite in the series) or I'd have watched that one first. It was odd rewatching T2. I saw it in theaters 8 times between July 4 & August 12, 2001. I owned the VHS of it the day it was released. I owneed the special VHS edition of it the day that was released. I had read the book of the film, and the screenplay. I knew this movie inside and out, but had never watched it on DVD, and hadn't really seen it in nearly a decade. I could quote most scenes, as I demonstrated to Mark - saying complicated lines of dialogue moments before the actors did. I thought maybe the movie was one I never needed to revisit, but it was interesting. For one thing, the humor annoyed me a lot more (as it also does in 3); one thing I love about the original is it's darkness - something 4 looks to have in spades. 2ndly, John Connor (Eddie Furlong) was about my age, or slightly younger when the movie was new - but going back he looks so fucking young - and his performance seemed more impressive as a result. I enjoyed rewatching it. I still don't like it as much as the first. But it was good. In retrospect it kind of lost some points for morphing the hard R of the original into what is basically a an R rated family film.

I also updated the pictures in my gay.com profile, and chatted on there a bit. I had a bit of trouble as an animated gif kept getting moved from the adult section to the non-adult section of my profile, all based on the first frame of the animation. I kept moving it back, but they cyber insisted. I had to call them and explain what they were doing - and after a really ANNOYING conversation they fixed it.

I slept at odd hours.

On Wednesday I was chatting in the Ann Arbor room on gay.com. Michael Eisinger was in there, and after an hour or so he sent me a private message to ask me about some other guy in the chat room. This lead to me asking him about the troubles we've had recently. He was upset about things I'd written in my personal blog about him. I told him how much he'd hurt me then and that my words weren't intended to hurt him, but were an expression of my own suffering, and asked him to forgive me. He did. We agreed that trust would take time, but we started talking again. He told me he and Chris are now in an open relationship, and Chris then chimed in too.

Chris apparently had a dream this week that we three participated in a threesome. They seem to want to make it a reality, and it's hot to think about but I have reservations. It's possible it could be amazing...or a disaster. And I don't want to hurt (or get hurt by) anyone. Plus I just reconnected with Jim (who I've not heard from since Tuesday morning). But perhaps Chris is prescient, as when he had the dream we 3 weren't even on speaking terms...and suddenly, now we are. lol. I'm not knocking it. Hopefully our friendships contine to grow and we have a long while to decide what will become of us.

Michael also suddenly realized he'd never seen me drunk, though why anyone would want to see me drunk I'm not certain. Perhaps I make an even bigger ass of myself while intoxicated; if so nobody has ever told me. lol I'm not opposed to the idea of drinking with Michael though. Sounds like fun.

Overall, I'm just happy to be friends with Michael again. I know enough time has passed now. I'm very happy for him and Chris. The idea of them doesn't upset me, or anything like that. I'm not in love with him. It's just a waste to not be friends with him after all the time we spent together, and I'm just relieved that this uncomfortable silence has been broken.

I later slept more. I dreamt that I was visiting Michael & Chris, but that they lived in this swanky black and white apartment complex in central Ann Arbor. It was awesome. I woke up feeling good about 4 hours later.

I chatted with Michael and Chris some more. Michael was arranging furnature and Chris was chilling. Mark got home and I told him all the news. He's pretty sure the 3some will happen. lol. We'll see. I still felt tired. I stayed online until about 3am.

I dreamt that I was back at the Michael/Chris apartment from my previous dream. This time they had roomies. The roomies were these hot religious boys that used to be our neighbors. They were wearing Sparkies uniforms (a baptist church youth groupe program that I was involved in). I mentioned I used to work in AWANA and they sort of warmed up to me, until I revealed that I was gay and didn't believe in god. Suddenly I was in a HUGE catholic school. It was actually more like a catholic college or city. One of the boys from the apartment went to the pulpet and ripped me a (sarcastic) new one and was applauded. I said I'd have to get my game on and assimilate so I could have my revenge. I infiltrated the different leveles of the church. I found hypocrosy. I found closeted biggot gays getting it on. I found murder. I found torture. Lies. Pain. I was moved. But I was found out. I was in hiding and trying to write down my thoughts but it came out as a jumbled mess. My nephew Justin tried to help me, which made me smile. I was on the run in the Catholic city. There were priest detectives after me, and others were looking for me from without the city - there was a sort of media blitz. I lost my way in the school, but Mollie (who had also infiltrated Priest City and was living quite happily) took the paper from me that I'd tried to order my thoughts on, and made sense of my manic ramblings before returning them to me; I thanked her. I was being deemed a menace, but I was struggling to find a priest. I was weeping. I'd had a moment of spiritual clairity. A list of songs was written in eyeliner on my palm symbolizing the truth that had come to me (only 2 of them stuck with me when I woke up, but I'm convinced there were 5). I screamed from the pulpet my confession to the church, to the priests. I said that we were all going to hell. That god was an ass. That he'd screw them all over eventually and I'd just rather go to hell when I die, rather than after being in heaven. That god was bound to betray us all. And all because he could. Because that's what he wanted to do. And it didn't matter how much we loved him or each other. A priest approached me and held me, telling me he knew what I said was the truth. The masses in the giant temple were shocked, horrified, angry and broken. I experienced stigmata. I woke up when Mark blew his nose. I had a mashup of songs stuck in my head. It was "Praying for Time" by George Michael & "The End is the Beginning is the End" by Smashing Pumpkins. I layed in bed trying to remember the details of the dream; telling Mark about it; then closing my eyes and remembering more. I listened to the Smashing Pumpkin's song (which was on the Batman & Robin soundtrack - was once going to be used on a CD for Shawn Foreman, and was recently used in a trailer for WATCHMEN) while I wrote this. I feel good that I got this all out.

   posted by Bald Jason at 06:11 AM
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Full Trailer for Wolverine (be sure to full screen it)

Full Terminator Salvation Trailer

   posted by Bald Jason at 06:42 AM
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"For a moment of night we have a glimpse of ourselves and of our world islanded in its stream of stars— pilgrims of mortality, voyaging between horizons across eternal seas of space and time."

Henry Beston

The next episode of BSG is titled "Islanded in a Stream of Stars". :-0)

   posted by Bald Jason at 10:28 AM
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Mark left for work mostly on time; not as early as he has been, but he probably won't be late.

I played some Unholy War this morning. Had a bit a headache.

Speaking of my head, I've got quite a gash on it. Not sure when it happened. I'm so clumsy. I sliced my big toe open on my desk the other day. I'm gonna fall down the stairs and break my hip. You just wait. lol

I watched an episode of Nip/Tuck. I've been watching this season really slow. I'm 5 episodes behind. It was good though.

   posted by Bald Jason at 02:40 PM
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   Friday, March 6, 2009

The new Star Trek XI trailer looks frakking awesome!!!

The new Harry Potter 6 Trailer seems to confirm it's greatness... :-0)

Less than 10 hours until the penultimate BSG begins. Though there are 2 more installments after tonight they tell a combined story ("Daybreak") over 3 hours of television. This makes me wonder how tonight's episode will end? I'm hoping it leaves us breathless for the finale to this series which has come to mean a great deal to me.

In other such news, Knight Rider has thankfully been cancelled. I'd like to say that this is what you get when you take a bisexual character from the pilot, which sold the series in the first place, and then desexualize her, and then write her out of the series... but I'm not certain that had anything to do with it. I do know that it pissed of a lot of LGBT fans who were interested in the project. I had considered watching it when I heard about this character, and then decided not to bother when I heard what was done to her.

Heroes has sadly not been cancelled. It's actually been renewed for a 4th season of 18-20 episodes. I don't get that decision at all. Maybe they have some brilliant idea that will end the series in style? That would be too much to hope for at this point, though perhaps if they went this route I'd force myself to watch the rest of the series. Which would be a difficult as I can't even bring myself to watch it as it airs now, but acccording to Mark (who does continue to watch) it hasn't improved. The more I think on it, the more I feel it should have had a better ending in the first season, and just ended there. Why can't we have popular shows end when they're ahead like they do in the UK?

The band Daft Punk will be creating the music for Tron 2 (or is it Tr2n?). Hmmmm.

Roger Ebert gave (the decidedly mixed review movie) Watchmen a 4 star review. I want to see this movie. I do. But I want to see the extra extended cut that's planned for release on DVD this fall. I find it distracting to see multiple versions of a film, and would rather just have the full extended cut. My memory makes it harder to except extended cuts if I enjoy the shorter versions. For instance, I'm still haunted by the original music cues from the theatrical version of "The Fellowship of the Ring" when I watch the improved, extended cut of the film. Scenes that made me weep the first time around and ruined to an extent because my mind can't accept the new music for the same scenes. But I know this about myself, so I can preclude that from happening by waiting for the extended cuts when I know about them in advance.

I watched another episode of Nip/Tuck after the last entry. I still have 4 more episodes to catch up on, though someone ruined a bit of the finale for me already.

Going back to BSG for the rest of this post (feel free to skip it if this bores you). For most shows I enjoy, I can fairly easily give you a top 10 list of episodes that I love. I found out the other day that I find it nearly impossible to limit my choices to just 10 or even 15 episodes of BSG, which is saying something as BSG has fewer episodes than the other shows that I would compare it too. DS9 for instance has 176 episodes, but only 9 episodes stand out as truly exceptional in my mind, after which there are many others that I enjoy a great deal, but aren't quite in the same league. Where as BSG (to my way of thinking) has an episode count of 78 episodes total (including the upcoming movie "The Plan").

There are, however, 2 episodes that I loathe, and 3 others that I strongly dislike. There's one more that I would have added to this list, but some of what has been revealed in the final episodes has softened my view of that episode (even though one such episode is 1 of the 2 that I loathe). Ironicially, the final season has also improved my outlook on another of the episodes I dislike, though not by much. The five episodes in question are listed from 'best' to 'worst', and are each followed by the Season and episode #, again, to my way of thinking:

05 Exodus, Part 1 (3x04)
04 The Woman King (3x15)
03 A Day in the Life (3x16)
02 Hero (3x09)
01 Deadlock (4x17)

Many people dislike Season Two's "Black Market" episode, but it has never botherered me. "Exodus, Part 1" isn't a terrible episode, but has the misfortune of being a mediocre episode wedged into a 4 (or more) episode arc in which all the other installments are fantastic. Many others consider the introduction of Ellen Tigh in Season One's "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down" to be the worst episode of Season 1 and I would agree, but later plot revelations tied to this episode make it quite an important episode indeed, and being the worst episode of the excellent first season does not a terrible episode make. "The Woman King" was meant to be part of a much larger arc that was dropped from the series, leaving it to stand on it's own, when it was never meant to. "A Day in the Life" grates on the nerves, though the fate of a minor character introduced in the episode slightly raises my appreciation of the episode. "Hero" was for the longest time the show's one unmitigated disaster. Almost nothing works in that episode, and I've tried to block it from my mind - and the writers seem to have as well, as the events therin are seldom if ever referenced. "Deadlock", while a slightly better episode than "Hero" is the other disaster of an episode, but it's harder to ignore as it's part of the final arc of the series - and does contain some wonderful scenes, which are disappointingly undercut by sloppy writing (from usually reliable Jane Espenson) and a terrible edit. And again, the episode feels worse for being wedged between 2 excellent episodes, and (to my way of thinking) is the least enjoyable episode after a string of 22 installments without a loser among them. The episode also left me wondering if the finale of BSG was doomed to failure which haunted me for a week until the next installment had aired and everything felt like it was back on track. Hopefully none of the remaining episodes will be added to this list.

Having not seen the final installments, which I hope will be added to this list of winners, I can't list only 5 or 10, and can barely cut it off at 15. So here are my top 15 episodes of BSG:

15 Maelstrom (3x18)
14 Blood on the Scales (4x15)
13 Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 2 (1x13)
12 Crossroads, Part 2 (3x21)
11 Guess What's Coming to Dinner (4x07)
10 Battlestar Galactica (Miniseries)
09 Sometimes a Great Notion (4x11)
08 Act of Contrition (1x04)
07 No Exit (4x16)
06 BSG: Razor (2x19)
05 Resurrection Ship, Part 2 (2x12)
04 Resurrection Ship, Part 1 (2x11)
03 Pegasus [Extended Cut] (2x10)
02 Unfinished Business [Extended Cut] (3x10)
01 Downloaded (2x18)

So many more I'd like to add. Most people seem to rate the episode "33" very high on their lists, and while I love the episode and feel that it's 1 excellent episode in a series of excellent episodes, I connected more to other episodes in the season.

I have to get Mark out of bed soon.

   posted by Bald Jason at 12:16 PM
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After I got Mark off to work I responded to e-mail and had lunch while I played Unholy War (which I kicked ass at). I was hoping to go for a walk after that, but I started feeling kind of woozy. I've not been taking my pills that often lately, which is me following my doctor's suggestion. The only down side of this of late is that the pills have started making me sleepy again, which I'd kind of gotten over. Still, I didn't just fall over and sleep. I did the dishes and cleaned the counter tops. I also sorted some recycle stuff, and threw out some expired food.

It's very warm in my room.

   posted by Bald Jason at 04:07 PM
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I took a nap. Woke up with a headache, and my stomach upset. It was actually upset this morning but I thought it was from drinking too much soda this week; I haven't had anymore today. Oh well.

I've not heard from Jim in days, though I left him a 'hey' on myspace, and a question on Facebook about his experience at the bar on Wednesday. I'm starting to worry about him. I'll try sending him another message.

BSG is on like 29 minutes. That at least is good news.

When I spoke to Michael the other day, he was worried (or at least thought) that Mark hated him. But Mark seems happy that we're getting along again. He even said something about have Michael & Chris over for cards or something to that effect. I'll have to let Michael know the next time we chat, whenever that will be.

   posted by Bald Jason at 09:31 PM
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SPOILERS for tonight's BSG.

Tonight's BSG episode was more set up. My favorite parts of the episode involved Hera & Boomer. We got to see Caprica Six in scenes with Baltar; it's been far too long. Starbuck on the toilet. Ok. More on the Colony. But the episode, just like the last 2, felt like buildup to the finale - and while I was hoping the final shot of this episode would leave me breathless, it mostly just didn't register as much of anything. Adama & Tigh drinking to BSG has lost some of it's impact with Adama drinking and crying every episode. I really don't care about Adama anymore. I want to know the truth about Kara. I want Boomer to be redeemed. I want to know the truth about Hera and the Opera House, and the Head Characters.

   posted by Bald Jason at 11:08 PM
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   Saturday, March 7, 2009

I stayed in last night. I didn't even consider going out. I watched the most recent 4 episodes of Wolverine & the X-Men, which were mostly awesome. There are only 7 more episodes, 3 of which are devoted to the finale. I love the complexity and the darkness. I love the huge cast of characters. It's definitely a great show for fans of the Marvel Universe. Here are some examples of the characters that we've seen on the series:

Angel / Archangel
Arclight
Avalanche
Beast
Berzerker
Bishop
Blink
Blob
Blockbuster
Boom Boom
Colossus
Dr. Abraham Cornelius
Cyclops
Dazzler
Domino
Dust
Firestar
Emma Frost (I love her!)
Fever Pitch
Forge
Gambit
Harpoon
Hellion
The Hulk / Bruce Banner
Iceman
Jean Grey
Juggernaut
Karnal
Senator Robert Kelly
Kleinstock Brothers
Magma
Magneto
Marrow
Master Mold
Maverick
Melencamp
Mercury
Mister Sinister
Mojo
Colonel Moss
Multiple Man
Mystique
Network (Sarah Vale)
Nick Fury
Nightcrawler
Nitro
Pixie
Polaris
Professor X
Psyloche
Pyro
Quicksilver
Quill
Dr. Kavita Rao
The Reavers
Rockslide
Rogue
Sabretooth
Sauron
Scanner
Scarlet Witch
The Sentinels
Suvik Senyaka
Shaodow King
Shadowcat / Kitty Pryde
Shatter
Silver Samurai
Tildie Soames
Spiral
Squidboy
Storm
Thunderbird
Toad
Bolivar Trask
Vanisher
Vertigo
Wendigo
Wolverine
Warren Worthington II
Wolfsbane
X-23
Mariko Yashida

Aside from the above charcters, it's rumored that we'll see these other characters in the final 7 episodes:

Apocalypse
Phoenix
Harry Leland
Donald Pierce
Sebastian Shaw
Selene
The Stepford Cuckoos

We've also seen other characters in the prequel short Hulk vs. Wolverine:

Deadpool
Omega Red &
Lady Deathstrike

Hopefully the 2nd Season continues with the same quality of story and character.

   posted by Bald Jason at 11:13 AM
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I finally heard from Jim. He's going through a lot. And much of it seems very dark, despite his smiles and laughter. It's beigining to sound like our positions have been reversed from the first time that we met. I'd like to be upset about, but I find the symmetry of it to be rather hypnotic and poetic. It feels very balanced. I just have to wish him well with the same grace that he showed me back in the day. And thankfully I want have a bitch like Lucas whispering horrible nothings in my ear while I'm doing it. Something to be grateful for.

A few years ago I would have been morose about this development. I would have been crushed and down about it for weeks. But I try to keep the positive stuff and get rid of the negative as much as I can. And I'm really very greatful that we had the talks that we did. That I was able to go in more detail with him why I pushed him away before. I told him the truth at the time, but I was able to demonstrate the truth of my words now. It felt very liberating. It felt like we got a much better ending.

If this is the end, then I can say it was much more satisfying than what I had expected. And if it's not the end; if we somehow come together again, as friends or lovers or in whatever form that would be, then so be it. I can't imagine such a reunion not lending itself to more satisfaction. ;-0)

Interesting. Complete. Smiles and Sadness. And rain. That's what today brings.

   posted by Bald Jason at 01:59 PM
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Talk about random music moments. I'm a lover of movie scores and soundtracks. I'm not sure how many of my friends actually know this about me. Today, while playing a game of online Hearts, I happily listened to the 1976 King Kong score by John Barry - bringing back all kinds of memories of the movie that I viewed excitedly as yearly event as a child. Later, in the shower I sang songs from RENT. I know lots of people who love the RENT soundtrack, but King Kong? Not so much. lol.

I like that I'm odd.

I'm almost always very aware of a movie's score / soundtrack. The score music of some movies stays with me long after the movie has ended, and I often times enjoy that music more than the movies themselves. Sometimes the reverse is true, but that's seldom the case.

   posted by Bald Jason at 04:20 PM
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