down with ink

Lots of people pick a word for the day, or even a word of the week. But what about a word for the year? If you could pick one word to describe the past year, what would it be?  It could be something that encompasses your life, your work in progress, or just a concept you keep running into on the net.  But the key is to not use any descriptions.  Just a word. Mine = Dystopian What’s yours?

I'm going to try and make at least one post a month devoted to an odd film I've watched.  Seeing as how I've got quite the backlog on my Netflix Instant Queue this shouldn't be a problem.  These might be 'foreign' films (I use the term loosely since the web audience is obviously global) or art-house films, or quirky little dramas that few have heard about.  But they will without fail be films that won't appeal to everybody.  And just because I think a film is discussion-worthy for the purposes of this blog doesn't make it a blanket endorsement.  Nor should these be considered reviews.  I just feel that there are a lot of odd, quirky films that aren't blockbusters that have a lot to say.  Or, at the very least, will make you go, "Hmmm?"  What can I say, I love the underdog.  I hope this will be a section where those who are fed up with run-into-the-ground formulaic movies (don't get me wrong, I love a good action flick) will be able to

I am very disorganized.  I think it is part of my nature, though I am trying to change that, or at least form new habits that overwrite that behavior.  So when it came time to compose this post (which I have made a personal goal to do at least weekly), I decided to try to put together a few ideas that have been kicking around for a while in an attempt to arrange them in some semblance of mental coherency. The first thing that came to mind was this picture: Steve Wozniak reveals contents of his backpack, has a lot of stuff While this collection may be a bit excessive (and more tech than most of us can afford at any given time), it really shows the various ways in which we use electronic devices.  Technology impacts our lives whether we're aware of it or not.  The choice we have then is to decide if we are going to let it overwhelm us, or if we are going to attempt to understand it well enough to make it work for us.  Granted, we don't have to know how the computer chip

Culture.  What does the word mean to you?  Is it the way someone dresses?  The way they speak?  Does the way others behave sometimes offend you?  Are you still shocked after you find out that their actions were representative of a belief system ingrained in them since before birth?  However, what if you're not on the outside looking in; what if you wake up one day and find yourself suddenly submersed in a completely foreign society where not only do you not understand a word of what the people are saying, but the people are fifteen foot tall green aliens with four arms? My stepping stone for this discussion is the movie John Carter of Mars.  (I refuse to omit the reference to the red planet in the title even though the director and/or studios did, but that's a complete subtopic in itself...)  Suffice it to say, for a movie that has such a lighthearted shell, the filling of the film was thoughtfully epic.  I have to admit I did not see this movie in the theatre.  Even thou