Asparagus movie

Last night Sexy Librarian and I went to see "The Motorcycle Diaries", the movie about one year in the life of Communist idealist Che Guevara. As usually happens with movies I'm supposed to love because they are idealistic, artistically independent, and critically successful, I thought it was pretty mediocre but with some great shots of South America. I swear I am moving to southern Argentina.

Of course, the entire audience clapped and gave Sexy Librarian and me strange looks when we shrugged and talked openly – so, like, everyone could hear n'stuff – about how we thought it was mediocre.

"There was no dramatic tension in the climax of the movie: we know he'll live!" she lamented.

"He had no flaws!" I pointed out over the head of the teenager in red Che Guevara t-shirt, glaring at me for daring to diss the movie about his supposed hero. "He was perfect in every way. Who wants to see a movie about an cherub?"

Sexy Librarian taught me a term I'd never heard before, an asparagus movie. It's a movie you go to see because it is supposedly good for you, not because you like it; yet you tell everyone you liked it. Well, at least this one didn't make my pee smell funny.

And at least at starred sexy Mexican actor and husband number eleven? . . . twelve?, Gael García Bernal. Even at the movie's most painfully earnest moments, there was Gael.

so very Canadian

Even our failed revolutions are polite. Canada's federal government came to the brink of toppling last night, and yet it survived. Was the explosive ideal set to bring down an entire government the treatment of Canada's aboriginal people? Was it Quebec independence? Alberta Independence? Nope. What almost brought down out government was the inclusion of the words "fiscal imbalance" in a sub-amendment of the Speech to the Throne. I repeat: a sub-amendment (and don't even get me started on why we still have a Throne to which we need to give a speech).

In true Canadian spirit, a compromise was reached and everyone congratulated themselves on how open to compromise and negotiation they were. And even though I mock, I am very glad that these are the kinds of issues that can bring us down. There are far, far worse.

NaNoWriMo

Thanks to Mikevil, I will be participating in National Novel Writing Month in November. The goal is to write a 50 000-word (or more!) novel from midnight, Nov. 1 until 11:59PM Nov. 30. The goal, as they point out repeatedly, is quantity not quality. Quantity I can supply no problem. All you have to do to win is reach 50 000 words (not the same word over and over again, they caution) by the end of November. "No plot? No problem. " Thanks, Mike!

Once I'm declared one of the winners (last year there were 5 000 winners), I'll publish my masterpiece chapter by chapter on another blog (unless it's way too embarrassing). Stay tuned for details.