Sunday 11 April 2010

BoredWorkText

There's not too much to do at work on Sundays, because that's when the issue goes to print and everyone's busy finishing their own work. So I'm given nothing.
Facebook and Twitter are blocked at the office, so I end up doing all that online reading that I never do at home. The New York Times (I HATE the movie reviewers there, more on that in a bit), the New Yorker, and today, I'm reading a bunch of short stories by Neil Gaiman. For those interested, here's The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds, and here's something strange called How to Talk to Girls at Parties. Also, some essays. Over at the New York Times, this article made me toy briefly with the idea of going platinum blonde. However, that idea was one of the few I've ever had to which mom said "See if I let you into my house..."
Sigh. Maybe someday, but not now. I'm over hair colouring for a bit, anyway. I always get tremendously irritated when it starts to fade.
Also from that article, I found out about Tavi Gevinson, the 13 year old fashion blogger.
Oh yes, I've been reading. Random humor pieces and cartoons at the New Yorker (Geoff Sarkins is using Twitter! is hilarious.), articles on how gossip blogging is becoming a career option, reviews of the iPad. Many, MANY photography slideshows, the latest being some by Annie Leibowitz. I absolutely LOVE her work. For the rest of the day, I moaned about how I wanted to be Annie Leibowitz.
I also checked out photos from a photo-book called Love Me. Forgot who it's by, but you should all check it out.
And, of course, I've been reading celeb gossip from when I need to compile the Hollywood pages, and many movie reviews. One thing I've realised? I do NOT like A.O.Scott.
A.O.Scott does movie reviews for the New York Times, and GENUINELY cannot seem to bring himself to LIKE anything, even in the best movies. While it is sadly true that I can't analyse for nuts (I tend to take books and movies at face value the first time round, trying to learn to change that. Case in point, Kafka's Metamorphosis. And I'm pursuing a Lit degree, IRONIC.) this guy...HUNTS for things to put down.
On Friday, I watched Date Night, I was supposed to review it. While it may not have been the best movie I've seen, I really did like it (the company helped, as did Mark Walhberg, shirtless). I wrote a happy review about how much I liked it, and THEN I read this. ARGH. Of course, I felt young and dumb. Maybe he's just past the age where he can enjoy movies like that...who knows, who knows.
I quite want to watch Kickass, by the way, I wonder when it releases.
The movies on my HDD are languishing, so far I've only watched Nick and Norah's Ultimate Playlist. Such a sweet movie.
Mom should be here in a bit to pick me up (The offices work till 6, I'm here till 2 or 3 at the latest) and I have...many browser tabs left to go through...so, toodles.

4 comments:

Espèra said...

The Neil Gaiman story -How to talk to girls - was good.

Jack said...

Mystique,

Nice to know you are keeping busy and learning. Keep enjoying your work.

Take care

Beyond said...

bore-blog-back to work...

Souljacker said...

Most people reviewing in USA are such clichés, it's pathetic. A.O. Scott is one of the biggest examples of douchebag journalism that America repeatedly churns out. He's bitter and depressed that his dream of being a movie maker was shot to hell and additionally, no one gives a shit about his jackass reviews.

Roger Ebert, while mostly pissed off, is one of the better reviewers and highly regarded at that. Or you can rely on the Rotten Tomatoes 'cream of the crop'. They're generally pretty accurate in their ratings.

And I couldn't agree more about Date Night and the shirtlessness of Mark Wahlberg.