Sin City and Europe

No, the two don't have anything to do with each other. I hope!

I saw Sin City last night with obsidiangryphon and her posse. The movie was visually very interesting. Cartoony would describe it perfectly, if the term wasn't so diluted. The movie is all blue-screened, very high contrast, very noir in lighting and composition. Scenes could've come directly out of Miller's pen, complete with the use of negative space. To pull this off consistently in a full-length live-action feature movie is pretty impressive.
Apart from the distinct visuals, the movie was pretty gruesome. It retained the ruthless, cruel edge of Miller's original work; it's only due to the abstract nature of the visuals that the content of what is happening remains bearable. I'd argue that this movie had the sickest, most explicit violence I've ever seen in public distribution. Yet the way the characters take all of it with the typical Humphrey Bogarth aplomb is what gives its nihilistic world view that fascinating character.

On a completely unrelated note, for those few who might be interested in this I ran across a pretty good collection of articles about the European Union and what is happening there now, including some statistics and such.

The weather is, in a word, perfect. I should be writing my paper(s), but I might postpone it until a bit later, and go for a stroll at Lettuce Lake instead. Tomorrow, Ren Fest.

YAQ

You scored as Professor X. Codename: Professor X Full Name: Charles Francis Xavier Mutant Powers: Possesses the most powerful telepathic mind in the world Charles Xavier was born into the Great Depression years of 1929-33. Son of a nuclear technician, the radiation was the cause of his mutant powers. After his father died in an accident, his mother remarried Kurt Marko, who brought with him his son from a previous marriage, Cain Marko, Charles' new abusive step-brother. Kurt Marko beat Charles' mother on a regular basis, and it was through his efforts to comfort her that Charles discovered his mutant powers. Both Marko and Charles' mother died eventually, leaving the vast Xavier fortune and the Mansion in Charles' possession. He served in the Korean War, but during that time, his fiance Moira wrote to him to tell him that she was marrying another man. Heartbroken, he continued to fight, and afterwards began his travels around the world, during which he met and fought the Shadow King in Eygpt. During this time, he also went to Israel, where he met Erik Magnus Lensherr ( Magneto) and Gabrielle Haller. After a love-affair with Gabrielle, he again left, and his travels were ended when he suffered an attack from the alien Lucifer, which put him in his trademark wheelchair. As he healed, he was cared for by a nurse, Amelia Voght, and they became lovers. To continue his fight, he started the X-men, who then consisted of Cyclops, Iceman, the Beast and Marvel Girl ( codename later changed to Jean Grey). Amelia left him soon after the formation of the X-men, and Xavier thereafter devoted himself to his students. </td> Professor X 85% Beast 65% Rogue 60% Jean Grey 60% Archangel 60% Cyclops 55% Iceman 50% Nightcrawler 45% Storm 45% Banshee 45% Shadowcat 40% Colossus 35% Wolverine 35% Which X-Men member are You? created with QuizFarm.com

Pest Control Issues

Grumble. I was making good progress in writing the paper, and then my mouse decided to go haywire. Visit to CompUSA imminent...

Note to Self

Do not go to CompUSA or other toy stores when in the throngs of mood swings.

But, well, I do have a mouse.