This weekend we rented a couple videos that we've been wanting to watch for awhile - Cloverfield, Juno, and Appleseed Ex Machina. You've surely heard of the first two, but the third..probably not.

For those who didn't know, I'm big into the anime/manga work of Masamuni Shiro. He's done works like "Ghost in the Shell", "Orion", "Dominion:Tank Police", and "Appleseed". Originally, "Appleseed" was done in the early '80's and was redone in '04. The redo offered up greatly improved animation thanks to the latest CGI technologies. I own a copy on DVD, and it's one of my faves' in my anime collection. I heard of "Ex Machina" a couple of months ago and was really anticipating its release.

This next installment boasts even more life-like renderings of the characters thanks to even better 3D CGI animation, and the action sequences are insane for an animated film. To make things even more interesting is the addition of John Woo as Producer. His influence can very clearly be seen in many sequences. The story is very strong and compelling and we get more background on the Briarios/Duennan romance. For the big climatic ending, its a blend of the "Matrix"movies, "Dawn of the Dead", "Star Trek TNG: First Contact", and "Return of the Jedi" all done with more amped-up action and it doesn't dissapoint.

Here is the original Japanese trailer:




By all means either rent this or own it. I plan on buying a copy as soon as I can.

My not -too-distant relatives Jackie & Dunlap over at Red State Updates give their 2 cents of the Democratic Parties Candidates and give their opinion on what McCain's campaign slogan should be:

Third world wackiness is alive and well. If you ever needed an excuse for not wanting to visit Afica, you could always "whip this out" so to speak:


Congo police arrest penis snatchers
Last Updated: 2:43am BST 24/04/2008



Police in Congo have arrested suspected sorcerers accused of using black magic to steal or shrink men’s private parts.

There has been a wave of panic and attempted lynchings triggered by the alleged witchcraft.

Reports of so-called penis snatching are not uncommon in West Africa, where belief in traditional religions and witchcraft remains widespread, and where ritual killings to obtain blood or body parts still occur.

Rumours of the bizarre theft began circulating last week in the capital Kinshasa. They quickly dominated radio call-in shows, with listeners advised to beware of fellow passengers in communal taxis wearing gold rings, who were blamed for the devastating curse.

Purported victims, 14 of whom were detained by police, claimed that sorcerers simply touched them to make their genitals shrink or disappear.

But some residents said the “victims” were simply trying to extort cash by promising a cure, proved by the reappearance of their genitals.

“You just have to be accused of that, and people come after you. We’ve had a number of attempted lynchings. ... You see them covered in marks after being beaten,” said Jean-Dieudonne Oleko, Kinshasa’s police chief.

Police arrested the accused sorcerers and their victims in an effort to avoid the sort of bloodshed seen in Ghana a decade ago, when 12 suspected penis-snatchers were beaten to death by angry mobs.

“I’m tempted to say it’s one huge joke,” Mr Oleko said. “But when you try to tell the victims that their penises are still there, they tell you that it’s become tiny or that they’ve become impotent. To that I tell them, 'How do you know if you haven’t gone home and tried it’,” he said.

Some Kinshasa residents accuse a separatist sect from the nearby Bas-Congo province of being behind the witchcraft in revenge for a recent government crackdown on its members.

“It’s real. Just yesterday here, there was a man who was a victim. We saw. What was left was tiny,” said 29-year-old Alain Kalala.



Gang, I honestly couldn't make this shit up.

...and the off-beat postings continue. I am clearly bored, and you poor souls who read these suffer needlessly. Haw!

You Are an Alien

You're so strange, people occasionally wonder if you're from another world. You don't try to be different, but you see most things from a very unique, very offbeat perspective. Brilliant to the point of genius, you definitely have some advanced intelligence going on. No matter what circles you travel in, you always feel like a stranger. And it's a feeling you've learned to like. Your greatest power: Your superhuman brain Your greatest weakness: Your lack of empathy - you just don't get humans You play well with: Zombies

Yes, Zombies are my friends...it's true.

I seem to be a LJ Posting Fiend today. My LJ Writer friends may take interest in this:

You Should Be a Film Writer

You don't just create compelling stories, you see them as clearly as a movie in your mind. You have a knack for details and dialogue. You can really make a character come to life. Chances are, you enjoy creating all types of stories. The joy is in the storytelling. And nothing would please you more than millions of people seeing your story on the big screen!

OK, the weekend is coming and I want to go to the movies. I want to see "The Forbiden Kingdom", 'cause I love Kung-Fu movies. But the Missus isn't really a fan and I don't want to force her into sitting through 2 hours of hell (see, I am a good husband).

I think she'd prefer seeing "Baby Mama". Anything to do with babies- she's there. I like Tina Fey, but I'm not into babie-themed movies.

I suppose we could compromise and go see "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanomo Bay", but that means I don't get to see "The Forbiden Kingdom". See, I'm selfish.

So, what do I do?

One of my new LJ friends, booraven22, had this i-pod/i-tunes meme on her page and I thought it was fun, so of course I'm gonna 'borrow' the idea and post it here.

Put your i-pod (or CD player, if no i-pod)on shuffle and the songs that come up should answer these questions. Here I go:

1) Will I get far in life? "So What?" - Ministry
Uhmmmm...not exactly what I expected...not a good omen, I think.

2) How do my friends see me? "The Game of Love"- Santana w/Michele Branch
Not sure how this answers the question..odd. My i-pod oracle is being obtuse!

3) Will I get married? "Behind the Wall of Sleep"-Smithereens
Silly question since I am married already. If I were still single, I may be concerned.

4) What is my Theme song? "Gimme Shelter"- Sisters of Mercy
Awesome! An awesome cover..totally fits me, yes it does.

5) What is the story of my life? "How far we've come"- Matchbox Twenty
Meh. Whatever.

6) What was High School like? "Cobrastyle"-The Teddybears
eh? I don't really understand the song very much so....maybe it fits?

7) How can I get ahead in life? "Atlantic City"- Bruce Springstein
Haw! Gambling, or being a Mafia goon? Nice choice there!

8) What is the best thing about me? "You're my best friend"-Queen
ah hahahaha...oh dear. Silly i-pod oracle.

9) How is today going to be? "No Peace"- KMFDM
Cool.(gets the Kimber .45 out)

10) What is in store for this weekend? "How long gone"- Brooks & Dunn
Hmmm. No lovin' from the Missus, I guess.

11) What song describes my parents? "Silent Lucidity"-Queensryche
Oh, hardly.

12) My grandparents? "Breathless"-Texas
Well, most of them are dead 'cept one, so maybe this is apt.

13) How is my life going? "Personal Jesus"- Depeche Mode
Hmmm...not sure I like the sound of this......

14) What song will they play at my funeral? "Avalon"-Roxy Music
Haw! Me? (snickers)

15) How does the world see me? "Black Planet"- Sisters of Mercy
heh....sweet.

16) Will I have a happy life? "It was"- Chely Wright
Uh oh....doesn't sound good.

17) Do people secretly lust after me? "Strawberry Letter 23"- Brothers Johnson
ewww....interesting

18) How can I make myself happy? "New Blue Moon"- Travelling Wilburys
eh? Wha?

19) What should I do with my life? "Untitled"-The Cure
a nice song, but that is no answer

20) What is some good advice? "I am I"- Queensryche
(blinks eyes) ???

21) What is my signature dancing song? "When Angels Sing"-Social Distortion
Nice! I can live with that!

22) What does everyone else think my theme song is? "Daughter"-Pearl Jam
Well that would surprise me.

23) What type of men/women do you like? "Ways to be wicked"-Lone Justice
Bad girls, eh? OK, that's workable

OK kids...the oracle gets a little confused sometimes. Give it a whirl! =)

Please allow me to indulge in a little politics for a moment. First of all, let me state that I am a registered Republican, and that in this election I'm supporting Sen.McCain. He isn't my preferred choice and I don't agree with many of his stands, but compared to the other choices he'll have to do. The other two, Sen. Barrack Obama & Sen. Hillary Clinton, are having a very bitter battle over who'll get their party nomination (which is kinda fun for someone like me to watch!). Conventional wisdom says that McCain would have a much more difficult time winning the election if he ran against Obama- which I agree with. Obama is way too popular, and hatred against Republicans is pretty strong (thanks Pres. Bush). McCain would indeed have a much easier time if he ran against Hillary, as her negatives are pretty high.

For almost a month now both Democratic candidates have been campaigning in Pennsylvania in a bid to win the states delegates. Hillary is far behind Obama and needed a good win very badly in order to have a chance to win. Obama had a somewhat rough month while campaigning, making a few stupid comments during a fundraiser, etc., but his lead was comfortable. Last night Pennsylvanians voted, and gave Hillary a much needed victory. It wasn't a huge landslide, but she's considered to be still viable....for now.

As far as the issues go, I'm dead set against either Obama or Hillary winning. I think they both would be horrible for the country as President. As I read and learn more about Obama and where he stands, the more he worries me. I'm actually hoping that Hillary pulls a big win at the Dem. Convention this summer. If she should become President, she wouldn't quite as bad as Obama...I think she'd be a little bit more moderate but still a liberal just the same. Also, as I wrote earlier...if she won the nomination, McCain would have a much easier time winning the election. So, in short, I'm saying "Congratulations Sen. Clinton on your win. I'm hoping you win the nomination". I feel slightly dirty and tainted having wrote that, but I feel that it's the right thing.

I had another crazy vivid one last night, and this one dealt with weight-loss...something I've been kinda/sorta forming a plan-of-attack on.

It takes place in a very large building that is under construction or is being remodeled: sheetrock has been put up and is being taped and plastered. There are step-ladders, buckets, scaffolding everywhere and most rooms are used for storage or are empty. It seems to be the school I'm attending (funny how it always shows up in my dreams somehow), as I seem to be trying to find my classes and my way about. Apparently since everything is being re-done, I suddenly can't find my way around the block. Not only am I taking classes there, but I apparently am living there too....I remember that I had luggage and found a room to stay in.

At one point I guess I had the day off because I was walking about, just seeing the sights. There was someone, I guess he wrote for the school paper/newsletter and he was taking a lot of pictures of me as I walked about. Later the next day I see a copy of the school paper and there I am-on the cover-with the paper's lead story about morbid obesity under my picture.
Woo-hoo...just what I always wanted to be, the schools' spokesperson on M.O. So, I end up being looked at as I go about doing my thing, and I'm very aware of people watching me and everything I do. I go for lunch, and I get a slice of pizza. When I get to the register, the cashier takes my plate and turns his back to me so I can't see what he's doing. He then turns, and hands me my plate...it's dripping wet. It turns out that he pissed on my food.
Anyway...that's pretty much how it ends. I guess you could say that's my unconscious way of showing how many people out there feel about us bigger folks. Deep, eh?

I don't normally remember my dreams. At best, I usually just remember a fragment of it and it's usually the more vivid ones that stick in my head.

Last nights dream was one of those more vivid ones.

It had a "writing theme" to it, so those of you in here who're into writing may be amused by this. I've been tossing around the idea of getting into writing for awhile now, just haven't acted on it. Sometime later this year, I'll be enrolling in a Creative Writing class at the college I'm now attending.
In my dream, I was attending a Writing Class at the school.It wasn't being taught at the school, but off campus at a house the college owns..the "Cooper House" (made-up...doesn't exist), a house where James Fennimore Cooper apparently once lived. It is a real old house, and in the dream we don't just have classes there, but we live there. The class is small, I remember there were only three of us in there: myself, my friend Tim, and another 'faceless person'. We were being watched or chaperoned by a woman on TV named Allison Sweeney (from 'Worlds Biggest Loser' and 'Days of our Lives'). Our instructor was actress Mary Steenburgen (don't ask...we saw her in 'Marylin Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School'), and in the dream Mary was being a real Cougar and acted really seductive. While giving the lecture she would stand behind us and give neck/shoulder rubs, wear low-cut blouses so when she leaned over you could see everything, and when she'd sit on the edge of her desk she'd hike up her skirt so you'd see the tops of her stockings and garters. I remember she looked very attractive in the movie, but I'm weirdly surprised she'd pop up in a dream. In the dream, I think Allison Sweeney was there to make sure nothing 'happened' so to speak. So, that's it...that's all I remember. When I have more of these weird vivid dreams, I'll post about them.

Lazy. I've been really lazy and slacking-off in my smut dealing duties, so here I am with tonight's link. Meet the lovely Klaudia who's busy sitting by a window.



http://www.hq69.com/galleries/body_in_mind_klaudia_windowseat/index.php

What the heck, here's another link. I've got a bad sweet-tooth for Oriental women (rice fever,yellow fever,etc.), so while surfing my smut sites I found this. My favorite pic is the one where she's got her back towards the camera and her wet dress is clinging to her butt. Yup...this is the crap I like.

http://www.artinude.com/galleries/2008/1/rin_suzuka_dreaming_star/index.php

Yeah, I know...I forgot last weeks posting. Hey, it was Easter Weekend, give me a break! OK, tonight I give you Nivia Nery, all nakey and shiny by a waterfall. Enjoy.

http://ltbpangels.com/galleries/2008/3/playboys_nivia_nery_nude/

He died today in Sri Lanka at the age of 90. Considered by many to be one of the greatest Sci-Fi writers, he also thought up the radical idea of placing satellites into orbit to be used for communication. Sadly for him, he never patented the idea and lost out on much $$$.

His passing, along with the passing of Gary Gygax, has made this month a very rough month for nerds.

I was very lazy Friday night and I didn't do my weekly posting. Sunday mornings & Boobies go great together, so here is a link to a photo-set of one of my personal favorite web-models...Ashley Robbins.

http://www.neongalleries.com/156/ashley-robbins312.html

Well, congrats America....you all got a cute little glance at New York politics this week. Our esteemed Governor,er...EX-Governor left his fly down and tripped over his dick this week and now he's outta a job. Well done,Bravo.
I never liked him. I'm always suspicious about these gallant 'slash-and-burn'style lawyers who come in and claim they're gonna clean up town for the little people. They always come across as being phony and disingenuous. He was always way too in-your-face and he always looked like he wanted to pick a fight with anyone over anything. When he ran for Gov. back in '06, he had no real competition and he was loaded to the gills with $$$$$ so he really couldn't be stopped. In his first year, we got a glimpse of his personality when during negotiations over some legislature, he referred to himself as a "fucking steamroller" and would "destroy" anyone who got in his way. Nice, eh? Later that year, in an attempt to ruin State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, he had some staffers use State Police to gather dirt on whatever Bruno was doing. Then, late last year he tried to ram drivers licenses for illegal immigrants down our throats. He failed miserably each time and was becoming increasingly bitter and hostile.

When news of his high priced dalliances came out last Monday, I nearly choked on my gum. This is a birthday-Christmas-Anniversary & Hanukka present all rolled into one for Bruno. Now, I DO feel bad for his wife and daughters...and thankfully he decided not to fight for his job and we were spared a long drawn out political brawl.

Eliot....don't let the door hit you on the way out.

For tonights edition, I give you a HUGE archive of the awesome Dita Von Teese. There are 12 pages of her.


http://girlsmenlove.com/gallery.php/Dita%20von%20Teese

It's been awhile since I've done of these, so here goes:













This one just kills me!

I'm a big fan of Shiro Masamuni's Anime/Manga Ghost in the Shell, and in these stories there's a character named Togusa. Togusa is a member of Section 9, and he's considered to be the 'most human' agent as he's only had minor augmentation. He is also constantly being ridiculed for using an 'ancient' weapon named a Mateba. I had never heard of a Mateba and figured it was a made-up name. But hold-on, there's more!

I was on another sight the other day and the name Mateba popped up and a Wikki link was provided. Apparently there really IS a Mateba, and it's a very unique weapon in the sense that it is both a revolver and an automatic! It is a somewhat awkward looking weapon so I can see why Batuo and Kusanagi give Togusa hell. Anyway...here's the wikki link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mateba_Autorevolver

The Chiller Theatre Convention meets twice a year down in New Jersey, once in the spring and then again around Halloween. The Halloween show is usually the better show but the Spring show is trying to muscle it's way up there. I'm not sure if I'll attend the show in May...$$$ available will decide. In either case, here's the Guest list for the Spring Show (so far.....)

http://www.chillertheatre.com/gt/gtc4.htm