Imaginary time capsule

I went to a screening of Withnail and I at the Cinematheque in Oslo last night. I know I keep saying I'll stop going to screenings of films I own on DVD, but this was subtitled and there are parts of the film where the mumbling/accents/sound design makes the dialogue incomprehensible to me.

It's also been a few years since I saw the film in its entirety. When I saw the collection of "party hard" college boys who'd showed up to the screening I was thinking maybe I'd outgrown the film and would just find it childish and dumb. But no. It's still hilarious, and has so many laugh-out-loud moments for me you could hear me laughing over the din of the audience. The final sequence is equally heart-breaking, and every scene in the movie adds a facet to Withnail and Marwood's relationship. It's a great film.

Except for Monty.

God, that part has always bothered me intensely. When I first saw the movie as a teenager I felt really conflicted about liking the film at all. The "depraved homosexual" element is just so vile. These days I've come more to terms with how the majority of entertainment has more or less problematic elements, and I'm allowed to like things -- have guilty pleasures, even -- in spite of them, if I acknowledge that they're there. (No "But I like the film so it's not problematic!")

( stuff )

On a lighter note; I remember when as a teenager I was just dying about Paul McGann's long curly hair and Renaissance angel looks in W&I. Now at 27 I was thinking "He's good looking, but a very predictable kind of good looking. ...Did Richard E. Grant have that unusual and ethereal beauty the last time I watched this film?" (Seriously, what a fascinating face!)

There’s that question, ”Are you Marvel or DC?” Usually I don’t give it much thought – I like good comics, no matter which publisher – but these last years, as I’ve started reading more superhero comics, I’ve realized I gravitate more towards DC. I like the universe. I like the optimism of Metropolis and the hopelessness of Gotham. I like the legacy heroes, which Marvel has never been that into. DC’s Vertigo was my introduction to American comics. Most of all I just like a whole bunch of the characters.

(Sure, there are a lot of things I like about the Marvel universe too, but just about all their heavy hitters –- Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers -– just leave me cold.)

So I’m DC, but I’m gonna be honest: I don’t want to be.

DC is being run into the ground. From their micromanaging editors, their cheap shock tactics, their rampant sexism, to their flash in the pan gimmicks... The Flashpoint event even erased half the inhabitants of their universe, and changed the rest including writing off women, POCs and homosexual characters –- no matter how popular or iconic those characters were. You know what, I’m going to be contrary and claim that retconning Green Lantern as gay doesn’t make up for retconning his established gay son out of existence. And what they did to Amanda Waller – unforgivable. I keep reading about creative personnel at DC either resigning in frustration over micromanaging editors (“Batman doesn’t sit”) or being fired over trifling issues (Wallers password being “Shallow Hal”). It’s a real trend.

At this point DC has run off a lot -- A WHOLE LOT -- of their creative staff, and they've begun a talent search for new blood. In their latest competition you have to draw Harley Quinn naked, attempting to commit suicide. No lie. Actual competition.

So, you know what? I’ve decided I’m only pre-Flashpoint DC. I’ll read comics where my favourite characters exist, back when writers and artists were allowed to experiment. I’ve given Nu52 comics a try, and I’ve decided I don’t want to support such a cynical company. I’m officially post-Flashpoint Marvel. I’m reading these marvelous (heh), creative comics being made over at Marvel right now; Hawkeye, Tales to Astonish... And it seems I’m not the only one, Marvel is killing DC saleswise at this point, and DC keeps digging itself deeper into a hole trying to stop that with, you guessed it, more gimmicks and shock tactics.

I'm not saying DC pre-Flashpoint was this haven of progressive storytelling, or that Marvel is that now. I'm just completely burned out from DC's fuckery. I’m fairly certain they won’t buck the trend until the company changes hands and the new owner decides to make some big changes. Meanwhile I got quite the backlog to read.

[Also this page is quite helpful: Has DC Done Something Stupid Today]

Another day, another bunch of job applications sent off. That paranoid moment when you fear that employers disregard your application because you've got an unusual name and they might think you're some dirty furriner. I mean, that might not be the issue with me at all - I've got a pretty "safe" Germanic and English name anyway. I still take care to point out on my résumé that Norwegian is my native language though, just in case.

But anyway, that's me fretting as usual. I take heart, if I don't find anything very soon I'll go back to retail or the grocery store, and I'll keep sending applications for other jobs.

So anyway; Last night I did my last shift at the cat shelter. It was a melancholy goodbye. The official explanation is that my new non-student life means I've got less time and resources to do volunteer work, and that's certainly true, but I can't deny that me and the organization no longer seem to see eye-to-eye on certain practical and political matters.

Over the course of the summer (while I've been away) there have been run-ins with the police, a lot of bad publicity in the local press, and I don't think my superiors have handled the matter in a good way. I know everything they've done, they've done with the best of intentions - to help abused animals, and I'm not saying we shouldn't fight for them, tooth and claw; But I believe there are better ways to do it, I don't think civil disobedience, breaking the law, and inhabiting every damaging animal activist stereotype out there will help our cause in the long run. Now my boss has to pay a hefty fine; that's money that could have been spent on food and spaying and medicines, and now it won't because my boss wanted to make a point. Not to mention the money contributors we've lost because "we're just some fundamentalist animal activist whackjobs after all".

Let me move on to my usual rant here: ( Why blaming the police really doesn't help )

See? I still care about important things. Politics, even. That doesn't change. It's just that writing about comics or TV shows is much kinder on my blood pressure and RAGE METER.

Today I woke up with the most depressing notion in my head.

( Mankind is egotistical and stupid and I'm not sure if we'll ever change )

tl;dr: I'm worried Jacques Brel's 'Les Bourgeois' describes us all a little too well. In the end we conform to our flawed society norms.

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So I was at my local comic shop yesterday looking for something cheap to quell my illin' (but somehow they didn't have any of the five titles I was planning on picking up some day so in a moment of insanity and/or frustration I bought one of those super cheap Showcase collections of, er, Booster Gold. Booster Gold of all things!) when I looked over what Deadpool titles they had in.

Lord knows I love Deadpool, he was my first introduction to superhero comics and all but goddamnit Marvel.

I mean, I glanced at the cover of Lady Deadpool with some disbelief. I am forever convinced that Lady Deadpool was created solely so that comic fanboys can have a wank over Deadpool without those conflicting manlove feelings. It's just Deadpool with huge knockers, for chrissakes.

And why are they reprinting (the absolutely lovely) Cable & Deadpool as Deadpool & Cable? I mean, damn, do they think comic fans don't have the literacy or attention span to read past one five-letter name before they move on?


To make it even more confusing they've now retitled the current Cable series (which is supposed to be, uh, Cable-centric) Deadpool & Cable as well, only Cable is dead at the moment in that continuity (for all I know he might have been dead since 2007, I still haven't heard of a proper Deadpool/Cable reunion). So I don't know WTF.

To be fair it seems to be pretty heartwrenching at the moment though. I can appreciate a writer who realizes that Deadpool is more than just 4chan jokes. I'm going to have to see how this develops before I want to commit to it.

Case: There's an old geezer in Bergen who brags about hurting cats who walks on his property. Today my bosses at the shelter posted about it on facebook. People are understandably upset, but the variety of ways they react to it is driving me crazy:

A) Sharing the man's telephone number, urging people to call him and "try to reason with him" (I'm not entirely certain that's what they're actually going to do when they call).

B) Accusing him of being a pedophile (?)

C) Saying "No reason to go to the police, they never take these things seriously anyway." (One of my BOSSES said this. WHAT.)

D) Going "If anybody hurt my Felix I'd kill them!"

D) Telling off anybody who suggests that any of the above might not be the wisest courses of action.

I'm just - argh! Of course I think it's horrible, of course I hate this man, and of course a little voice in the back of my head is suggesting to let Anonymous go get him, or throw a brick through his window or something. It's just - I don't want our wonderful organization to turn into... whatever this is. People are so disillusioned with the police the majority just whine about it and go about their daily business, while the rest turn into prank callers. What is wrong with this picture?

And here I am, whining about it, because I don't know what to do either. At last the police has been notified, but other than that...?

If the newspapers pick up on this thing (somebody's called a major national newspaper) I desperately hope they focus on what ridiculous animal welfare laws we have in Norway (for one, do you know which department's in charge of animal services? The Food Safety Authority! No, seriously. And do you know when it actually became AGAINST THE LAW to have sex with animals in Norway? Last. year.) and bring it to people's attention, complete with the system taking care of this man... Not "Hohoho look at all these crazy cat ladies, they burned a guy's house down! Animal organizations are idiotic herp derp" or something.

I guess the case is on hold till Monday...

You know what make me ridiculously angry?

REMAKES. WHO THINKS REMAKES ARE A GOOD IDEA.

Nothing special brought this on, though a quick google certainly gave me more reasons to be angry (NOW WHAT WOULD BE THE POINT OF REMAKING A HITCHCOCK MOVIE. TELL ME.) Not just movies, but songs too. How many people think Madonna wrote 'American pie' eh? How many haven't even heard my favourite verse, the one about our generation lost in space and Satan on the podium?

Furthermore there is something implied about remakes that says "the original is rubbish and we want to improve it". Does that mean Michael Myers is considered a greater actor than Danny Kaye? Dude, The secret life of Walter Mitty already EXISTS, why spend all this money making a version that will be Kaye- and Karloff-less?

And I know I'm being a total hypocrite too, because without the new Star Trek movie I would never have gone "Hmm, interesting chara- HOLY SHIT UHURA WAS BLACK IN THE SIXTIES TOO AND THIS IS ALL AWESOME" and I'd never learn to love the original series.

But REMAKES BAH.

In honour of the day I've hand washed a couple of my sweaters in the sink and ordered some Lush soaps.

Okay I'm a big liar, I'd already done those things when I realized what day it was. But I can still feel good about it.

I've been thinking about how I really hate when people assume things about me based on appearances, but I've realized that if I have to subscribe to a stereotype I prefer to be a granola-munching hippie (who happens to not like granola very much) than anything else.

( The chronology of growing awareness )

My new project is trying to find a toothpaste that can be bought locally that isn't tested on animals. Colgate; You and me, we're done professionally.

A lot of things to do at the shelter today. There were cats coming in, cats going out (I did my first cat adoption! :D Susanne finally has a home!), stuff sold, those adorable kids set to work... And my arms are torn to shreds. Ah yes, this bit I remember.

I've already started dreaming of someone coming in and loudly proclaiming "I want an adult cat. I want the least popular cat in the house, it doesn't matter if it looks like it's been chewed and spat out as long as it's got personality."

Eeeeverybody wants kittens. That's the problem in a nutshell, isn't it? People want kittens, nobody wants cats.

Anyway, enough bitching: The weekly cat showcase!

I want to point you to Felix because he is simply the least adoptable cat ever.



For one, he's no beauty. He has lived a hard life - his ears are torn up, he's scarred and lumpy after years of fighting. He distrusts everyone. He'll hurt you if you get too close, and hiss at you if you're even in the same room. He has even scared off potential foster parents - you know, the people whose job is to to take care of the asocial ones? That's Felix. Of all the cats on the shelter, he's the only one who's allowed to go without a collar - nobody has a deathwish strong enough to try to put it on.

But I've developed an odd sort of deep respect for Felix. He knows a cat doesn't exist solely so it can please humans. He's been through hell and damn right, life has taught him to trust no one. He might not be aware of it, but I know humans are to blame - and though he might stay at the shelter till the end of his days, I sort of like the thought of him being there. As a reminder.

And with weather worn hands on bread lines they stand
Yet but one more degradation
And they're treated like tramps while we sell them food stamps
This thriving and prosperous nation

( RARGH IMPATIENT FRESHMEN )

I've had a fun day actually. I seem to have lovely passionate lecturers with a sense of humour, and I'm confident I chose the right classes. Methodology continues to be fun, with the lecturer citing all sorts of censorhip and PC adjustments in the historical field, each time thunderously declaring "It's the Ministry of Truth, that's what it is!"

He also had us in stitches with this postcard from 1905:

"This postcard," he said, pointing to the projection in the lecture hall. "Depicts W.F. Christie (from the Norwegian constitution assembly of 1814) and Christian Michelsen (elected Prime Minister in 1905) on the sail of a viking ship. This postcard..." he paused for dramatic tension. "Makes no sense!"