Freedom

This video came up on my personal Facebook page memories, from 9 years ago. I watched it again with tears welling up in my eyes as she neared the end. I think I first read one of her books in middle school, when I was 12. I didn't read all, nor many of her books, but I distinctly remember reading the Tombs of Atuan at that time. What I think of watching this 9 years after the first time seeing it, is how humans in their great wisdom, are now using AI to create art and music, and to write.  For what purpose? To make things easier? Bullshit.

Idiots?

In trying to figure out a title for this post, I threw around a few, but decided for simple. Primarily because I was only going to do a movie review for one, but then figured I might as well do a "watch or not to watch" bit. 

Movie 1:  "The Other Guys".

 

NOPE. NO. DNW. Do NOT Watch. I thought it was going to be one of those "stupid funny" movies, but there were many times when I just wanted to turn it off and not finish it, thinking rather foolishly that it could not get any worse. Boy was I wrong. Prior to seeing this movie,  I admit that sadly I was a Marky Mark fan, but Will Ferrell not so much, with the exception of "Stranger than Fiction" which was well-written and acted.  I am not even sure who did the screenplay for "The Other Guys", but honestly I don't know how it got the green light. Yes, I do think it was going for the feel of "Airplane", but I'm sorry, those were different times, and what may have worked back then, doesn't quite hit the mark nowadays, even if you throw in a couple extra "action" stars and explosions. A bad script is a bad script regardless of how much you dress it up. 

Movie 2: "Guardians of the Galaxy"

I've been wanting to watch this for a while. That while became years... I missed I, II and III. I didn't even know they had made a third one.  Oddly enough, I have seen a few Marvel movies over the past decade, and I do recall seeing characters from Guardians in one of them. I just can't remember which one. As for the movie. Yes, there was a lot of hype. Oftentimes, that hype translates to me not watching a movie.... Titanic, Notebook... that type of thing. In this case, it was worth the wait. As a kid born in the late 60s, growing up in the 70s, watching old westerns, British comedy, Star Trek on tv and then Star Wars at the theatre, in addition to listening to an eclectic mix of music through the years, I think this one hit me in the feels a bit more.  It even prompted me to take note of a few lines:

"I'm going to die surrounded by the biggest idiots in the galaxy."

"I know who you are....  and I am not some starry-eyed waif here to succumb to your... your... pelvic sorcery!"

"I will be grateful to die among my friends."

I can't think of anything else to add. Other than that it made me laugh and yes, it made me cry. And there were explosions. 

Until next time. (I typed in the Spock salutation, but decided to delete it.)

 

Blogging, life and music...

My blogging has definitely fallen by the wayside. Not because of any massive changes in life or actually "getting a life". On the contrary, the very minimal interests that I used to have, have slowly faded away, including always listening to music or watching movies, and swimming, etc. Things just started falling apart around me and it's just where I found myself. Lost again in the same place. That being said, I have gone down many a YouTube rabbit hole this past year, after being in the absence of my stereo and home theatre system, which are now dead and long gone. Heavy sigh. 

I still haven't used my passport. (Granted, there have been some crazy events in the past few years and around the world as of late.) Oddly enough, I had to use it recently as an ID, and when I looked at it, I noticed that it was issued the year that I had my quad-bypass surgery. The idea back then was that I'd be going SOMEWHERE. At the time that I applied for it, the Docs didn't know what was wrong with me and ended up running various tests for 11 months, before the angiogram. Surgery was booked and well, the passport remains empty. The bonus is that after gaining 20 pounds after that surgery, I've now lost 30 due to a new med I was put on to try and wean off insulin which I've been on for about 24 years. 

Anyhoo... back to that YouTube rabbit hole.... Even though it started off on a musical journey, I went on many tangents, and lo and behold, it took me back to music regardless. 

I don't know much...

I didn't know she was only a few months older than me. With my very poor memory, I think I remember two songs, but I probably knew more. One was a song written by Prince. I also remember that she sang that song on SNL (when I still used to watch tv), and that she ripped up a picture of the Pope after that performance. I knew vaguely why she had, but didn't know the reasons behind it.  All I know is that over the years she was troubled and that she is at peace now. 

Hope

I'm not crying, you're crying... 

Music had always been an integral part of my life, however, listening to music had slipped away from my everyday in the past few years, coinciding with everything slowly falling apart, literally, in almost every aspect of my existence. I've never been without a piano, record player, radio, cassette player, walkman, CD player, discman or stereo in over 50 years, but life happens... things fall apart. As I struggled heading into another chapter in my life, I've found some hope in music that I have come across lately. So far, I think there's been 5 or 6 new (to me) bands and artists that have managed to pull me up from the pit. I had seen this name pop up on the sidebar, but hadn't clicked on it until tonight. 

 

Yes...

  

I'm not crying, you're crying...

 

Tears stream...

Feeling old yet?

Roland looks pretty good. (I had to google to make sure he was the one I remembered.) 

 

I stopped listening to music. Music was a lifeline. You can't be alone without music. 

I remember...

 9 11 happened the year after mom died. I remember I was standing in the living room when the news came on the TV.

Shopgirl

When I go get coffee at McDonalds, it's just walking to get coffee at McDonalds. I realized a short time ago that when I'm walking back to the shop after getting a specialty coffee downtown, I kinda feel like "Shopgirl" in You've Got Mail. Of course I am fully aware that I am simply anonymous Spockgirl struggling alone in small town Canada. That being said, it doesn't hurt to see the parallels. 

Boisterous applause...

Just because...

I may have posted this before, but whatever... (Brought me to tears when I heard it the first time too...)

Same as it ever was...

Funny that this came up today...

Wha?

Apparently it has been 10 years today since I started this here little blog. It is still little, and I am still alive. I've met one blog person in person, but that is because we had begun corresponding via email, after which I joined the ranks of Facebook probably 8 or so years ago, and we met in 2016, which was pretty dang cool. His blog has since died, but we still communicate on a regular basis. Life  remains the same. 

Holy Shit...

I googled the blog name to get here and this post came up. All I could say was...

The funny thing? Today I felt like I was back there again... almost... except now... Mahjong, and I don't think my environs and life in general have ever been in this much disarray. 

Hold on...

Tater tots...

.. and chocolate...

Been a while since I watched something new. Or had anything to say...here...

Musings to nothing....

Not a good sign when the most frequent visitors to your blog for the day, week and month are from Russia or the United Arab Emirates. Also not a good sign when your last blogpost was one month ago to the day.  I don't know. I thought it was a good idea to keep the blog alive, but that becomes a wee bit difficult when you barely feel alive. Spockgirl barely muses about anything anymore.