the little bolivian boy

Posted on April 15, 2009 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

Perhaps some of you have heard me mention the Little Bolivian Boy once before. Yes, he has a name, as I’m sure all little Bolivian boys do. Both big and small. But I fear that naming him will get me in trouble with the international DCF police, so I won’t risk it. Or maybe CCF will cut off my letters and 10 years later a whole dramatic scene will play out with me and LBB will meet face to face and he’ll be all…

“You never wrote me!”

And I’ll be all, “I did, my little Bolivian Boy. And my, you have grown…”

“Lies!”

“But I did! You didn’t get my letters?”

“What letters?!”

“The ones I wrote every month to you. I admit, times got a little difficult when I ran out of stamps and I kept forgetting to pick them up. Then Old Lady Harris kept asking me to bring in her groceries… but that’s not an excuse, nor is it the point. The point is I sent them because stamps aren’t cheap, son.”

“You aren’t my dad! Don’t call me son! And I didn’t get anything from you! I don’t know who you are… you aren’t even my sponsor! I dis-sponsor you!”

[Gasp] “No! Little Bolivian Boy! I sponsor love you! I swear to your little Bolivian heart that what I speak is true!”

[Turns away] “Get out. Leave this place! And never return. I forbid it.”

“But I’m your sponsor. I forbid your forbidding!”

“Just leave… or I’ll call the international DCF for sponsor abuse.”

“You wouldn’t!”

“They gave me their business card, and I’ll use it.”

“Ok… you win… I’ll go. But don’t forget, I’ll always send an extra check for your birthday.”

“Hello? International DCF Police O’Hannigan?”

“Okay, okay… I’m leaving. Farewell my Little Bolivian Boy.”

Okay… so maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, I just don’t wanna take my chances. And it’s probably not even that big of a deal. But I don’t really enjoy referring to him as my LBB. Nor do I think he would appreciate if I called him Squishy, and he will be my Squishy. No. I shall wait to see what he likes to be called. Or maybe in time we will come up with a nickname together.

In the meantime, would you like to know a little bit about him? He’s currently 7. He’s in school and enjoying studying grammar (which I think works for me, considering I’m a writer… I may need to hire an editor in a few years).

If you haven’t picked up on it, he’s from a Spanish speaking country called Bolivia. That’s partially why I chose him, because he’s from a Spanish speaking country. That gives me another reason to practice writing/reading it, even though CCF translate it for us. I was looking for a little Peruvian Boy… but sadly, I didn’t see any. Why Peru? I know a Peruvian girl who also lacks a nickname and made an empty promise to take me with her to Peru someday. Okay, I lied… no promises were made. Only implied. I implied she was going to take me. I guess I’ll have to find my own means to travel to South America.

Anyway, I’ve always wanted to sponsor a child. I felt financially stable enough to handle a $20-30 monthly contribution. There are much worse things I could be throwing my money away on. Non-rechargeable batteries, bringing dinosaurs back to life, ant trainers, shopping at Macy’s. At least this way, my money is going to somewhere, to someone, who needs it.

My other mission for LBB is to get a picture of him that he is smiling. I’d show a picture, but again, I fear this would violate exploitation laws or something. I guess it’d be different if it were a picture of him and I together or something. That is, as long as he still gets my letters after I blog about him. Don’t worry my little Bolivian Boy, I won’t forget you!

Tagged with: bolivia, bolivian, CCF, donations, scripts, t. sterling
Posted in CCF, charity

tuesday–the other monday

Posted on April 14, 2009 by t. sterling — 3 Comments

Ever have one of those day that you wished you stayed in bed? Those days that it seems nothing is quite going your way? Those days that after 20-some-odd years you managed to somehow wet the bed? I probably lost the majority on that one, and no that hasn’t happened to me. Honest. I’ll admit to being a gassy offender in a crowded room, but bed-wetting? That’s where I draw a line.

But I’m not here to talk about wee toddler life problems. (Ha-ha… wee.) Just life in general. If you’ve had one of those days that feels like “Oh no, it’s going to be one of those days,” then this is for you. Especially if you are not a morning person.

Welcome to life!

Everyday isn’t going to be sunny. Apparently, especially, if you live up in northwestern USA like the characters from Twilight. And did I just make an obscure Twilight reference? Yes I did. For no reason. It’s weird how I stopped caring about how pale everyone in the movie looked by the time the movie was over. I also almost sorta forgot the movie was even about vampires and forbidden love. Okay, maybe not. But yeah, that movie surely snuck up on me and made me like it. I hate you Twilight, and for that I may end up in a theater to see the sequel. I hate that I love you. I wish I knew how to quit you. Curse you.

Mondays. Wait, no. Tuesdays. It’s like Monday though. Especially if you didn’t have school/work on Monday. Basically it’s just the dreadful beginning of the week. I need to find motivation for getting up and getting the job started. Sometimes wearing myself out the night before works. I get so worked up that I’m knocked out by 10pm. That usually involves dancing like the Peanuts gang in my room for a good hour to whatever iSaac might be playing at the time as long as it’s got a solid up tempo beat.

Or perhaps I’ll plan to prepare myself an unlawfully good breakfast when I awaken from a stupendous slumber. I think this is where it might help to have a clone, or a wife, or a man-servant, to prepare this for me, so I can wake up to the smell of bacon, eggs, pancakes, french toast, coffee, orange juice, milk, apple juice and a napkin. Oh, how I love the smell of napkins in the morning!

That might not work for you. And to be honest, it doesn’t always work for me either. It’s not that I think Tuesday (or Monday) will be dreadful. I know it is. I don’t want to find out if I’m right or wrong.

And staying in bed doesn’t help matters. It gives me flashbacks of having the flu. The pampering and sympathy is nice, but cabin fever will quickly put a stop to that. And no, not that horrible movie. Hey, I personally did not like it. I don’t care if it was supposed to be subtle humor! That was the first time I lost my appetite and I was really enjoying my cup of ramen noodles. I’m so glad I wasn’t eating extra saucy BBQ or buffalo wings. [Cringes.]

So how can one escape the Monday Morning blues? Escape from your bed. Immediately! Staying there will only prolong the onset of Monday’s dread-lock. Considering you are awake and giving yourself the too-tired-to-care stare in the mirror, crack a smile. They say smiling is contagious. So is yawning, but don’t do that! Stop it. If you feel it coming, start laughing. Out loud. Loudly. And shake your head side to side so that (if applicable) your hair does a silly dance.

Continue this until you consider the possibility of someone walking by knocking and/or poking their head in to see if you are feeling okay. If you live alone, and someone does this… then apparently you aren’t alone and you might begin to be in terror. Regardless, it’s a different start to your morning and your day might not be as doomed as you dreaded. Don’t believe me? Try it. In the meantime, I shall relish in the thought of knowing there will be a number of people across the planet actually doing this. Besides me, of course. However, I wonder how many of said people will be enjoying a delicious breakfast afterwards. Just a thought.

Tagged with: bed-wetting, breakfast, dancing, dreading, monday, movies, t. sterling, tuesday, twilight
Posted in breakfast, energy, wisdom, writing

fripodding and (boom)boxing: “do you feel me” – anthony hamilton

Posted on April 10, 2009 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

I got a new toy this week. An iPod/CD player/radio boom box. It’s pretty sweet. Now iSaac can sit in a dock and charge (or stay charged) while he plays sweet tunes all day whilst I work. This boom box is also portable, which means after 10 years, I’ll need C batteries again. Do you know the last time I’ve even seen a C battery? Neither do I. But I will look for them. And they may cost a wee bit more, but I’m going to look for rechargeable ones. Hey, I have a serious charger station that fits them all. Why not? Maybe I want to share my tunes on the beach or at the park. Why not?

This week, or actually, every other day it seems (or on repeat as I’m typing this), I have this particular soulful song by a seriously soulful dude by the name of Anthony Hamilton. Maybe you heard of him. For me, he first appeared in the Nappy Roots song “Po’ Folks.” Then he came out with his own album which I liked, but sadly I didn’t get anymore after that. Can’t say why, but it’s got nothing to do with him or his talent. (Check out this link about him, and the songs I just mentioned.)

Anyway, this song called “Do You Feel Me” is featured in the movie American Gangster starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Not a bad movie, and at the time, the song didn’t catch on for me. Hamilton is actually seen in the movie singing the song too, so that was cool. But it was Internet radio that played the song that caught my ear. Between that slow and soothing organ with a steady beat mixed with some horns… and of course Hamilton’s scruffy voice pleading to a woman to tell him what’s on her mind.

I love the lyrics to this song because I relate to it. I’d imagine a lot of guys would. But the man in this song is trying to figure out what this girl wants from him, or if she even wants to be with him. Apparently, she’s not really saying much at all, and if she is, it’s in special girl-code that very few guys can crack. And my female friends have admitted to doing things like this, where they either put up a front or a mask to hide their emotions and true feelings. Guys are guilty of this too. But I haven’t heard one as moving and grooving as this one is. You know it’s good when start tapping your feet, bobbing your head, screwing up your face, and eventually sing along when you know the words. Even if you don’t, you just might hum along with it. But that’s also what happens when it’s on repeat.

As I mentioned a bit earlier, I also like this song because of the sound. It’s got a strong sense of classic soulful 70’s feel. (Which would make sense because I think that’s the time the movie takes place.) But most of you know I’m a sucker for old school anyway. No exception here. Give me more music like this and I’ll probably be a fan for life. I think this song is only found on the American Gangster soundtrack, but I bought the song alone from iTunes. And it’s currently still creeping it’s way up to my Top 25 Most Played songs.

Tagged with: t. sterling
Posted in fripodding, ipod, movie, music

the trouble with sam

Posted on April 9, 2009 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

I keep mentioning that I need to replace Sam. I’ve been saying this for a couple years actually. It probably started when I lost the bumper, or I started having my first bouts of engine trouble. It’s hard to say, but every time I get it fixed, I go back to my mantra “as long as it drives.” But I don’t know how much longer that will put me or any passengers I’m carrying at ease. Frankly, it’s a bit embarrassing the way it drives and chugs along like the Little Engine That Could. Mine is the Little Engine That Doesn’t Want to but Will (For Now). I’d tell you what’s wrong with it, but I honestly I don’t know yet. Not until tomorrow. This may be Sam’s last check up.

Last night I started preparing for real to get a new car. Each time I get into car shopping mode, I re-research all the tips and facts about cars, what to look for, what to say, what to ask, print outs, sales, so forth. I’m definitely not a master at buying a car, but I don’t want to be hoodwinked either. I can’t say whether or not I was tricked with the purchase of my current vehicle, but I do know that I knew nothing about buying cars and was suckered into buying one the day I walked in. I probably got slapped with a bunch of extra charges I didn’t need. Live and learn, right? Which is probably why I still owe $10,000 on the car still. I rather not get into details right now.

Basically, this weekend I will make up my mind what to do with Sam, and what Sam’s replacement will be. I’m 85% sure it will be a Hyundai Santa Fe. When I go to get Sam checked out at it’s original Nissan dealer home, a salesman told me he’d look into finding me a Santa Fe that I asked for. If I don’t like the deal, I’ll go up the street to an actual Hyundai dealer that was actually very helpful and didn’t pressure me. No offense to other car salespeople that are honest and non-harassing… I just dealt with so many of people that I got a good spectrum of whom I feel more comfortable buying a car from, and the dude from Hyundai may be the one that gets my money.

Not only am I looking for a decent deal, but a deal that works for me and my personal economic troubles. I got my credit report and credit score. I don’t know if credit scores are supposed to be guarded like how much money you make, but let’s just say it’s not poor, but it’s not where I thought it would be or where I’d like it to be. Fortunately, I think it’s better than last year… I can’t remember what it was last year though. But I’m aware that a low score won’t help matters. And contrast to popular belief, it does not hurt you to check your own credit history. I’ve had enough dealers tell me that already. Besides, I’ve also learned to just print out what they will look up anyway. But I’m hoping in these tough times, especially with car dealerships, they might be more willing to take on a risk like me. Especially if they know that I know what I’m talking about. I’m no expert; I’m just informed and aware. So I give credit where credit is due and thank websites like carbuyingtips.com for being around to help guys like me. Because of that, I will go back to the dealer with my “folder” and ready to talk business. The site is more for buying a new car, but it’s generally helpful to buying any kind of car.

Even though I’ve pretty much made up my mind as to what I want, what are some other good cars I should look into? My other thoughts besides getting another Altima or Santa Fe included a Toyota Corolla or Yaris, mostly due to gas mileage. I’m not looking for brand new, and I’m looking for something cheap. I don’t like hatchbacks and I’m not crazy about SUVs unless they are similar to a Santa Fe (even though they aren’t necessarily known to be that great on gas either, I’ve always wanted one). I’m also open for names of the new car. I’m looking for names that aren’t limited to genders like Sam (Samuel or Samantha). I don’t have any in mind yet, I’ll need to get a feel for the car first, ya know?

Tagged with: altima, cars, dealership, hyundai, nissan, santa fe, t. sterling
Posted in car, economy, fix, poll, road trip, shopping

life strikes again

Posted on April 9, 2009 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

I’d like to say that I haven’t been blogging as much as I said I was going to because I’ve been busy writing up some awesomely hot blogs, poems and scripts that I’d post over the weekend. Unfortunately, that’d be a lie. But I did write a couple blogs, but they were time sensitive and it’s now too late to post them since they are no longer relevant. I have been busy though. Partially with work at the office, mostly with family, completely with life altogether.

We recently lost a member of our church family. Mr. Sean Shaw. I can’t say that I was close to him, but he was close to our family and his passing was certainly unexpected. He will dearly be missed by many, including myself. I didn’t say words at his funeral, and if I did I would just reflect on his energy and what I called his “gung-ho” for God. Every once in a while, the men from my church would walk up and down Main Street in Middletown passing out fliers to our church inviting anyone and everyone. Sean loved it and talked to every single person he saw. The man had that confidence that I know for a fact I don’t have. I’m still a bit shy and timid to walk up to a complete stranger. Especially if they have no interest in talking to me whatsoever. But I admired that about Sean and his quest for knowledge even if that meant calling my dad five times a day. I enjoyed the conversations we had at times. We didn’t have many, but when we did, they were insightful or inspiring. It was all good. Rest in peace, Sean.

Another time consuming problem is replacing Sam, my car. In case you are curious, he (yes, he) is a 2002 Nissan Altima, with 105,000 miles and a missing bumper. I bought it in 2005 and still owe $10,000. Based on the infamous Blue Book, I doubt I’d get more that $3,000 for it. But definitely not running like it should, and Sam no longer knows how to heat the car. Due to engine troubles, it’s time to let Sam go which means getting a new vehicle has become top priority. So from last Saturday to the Saturday after next, I will be in the process of obtaining a new vehicle. Preferably a Hyundai Santa Fe. More on this in another post, but it does relate to the poll on the side bar.

Other life events include picnicking with Kitten. We had planned to spend the day at the park due to what we thought would be good, sunny, warm weather after it had been so rainy and cold the past couple weeks. Unfortunately, both days we planned for this ended up switching up to be cloudy, rainy, windy and all around not good picnic weather. In fact, it snowed yesterday. Anyone ever have a picnic in the snow? I’m sure its fine, but we wanted to not be cold. So we had our picnic at her place on the floor as we watched a peculiar Steve Martin flick. Then we did some car and apartment shopping.

Work isn’t going too bad. I guess you could say I joined the newsletter group. They call it Credentialing Chronicle. I told them I’d write whatever they wanted me to after giving a list of interests and even a sample of some of my writings. Guess what they picked? Movie reviewer! Works just fine for me. My first movie reviewed for them was Slumdog Millionaire. I’ll post that here too. I’m still in the process of figuring out WordPress and if I can post the review separate. Whether I do it or not, it doesn’t truly matter. But I know I haven’t been writing any reviews lately, which were usually posted via MySpace, which I’m barely on these days. Amazingly I’ve been on Facebook more than I imagined. I blame Twitter because I have the two accounts linked… and some of you know how often I tweet, so that’s why it looks like I’m on Facebook all the time. But I enjoy the comments.

As always with me and many others in this country, money seems hard to come by. I’m super thankful I still have a job that not only supplies me with a decent paycheck, but that I get a paycheck. I’m not complaining or bragging. I just know how to appreciate and be grateful. But, I need more money. I need to set some time somewhere to write something to start sending to festivals and such. You can’t win if you don’t play, right? And if winning includes cash prizes, then that’s at least one less car payment or a couple bills or possible a loan I can cross off my list. Every little bit helps.

Lastly, the thing I need to get to is writing to my little Bolivian boy. Even with all the money issues I have, I’m not going to stop what I started with CCF. I got an updated picture that looks as depressed as the first one. At least he’s in school now, so that’s good. Plus his birthday is coming up in July and I know it takes a little while for letters to get from here to there, so I need to get on that. I prefer to hand write his letters. And I need to get a new picture of myself to send to him… I should probably smile. Maybe he might get the hint.

Tagged with: t. sterling
Posted in car, church, life update, office

fripodding and shooting: “i shot the sheriff” bob marley

Posted on April 3, 2009 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

It’s been a while since iSaac and I sat down to discuss iPicks. But it’s just like riding a bike I suppose. Okay, maybe it’s nothing like that at all…

Today’s friDay friPod iPick is coming from the legend known as Bob Marley. True story, I just started listening to his music a couple months ago. I know, I know… Where have I been the past 30 years or so. Well, I’ve only been alive for 23 of those years, and the first 5-10 years I didn’t have much choice to choose or exposure. But I was definitely aware of him by college years when every other dorm room had a Marley poster.

I’ve been listening to a lot of music the past couple weeks, so it wasn’t exactly easy to just pick one. But I say, why not this one? It’s awesome and I’m listening to it while I’m thinking about it (which was mere hours ago). But it’s also a tune that you don’t mind getting stuck in your head and singing all day (as long as it’s not too loud and off key or else someone would think you actually shot a sheriff). And hey, there are now quite a few Marley songs I like and could’ve picked… but let’s talk about this one.

I love stories. I love songs that tell stories. This song is a story about a man who is being accused for killing the sheriff’s deputy. But no! The man didn’t shoot no deputy. He shot the sheriff. A mean, bad sheriff. Is there a deeper meaning to this song than what I’m listening to? I couldn’t tell you. Personally, I don’t really care. I do know Marley wanted to say “I shot the poilce” but I’m sure he also wanted the song on the radio (don’t forget, it was the 70’s… NWA was in the 90’s).

But I’m loving the imagery I see in my head as Mr. Marley tells this story about this cold yet mild mannered gardener who shot an even colder Sheriff John Brown who hated him for apparently no reason at all, and killed his seeds before they grew. Stomping and killing all his seeds and plantlife before they could really flourish and grow. (Of course, this could also mean anything that this man did, from good deeds to even raising children, the sheriff did not like and put a stop to it.) So one day the mild-mannered man was leaving town when Sheriff Brown rolled up on him wanting to start somethin’ gangsta-ish. And the man was actually leaving town, why not let him go? But nah… had to point a gun at the man who clearly beleives in self preservation and self defense. The man admits, “Yes, I shot him.” He’ll even pay for the crime. Apparently, they don’t want him for that charge. They want to blame him for the deputy.

But I wonder… was the deputy killed before or after this man killed the sheriff? Was that why the sheriff hated him and stomped on his flowers? Or was the sheriff really not the sheriff? Was he really the deputy pretending to be a sheriff? I highly doubt that one, but speculate with me.

Tagged with: t. sterling
Posted in fripodding, ipod, music

allow me to reintroduce myself

Posted on April 1, 2009 by t. sterling — Leave a comment

Good morning/afternoon/evening everybody. Welcome to the next generation of Indoobation!

To make a long story short, the Indoob is all about positively nothing. I jest. It’s about me, my life, and my work. What do I do? I’m a writer of creative trades. Unfortunately, at this time in my life, it’s not a paying job. So during the day, four days a week for 10 hours straight(ish), I work at an insurance company. What do I do there? Well, if you must be so nosy, I first thank God I’m not selling anything. It’s not the easiest to explain, but I’ll save that for another post OR just browse my older posts from my Blogger days.

Speaking of Blogger, why am I on WordPress now? Change of scenery for one thing. I hear it’s just all around better. For all you or I know, I could move up another level in just a few weeks to a few months. But we’ll take it one day at a time. I do miss the things on my sidebar from the Blogger site. I’m aware about the whole poll issue, another one will be set up here at some point.

I’m a big movie fan. I keep a pretty good eye on most things entertainment related. Not necessarily Hollywood gossip, more of the Hollywood buzz. The moving pictures biz is where I’d like to work full time at some point in my life.

Lastly, I’m also a fan of food. You wouldn’t know it if you saw me (I’m on the slenderer side of life). I was just given the idea to write about my foodening experiences at some of my favorite chain restaurants. If you haven’t noticed from the heading, I like breakfast foods and Mr. Breakfast Face was made from an IHOP meal before being devoured moments later.

Other characters to look out for: Sam the car, iSaac the iPod, Silver the Toshiba laptop, Tree the (dying?) money tree and Sally my phone (specifically the voice of the GPS in my phone). As for real life people, there are my family members and my best friends Kitten, Dearest just to name a couple. Special shout out to my favorite Peruvian girl and my little CCF Bolivian boy. They have names, I just haven’t given then names yet.

So again, welcome. Stay tuned. Fridays around here are known as friDay where iSaac an I discuss something we picked to feature on what we call friPodding. In the meantime, follow me on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

Tagged with: t. sterling
Posted in blogging, food, ipod, movie, music, office, writing

have i been missed?

Posted on March 16, 2009 by t. sterling — 2 Comments

I’d honestly still like to say I’m remaining on M.I.A. status, which explain why I haven’t yet returned any of my “calls” (comments). It also would explain why I still haven’t commented on other blogs like I usually do. Well, maybe in spurts… but I’m still not getting around like I used to.

If the truth is told (and you know I’m the most honest liar around–excuse me, I don’t lie, I tell stories), a good majority of my posts are written while I’m at work. Hence the subtitle of the Indoob name: The Workforce Blog. Now it’s also a reference to writing about all work I’m working on. Just in case you didn’t know.

Originally, the blog was about my actual 9-5 paycheck office job, but I expanded it to everything and anything that I could possibly relate to making a living. But, at this point, my paycheck job remains a priority if I want to finance my dreams, and keep eating everyday. And it’s not like the job is difficult, it just requires me to meet my quota every week, and for the past couple of months I had been slacking. So my creator’s/writer’s life was unbalanced with my worker’s life. Surely they can both be blended, but there was a specific balanced that I didn’t keep maintained. So I needed to write a little less, and work a little more, and my blog has been hit with a writing recession.

Besides that, life was calling. On the line there was an ill friend, a depressed friend, a birthday friend, computer issues from friends and non-friends that I’ll charge next time they call, family calls pretty much every day, planning for my road trip, my church duties and such other things that don’t have categories. Surprisingly, I watched more movies (and TV shows on DVD) than I can shake a stick at. And I shook the stick at a lot of movies the past few weeks. So much so, I haven’t even been reviewing them on my MySpace blog because I don’t have time. But I have been able to keep up with people on Twitter (which is linked to my Facebook which is making people think I’m actually on Facebook* all the time).

But I don’t want anyone to worry. I’m still very much devoted to my beloved blog and will return shortly. I’m hoping by April I will have everything back to normal, if not better. April should be a big time for the Indoob. I need to prepare by going to IHOP or creating some breakfast foods. I rather not say why, but to give you a hint: my Twitter avatar has unknowingly become the precursor to my plans.

Funny thing about planning. That’s what I hear that makes God laugh. Sometimes, I’d rather make Him laugh. I forgot the point I was making.

Anyway, I’ll post when I can, but like I said, hopefully I’ll get it all together by April. In the meantime, feel free to follow me on Twitter to see what I’m up to or thinking about.

*If that link doesn’t work, just look me up. It’s the only other social-networking site that doesn’t have a direct link on this blog. Yet.

Tagged with: t. sterling
Posted in blogging, facebook, IHOP, life update, m.i.a., office, writing

fripodding and watching: the watchmen experience-reviews and stuff

Posted on March 6, 2009 by t. sterling — 4 Comments

I wouldn’t dare miss the opportunity to job on the ol’ Watchmen band wagon the day of it’s premiere. And yes, I was there at the midnight showing after there was some brief doubt I’d make it there at all. (My local favorite theaters apparently weren’t having midnight showings like they usually do.)

Regardless, I was there and made it in good time with pretty decent seats. Close to the back and next to the stairs (ya know, in case of emergency and/or if needed, I could be one of the first few to make it to the exit and out safely). I did smell a few illegal substances around me. And when I mean illegal, I mean that it’s not allowed in the theater. Like alcohol. And weed-which isn’t really legal outside of the theater either but that’s another story.

But let’s talk about the move. First the book, and you guys know I read it a few months ago and more or less became a fanboy in the span of the 3-4 nights it took me to read it. I still would recommend people who love storytelling in general, to check this one out. Let me make this clear: this is not a story for children. You can let them read it if you want to, but that’s your parental discretion. I know when I was wee, I wouldn’t have been interested or ready to see/read/understand such things. Granted, I was just born and in my ultra-wee stages when the comics were being published, but still. And there are only 12 comics, grouped together to make one graphic novel. It might take you less time to read it than me, or more… who knows. I was on vacation at the time, so that gave me an opportunity to take my time and really get into the characters and story being told.

But these days in this fast paced world, we need everything here and now. And everyone is looking for audio books and whatnot, but iTunes came out with Watchmen animated comics! This is today’s friPod iPick that iSaac greatly enjoys having in his memory drive. I also couldn’t wait to get each chapter downloaded every other week to re-enjoy this story. Sure, you gotta give up some money (I want to say $20 altogether) but I think it’s worth it if you don’t think you can find time to read it. And it’s worth it if you’re a fan. I still recommend reading it. But at least this way, you know when you’ll be done because each chapter is about 30 minutes long.

You won’t find Alan Moore’s name anywhere except the actual graphic novel itself, and there’s a whole story on that I won’t get into right now. Nor will you find his name in the movie’s credits (at least I don’t think it’s anywhere in there… I didn’t stay until the very end like I normally do). But what I loved about the movie is how faithful, how accurate, how detailed it was compared to the comic. Sure some things were changed here and there and you might not notice (except for the climatic ending), but the messages still rang true. I honestly prefer the comic’s ending and would’ve loved to see that on the screen. Read it… hint hint. Nevertheless, while I struggle to find words to describe how I enjoyed the movie… I’d recommend comic fans, movie fans, violence fans to go enjoy. Not everyone because it’s definitely not a movie everyone would love. The hype was deserved, very much like The Dark Knight. Is it better? Hard to say. For me, anyway. It’s more violent but somewhat less action. Don’t go in expecting lots of explosions and chaos. Again, this is why I suggest reading it first so you know what you’re getting into.

I know there are some out there that will appreciate it without reading anything. And that’s fine. It’s definitely a “guy movie.” If you enjoy Znyder’s 300, then you’d get a kick out of blood and violence here. There’s also a sex scene… so… there’s that. Hey, it’s in the comic too and it was very well done. Oh, and the movie’s time? I didn’t notice it sometimes. Yeah it was long, but if you’re engrossed in the story, you almost forget.

Lastly, I want to mention the soundtrack. I think I’ll get this one. The songs featured in the movie (I don’t know about all of them) are references to the comic. At the end of each chapter is a line or a phrase, sometimes from a song, sometimes from somebody famous. So if you watch this movie and wonder what’s up with the soundtrack, that’s part of your answer. The sex scene I mentioned before had an odd choice of music, I thought anyway. It made it a bit humorous. Which brings up why I love midnight premieres: that full audience gives you a real feel of how others are viewing this movie. You might hear someone else chuckle, and you start to laugh too realizing the humor of it. Or, you hear the whole crowd go “ew!” when someone breaks a leg (and that happened). It’s an awesome experience and that’s why I go.

***THIS JUST IN***
http://www.theworldofwatchmen.com/
You can get the animated graphic novel on DVD now. I forgot that was happening. More than likely, I’ll be back to revisit more Watchmen related things. It might just be my movie of the year. I think.

Tagged with: t. sterling
Posted in ipod, midnight, movie, review, theater