o villain, villain, smiling damned villain!

we meet again...


ah, the battle of battles, the war to end all wars in the Duke household:

Carpet. vs. Hardwood.

With the exception of low-traffic bedrooms, it's my firm belief that every room in the house should be floored with either linoleum, laminate, or wood.
yeah, yeah, carpet is nice and soft and squishy underfoot, but it's the grossest invention ever, when you think about it. and I do. think about it. alot.
the amount of dirt, dust, food particles, dog hair, and germs in our carpet is one of my worst obsessions (no matter how weird you think I am, you have never come close to meeting me in full-on crazy-mode until you've seen me do battle with a carpet spot or pet stain). The part that drives me the most crazy is that it is a constantly losing battle. no matter how much you vacuum, it's never 100% clean!

However, when we were building our house, we decided not to upgrade to hardwood in the living room, because Mitch loves carpet. but...the LIVING ROOM! what was I THINKING?!? I was seduced by the newness of the carpet, and momentarily forgot that 2 years later it would be the bane of my existence...

still not convinced? According to the EPA: Carpet glues contain formaldehyde and toluene and are usually treated with stain resistant perfluorochemicals, such as PFOA, that have recently been deemed likely carcinogens.

carpet=cancer. 'nuf said.

mind meld!

Apparently Sylar has stolen Spock's abilities and is now planning to impersonate him during the the new Star Trek movie!

I'm onto you, you scary-eyebrowed villain, you!

avoid the awkward

New service helps callers avoid awkward cell-phone moments!
"Slydial lets you connect directly with another person's cell phone voice mail, bypassing the traditional ringing process that often results, sometimes disastrously, with someone picking up on the other end.
Users call (267) SLY-DIAL from either a cell phone or a landline and are prompted to enter another person's cell phone number."

Good one, technology! Soon I'll be able to avoid personal contact with other humans completely! (I'm kind of kidding...but kind of not. I really hate talking to people on the phone.)

---

...and while I'm clapping technology on its collective back, have you guys seen this? http://www.roku.com/netflixplayer/

you buy the box for $100, connect it to your TV and internet connection, and via your Netflix account, you can stream tons of movies/shows to your TV for no extra monthly cost!

I would totally get it...if I had an internet connection and a Netflix account, that is.

"So foul and fair a day I have not seen..."

This is what I feel like when I realize I have to stay at work for 2 more hours! I just want to go hoooooome! why does this day have to be so long?!

hell comes with your own locker

I made Mitch rent 'Charlie Bartlett' last night, mostly because Robert Downey Jr is in it, and I make it a point to watch his movies. He's a good actor, that one.

Anyways, I thought it was entertaining and charming - a mix of a little bit of Ferris Bueller, a little bit of...every film ever made by John Hughes. The caste system and stereotypes of high school are alive and well here, and the movie-fantasy that bullies and nerds can live together is also chewing through the scenes. But the movie is still fairly charming - and, in particular, the title character is completely loveable despite himself.

And...the [admittedly kind of offensive] scene where he auditions by falsetto-ing through a scene from "Misadventures of a Teen Renegade" made me laugh really, really, really, really hard. Really.

Unfortunately, at the end it sort of melts down into melodrama and speeches...albeit, speeches by Robert Downey Jr. So, did that make the melodrama forgiveable? Maybe not.

But I just rewound it to the audition scene and laughed really, really hard some more, until I forgot all about the blathering melodrama at the end.

cinnanimosity

I've been pretty faithful for the past month or so to jog on the treadmill every night for 30-40 minutes, and am becoming resentful at the lack of progress I'm seeing on the scale...



maybe I'm being sabotaged by my work environment? this is what was sitting on the conference table (which means that anyone can eat them) when I walked in this am:

I've had two so far.

the bat man

extraordinary. powerful. audacious. compelling. dark. mesmerizing. complex. awesome...

The Dark Knight transcends the superhero genre entirely and gives us a gritty crime drama... that also happens to have plenty of amazing action sequences!

Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker is worthy of all the buzz, and then some. He's manaical and hypnotic.

Christopher Nolan really does give us another GREAT Batman movie, but this time around it's less stylized, less introspective. It's not about Bruce Wayne's backstory/character development anymore. And not necessarily because we've been told everything already, but because of the irony at the heart of the Batman mythos - that neither Bruce or Batman can be the savior Gotham needs. Bruce Wayne is separated by his fellow Gotham-ite only by better funding, more training, and a grim determination for Batman to do whatever it takes, to be whatever he needs to be, to point them all towards a hope beyond Batman.


p.s. - the Corvallis 9th st theater sound was REALLY messed up, so 'impossible to hear' was also another descriptive word for the experience. I only heard about 2/3 of the dialogue...! I require another viewing, and I definitely won't be going back there...

look, look, LOOK!

as if Christian Bale isn't cool enough already with the Batman franchise...

the original album

the DJ's on the radio this am were talking about the first albums they ever purchased.

the first CD I ever bought (with my very own money) was Petra: Beyond Belief.



oh yeah. I rock.




what was YOUR first foray into the world of music ownership?

happy friday, yo

this song was playing as I drove to work this am...perfect way to start a Friday...



Thanks, T.Rex!

Klaatu barada nikto

...the title of this post translates loosely to "Katie is a nerd". no, not really. it's a famous line from my favorite Sci-Fi classic, 'The Day the Earth Stood Still', which they are releasing a remake of at Christmas!
Excellent!



except... I have this creeping fear that they might really, really screw it up. (and normally, the casting of Keanu would have made the decision for me. except that he actually IS the perfect choice for the role. robotic and impassive...just like the mouthpiece of an alien race should be!)



But. Just in case the 2008 remake sucks...you should check out the original 1951 version.

a messy mythology

Instead of fireworks on the 4th, we went to see Hancock. Will Smith always delivers on July 4th weekend, and in my book, this one was no exception. At first glance it appears to be a clever take-off of the Superman comics...

Critics are hating on the "twist" partway through. if you pay attention to the previews, you know SOMETHING's coming, although the exact nature of it surprised even me. However, in the end, I think it brought real pathos to the film. All 4th of July blockbusters are required only to deliver the flames and fury. This one just has an added bonus of some real heart and soul.

strange and chilling

well, I saw The Happening. and I liked it. I hope we can still be friends.

It wasn't my favorite of Shyamalan's work (Signs and The Village top my list), due to a few reasons:

- I think that the two main characters were miscast. As much as I like Zooey Deschanel and Mark Wahlberg, I don't think that they were the people to play these particular roles. Wahlberg, in particular, has an overeager ernestness that works well in films where he needs to portray a strong faith or belief (in himself/his team, such as in Invincible, or in his country, as in The Shooter). In this role it was almost comic. For this role, I would have reteamed Shyamalan with Joaquin Phoenix, or maybe cast another actor with more subtlety (Ryan Gosling or Billy Crudup?) for the role.

...and Deschanel just didn't look right for the role. A stronger actress might have been able to pull it off, but she just ended up seeming doll-like. Emily Mortimer, Kelly MacDonald, or Michelle Williams would be some actresses I would much rather have seen in the role.

- I didn't like the score. It was more of a throwback to the old-school horror movies where the background music was more of a sound effect than a melody. I'm sure it was a conscious choice, and to each his own. my personal preference leans towards the sweeping 'Village' or crescendo/resolve 'Signs' scores.

...However, the cinemetography was impressive, impressive, impressive...

And I really like how Shyamalan bases his stories on large-scale crisis events and leads us through them from the narrow viewpoint of the everyman, rather than the broad perspective of the hero in the midst of the story.

wee man

meet the smallest preying mantis ever! he had 'little man' syndrome and was hyper aggressive! we set him free but I warned him that if he came at me as an adult I would crush him...

hey, a vague disclaimer is nobody's friend.

strawberry fields forever

I cut up and froze 2 flats of strawberries this weekend. AND we did tons of weeding and filled in the remaining flower beds with barkdust. No flowers or plants in them yet, though, as barkdust is infinitely easier to take care of. You don't even have to water it!

shelob's lair

there is a giant angry spider in my office. I hit him with a broom and knocked off one of his legs, and he fell behind my desk. it was an epic battle. and now he will heal, regather his strength, and attack from the shadowy recesses of UNDER MY DESK!



here is a blurry picture of his curled up leg.



< that's 16 point font, people!

strange magic

I'm re-reading the Harry Potter series. (yes, I am eight. leave me alone...)

Anyways, this is a picture of the set I own. See how books 1-3 are markedly smaller than 4-6? I had forgotten about that fact, and when I got through with 3 and went to get 4...

Katie: "All RIGHT!"

Mitch: "What?!"

Katie: "The next book is TWICE as big as the last one!!!"

Mitch: "?"

Katie: "What?"

Mitch: "..."

---

Aren't people who don't like to read weird?

Chris Martin stormed out of a radio interview with the BBC Thursday -

After some shifting at the microphone, Martin said he was "not really enjoying this" and asked if he could take two minutes before getting up and walking out of the studio.

"I just don't really like having to talk about things," he said.

---

so, you'll text me then?

the dad

my dad is one of my favorite people in the world. he ranks a close second just after Mitch. and that's saying something, 'cuz Mitch is AWESOME!

you always gotta have a plan

So, I did go see SatC last night. It was entertaining. Great clothes, good shoes.

(and no, I couldn’t get Mitch to go with me – shock.)

I actually LIKE watching movies in the theater by myself, but other people seem to take joy in making it an awkward experience. So, over the years I’ve formulated a plan to compensate for the presence of other people in the theater---

• 1. Time your arrival carefully so that you arrive exactly as the previews begin. Everyone else has found their seats at that point and you can pick who you will sit by…


• 2. Sit about 10 rows closer to the front than you normally do. You’ll be sitting in the middle school section, and they will consider you much too old to talk to. However, they are LOUD WHISPERERS, so you need to sit far enough away that you can’t reach over and smack them when the whispering gets to you.


• 3. If possible, sit 4-5 seats away from a couple. Their presence will often protect you from the next two groups:


• 4. Stay AWAY from the duo of middle-aged fat women. They will try their darndest to include you in their ‘group’ if they notice you sitting alone.


• 5. Stay even further away from the crazy-haired old man. He is there solely for the sexual content, and his comments are neither clever nor charming. (Do not, under any circumstances, engage in conversation with him – it will inevitably turn into a rant about Jim Morrisson and The Doors, and you will end the conversation wondering if he is going to follow you into the parking lot and murder you.)


• 6. Haul ass outta there as soon as those credits start rolling.


• 7. Don’t order the large bucket of popcorn. It’s giant-ness will only emphasize your solitary-ness…

thanks for voting...

so...on the one hand On the Waterfront and Raging Bull won my 'famous and critically acclaimed movies I've never seen' poll. I'll rent them soon (along with Lawrence of Arabia, per Richard's suggestion), and I'm sure they'll be awesome.

however...I really just want to see a chick flick.

(don't worry, I won't review this one...I'm pretty sure it will be fluffy and worthless!)

thanks A.P.

"After Obama, fist bump catching on as new trend in U.S..."

a new trend? but is it really? a NEW trend?

ooookay...

song of the day

I love Muse...

just say no

These are just a few of the movies I will NOT be seeing in this summer, thank you very much, despite the studio's frantic advertising tactics.

I am normally highly susceptible the persuasive power of summer movie trailers, but these ones just don't do it for me:

Love Guru

Don't Mess with the Zohan

The Strangers

Speed Racer

Get Smart

the new green thing

Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance. ~Ambrose Bierce

yeah, I don't know how I became a secretary - I HATE talking on the phone!

...but my new one is green (my favorite color!) AND it plays mp3's! fun! also, it has a pedometer on it, so I have discovered that I take an average of 800 steps per day. sedentary lifestyle, much?

the flix

I watched Death at a Funeral and The Kite Runner earlier this week.

I thought it was entertaining (Four Weddings and a Funeral-type British humor), and while I probably won't buy it, I did laugh really, really hard in a few scenes. Alan Tudyk is always funny, and Matthew MacFadyen is always yummy!

and...it was directed by Frank Oz. Muppet Show/Dark Crystal Frank Oz! who knew he was still alive?

Kite Runner is based on a great novel. Most of the tale is set in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which automatically created a visually stunning backdrop for the story. They perfectly cast a few of the main characters (the little boy Hassan looked EXACTLY as I imagined!) and Shaun Toub (Ironman, Crash) was an excellent choice for Rahim Khan. Still, the impact of the movie was not as strong as the novel... therefore I recommend sitting down with the book first.

brothers gotta HUG! (or do they?)

aww, man, I had to go to my cousin's wedding tonight. cool, a fun-filled family event, right?

nay. weddings have reception lines. which means I had to face the horrifying moment of truth: handshake or hug?

my own sense of personal space steers me towards the handshake every time, but sometimes you just know the situation calls for a hug...but in case you have not experienced the full Katie weirdness, hugs with me are awk.ward! I can't help it! Hugs mostly turn into this weird a-frame side-hug thing, and I can't help but pat the other person's back when I feel that the hug has invaded my personal space for long enough, all "back pat means let go, back pat means let go, BACK PAT MEANS LET GO!" Plus I'm short, so there's this weird height factor that I haven't figured out how to compensate for yet...

the worst part of this particulary reception line was my uncle(?), whom I haven't seen in 10 years. he used to be my favorite uncle, but in the past 10 years has divorced my aunt and been revealed as a total abusive asshole. but...he was my favorite uncle, and he wasn't an asshole to me. so... handshake or hug? do I still call him uncle, or has he been stripped of the title? in the end we did both the handshake and the quick hug, which I think covered all stages of our relationship, from favorite uncle to I-will-probably-never-see-you-again-in-this-life-but-thanks-for-that-Christmas-present-when-I-was-six person.


they should teach hugging ettiquette along with driver's ed in school. so complex, yet so useful.

Mr. Jones and me

so?

how was it?

(due to weddings and graduations and circumstances beyond my control, I can't go see it for a few more days.)

hee.

Two pilots in New Zealand ran out of fuel during a flight, and prayed for help. They landed their plane safely ... right next to a billboard reading, "Jesus is Lord" ...

Sob, heavy world. Sob as you spin. Mantled in mist - remote from the happy.

dear God, and I mean DEAR GOD! I'm really bad at watching scary movies (I only got 30 minutes into '1408' before turning it off and promptly returning it - and I LOVE John Cusack). But I just finished watching the entire movie 'Stephen King's The Mist'. (The fact that Frank Darabont directed (Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile, Majestic) was what prompted me to check it out.)

and yes, the monsters were scary (at least to me they were scary: there were bug-type monsters. I hate bugs). I spent most of the middle part of the movie jumping up off the couch and running around the living room shrieking at the characters to "HIT IT! GET IIIIITTTT! RUNNNNNNNN!"

however, the last 30 minutes of the film were spent frozen on the couch in horror, and it had nothing to do with blood or guts or ghosts or bugs or bug-monsters or fear of the dark. this was ultimately a movie about the horrifying darkness lurking within the human soul. it was thought-provoking, grim, awful...impossible to recommend, yet impossible to deny that it was a film worth watching.