Happily Imperfect‎‎ 2004

I'm in love

Posted on May 12, 2004

She’s a little bit kooky, her mood swings are unpredictable, and her choice of hair colours is questionable. I’m in love with Clementine Kruczynski.

Ohhh sure, it won’t last. It’s a temporary thing, the thrill of the unexpected trailing in the wake of her impulsiveness but hey, what a ride it would be.

For those who don’t have an earthly what I’m wittering on about, the wonderful, vivacious Clementine Kruczynski is Kate Winslet’s character in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Odd film, but the longer it ran the more I started to enjoy it, and Jim Carrey is very good at this kind of everyman role.

A nice message of enduring love, well scripted, well acted, well shot. If you liked Lost in Translation you’ll like this. If you didn’t like Lost in Translation – go see Van Helsing.

Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind

Posted on May 12, 2004

Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind

Jim Carrey plays it straight. Every review said so but this film is much more than that. For a start Kate Winslet is absolutely superb, banishing (finally!) Titanic from my mind. The story itself is merely a back drop to allow the writers to place the characters in weird and wonderful places, both real and in the mind. Visually striking – switching from a dark feel in the main apartment the characters share, to light and distant as they head off to the beach – it’s well directed, and well placed. Yes it’s quirky, and not to everyone’s taste, but if you liked Lost in Translation I’d venture you’ll enjoy this too.

This evening I will mostly be…

Posted on May 12, 2004

Watching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

I’m a big fan of Carrey in serious roles, and I’m looking forward to this. I’ve already been given a ‘tip’ (watch the colour of her hair) and it’ll be good to see Kirsten Dunst actually acting, instead of standing about in wet t-shirt as she did in Spiderman. Van Helsing is also on the list as is The Passion of the Christ (still).

Secret Window is not on my list.

Louise went to see it last night and was less than impressed. Some ladies might like to know that Johnny Depp was cute, but the storyline wasn’t up to much. In her own words it was one of those movies where “you KNEW there was a twist coming and they didn’t really hide it”.

Close to home

Posted on May 12, 2004

I meant to sit down last night and talk about that explosion at the plastics firm in Glasgow. I started to a couple of times, and again this morning, but each time I grind to halt not really sure what it is I’m trying to say.

My current thoughts, aside from sympathy, are veering towards a better understanding of how the loss of life can mould your emotions in ways you never really considered. The explosion was an accident, but what if it wasn’t?

I’m not saying that I can imagine the scope of emotional impact something like 9/11 would have on me or anyone else, but the tragic event that happened yesterday in Glasgow has made me think.

Blogger again

Posted on May 11, 2004

I’ll stop after this.

Business Plan. What is it and why did it prompt the new ‘revamped’ design?

There is a lot of focus (rightly) on the new look and new features (and changed features). But where now? Keep adding features for free? Really? When you are taking on Moveable Type and have been, seemingly, static for quite a while you are losing ground. Everywhere I’ve read posts from the people involved in this re-design talk of it in the immediate past. So is this the first step in a longer term strategy?

For Blogger Pro people, the people who paid for extra features, the only thing we are getting is a comments system, and a restricted one at that. Granted the amount of comment spam that hits most sites means that more of the hosted comments systems will have to start offering some form of spam protection (TypeKey anyone?) but there needs to be scope for people who aren’t (touch wood) affected by this.

I’m not bashing the new Blogger, Google, or any of the people involved but I DO get the feeling that this is only half the story. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’m being too hopeful and maybe I need to remove some of the emotional attachment I have for Blogger (I mean I have a Blogger hoodie after all…) but I’m sure there is more to come, and that the technological changes under the hood that AREN’T being talked about are probably twice as important as those nice new curvy graphics on the front page.

As ever, time will tell.

Foggy

Posted on May 11, 2004

Horizon fades out of view. Impossible to reach. Decisions are based on what you can see in front of you as everything else is grey.

Ohh and the weather is foggy too.