Looping the Hen

Like Whiskers on Kittens

I'm not much into the gift-giving thing, unless your name is Mom or Dad usually. Well, girlfriends also are usually showered with them, but let's just say I'm in no fear of that this year. Still, I promise myself (usually every Dec 26th) some year I will be less Grinch-like. Maybe this one!

My eldest brother has an interesting theorem of gift-buying, which is that if it is good enough for him, it is good enough for someone else. I find most times that is very true. And considering movies, books, and games are some of my favorite things, they are generally what I give. So if one or more of these finds their way to some folks, feel blessed, as you are likely one of the few.;)

Fav Movies:

Dark City - A well-crafted sleeper. Strong acting and interesting plot despite its holes. And most importantly, Jennifer Connelly. *swoon*

A Knight's Tale - Heath Ledger: not an actor. This movie? I love it. Paul Bettany as Chaucer steals every scene he is in. Everyone else out-acts Ledger also. It also has one of my top 10 favorite scenes ever: a medieval dance that takes place to David Bowie's 'Golden Years.' Classic. The little shake Shannyn Sossamon gives in it makes me shiver.

The Jacket - Trippy, and most people either love it or hate it. It's not Jacob's Ladder, which is a problem some of the elitists have with it. Me, I'm thankful that it is not. Even in my coffee-house days, Jacob's Ladder was an interminible bore. Another year or so will determine if this movie has staying power on my top 5 list. Hottie of the flick? The ever-corseted Keira Knightly.

The Postman - Another love it or hate it flick. I'm not a big Costner fan, but he's appropriately geeky and mild in this flick. And the amazing Tom Petty has a bit part; he's not awful!

Spirited Away and Final Fantasy: the Spirits Within are both animated fantasies I keep loaded into my five disc player.

I wonder if any one else is like me. Movies that are my favorites are not necessarily the movies I think are 'best', but are the ones I turn on over and over and may have just playing in the background while I do something else. (Well, maybe not the Jacket, as its a little too surreal for that) For example, Dangerous Liaisons (the Malkovich version) is definitely on my list of 'best movies', but is only something I can break out once in a while. At the same time, Final Fantasy: the Spirits Within, not even a great movie by my standards, is one that I find myself watching repeatedly. Is that wierd?

Anyhoo, this is longer than I thought! Stay tuned tomorrow for top books or music, not sure which!

A severed finger...(Things women say #10)

From a reader (and one of my oldest friends...err, and 'oldest' friends), this is an excuse we can use when cornered by a woman who 'has been thinking.' I can only assume this is a good idea considering my multi-year bachelorhood has left me ill-equipped to handle many difficult situations (I am assured 'That's a first,' is not the correct answer). I vaguely remember hearing this once or twice, and he is correct, it is usually a lead-in for one of several conversations:

1) Marriage
2) State of Cohabitation
3) End of relationship

In general, if you can't find Trading Spaces on TV quickly, bleeding is an acceptable delay tactic. In the 90's, considering my average length of dating prior to co-habitation was around 3 weeks, most of the time it meant I was going to get the 'It's not you, it's me' speech, and I was going to be saddled with $500 worth of utility bills. Still, if they had put up with my mental gymnastics for any period of time, it was the least I could do.