Clearly This Isn't Really It

Saw Michael Jackson's This Is It today.

First of all, it was really awesome. It was pretty much just footage, not really from a point of view-- mostly subtle editing, except for a few places. They hit pretty much every really famous song, and like EVERYONE says, it is a really cool insight into how involved Michael is (was... wah wah) in the process of making his music and his concerts. Maybe (/definitely) it's because I'm not a dancer, but how do they remember all of those moves??!! Even though I know it's not true, when I watch Michael performing, I always kind of feel like he just makes shit up as he goes and everyone else has to just follow him because... he's heaven. But... that's SUPER false. Also, I like when people give notes like "let it simmer" or "it needs more booty." Actually, I'll qualify that statement by saying that I like hearing people give those kinds of notes to OTHER people. If it were me receiving that order, I'd start to cry because I have no idea what "more booty" in a song sounds like.

Another thing: I always feel like Michael lived (wah wah) in a cave and wasn't really aware of the outside world. But he DOES add a lot of new technology and stuff-- he doesn't just keep going with what he already did before. That's pretty dedicated. ALSO, I feel like most people would just yell out orders-- even high school choreographers, in my experience, just freak out when things aren't exactly right. But Michael pretty calmly gives notes and doesn't really shout. If I were working for him, I feel like I wouldn't be scared of him so much as worried that I was inadequate (which I absolutely WOULD be) and worried that I was ruining his genius. Also, it really seems like everyone was so obsessed with him that no one would be like "I can't BELIEVE we have to do ______" behind his back. I bet they'd be like "wow, we're doing ____? That is GENIUS!"

Obviously I'm sad that he's dead... but seeing as I never knew him personally, I really feel like in his case, he's going to be around FOREVER a la Elvis... but even more so because there is soooooo much more footage of him. At the very beginning of the film, it says that the movie was made from like... a jillion hours of footage that was being made for Michael's personal archives. HOW MUCH MORE SHIT IS IN HIS PERSONAL ARCHIVES?!!

I bet in 3, 4, 5 years they are going to have a much more elaborate documentary of Michael with archive footage from before. And then after that, like... 15 years from now, there will be ANOTHER documentary that has a more removed spin on Michael's effect on the world. I mean, before the movie they had a preview of a new documentary of the rest of the Jackson family. PLUUUS, I bet they'll put out a JIIIIIIILLION more of his albums like they do with Biggie and Tupac. Plus, one of his kids will probably write a book... or get into some trouble or... become famous. Then THEY'LL get a documentary. We can only hope. Maybe they'll make a part 2 of that biopic that they always air on VH1 (or at least they used to before that network started to blow-- although I heard that they are bringing back Behind the Music, which is gold because that's how I know so much about TLC and Gloria Estefan). That movie only goes up until the time Michael got burned in a pyrotechnics malfunction during the filming of a Pepsi commercial... and I'm pretty sure that was in the late 80s or early 90s.

I'm just saying... he's not really dead in terms of MY media-only relationship with him.

Reinstating the Movie Section

First of all, in case you didn't understand my previous definition of "Joni Mitchell," here is a concrete example. This beer is the most Joni Mitchell beer I've ever seen!

You see, it could be very great. Who knows? (actually I do... and it was pretty fine) BUT it looks unBELIEVably boring! Would you pick this out of a lineup of beers? Nay. In the same way that you wouldn't jump to take a class on colonial times in a lineup of history classes. COULD be good, but SEEMS too boring. It's Joni Mitchell!

ANYWAY I saw two movies this weekend. Yes, after my well-over-a-month movie (in the theater) drought, I am finally going to start catching up.

MOVIE SECTION

1. Where the Wild Things Are-- Obviously getting a lot of hype. I thought it was VERY well done in terms of making a largely plotless book into a movie with a very discernible plot but, impressively, not compromising the integrity of the book. It was also visually stunning. BUUUUT I think the BEST part of the movie was that it was, I'm pretty sure, the BEST portrayal of a child and a child's world EVER! Or at least the best I've seen.

You know how most movies that have children in it take the "kids say the darndest things" approach? What I mean is that they treat children like idiots to the world, not in a mean way but in a way that doesn't match with my experiences being a child and being with children. But children really DO observe the world and have an understanding of things. They just aren't jaded by experience like we are because they haven't experienced the redundancies in life. They can still make connections that we can't see. They still see possibilities whereas we jump ahead to outcomes because we've seen it all before. ANYWAY, the point is that this movie REALLY captured that. And it REALLY captured the way children live in the moment so much where they can be having a blast and then the next SECOND they're crying or they're scared. It really got the energy (the child is ALWAYS running around) and the disregard for danger that children have. It got what I think is the exact level of sympathy and compassion that children have-- self-focused but just STARTING to understand and care about how other people feel. Plus all the monsters had very distinct, child personalities that were VERY true to life, I thought. And all of the monsters and Max had incredibly complex and real types of relationships.

-- SLIGHT SLIGHT SLIGHT SPOILER NEXT! (although it's not like you haven't read it...)!!--

Max doesn't even hug every monster when he leaves... even monsters that are nice... because a kid wouldn't.

--SPOILER COMPLETE--

Plus, Max's plans were child like. His relationship with his mom and sister were amazing. The way he reacts to everything was perfect. I really TRULY thought this movie is unmatched as far as insight into children. I could go on and on and on about all of the child real-ness! AMAZING!

Now, I did think that the ending was a LITTLE abrupt, but I didn't really mind. If they had drawn it out or made him too sad about leaving the world, it might have cancelled out some of the amazing child-realness (I can't think of another word). Also my friend Franki said that she was a little disappointed that the monsters weren't as carnal and beastly as they were in the book--instead they were just a little sad and frustrated with the world and their relationships (mirroring Max's sadness from life). That didn't bother me though.

BUUUUUT visually the movie was amazing!! And the child reminded me of Joseph Gordon Levitt... except maybe a better actor than Levitt was at that age.

So... I recommend.

The Invention of Lying-- I WAS really pumped about it because it was written, directed by, and starring Ricky Gervais, who is genius. Plus Tina Fey was in the previews. THEN I heard that my grandpa read mixed reviews, which included disappointment that Tina Fey was hardly in it at all. So I went in with shmena expectations. SO for the first... maybe 20 minutes of the movie, it was funny but a little much. Not only does no one lie, but they also blurt out everything that they're feeling right away. It was funny but after 3 minutes, I was over it. Although I must admit that that plot line is a brilliant way to get through exposition without seeming too contrived-- you knew where everyone stood right away. Although that's kind of the reason I got bored with it so quickly.

BUUUUUT then it got really good! Now reviews mentioned that there was a bit of a metaphor about god (again, reviews according to my grandpa as I don't typically read reviews and if I do, not until after I've seen the film)... but it was a HUGE, not even metaphor, about god. And obviously I can't know this, but I really don't know that you could enjoy the movie as much as I did without being an atheist. And what I really liked was that he introduced god into everyone's life, kind of on accident, and it kind of changed everything... but it also kind of didn't. It just sort of changed the purpose people had for being who they are. It was also a commentary on looks. And, of course, it was a commentary on love.

Basically, I thought it was pretty clever, but I thought it was even more honest. Ricky Gervais has great sincerity to him that is a little judgmental but is much more self-pitying and self-deprecating. For instance, Bill Maher constantly points out how everyone is stupid, but Ricky Gervais approaches the world in astonishment like "does everyone see this madness as clearly as I do?" coupled with "it's so unfortunate that I can see how crazy everything is but in the end I'm destined to walk and be judged as a chubby guy who's kind of funny." I hope you KIND OF understand what I mean... even though I see that my words aren't terribly clear.

Also, I don't know why the reviewer was upset by Tina Fey only being in it for a bit. It was obviously a cameo and there was no reason for her to be in more of it. Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, AND Jason Bateman all made cameos as well... and they were all BRILLIANT!! I love when cameos are brilliant!!

Basically, all in all I didn't get too much insight from the movie, but it reflected, essentially, how I see the world... but in a funny and less depressing way. So... I liked it.

ALSO, I want to point out that both movies dealt with fantastical solutions to not major or abrupt crises, but general sadness and frustration with things that aren't anyone's fault but still suck. I don't know if this is, perhaps, a tone of the people... or if I seem to be gravitating to those movies... or if it's a coincidence.

Hanson!

Hanson concert = HEAVEN!!

I LOVE Hanson!! I must remember that I should go to every Hanson concert available to me forever and ever!! I took some pictures... but there really wasn't any point as I have the internet and concert pictures turn out really lame--thus I tried to be more focused on being present--in the moment-- instead of on taking too many pictures. I would say that the two Hanson concerts I've been to are the top two concerts of my whole life EASILY! I cannot stress this enough! They're AWESOME!!!!!! This one was especially nice because it was so close that I could WALK home!! My life doesn't get any better. Actually though, to be a ball buster I will say that my life could be better if Hanson's documentary was available on netflix (I need to dream bigger...).

For your viewing pleasure:

(I know there is a miscellaneous lady in the picture, but this seemed like the most unbiased picture I could find that looks like how they look now).

Otherwise you can look at some pictures I actually took...

Not as good...

Also, if you're curious about why I would love them so much, I recommend taking a listen to "Penny and Me" or "Crazy Beautiful" (I didn't prescreen the videos... so they might be weird. Or they might be glorious. Hard to say.)

Unaccountable Taste and Dirty Money

I have to see Extract. Both Jimmy Fallon AND Letterman were RAVING about it for like... a year and a half. Tomorrow.

Also, this was last week or something, but I posed the question to someone about why THE Final Destination was doing so well. 3D! I forgot about that surprisingly weighty new element to movies. I think I might piss my pants if I saw that in 3D... so I can see the appeal.

Glee got great ratings, which was especially impressive because that's when Obama did his big health care address. Plus everyone talks about the show. At the Hillel, these girls talked for like... a half hour about where they were going to watch it. Plus my a cappella friends are obsessed... which makes sense because it's about a cappella... but even my TV friend whose taste I trust, Stephanie, recommended it to me. I watched it! I don't get it!

I watched Death to Smoochy last night. It was PRETTY good... but I'm pretty sure I'll never have to see it again. I liked the message and satire more than the movie itself. I MORE enjoyed watching it and then going on thedailyshow.com and watching Jon Stewart interview all of the people that were in the movie. It reaffirmed all of my feelings about all of the actors. Loves the Ed Norton, Danny DeVito is fun as hell, and Robin Williams has so much god damn energy that IIII need to take a nap per every 10 minutes he talks.

Last night, when I was getting out of bed for something... I don't know what happened exactly but I caught my big toe nail on my ankle. But the (more) mysterious part is, while my toe nail is incredibly strong and my ankle skin is relatively weak, I did not break the skin on my ankle but my big toe nail broke half way down and started bleeding quite a bit! I just wonder how that's possible. I imagine it was some magic angle at which the nail hit my ankle... the only angle that would cause the nail to break instead of the skin. Or maybe this isn't interesting at all. Regardless, I didn't know what to do about the toe, so I taped it with medical tape and I haven't looked at it again. I imagine I'm currently susceptible to foot diseases.

Also, I forgot to mention that I now have to wear a visor at Hillel... which sucks because now I have to really think about when I'm going to take a shower every day to minimize how long I have to go around with flat hair from the visor. My question is, do visors even help? Because I was already wearing my hair back and it's not like you shed from the top of your head.

The reason for the visor is the health inspector lady came. Everything was okay. Buuut, what I've been doing is wearing plastic gloves to make food and then whenever I touch money, I take the gloves off and put new gloves on... which in my opinion is excessive and pretty wasteful. I essentially use different gloves for every customer... and the trash can largely consists of "used" gloves. Whatever, I get it. But the health inspector lady told me that I should wear gloves when I make the food, take them off to work with the money, WASH MY HANDS, and then put more gloves on. She was like, "you see you hands get contaminated when you touch the dirty money and then you touch the clean gloves, which contaminates them-- just another way of looking at it."

I REAAALLLY wanted to say "how dirty is it?" in a suggestive manner. Nevertheless, I'm not actually going to do that because it would dry my hands out. I already have to use lotion EVERY TIME I wash my hands... and even sometimes when I don't because I FREQUENTLY (like... 15 times a day, literally) feel like my hands are too dry. I actually don't know how the compulsion started... because I've only been doing it for like... 1.5 years but it doesn't seem like something that's going to go away for me. And I'm not sad about it because it will just keep my hands smooth longer. The rest of my skin will shrivel up over the years, but my hands might remain silky. Regardless, I simply cannot wash my hands 25 times in 4 hours. Although I don't want to deliberately breaks rules just because I think it's incredibly stupid. I NEVER wash my hands before meals and I'm positive that I haven't gotten sick once from that. And I'm sure I've touched dirtier things than money before sticking my fingers right in my mouth. I don't care. I hardly get sick at all. Plus it strengthens your immune system.

ANYWAY, I'm just going to wear my dirty gloves when I touch the dirty money and then my hands will only be touching new clean gloves and nothing else. Problem solved. Hay day for plastic glove companies and anti-bacterial soap, though (as always).

Job Security and Class

Glorious glorious glorious!

First of all, the Hillel job is pie. Plus, I make sandwiches during the job (but only 2 kinds of sandwiches-- lox and tuna) but MAYBE this will be able to count as some kind of food services job in the future if I need to be a waitress. Mostly it's nice because it isn't terribly busy. I got through a LOT of my Colbert book re-read, which will hopefully be replaced with a book of more academic use in the future (I didn't realize I would be able to read and thus wasn't prepared).

Also, while I'm speaking of work, I DID get my SED job back (it was questionable before because I thought I was too busy for them to take me). Soooo I'm working either 21 or 22 hours a week this year (questionable because I know I'm starting at 10am at Hillel on Saturday but I DON'T know when I'm ending... I didn't think to ask. I imagine 1 or 2pm)!! WHOOO! I haven't had money in so long (my fault, my fault, I know, I know, I know, I know!). Elena informs me that she thinks this is going to be stressful... but I don't think so. Or maybe I'm just greedy about the moneys.

ANYWAY, my classes seem kick ass!

TV writing: My professor has an INTENSE career! If you look up Michael Loman on imbd.com, you'll see what I mean. He's very kind and not scary at all, though. Also, he's my professor for my television comedy (sans writing), which I haven't had yet, but... I assume they'll be similarly awesome. PLUS I get to write a script on my own as a final project and it can be whatever running sitcom I want. YES!!

Health care sociology: When I signed up for the course, I thought I would enjoy it because it's so timely. NOW I see that I'm so fortunate to take the class while we have a strong hope for change. When I left the class, I a LITTLE wanted to kill myself over our current health care situation. I'll probably (hopefully) write out the stuff I think is important. Crazy stuff here.

Art and literature of film: AWESOME!! Basically we watch a movie on Tuesdays. Then right after we discuss it. Then on Thursday we have a lecture about it. Then Friday is an optional re-screening of the movie from Tuesday. Two things are great about that:

1. It's GREAT that they accommodate for wanting to watch a movie twice. On a big screen!

2. That's 2.5 hours on a Friday that I don't have to go to... which makes it easier for me to decide to take a trip... to Penn State, perhaps? Yes!

Also, we're not really starting the novels yet, but they're going to quiz us on the novels, which is nice because it'll make me actually read them. They aren't that long, so I don't think it'll get to be too much.

Some other semi-interesting things:

1. My friend Nora and I were walking home from Julia's (west) at 1am and we saw this guy screaming at a girl in a really scary way for a long time. We thought, maybe it'll be fine, but on the off chance that something happens, it would never escape our conscience's. So I called the police and we watched as two police cars came and took them both away. It couldn't have taken more than a minute from the time I placed the call. I hadn't even hung up before the first police car got there. Awesome. After wards we basically kissed each other's ass, telling each other what good samaritans we are. We were pretty pleased with ourselves.

2. I watched Pumpkin. When I started it I was like "oh god, this is the worst movie ever!" And then as it progressed I was like "wait... this really IS the worst movie... in a good way." I think it was intentional.. in which case, it's pretty funny. I guess it's kind of in the realm of But I'm a Cheerleader... which I do like.

3. New season of The Office starts Sept. 17 at 9pm. PUUUUMPED!! It starts in real time with Pam four months pregnant!

Submerged

Submerged in the world of people.

Amanda's mom took Amanda, Joanna, and me out for dinner the other day. It was FANTASTIC and I'm pretty sure I could not have been more appreciative (unless I was a native in a third world country... but that, I believe, is implied). Now, I pretty much have money again, and I certainly will... and I don't have anxiety about food TOO much anymore. All of these things I was trying to hide for a bit (relatively unsuccessfully... but still, I didn't reveal, even here, the extent of the situation) because I didn't want to sound like I thought I didn't deserve what happened, and I didn't want to sound like I was begging or whining. It was bad but it was a good bad.

ANYWAY, now that I have money, I don't feel as inhibited about talking about the situation I was in for a couple of weeks. I didn't THINK I was talking about it TOO much, but I guess I must have because after dinner, Amanda's mom offered to buy me groceries!!! Some people are so lovely that I can't handle it at all. I declined because my stomach no longer takes precedence over my guilt, shame, and courtesy... something I can't say was true 10 days ago.

Look at the word vomit. Awful. But... it is MY blog! And I'm not begging anymore... I'm just, apparently, really pleased with myself.

Anyway, I'd gotten up at 8:45am, done my 6.4 miles of moving, and after dinner, at 10:30pm, I was about to kill myself with exhaustion. After so much decadence and flexible consciousness in the summer, my body was like "WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING!?!" So I went home, but unfortunately didn't sleep... until midnight when I HAD to because I still had a LOT of cleaning to do (All my fault, though. Can I stress this enough to not sound like I'm really whining? No? Sorry...)

So I woke up at 2am. I did laundry. Scrubbed down the kitchen and the bathroom and the bedroom. Threw away a shit-ton of stuff. It was intense... and not bad at all. Vanessa was supposed to come back around 6am and I finished everything around 5:30am. SOOOOO to kill some time, I did what I've become accustomed to doing... I assume out of solitude. I read ALOUD from my blog.... which I wouldn't even admit right here... but it's pretty important. Because I ASSUMED that Vanessa would call me when she got there... because what are the other options? She doesn't have a key. That's why had to wait for her.

WEEEELL instead, she came to the window, HEARD ME TALKING TO MYSELF, and shouted for me to come to the door. AT 6AM! HOW EMBARRASSING! My skin doesn't really have blushing capabilities, but I can guarantee if it did, this is when they would be utilized. Just to be clear, I don't really know Vanessa terribly well... at all. She didn't really say anything about it, for which I was very thankful. However, we ended up having a lovely chat for well over an hour, and at some point we were talking about living in the apartment and how there is a level of solitude that gets to be too much. She told me that she would get really lonely, and I told her that I wasn't getting LONELY so much as I started worrying that I was going crazy sometimes. And then I laughed and said "like how you caught me talking to myself at 6am just now!" And she looked and me and laughed and told me that she did hear me talking but she didn't make the connection that I was talking to myself. The weirdness hadn't even occurred to her. So... shot myself in the foot on that one.

That I came back to my south apartment at like... 8am or something, which was really comforting. I bet I'm more comfortable in this apartment than any other place in the world, which is good because I'm here now and sad because... of obvious reasons. Plus it was very cute making the trip to south because I had my plant... and you can't walk down the street with a plant and NOT be cute... in my humble opinion. Also, my plant has grown substantially since it arrived at the west apartment. It seems that the windowsill was optimum for jade-growing. I imagine my plant is sad to be in my south apartment where it has to struggle for survival... and certainly doesn't have the opportunity to thrive. C'est la vie.

Then I finished The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which was gold! Pure gold!! Honestly, I couldn't recommend it more because it's so good and also it's very short and thus not much of a commitment.

Then Amanda came over bearing GROCERIES!! Because APPARENTLY, without noticing, I DID word-vomit about food too much! What an amazingly generous woman (Amanda's mom... and Amanda, of course)! I think I'm going to write her an email to thank her personally since I didn't see her when Amanda delivered them. She got me a ton of pasta, SAUCE (which I could previously not afford), apples and bananas, frozen chicken, organic peanut butter, two heads of garlic, a loaf of wheat bread, and two boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats. Can you even believe it?! I'm floored by the generosity and kindness some people give me... especially when I did literally nothing to deserve it.

Then we went to get my meal plan (this was yesterday, to clarify). The dining hall starts today... but the GSU never ended... a fact that hadn't occurred to me until I got the meal plan. So basically I had a huge feast. It was AMAZING!! Two feasts in a row!!! I couldn't be more excited!!!!

Then I promptly passed out. There was no other option. And it was lovely.

At some point I put up SOME paintings so I wasn't looking at white walls. I also watched I Love You, Man. It was PRETTY good. I thought it was funny, but it wasn't earth shattering in any way. Plus, they use weird abbreviations and awkward nicknames and stuff a LOT in the whole movie... which was good because it showed the level of awkwardness. BUUUUUT it started to be really painful. Every time it happened, it make me NOT in love with either of them. Not that you're necessarily supposed to fall in love with them... but... I think it would have helped. In summation: I would be more likely, for better or worse, to watch a comedy like that if I was in love with any of the lead characters, and because of a useful technique they used to show awkwardness, I couldn't be in love with them because I felt too strange about the language. That isn't an official review of whether it was good or bad as a movie. It's just how I feel it will be held in my own memory.

This morning I got my stored stuff from storeurdorm. It was VERY prompt. My window of delivery was noon to 2pm and my stuff came at like... 11:59am! Amazing! And they brought the stuff right to my room and everything. Very lovely. And I WOULD give them an excellent review, except that my TV is broken.

!!

I was pretty upset about it, because the screen isn't cracked, but it definitely isn't watchable. I honestly have no idea how it could have happened because the TV was in it's box with the original packing styrofoam. The point is that even if I called storeurdorm, they will only give me $100... which doesn't even pay for half of the TV. BUUUUT miraculously, Elena thought of the warranty. And the manufacturers DO give you a warranty for up to 1 year. And I bought my TV on September 4th!!!! Isn't that LUCKY!!?

I still didn't really believe they were going to fix it, especially since I didn't have the receipt, but it gave me hope. So I called the Best Buy people and they tell me to take it into the store. Although I DIDN'T need a receipt... because of the miracle of computers. I think they got my receipt just from my phone number. If that isn't a miracle, I don't know what is! But I also had the box and all the papers for it. I don't know if that helped, but it certainly didn't hurt.

So I took it into the store and they told me the manufacturers would still handle it and they shipped it out! So... MIRACLE!! I'll still only believe I will finish this business with a fully functioning TV when I see it. I'm not going to get my hopes up. BUUUT so far it's going as well as possible!! Excellent!

So today I'm thankful! I'm thankful for:

1. Food

2. Amanda's mom

3. Best Buy warrantees

4. Elena, for thinking of warrantees

5. Storeurdorm (for everything BUT the TV, obvs)

6. Tempur-pedic mattress pads

7. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

8. My life.

And surely more.