One Track Mind Tracks

When I have something on my mind, I mean really stuck in my brain, everything is about that thing. Songs and movies send me messages, the universe is collaborating and laughing at me because, even if I try, I will not get that thing, whatever it is, out of my brain. I'm not a paranoid schizophrenic; I don't really think the universe is conspiring, but it is easier to think that than to think my brain is stuck on something. (Although, the "shuffle" function of my iPod might be able to read my mood and create theme music for it... But I have heard other people say the same thing, so I do feel a bit less crazy for thinking it. Plus, you know, it is Apple... Isn't Steve Jobs kind of god-like? Omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent and whatnot. Maybe they figured out how to capture that in the shuffle function.)
The worst part of my brain's tenaciousness is when I am trying to figure out a person. Every thing they do--the way they move, what they eat, the set of their mouth, the color of their shoes, the music they listen to at the gym--isn't just a clue to me, but also a clue for me. Just for me. As if they know I am trying to decipher them and they decide to play along. I'm sure this obsessing is part of the reason why I find it difficult to make friends. I assume so much from the clues and I am so negative in general that these clues either add up to, "I do not like you, Kayly," or "I'm such a jerk, Kayly." Although, a few times in my youth, they added up to, "I'm a really great guy. You should totally try to date me." And the clues were so, so veddy, veddy wrong.
I've been in counseling a million times and know all about "negative thought patterns" and "dysfunctional behavior," blah blah blah. Cognitive behavioral therapy does not float my boat, though, and this behavior is so deeply rooted in who I am that I'm not sure I can change it or get rid of it, anyway.

Mean mothereffin' reds...

The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of.--Holly Golightly

Oh, Hollywood, you're so silly...

I was just reading an article in Entertainment Weekly about Angelina Jolie’s summer movie Salt. Originally the character was named Edwin Salt and was played by Tom Cruise, but he bailed and Jolie stepped into the role of Evelyn Salt. Here’s the quote that has me bothered:

“In the original script, there was a huge sequence where Edwin Salt saves his
wife, who’s in danger,“ says [director] Noyce. “And what we found was when
Evelyn Salt saved her husband in the new script, it seemed to castrate his
character a little. So we had to change the nature of that relationship.” In the
end, Salt’s husband, played by German actor August Diehl (Inglourious Basterds),
was made tough enough that he didn’t need saving, thank you very much…

What the fuck, Hollywood? When is the woman going to be “tough enough that [she doesn’t] need saving?" Why is there no feminized metaphorical equivalent to “castrate” in art or psychology? How can Hollywood create a movie with a main character who is a female action hero, and still not see the irony in worrying over the implications of a man being rescued?
I have nothing profound or poetic to add here, I just can’t believe in this day and age, directors still say things like this and do things like this. They had to rewrite much of the script to accommodate men’s egos, yet it never occurred to them women might not want to see a woman “being rescued” by a brainwashed little person asshole actor?

Barely ANY Politics!!!

Amy Poehler is a freaking genius, and she is about a hundred times cuter with her big preggo belly. She absolutley stole last night's SNL with two skits last night, one of which was the Palin rap. (As a side note, as much as I hate Palin, after the Weekend Update was over I told Nate, "If I didn't hate her so much, I'd really like her right now." Plus now we know that both tickets have one person with the ability to bust a move cutely. I was not happy that Palin seems to be a decent actress as that is not something I want in a VP.) I'll be sad to see her move on from the show, but Kristen Wiig seems to be the emerging female comice star on SNL, so at least we won't be left bereft. (Fun fact: Wiig spent some of her growing up years in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.)

Movies I'm jonesing for:

• W.
• RELIGULOUS
• Nick & Norah s Infinite Playlist

But knowing me, I'll see them on DVD. Don't get out much to movies anymore...
The casting in W. looks genius if not, at first, obvious. Especially Jeffrey Wright as Gen. Colin Powell. Genius. (And Once in a Lifetime seems a perfect song for the trailer.) I'm rarely over the moon for Stone movies, but I've got it bad for this one.
Which leads me to today's big--but not suprising, really--Obama endorsements: Gen. Colin Powell and Fareed Zakaria. Obama also has about three times as many newspaper endorsements, so I've lost track of the most recent of those.
Not much going one today. Just reading the Sunday Times, catching up on some magazines I am really behind on reading (New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Ms. and Bitch; yeah, most of my magazine "reading" lately has been gossip rags and fashion mags. Sigh. I'm an addict.), watching Sunday talking head, drinking coffee and generally being a fat, lazy fuck.

Random Random Random

Still not sure for whom you're voting? (Like I know anyone who's not sure, lol.) Try the ABC News Match-o-Matic! If you happen to know any undecideds or McCain voters, forward to them--just in case.
Shout out to Israel in the hou-ouse! (Apparently as fascinated with Sarah's tanning habits as I am...)
Sarah Palin's Yahoo account was hacked this week, which I don't endorse or agree with, but I did wonder why the governor of a state and a VP candidate uses Yahoo for email... Apparently, I wasn't the only one.
Last night my husband (remember: a lifelong Lincoln/Roosevelt Republican recently, to his slight chagrin, registered Democratic Party and hasn't looked back since) hit his breaking point. After a Colbert Report and a recounting by me of the latest Palin fun facts (see previous post), Nathan actually uttered these words:

You know, I've gotten to the point that if the Republicans do win, I think I might want to move to another country, too.

Referencing my desire over the past eight years to move to Canada. Only now I have decided Denmark is more my style. (I would be a great dane! Ba-dum-bum!) Oddly today I received an email from International House inviting me to their next event: Discover the World Danish Students Reception.
Coincidence? Foreboding omen? We'll see...
Just saw a preview for a movie called The Lucky Ones. Looks good. Wonder why I haven't heard of it before what with all of the entertainment news I read...

Funnniest movie in a loooong time:

OH MY GOSH!!!
You HAVE to see Hamlet 2. Nate and I cackled through the whole movie. My cheeks actually hurt when we left. Make sure to stay through the credits for the awesome closing credits song, too.
We were the only ones in the theater, which was a shame, because this movie is wonderful.
I predict it will be another Office Space type sleeper hit once it comes out on DVD. I hope they have the whole musical on the DVD extras. That would R-O-C-K!! (Literally, lol!)
For those who see it: I believe the narrator is Peter O'Toole, rounding out a surprisingly stellar cast for such a small film.