Supposedly, if you've seen over 85, you have no life. So this means I have a life? That's nice to know! :D

Who picks these things???? I mean, really most of these movies are REALLY not "essential viewing". REALLY!!! 

And yet, I've seen 65 of them. XD

(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease

( ) Pirates of the Caribbean
( ) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
( ) Starsky and Hutch
( ) Neverending Story
( ) Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane

Total: 4

(x) The Princess Bride
(x) AnchorMan
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
(x) Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
(x) Anger Management
( ) 50 First Dates
( ) The Princess Diaries
( ) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Total so far: 9

( ) Scream
( ) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
(x) Scary Movie UNFORTUNATELY
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
( ) American Pie
( ) American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp

I'M SURE THE QUALITY OF MY LIFE HAS BEEN VASTLY IMPROVED BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY MORE OF THESE MOVIES!
Total so far: 10

( ) Harry Potter 1
( ) Harry Potter 2
( ) Harry Potter 3
( ) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(X) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
( ) The Village
( ) Lilo & Stitch

Total so far: 11

( ) Finding Nemo
(X) Finding Neverland
(x) Signs
(x) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
(X) Butterfly Effect
( ) 13 Going on 30
( ) I, Robot
( ) Robots

Total so far: 15

(X) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
(x) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
( ) Along Came Polly
( ) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
( ) Never Been Kissed
(X) Meet The Parents
( ) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
( ) King Kong

Total so far: 18

( ) A Cinderella Story
( ) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris

(X) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
() Final Destination
() Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
(x) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
( ) Flubber

Total so far: 20

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
( ) Practical Magic
(X) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
(X) From Hell
(X)Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards

Total so far: 23

( ) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child's Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
() Bride of Chucky
( ) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
( ) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
(x) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask

Total so far: 25

( ) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Sleven
(x) Ocean's Eleven
(x) Ocean's Twelve
( ) Bourne Identity
( ) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Bourne Ultimatum
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
(x) The Fog (The original, 70's one)
( ) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
() Curious George

Total so far: 28

(x) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(x) ET
( )Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
( ) Maid in Manhattan
( ) War of the Worlds 
( ) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2

Total so far: 30

( ) Best Bet
( ) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
( ) She's All That
( ) Calendar Girls
(x) Sideways
(x) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
( ) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
( )The Terminator
(x)The Terminator 2
( )The Terminator 3

Total so far: 35

(x) X-Men
( ) X-Men 2
( ) X-Men 3
( ) Spider-Man
( ) Spider-Man 2
( ) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
( ) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
( ) Freaky Friday
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
( ) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
( ) Shrek 2

Total so far: 38

( ) Swimfan
( ) Miracle on 34th street
( ) Old School
( ) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf's Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
(x) The 40-year-old Virgin

Total so far: 39

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King

(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

YES, I'VE SEEN ALL OF THESE! ARE YOU SURE "I HAVE A LIFE"? XD

Total so far: 46

( ) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(x) Elf
( ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
(x) American History X
( ) Three

Total so Far: 48

( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
( ) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead. Nope, sadly. :(
( ) Willard

Total so far: 50

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
( ) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
( ) Hook
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
(x) Waterworld. Seiously. :S

Total so far: 52

(x) Kill Bill vol 1
(x) Kill Bill vol 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) The Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Evil Dead 3: Army of Darkness

Total so far: 54

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor

YES, I'VE SEEN ALL THE STAR WARS MOVIES. BUT EWOKS? NOW THAT'S A BIT TOO FAR, EVEN FOR ME.
Total so far: 60

(x) The Matrix
(x) The Matrix Reloaded
(x) The Matrix Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
(x) Red Dragon
(x) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal

Now Add them up and... 65
Put "I've seen --- of 239 films" in the subject line and re post it

I don't write journals too often. I noticed that I've posted more "private" than "public" journals in the last year. You don't need to be subjected to my innermost thoughts and angry ranting. Really.

Guess what? Friday (and not Saturday as I had thought) was my 2 YEAR BUZZNET ANNIVERSARY!!!! :D

HAPPY BUZZAVERSARY TO ME!!!

I've met so many amazing people here, and there are so many people that I wish that I could get to know better, but I haven't had as much time recently to hang out here. I know that may sound lame, but it's true.

I joined basically to ogle Gerard Way. I lurked the MCR community for months before I finally joined. It was alright, for a while (doo-bee-doo), but then it was just too stressful. Too many arguments and too many trolls.

Fortunately, after about 6 months, I joined the QOTD (something about feminine boys, I believe). And even though at first it seemed a bit like the people there were in their own little group, I loved reading people's opinions, expressing my own, and finding people I could talk to and had stuff in common with.

That's where I found my friend Seb. He's been the person who's kept me here, even when I felt like there was no reason to. He loves Buzznet, too, and that's always kept me coming back. It may sound ridiculous to say this about someone I've never met, but I feel like I have a friend for life! :♥

About a year ago (?), Mark asked me to co-admin the QOTD. I was so happy!!!(I should probably be all cool and pretend that I was all  "Ho, hum, whatev, Mark, sure". Nope. It was an honor that he trusted me.)

But since then, I've been much busier with work, and I've felt like I don't have time to do a lot of the things I used to enjoy doing here: joining groups, doing assignments, or just meeting people and taking time to look through people's galleries. Now I mostly follow the people on my "Favorites" list (who I love, but are just a fraction of the people on BN).

AND catch up on the QOTD forum. Which is fine, and I do voluntarily, and I'm sure some people would prefer I didn't LOL. But I just thought I needed to keep my "home", my little corner of the internet, clean. Yes, I took it very seriously and over-invested myself. Sue me!

For the record, whatever people may think, I never deleted anyone's comments just because I disagreed with them. The few comments I deleted were because they were attacking other users, or beating a dead horse by continuing an argument after it had been settled.

But, anywho...

There are now more mods (Jenn and Lea) who are there and are doing a great job, so I think it's time for me to step aside.

I'M NOT QUITTING THE FORUM, nobody's asked me to leave, Mark has been nothing but supportive, but I'm eager to go back to being a regular user, to be able to express and opinion without people saying I'm "telling them what to think"; or to disagree with people without  being accused of "attacking" or "censoring" them. I can't wait to get back to meeting great new people, looking at people's amazing content, making silly comments and having more time for my own creative pursuits.

Who knows? I might even write a few more journals from time to time. ;)

Buzznet has opened my world up and introduced me to  great people. I love it here and I hope I'll be here for a long time to come.

THANKYOUSEBMIMICHLOEMARKKASPERRICHSANYKELLYJOHNNYTINAELLIEASHLYVANESSAASHLEY

And lots of more people that might be slipping my mind, and eveyone in the Manics' group, and people that aren't here anymore (Miss you, Rowan!).

Love you guys! :♥ :♥ :♥ :♥ :♥ :♥ :♥ :♥ :♥ :♥ ∞

I think this will help a lot in restoring US relations with the rest of the world, which I think benefits us all.

Anyway, that was the good news to come out of yesterday, but here in Mexico, that news was second-string...

So yesterday, coming back from work, on my way home to watch the coverage of the US election, there WAS A LOT OF TRAFFIC! This is Mexico City, right around rush hour so WTF else is new. As we get closer to Reforma (the main drag along Mexico's business/financial district),  there's EVEN MORE traffic. It takes me almost an hour to get to my subways station, when it usually takes about 20 min.

And now there are ambulances.

As I get to my subway station, the TV is on in a restaurant and a crowd. I see some cars on fire. Mayor Marcelo Ebrard is being interviewed over the phone. Apparently, a Learjet crashed into Reforma Ave.! It didn't crash into any buildings, but right there onto the street and the traffic! It was pretty shocking...

At last count, 14 people died, including all six people who were on the plane.

But that's not the end of it. The real shocker was WHO was in that jet. One was Juan Camilo Mouriño, Secretary of the Interior and President Felipe Calderon's closest advisor. He's the one getting most of the headlines, being such a prominent figure.

But another victim was Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos, former assisstant attorney general, former director of the Commision on Organized Crime, he was in charge of putting many drug cartel leaders behind bars, fighting police and government corruption, and penal reform.

It's been revealed that he had received death threats recently, and his family had been living in a "safe house" for the last few days.

The Learjet was less than 5 years old, and received regular maintenance.

Now they're saying that it was "an accident", although it's still under investigation, but I doubt it.

Just this Monday, there were 49  organized crime-related executions here in Mexico

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/04/AR2008110403562.html?hpid=topnews

Today, the newspaper had a cartoon that read:

"Yesterday, things went black here and there.

In the US,  it  was probably for the best.

But in Mexico, we think it was for the worst".

http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2008/11/05/index.php?section=cartones&id=1

Your turn: Guess the lyric.

I only did 10. Maybe I'll do a part 2 later. :)

1- Life's like that Delicious with clause/You never get the truth just promises galore.

2- Your dream can never earn enough/Ultimate nihilistic love. "Tennessee" Manic Street Preachers.

3- Late dawns and early sunsets, just like my favorite scenes "Early Sunsets over Monroeville" MCR

4- So blue, And violently calm/I drowned But yet I feel so fine

5- I always thought the way you talked was neat/And I dream that when you speak, you speak to me.

6-It's cold outside, and the paint's peeling off of my walls/ There's a man outside, in a long coat, grey hat, smoking a cigarette "Are frien.ds electric?" Gary Numan.

7-Hey there's a horseshoe on my door; big deal/And say there's a black cat on the floor, big deal.

8- There's a new sensation/ A fabulous creation/ A danceable solution/ To teenage revolution "Do the Strand" Roxy Music.

9- The country was founded on the principal that the primary role of government was to protect property from the majority, and so it remains.  "The Masses Against the Classes" Manic Street Preachers.

10-I'm so sorry to hear about the news /Don't you worry, I'll buy us a bottle and we'll drink in the petrol fumes "Picnic by the Motorway" Suede.

Song Of Those Who Died In Vain -Primo Levi [1919 - 1987]

Sit down and bargain
All you like, grizzled old foxes
We'll wall you up in a splendid palace
With food, wine, good beds and a good fire
Provided that you discuss, negotiate
For our and your children's lives
May all the wisdom of the universe
Converge to bless your minds
And guide you in the maze
But outside in the cold we will be waiting for you
The army of those who died in vain
We of the Marne, of Montecassino
Treblinka, Dresden and Hiroshima
And with us will be
The leprous and the people with trachoma
The disappeared ones of Buenos Aires
Dead Cambodians and dying Ethiopians
The Prague negotiatiors
The bled dry of Calcutta
The innocents slaughtered in Bologna
Heaven help you if you come out disagreeing
You'll be clutched tight in our embrace
We are invincible because we are the conquered
Invulnerable because already dead
We laugh at your missiles
Sit down and bargain
Until your tongues are dry
If the havoc and the shame continue
We'll drown you in our putrefaction

Primo Levi
14th January 1985

As seen on the Manic Street Preachers "Gold Against the Soul" album sleeve. I'd been looking for it for a while, since I lent my tape to a friend and never got it back. -_- Found it here:

http://www.thisisyesterday.com/lyrics.html

In my defense, I did try to update this before (ie yesterday), but I accidentally deleted it, so I had to do it over >:(

Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah, Matt Cortez was setting up for MCR and my sister and I were standing near the stage waiting for them to come out. As soon as they came out, everyone started raising their hands, holding up their cell-phones, and about 3 girls right in front of us sat on their boyfriends shoulders. >:x

EDITORIAL NOTE: I’m sorry, but I hatehatehate girls who do this. You find a decent spot where you can see the stage, and some girl has the bright idea of sitting on a guy’s shoulders. I’m sure this is fun for both of them, but it SUCKS for anybody behind them. GRRR!

We realized we weren’t going to see anything, so we spent the first couple of songs looking for another space. We found another spot where we could see the stage and the screen but it was farther away from the stage. I regret not looking for a good spot closer to the stage to begin with, but I always fear getting crushed. I’m a wuss. L

ANOTHER EDITORIAL: I mentioned in my previous journal, I was kind of skittish before the show that there could be “emo-bashing” (fortunately, there wasn’t), so it was REALLY great to hear Gerard say something about it.

 "I want to say something today before we continue. Recently we've been hearing a lot of stuff about some violence here in your country having to do with kids who want to wear black t-shirts … or some kind of bull-- stuff like that. We don't want to see any f---ing violence! We came here for one reason, and that's to be at the f---ing rock show!"

I have to admit, even though I bought my tickets well in advanced, and had been waiting for this for weeks, about a week before the show I started to get a bit jittery that there could be potential for violence: there was a pretty mixed variety of bands, and MCR being on the bill, could attract emo-bashers.

How wrong is it that that word even exists

The fact is, whatever you may think about “emo” or “emos”, it’s ridiculous that in this day and age, kids can’t go out dressed however they want without the threat of physical violence.  

But there was no violence, not even a scuffle. The only time we got pushed was when MCR finished and people rushed to the other stage to see the Mars Volta, but even that was mild. More like a light jostling...

The whole event was so smooth, so well-choreographed and ridiculously on-schedule, it was scary. VERY atypical of events in Mexico city.

Well, anyway, done with the editorializing FOR NOW

When we arrived, Austin TV was playing. They are a Mexican band that always appears masked or in costume, and they don’t have a vocalist. They sometimes have recorded vocal tracks, and their music is indie with, to my ears, touches of surf-rock. When we arrived, they seemed to be dressed as green pod-people, or maybe aliens, but then some “charros” wearing Day of the Dead skull masks took over, and rushed the  pod people off the stage. At the end, the skulls, aliens and pod people were all dancing together onstage.

Next we saw Bright Eyes. I was surprised how complex his music is, since I always had Connor Oberst as a lyrics-centered folkie, but his band really sounds great. And Connor looks really hot when he’s rallying against George Dubya! Unfortunately, when he told the crowd they should be listening to The Faint, who were playing on the other stage, a lot of people took him up on it. Woops!

The Faint was already playing when we went over to see them. They played a great set of their dancey synth-rock, much to the delight of indie kids in baggy neon clothes, which I find ironic. They sound more like the 80 electro usually favored by people in black vinyl. But then again, I don’t think “nu-rave” sounds much like actual 90’s “rave music” either… Oh, well!

We saw a little bit of Belanova, who are cute and Denise was wearing shiny pink hot pants and cat ears, and sounded better live than I remembered her to, but mostly we were waiting for Kinky….

Kinky rocked it, as I expected them to. They are a band from Monterrey that plays dance-friendly rock that borrows beats and instruments from Mexican and tropical music. People were jumping up and down so hard that the floor was shaking (and this was outdoors, on actual ground!), and they were the only band that used the giant screens to project images to go with each song.  

Next was My Morning Jacket, but I have to admit, we didn’t see them because MCR was next on the same stage as Kinky, so we waited there and looked for a good spot. We were pretty close to the stage, and I saw Matt Cortez setting up (really, I swear that's him!)

OK, I have to leave it there for now. I promise I'll update soon.

Coming up: MCR, the Mars Volta (kinda) and Smashing Pumpkins!!!

Stay tuned...

"Everybody knows the war is over,

everybody knows the good guys lost..."

Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow....

"Everybody Knows"- Leonard Cohen

Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows that the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
Thats how it goes
Everybody knows

Everybody knows that the boat is leaking
Everybody knows that the captain lied
Everybody got this broken feeling
Like their father or their dog just died

Everybody talking to their pockets
Everybody wants a box of chocolates
And a long stem rose
Everybody knows

Everybody knows that you love me baby
Everybody knows that you really do
Everybody knows that youve been faithful
Ah give or take a night or two
Everybody knows youve been discreet
But there were so many people you just had to meet
Without your clothes
And everybody knows

Everybody knows, everybody knows
Thats how it goes
Everybody knows

Everybody knows, everybody knows
Thats how it goes
Everybody knows

And everybody knows that its now or never
Everybody knows that its me or you
And everybody knows that you live forever
Ah when youve done a line or two
Everybody knows the deal is rotten
Old black joes still pickin cotton
For your ribbons and bows
And everybody knows

And everybody knows that the plague is coming
Everybody knows that its moving fast
Everybody knows that the naked man and woman
Are just a shining artifact of the past
Everybody knows the scene is dead
But theres gonna be a meter on your bed
That will disclose
What everybody knows

And everybody knows that youre in trouble
Everybody knows what youve been through
From the bloody cross on top of calvary
To the beach of malibu
Everybody knows its coming apart
Take one last look at this sacred heart
Before it blows
And everybody knows

Everybody knows, everybody knows
Thats how it goes
Everybody knows

Oh everybody knows, everybody knows
Thats how it goes
Everybody knows

Everybody knows

There’s been a lot of talk recently about whether Heath Ledger (and before that Casey Calvert and Brad Renfro) killed himself, or whether it was an accident or whatever else. I’m not going to speculate about that, but I have noticed that a lot of people think that suicide somehow diminishes his career and his value as a human being.

Now, I’m not remotely interested in glamorizing depression or suicide. Believe me, there’s nothing “sexy” or “cool” about worrying every day if the last time you said good-bye to your best friend will really be THE last time, about wondering what you could say to the family at someone’s funeral, or about figuring out in your mind the logistics of jumping in front of a moving bus. Not at all. But I also don’t think that whether someone had some kind of inner struggle that they ended up losing makes their life somehow less valuable.

I don’t think it’s for anybody else to judge someone when they’re in such a bleak spot that living somehow seems worse than ending it all, that they’re in such pain that it wins out over any drive toward self-preservation, the most basic of all instincts.

I think if you are personally close to someone who committed suicide, you have every right to feel stunned, angry, confused, abandoned, betrayed… It’s more than valid, but even then, usually family and friends just seem really sad and numb, like the title quote, from the press statement from Heath’s family.

No, there’s nothing admirable about it. Tragedy in itself isn’t admirable. Surviving, living to tell the tale, helping others is.

I want to invite people to stop judging what could be going through someone’s mind when something so unthinkable happens.

If you can’t imagine, be glad.

You’re dead but the world keeps spinning
Take a spin through the world you left
It’s getting dark a little too early
Are you missing the dearly bereft?

Taking flight and you could be here tomorrow
Taking flight, well, you could get here tonight

I’m gonna fly on down for the last stop to this town (What?)
I’m gonna fly on down then fly away (Well, alright)

Get down

Taking a spin through the neighborhood
The neighbors scream “Whatcha talkin’ ‘bout?”
’Cause they don’t know how to let you in
And I can’t let you out

What if I was not your only friend in this world?
Can you take me where you’re going if you’re never coming back?

I’m gonna fly on down for the last stop to this town
I’m gonna fly on down then fly away on my way

Get down

Why don’t we take a ride away up high through the neighborhood
Up over the billboards and the factories and smoke

I’m gonna fly on down for the last stop to this town (Yeah)
I’m gonna fly on down then fly away on my way
Fly away