From The Heart

These past few weeks, eyes in general have been poised on the presidential candidate elections of the United States. This once, said process has proven to be incredibly intense, specially on the Democratic side (the side the whole world would prefer as victorious, given the horrid state of affairs thanks to Republican President George W. Bush). Up until now, both primary candidates for the Democratic Party (Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton) have been going at it neck-to-neck, one brushing by very closely to the other. Nothing definitive has been decided yet, not until the majority of delegates has voted in (last primaries will be held in June).


I'm not usually one to have my nose stuck in politics, but I suffer the consequences of a ridiculous, overlong war along with the rest of the world. And being an American citizen, I also suffer the consequences of a government led by an ass-head along with the rest of the American nation (like it or not, because I couldn't choose who to be born to). So, when it comes to an election which could have a strong impact on where we go from now on as a nation and as a people, I can't help but have some strong reactions, even if based on pure emotion rather than on an analytical process.

I don't know when it occurred to me first, but a while after the war was kick-started out of the rubble of the World Trade Center, I became convinced that what could start fixing this world (yeah, the world in general) is another revolution.

Yes, I know it can be seen as a moronically romantic notion, specially in this age of skepticism and irony. Nowadays, the definition of cool is "sarcastic" and not much more. The more heartless you are, the cooler you are, no matter where your lack of faith is coming from. I've participated on this practice of sizing people up by their quality of nonchalant. Being naive has become the worst sin of all, akin to having sucked off an entire police squad.

"Not caring" is the sport of the 21st century. Suddenly all important issues can be found in a copy of the Entertainment Weekly.

So, I am aware of my un-coolness when I say that, regardless of the fact that I know that 99.99% of politicians are corrupted by power or will soon be, seeing these commercials reinforce the notions I've had that what we need is to turn the world upside down.



Maybe what we need is a black president. Or who knows, maybe I'm wrong, maybe a woman would be the right choice. I'm just glad the opposition has candidates that, either way, do not conform to the established norm.

I just hope that the one that wins will show that he or she has the cojones to truly change things around...



... and not let American History keep on this nonsensical course of violence by inertia.

Little Notes #6: Time Traveling with Bunnies

A month or so ago Eze introduced me to the Dr. Who series, starting with the 9th doctor (Christopher Eccleston). This introduction coincided with the season 3 finale of Battlestar Galactica (another obsession Eze introduced me to), so I was thirsty for yet more sci-fi. Little by little, I realize I'm becoming a bigger geek than I thought myself capable of. However, the sheer and full realization of this came last night as I watched The Last Mimzy.



Think not so much in terms of storyline, but more in terms of reference. This is like putting together an old love of mine (Alice in Wonderland) and a newfound love (time traveling) linked together by an element I was called to awareness of by my brother (the Jabberwocky). The film becomes for me, then, a beautiful work of art and an enthralling sci-fi story.



So, suffice it to say (since I have no intention of spoiling the plot for anyone), I'd be incredibly happy to have an adventure traveling through time in the TARDIS along with Doctor Who #9 and Mimzy... I'd be incredibly happy and tickled pink ...

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

This trailer was release on June 28th, and I hadn't seen it until now! How crazy is that! The best ones always get under my radar. This looks like it's gonna be equal parts cheesy, romantic, cute and wondrous. Plus we get Natalie Portman charming us again with her wide-eyed innocence and intensity (just like in Garden State).


... and just in time for turkey! (releases November 16th)

Harry Potter & Willow meet in Middle Earth

I think only fantasy geeks will truly enjoy the self-deprecation and parody humor going on here.

I'm sold! Now I wanna watch Extras...

Little Notes #4: Nothing's Gonna Change My World

... not even rain washing away my shoes.

This weekend was solidly interesting through & through.

On Friday evening we went to Plaza del Sol to get a broadband modem for the wireless internet service by Centennial. After the fiasco courtesy of Puerto Rico Telephone, anything looked better and more reliable than that. We got a visit by Pepe and Rebecca later that night, and one of our first internet hits was the following video:



Across the Universe by Fiona Apple (written by John Lennon)

The video is an instant classic, excellently made, and the song is wonderfully haunting (and by "haunting" I mean "the kind of song that sticks into your head and won't let you go"). I always disliked Fiona Apple a little bit, it was a visceral reaction, I guess. This video changed my mind: I might welcome her soon into my iPod.


I dedicated Saturday to sleeping, tidying up the house a bit more, watching a movie (developing a crush on a gringo in the process - that's SO unlike me!). The day basically was about me waiting to go to a Balún show in Taller Cé at night. It was worth the wait, although the incredibly annoying overabundance of bums and hobos wasn't. It's like Taller Cé is the only place left around for them to go beg to.

However, one thing was timelessly relevant about the evening:

Pitagora Suicchi!


... march with the ninjas! march, march!!!


Sunday was a Sunday like I hadn't had in a long while. I cooked a nice, comforting breakfast (scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, and toast, & coffee and orange juice) and then we went to Plaza del Sol to return the Centennial broadband router (a flopping failure, although without the bitter taste of rejection as was with PRT). We decided to go shop then for a fan and some other stuff for the apartment, and apparently in the meanwhile all heaven broke loose and cried a river onto Bayamón. I had to sprint across half a parking lot to get to my car, almost lost my slippers in the process, and had to do half that sprint barefoot. My feet still hurt.

I drove Eze to Borders (he had a 2-to-11PM shift) and I stayed a while keeping him company until his shift started. Found some nice flats @ Journeys (Volatile Demi Polka Dot, in red ... not shown above ¬_¬ no pics of my red shoes to be found anywhere on the net). They were on sale and they felt so warm and toasty!!! ^_^

And as soon as I felt the warmth enveloping my feet, somewhere in my mind a tiny Fiona A. sang:

Jai guru deva om
Nothing's gonna change my world

Trailer [Spaghetti] Confusion [Pretzel]

A few months ago I came across a trailer that set my body hairs on end and gave me something to really look forward to. My life at that moment was a mishmash blur or Battlestar Galactica, the Sci-Fi forums and Heroes. The trailer I watched that day reminded me of all the fantastic things I was watching and reading. I would afterwards realize I am indeed a natural science fiction freak, since I ate Dune up like it was melted butter.

I failed to save the trailer among my favorites in YouTube, though, and a week later I couldn't remember for the life of me the name of the movie. Several weeks later, someone mentioned Bridge to Terabithia in a local forum, so I went to look, just in case that was the movie... no such luck, other than it reminded me of yet another version of Chronicles of Narnia. Then The Golden Compass was mentioned, and I thought "This is it!", but when I looked I was ... well ... disappointed is not it, because it truly got my attention also, but I had been looking for the name of that movie for so long, it was beginning to seem like I had dreamt it up! Besides, I didn't recall seeing a talking polar bear in the trailer... However, I HAVE to see that! A talking polar bear as guardian to a little girl. I can feel tears galore forming under my eyelids already!

I sat this morning to breakfast with an old Wired magazine and I read a short interview with Bob Shaye talking about his latest film: The Last Mimzy... and it struck like lightning. This is it!

And lo and behold! It was!!!




Funny thing is, Bob Shaye is sort of the reason why Peter Jackson will not be directing The Hobbit, and he is also, I just found out,the producer to The Golden Compass. So there you go!




Those who know me, though, know that the selling point in that trailer for me was the whole allegory to Alice in Wonderland and the white rabbit. ;-)

Animal Extravaganza

Yesterday someone posted a horrid video @ a forum I visit regularly. The video showed a live cow being fed to a group of tigers. Apart from the condescending nature of this activity, what offended me most was the obnoxious voices of gringos who were appalled at the fact that tigers (being the carnivores that they are) actually ate the cow. They were apparently rooting for the cow. Funny, though, that at the end of the snippet, a tourist trolley comes barging into the scene. I'm not aware whether the sides of the trolley are protected by acrylic sheets or if it's an open vehicle, but in the video (and with a little help of my overactive and morbid imagination) it almost seems like they're bringing in a bucket of fried chicken to the tigers.

The video reminded me, though of a video I had seen the day before:



The tables of nature are turned by sheer force of organization and team work. Watch the whole video, if you can. The end is very worth it.
EDIT: I hadn't noticed that I had blogged this video on my last post. If you saw the video on Tuesday's post, don't bother, it's the same one. Unless you're like me and want to watch it again! :-D

After that, I was hooked for the rest of the afternoon and the evening, and went through an animal video spree. These were the highlights (my favorites):


Sometimes we don't even amount to the other other white meat ...



Elephants are said to have a good memory. Big cats have attitude enough for an immediate response, for lack of an elephantine memory.

And talking of elephants...


All work and no play makes Dumbo a square peg in a round hole. Even elephants have their fun.



I had never seen or heard a bird such as this. And the fact that it can even imitate a power tool is awesome and heart-breaking at the same time.

WARNING! High Ick Factor Ahead:


As far as carpets go, I don't want one like the Deer Cave carpet. Thanks.

1 Buffalo, 2 Buffalo, 3 Buffalo

Nature will sometimes surprise us through organized action. Makes you think that perhaps, regardless of how civilized, and hence special, we think ourselves to be as a species, we're not so unique after all.



Empathy is, after all, another variation of "survival of the strongest".

The Other Side of "Closer"

Thanks to PandoraFM (one of the hybrids Ezequiel mentioned in Frecuencias Alterna's blog), I found "the softer side of Closer".

While Nine Inch Nails has created an anthem for gritty, dirty, animal-like sexuality, The Tiny offers through lyrics and video the raw reality of what human relationships go like.

Now I'm thinking maybe, I was stoned
I felt my feet lift off the ground
And my heart was screamin'
at my bones. I need you closer.
As he's in the middle of the street
then I pretend he's mine to keep.
Cars are running fast on both sides
of his head
as his eyes ain't closin'
closer closin'
I met him when the sun was down
The bar was closed
we both have had no sleep
My face beneath the street lamp
it reveals what it is lonely people see
closer closer
closer closer
And you're close enough to lose
close to the point to where you know that your mind
it cannot chose
close enough to lose
close enough to lose your heart
Now I'm thinking maybe
I was stoned I felt my feet lift off the ground
and my heart was screaming at my bones
I need you closer
closer closer
You met me whent he sun was down and the bar was closed
we both have had no sleep
my face beneath the street lamp
it reveals what it is lonely people see
closer closer
closer closer
than you're close enough to lose
close to the point where you know that your mind
it cannot choose
close enough to lose
close enough to lose
your heart

It's not easy to keep love as lively as when it begins. It's not easy to keep the heart of a relationship beating through hardships and emotional winters, while also keeping your own heart uplifted. Sometimes we draw apart, sometimes the space sneaks in between both hearts. As the honeymoon's over and the mold and soot of time start setting in, most of the times the butterflies in our stomachs die, queasiness ensues. We all want to believe love is forever, that our commitment will be effortless, that we're meant for each other without question and that life will make it so. Effortless love and commitment don't exist, though. The realization of this, and that you are two separate human lives struggling to stay together through thick and thin without losing your individuality ... that realization tastes of glum tears.

Now it's up to you then ... do you push on, for the sake of your love? Do you bail out for the sake of your self?

Or do you find a middle ground?

... Sometimes, we don't even get to the point of the realization, we don't get the chance to ask ourselves these questions, we don't get a chance to answer. Sometimes the space that sneaks in between your hearts does all the talking, you just get to walk away before it gets into your heart too.

So, I count myself fortunate to be able to ask and ponder. Those of us that do are the lucky ones.

Men I Love - Part 1: Eddie Izzard

Just because I like to share the things I like and love, plus today I felt in the mood to get a dose of Izzard:


Hit the 3:00 minute mark to hear the funniest, best - and most resounding - line ever!

And I'm glad to say I finally got this part of his Dressed to Kill stand-up show:



As I was discussing with my brother the other day, he is definitely inspired by the Pythons, which pretty much explains why I love him so much ...

Sea Bullies

I've been trying to keep up with Discovery Channel's/BBC's Planet Earth at a friend's house. He happens to have High Definition Cable TV (with an HD monitor), so his first invitation to enjoy these new goodies was specifically to view Planet Earth. The documentary series was filmed in high-definition format over the course of 5 years, hence producing crystal clear, sharp images never before seen through television.

This following scene in particular was the one that hit me the strongest. Scary as shit, imposing ... it demands newfound respect for the Great White...

Cute Videos Part 1

I hope not to be doing this too often in here. I have the habit of bookmarking everything. I may not be your regular storer or "trinkets-saver": this would be the kind of person that saves everything he/she comes across, down to the last newspaper, which would be somewhere among the pile of yellowed papers from 1968 right by the fridge. I don't do that. However, I do the equivalent in cyberspace: bookmark pages I like, pages I deem relevant, pages I think I might want to keep up with, pages which at some point might prove useful, someday ... That's why I love del.icio.us so much.

I also bookmark in places I have a profile like Youtube.com or Bettycrocker.com. And some days, when I'm bored, I like coming back to those bookmarks, while away a bit of time.

Well, today is one of those "dead-day-at-work" days, so I'm gonna come forward a bit and share some of the "cute" videos in here (kind of as if the CuteOverload gods had taken over me)

#1 - Dog Tickles Baby

The amount of controversy this video has aroused is absurd. Some people (roughly a half, maybe more) think that it's dangerous to let such a big dog play with a baby. Others think dogs are lovable, tender creatures when treated well and taken care of, hence it would be very improbable for a dog in a situation like the video shows to turn on his owner's baby and attack. I agree with the latter half. With some exceptions, specially some races of dog that are typically more aggressive than the others (like the chow-chows), most big dogs are of a gentle temperament, and will take care to be gentle around smaller creatures, specially if they can "smell" they are babies. Next video proves the point.


#2 - Siberian Husky & Kitten

This is just plain fucking cute! No more explanation needed!

#3 - Kawaii

This little girl would floor everyone at talent shows like American Idol by force of charisma alone.


#4 - Bengal Kitten (23)

This video has become part of the family lore. "Twenty-three" is something I say fairly often as a response to "Really?" ... It's silly, and my boyfriend finds it annoying. But the memory of this kitten chattering away at the window always brings me a smile.

#5 - El Metro

It may not be cute 'per-se', but it's incredibly touching. That's the kind of hang-out I find romantic and wins me over. No flowers and candlelight over bubbly champagne could compensate for an adventure-ridden night in the subway system!

#6 - We Will Rock You (Water)

Imagine Queen's classic hit "We Will Rock You" performed by a 7-year-old water-balloon-kid ... cute!

#7 - Otters holding hands

This video traveled 'round the globe quite recently. The end is the part that makes it worth it. Heart melting!