Kiddo's Toilet Confusion

So, I think there are enough interesting toilets in the world to write a book about them. Or publish a coffee table book about them. Or a little humor book of reviews or something of the ilk.

Mine will kick off as follows:

In the diner made out of a double wide, fully one quarter of the back end is taken up with a boy loo and a girl loo. In the girl loo there are two toilet bowls in one room with the only door opening directly into waitress traffic and, brushing this across the aisle, the edge of one booth.
Many situations can be imagined, and probably have been enacted--its the only place open 24 hours a day in a college town of countless bars in a state where all bars close at 2 am. Most commonly though, I'm sure its just a relief for mothers with multiple weak-bladdered children. For general purposes though, its a bit odd.
An attempt seems, at one point, to have been made to separate the two bowls with stall walls like you see everywhere else. The dingy white tile has a T of orange tile between bowls and a sliver at the walls. One assumes this is where the walls would have gone if the holes had ever been drilled and the whole idea of privacy had not been aborted.
I guess its because the mirror is sequestered in one half of the room and the sink in t'other. If the wall had been successful, they'd have been separated and you'd have to wait for the other party to finish their biz-ness to use one or the other.
I don't know which alternative is worse planned, but both are awesome as an emblem of "we don't give a shit."

Watchmen.

Possibly a perfect movie.

Must watch 4 more times to confirm/deny.

Two Movie Reviews

Australia.

I love Baz Lurhman. I love Baz Luhrman when he has a tight story to work with. If he had decided to make this as two movies they would have been awesome, however, they were slammed together into a three hour collage of gorgeous shooting, wonderful acting and some earnest humanity. Really, I think there was just some over exuberance in the story boarding room. I think Luhrman kept having ideas for ways to show off his home country (yes, they were great, yes, I was reduced to tears with the beauty and nostalgia) and forgot that just because it's an epic does not mean it's allowed to leave half its plot lines open--where did those japanese planes go?-- and dwell endlessly on a few key melodramatic moments stolen from Michael Mann films.

The first fifteen minutes were brilliant. Then a loose hour, fifteen minutes of brilliance, another loose hour, and so on, until 3 and half are up and you realize you have to work at 6am.

Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman are great of course, their predictable romantic rolls are both played with equal doses of heartfelt seriousness and terse comic timing. Makes for some fantastic scenes, and some that should have gone the way of the editing floor. However great our Hollywood heroes are, however, the supporting cast definitely steals the show.
Brandon Walters (Nullah) is one of the most natural child actors I've ever seen. I'm sure this is because he is allowed to just run around like a normal kid, but his reactions to all situations are perfect. Encounters with death: tragic. Encounters with freedom restriction: indignant. Acceptance of new circumstances: immediate. He's great!
King George, David Gulpilil, haunts every background exactly as his character metaphor (The Aboriginal) is supposed to. He's graceful and creepy, but endearing.
Together, these two characters illustrate the political situation in Australia towards Aboriginies. Just last year the Prime Minister gave an official apology to the Aborigines for what's called The Stolen Generation -- aboriginal children taken from families, relocated into catholic boarding schools to "breed the black out of them." One of the plots of the movies is the fight of Mrs. Boss/Mrs. Ashley (Kidman) to keep Nullah (Walters) from being taken to one such school. From this front, the movie is successful, lots of sympathy and lots of info = a win for Luhrman -- if people absorb it through the slew of the rest of the plots and remember it after all the over exposed studio shots with vaguely realistic horses (Yes, it looks like Mr. Jackman has never sat on a horse before shooting and there are many a stunt man and many mechanical horse).

Anyway, I know I just thrashed it, but, other than the pacing, it was pretty good. Definitely watch the first 20 minutes then fast forward to the bits where the cute kid is on screen, if nothing else, it's worth watching for these things!

I'm tired and gotta work early, thus, feel the suspense until I follow the promise of two movies up tomorrow with "Penelope."

George Lucas isn't the only one makin money off archetypes

Harry Potter is Luke Skywalker!

is Fry, Philip J

is Cinderella

is Hukleberry Flynn

is Jesus

is Hamlet

is Odysseus

golly...

No wonder JK Rowling did so well... Is this what the Bella girl is in the Twilight books? is that why they're successful?

Ridilin Needed for Spring

hello friends!

I actually had a good morning at work today. worked with good people. trained a new kid---with actual intelligence. listened to the new Franz Ferdinand album (tres bon. copies ne1?).

Next.

I got perfect shoes. Cherry Red. mary janes. super cute button. durable plastic that vaguely looks like a leather product. don't scoff. hard but flexible soles. don't rub badly anywhere. don't slip off my heels. are red.

they are beautiful and I love them.

not only this! Oh No. I bought them at walmart. $14. last pair in stock. just happened to be in my size. Ie. the universe wants me to own them.

ahhhhh...

today is mail day. if you are not on my penpal list and wish to be, please say so! those who are already: expect mail! Only small potatoes mail tho... gots me some wedding invites suckin' up most da effort.

it's been gorgeous here the last several days. walk around in sheer shirt and flowy skirt gorgeous. Pimms and Croquet Gorgeous. granted, it won't last. next week will be dully 50 and sad again, but for now I can sit on an almost terrace and drink my espresso and almost imagine flowers dripping from the high allies around me. acoustic music somewhere in the distance.

Unfortunately my asthmatic boyfriend cannot enjoy this as fully as I do, but he loves it despite the pollen hacking...

le sigh...

procured pretty printer. Kelsie's wedding has me in charge of all things paper! pretty paper!

Blue and Copper... these are the colors. themes include fish and sailing! Woot!

I picked out my dress. strapless and gathered at my left floating rib with (fake) diamond clasp. Pretty! my other choice made me look not unlike a Feminine Chrysler Building. I know what you're thinking -- "something that phalic... feminine?" But, yes, that was the only thing I could think of when I tried it on.

I finished reading Kundera's Unbearable Lightness of Being. wow. like reading luxuriant intellectualism strung out on symbololism. extremely likable.

received a postcard from Bergen today. I receive more post here than Billy does, something he's jealous of, but most of his friends live nearby and gets to see them regularly. I suggest to everyone having penpals though, whether they're right nearby or not! We had that going for awhile right?

I love you all!

Cultural Curiosities

1. A billboard on the highway: "If you sleep with a boyfriend you will never marry a gentleman"

2. A gas station sign: "Happy birthday michelle ethanol free"

(they were supposed to be separate messages, but they just kinda ran together, pressuring michelle into having a sober birthday)

3. Pineapple pie. WTF. All the tastiness of the tropics and the black forests of germany... colliding. It took me awhile, but it does seem like a good idea.




More to follow.

Hastings

I don't know why this store is named after a town in southern england that symbolized the birth of modern history, but, no-one who works with me even knows it exists, so I guess I'm... ahead? of the game?

For a person who grew up organizing her horse models according to one of Color, Breed, Alphabetical Name, Size or Age spending 6 hours a day stocking books is incredibly relaxing.

Also, once a week I get one free paperback book of my choice and any of the old magazines that didn't sell by the time their month was up.

Yep. My life is freaking exciting.

Highlight of today: Bob the Bear got a blog. Check it out!