quoththeraven

I was 5'2" on a good day at my tallest (I've lost an inch or so since), but since at the time I was anywhere between 8 and 13 or 14 years old when we had those cars, it wasn't a problem.

Not trying to pick a fight, but I didn't like Memento (too much mental effort, not enough payoff), and Inception put me to sleep. However, I really liked The Dark Knight and The Prestige, so I'm not a Christopher Nolan hater by any means. And The Prestige is probably the best adaptation of a novel I've ever seen; I read the novel after seeing the movie and they're equally as good. But if Tenet is anything like Memento, I'll skip it. (Not that I see many movies in the first place.)

My parents owned two Impalas - a 1964 and 1967, if I remember correctly. They were big enough for me to stretch out and take a nap in the back seat on a long trip.

E. Alex Jung lives in New York City. Perhaps what you are detecting is his disdain for what he views as superficial criteria for attractiveness. He has been open about finding New York gay culture close-minded when it comes to the attractiveness of gay Asian Americans like him.

I thought he was making a more serious point than that: looking like a bodybuilder and being shredded trumps any sense of realism (e.g., swimmer's body vs. Crossfit body) and has also reached an outer limit. Where do they go from there? But yes, E. Alex Jung is notoriously a smartass, as a look at his Twitter will disclose.

Hi, I'm here to cause mayhem! Here's the thesis statement. https://www.vulture.com/2017/05/zac-efrons-muscles-are-way-too-much.html Excerpt: In 2011’s Crazy Stupid Love, Emma Stone’s character said that Ryan Gosling’s body looked like it had been The joke seems practically quaint now; Gosling’s toned and tan body looks like just another Instagram thirst trap. Stars like Zac Efron and Hugh Jackman have simply been forced to go even further to separate themselves from the pack, to the point where their bodies look truly unreal. We’ve entered a reverse uncanny valley where the real looks unreal: Flesh and blood human celebrities now sport the vein-popping, skintight muscles comic-book artists could once only conjure in their imaginations. It’s as though the moment you thought that you could do it too, Hollywood moved the goalpost further away. Trying to keep up with the superheroes and the Chrises who play them is like running for the horizon: You can always do a little bit extra, be better than the next guy. But where does it end? Does the muscle bubble pop? I’m worried about the effect Hugh Jackman’s vascularity has on the Scruff community. I’m worried that the Hollywood Chrises are just one scoop of protein powder away from total renal failure. But most of all, I’m worried about Zac Efron, you guys. Argue away, but keep in mind, you're not arguing with me (I see and agree with his point, but I don't watch enough movies, let alone superhero movies, to care), you're arguing with E. Alex Jung, who happens to be a Columbia-educated gay man who grew up in Florida and writes about pop culture (TV and movies mainly) for Vulture. Have fun!

Not Christmas related, but photos of penis fish were all over Twitter yesterday: https://www.cnet.com/news/penis-fish-flood-california-beach-and-yeah-thats-messed-up/

Now that I'm looking again, I think you're right!

No one's mentioned Bong Joon Ho's movie The Host, the central conceit of which is based on an actual incident in which the US military disposed of contaminated water in the Han River. When I went looking a couple of years ago, I couldn't find a way to watch it, but there are a pair of interconnected music videos that spoof it: (Mithra Jin is a terrific dinosaur/monster, I'm just saying.)

It would be nice if talented people learned they can't just do what they want anymore.

Is the dog remote coaching?

I have the feeling the law is written that way to allow pathologists to examine sex organs when necessary as part of an autopsy, for example, when it's suspected a murder victim was raped. But it does look weird.

I haven't seen (and don't expect to see) any of the other movies that are the subjects of threads, so I thought I'd start one on Parasite, which is poised to be the first South Korean film to be nominated for a Best International Film (formerly Best Foreign Film) Oscar, a category it will likely win. (After years of movies that deserved nomination but didn't receive any.) It's already known for being the first South Korean film to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes. But more interesting (to me, at least) is the possibility that Parasite will receive nominations in such categories as Best Picture, Best Director, acting and screenplay categories. After all, it won Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor from the LA Film Critics, has a SAG nomination for best ensemble, and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay Golfen Globes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/joanmacdonald/2019/12/11/sag-award-nominations-make-oscar-odds-even-more-likely-for-parasite/#2bc2c9bd3781 What with South Korean pop group BTS (and Super M) topping the Billboard 200, it would be exciting to see a South Korean movie be nominated or named Best Picture in America. (Seeing as the Academy Awards, like the Grammys, are American awards, not international ones.) As for the movie itself: it's about economic inequality. There's a certain slickness and coincidence to the plot that bothered me a little, and there's a tonal shift about halfway through that changes it from farce and dark humor to tragedy. Otherwise it's really magnificent and observant, with a few bonkers characters and some neat cinematography and use of symbolism and dialogue like "the best plan is no plan" (in context, it absolutely makes sense). I wasn't a big fan of the only other Bong Joon Ho film I've seen, the English language Snowpiercer, but this is great.

More judges gone wild: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/12/11/kentucky-judge-faces-possible-impeachment-misconduct-charges-sex-drinking-guitars-retaliation/ It's not entirely clear to me whether the commission considers these established facts or whether they are allegations subject to additional fact-finding and hearings, but even so the judge forcing a subordinate out so she could hire a friend and bandmate doesn't look good (and appears unethical) without regard to whether they had/have a sexual relationship or whether he is qualified. The allegations regarding pressuring lawyers and staff to help her campaign and retaliating against lawyers who were deemed insufficiently supportive are also of great concern. It's so rare for anyone to be willing to make these sorts of allegations that it seems unlikely they're all some vendetta against her.

Aha! That would make sense. I thought mine was tied to T-Mobile too, but I don't remember why I thought so.

Not directly related to Akhnaten, but I love countertenors. Costanzo isn't the only gay countertenor, either; Philippe Jaroussky, about whom I know because I was looking for YouTube performances of "Pur ti miro" from Monteverdi's The Coronation of Poppea, is also gay.

This is weird, because I have an older Samsung (non-smart) Tracfone cell phone, and haven't been told I need to upgrade. But at least now I know whose network they're using, particularly since it occasionally craps out on me and shows "no service."

You're welcome! They are hilarious. Joe regularly sulks when his owner leaves for work. Frankie likes to be placed high up on closet shelves. Joe is freaked out by it but insists on doing it too because heaven forbid Frankie enjoy something by himself. Frankie hates noise and the neighbor Pomeranian. Frankie also has a Christmas tree shaped marking on his nose. Maybe that's why he likes Christmas trees so much.

And there's more cats in the tree! [MEDIA=twitter]1202724047060185091[/MEDIA] [MEDIA=twitter]1203682289596665858[/MEDIA] [MEDIA=twitter]1202954852533493761[/MEDIA] For those of you with Twitter and a love of cats, theirs is a worthwhile account to follow.

I understand why kids like it, but I effing hate Baby Shark.

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There have been accusations swirling around Choi Joon Hoon for years. Yes, it sucks for FT Island. Unfortunately there are more rock bands around, idol or otherwise. I'm now more of a Day6 fan than an FT Island fan despite my love of Lee Hongki and Lee Jaejin. While Yoochun was convicted of meth usage, most kpop fans believe he's also a rapist who got away with it because South Korean law requires the use of force or coercion. And 2NE1 broke up because Minzy didn't renew her contract and YG replaced them with Blackpink. To call Park Bom a drug user when the drug involved was confiscated before receipt and was legally prescribed and purchased in the States and the authorities chose not to prosecute is a choice. Interesting that this so-called drug user nevertheless is on music shows and Queendom continuing her career while the man who pushed her out of YG Entertainment had to resign all his positions with YG (though he's still the biggest shareholder). If you want to cite groups affected by drug allegations, start with iKon and B.I's departure.

There have been convictions and actual prison sentences in the spycam portion of this scandal. http://www.asianjunkie.com/2019/11/28/jung-joon-young-choi-jong-hoon-3-others-sentenced-to-prison-for-crimes-including-gang-rape/

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So what? Are you saying unregulated work conditions on little to no rest such as those described in the article are a good thing?