kt moxie

Here's my latest response to the parley question,

"What's the oldest message in your email? And why are you holding onto it?"

While Nicole is a pack rat, I'm an obsessive organizer of my email.  (Actually, I'm an obsessive organizer of everything.)  I hate my inbox clogging up with irrelevant emails.  I periodically go through my inboxes (both work & home) and clear out all emails except ones I still need to "do something" about.  My emails are also automatically sorted into folders by subject line or author.  This way, I know any email that comes into my actual inbox should be reviewed now.  These inbox emails are eventually deleted or sorted into the right folder, too.

The oldest email in my current inbox is my confirmation from Contiki for our trip to Hawaii in January!  It's dated Nov. 8, 2005.  I'm keeping it as a record of my confirmation.  Or maybe I kept it to remind me we are going to Hawaii!

My oldest archived email is from Nov 22, 2000 (Ha!  Over 5 years!  I got you beat Nicole!).  It's from a headhunter.  The one that got me a job.  I guess I decided to keep it just in case I needed to contact her again.  Ironically, I know through the grapevine (the IT community in Detroit is VERY small and VERY inbred) that she is no longer working for that headhunter company.  In fact, I heard she was in real estate!  I guess I can delete that email now.

Oh, I suppose I have even older emails.  I have archive files of my older email accounts stored on a hard drive at home.  So, if you consider this, am I a pack rat, too?  If I am, I'm the librarian of the pack rats. 

Here's my latest response to the Parley Open, "Name ten ways You communicate."

1. The Look: I've been told I'm quite effective at this one. I can communicate "Cut it out", "I'm annoyed with you" or "Are you an idiot?" with slight variations of my Look.

2. Fits of argument: I don't like to lose a fight...

3. Innuendo: - if you know what I mean... ;)

4. Question monger: I often resort to questioning people to death if a) I don't understand their point of view, b) I'm intrigued by their point of view, or c) I'm hoping the will see the faults in their perspective if they have to explain themselves into a corner.

5. Loudly: I've been told that my voice excalates as I get more excited, more adamant, or more amused. I have to blame my family - you had to speak loud to get a word in edgewise!

6. Even keel: In an attempt to not intimidate, offend or enrage, I often try to painstakenly compose emails and other written material to convey "no blame", "I have an open mind", and "Let's negotiate."

7. Silence: Sometimes nothing is more powerful.

8. Teacher style: Though I have left the profession, I get the job of instructor often.

9. Encourager: With children and those seeking my help, I easily fall into encouraging language: "Good job", "You're doing better...", "Do you need help?", "That looks great!", etc, etc... Must be related to the teacher thing. Maybe the mom thing, too.

10. Interrupting: I'm working on reducing this habit, because it's not my best attribute. But, when I'm involved in a conversation, I *sometimes* will interrupt if I feel the other parties are talking in circles or not hearing my point.

Ok. You are right, Nicole. This was pretty easy to come up with a list of ten.

This reviewer perfectly sums up my feelings about The Princess Bride:

There are very few movies that, after 18 years, I react to the same way I did when I first saw it. The Princess Bride is definitely one of those movies. I get exactly the same feeling of giddy delight from watching this that I did back in 1987. As a fantasy, it takes its fairy-tale elements just serious enough that it doesn't feel condescending while still managing a knowing wink at a normally cynical modern audience.

...

The film's two young leads, Cary Elwes and Robin Wright, are perfectly cast, being fresh enough to be convincing as fairy-tale romantic leads while still intelligent enough to be in on the joke. The simple look that Buttercup gives Westley when he remarks that the Fire Swamp "isn't so bad" is just priceless. Elwes has always been good at playing off his looks for comedic effect and he was never better than in The Princess Bride. Robin Wright is, well, Robin Wright, beautiful, sweet and funny.

...

I think better than almost any other film, The Princess Bride disproves the axiom that somehow "escapist" equals dumb. Watching this movie lets you give your brain a couple hours off without having to check it at the door.

 

Watch it.  Again and again. 

Inigo Montoya: Fezzik, are there rocks ahead?
Fezzik: If there are, we all be dead.
Vizzini: No more rhymes now, I mean it.
Fezzik: Anybody want a peanut?

Buttercup: You can die too for all I care.
[pushes him down a high hill]
Westley: AS... YOU... WISH.
Buttercup: Oh my sweet Westley what have I done.
[throws herself down the hill]

Westley: Where am I?
The Albino: [raspy voice] The Pit of Despair! Don't even think...
[clears throat]
The Albino: ... don't even think about trying to escape. The chains are far too thick. Don't dream of being rescued, either; the only way in is secret. Only the Prince, the Count, and I know how to get in and out.
Westley: So I'm here till I die?
The Albino: Until they kill you, yeah.

Grandpa: It was ten days to the wedding. The King still lived, but Buttercup's nightmares were growing steadily worse.
The Grandson: See didn't I tell you she'd never marry that rotten Humperdinck.
Grandpa: Yes you're very smart. Shut up.

Miracle Max: Get back, witch.
Valerie: I'm not a witch, I'm your wife. And after what you just said, I'm not even sure I want to be that any more.

Miracle Max: Sonny, true love is the greatest thing, in the world-except for a nice MLT - mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is lean and the tomato is ripe
[smacks his lips]
Miracle Max: they're so perky, I love that.

The Impressive Clergyman: Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam...

Prince Humperdinck: I think your bluffing.
Westley: It's possible, Pig, I might be bluffing. It's conceivable, you miserable, vomitous mass, that I'm only lying here because I lack the strength to stand. But, then again... perhaps I have the strength after all.
[slowly rises and points sword directly at the prince]
Westley: DROP... YOUR... SWORD!

Here's my parley response to the latest interview from Rick McCallum, a producer from the Star Wars films.

I guess I'm a skeptic, but when a man who has made millions in the entertainment industry says he want to "restructure the process of how television is made", I'm less than convinced.

So, a producer wants to make everything cheaper -  that sounds like "get a higher profit margin" to me.  I highly doubt that making cheaper films will suddenly make my movie ticket cheaper.  Right now, I pay the same for a 100 million dollar movie as an independent film made for 1 million.  Do we really think they will bring down movie ticket prices if all movies are made for 10 million or less?

Now, I'm all for paying the rest of a crew a more reasonable wage for their work.  But, I don't see "movie stars" - and yes, we see films because of these stars - taking the same wage as the camera guy.  Why?  The camera guy is replaceable.  But if you got Johnny Depp, Julia Roberts, or Tom Hanks to star in your film, there's a certain amount of stability in how much money a movie will probably bring in.

So, if a movie is made for 10 million, and the movie is a blockbuster that makes 200 million in the theaters, who gets the money?  Hmmm.... the producers?  Sounds like Rick's theory is a bit self-serving to me.

Here's my response to the latest Parley question, which is:

Your are washed up on a tropical island (rescue is not in the forseeable future) with a generator and a film projector, what 5 movies would you want to have?

1.  Princess Bride - My favorite movie since 1987.  I can watch it - and quote it - endlessly!  As you wish!

2.  Pirates of the Caribbean - Maybe I'll be inspired to escape.  Plus, Johnny Depp!

3.  Kontiki - I'll use it as instructions to build my raft!

4.  The Goonies - Adventure, Pirates, lampoons. Who doesn't love the Goonies?

5.  Finding Nemo - Hey, they got home traveling across an ocean!

I'm responding to the Weekend Parley, which is commenting the following picture:

My first thoughts:  Sweet and scary.  This little girl looks so innocent and adorable.  I can't help but think of my own daughter.  Imagine having to walk to school with armed soldiers guarding my way.  Are the soldiers helping her feel safe?  Or more terrified?

It's ambiguous from this picture if the soldier is guarding her, or if she's "sneaking up" on him. 

The color of her clothes just emphasis the bleak state of her surroundings.  Can a kid really "be a kid" in this environment?

Here's my response to the Fun Friday Parley:

Tom Cruise - when did he go insane?  I remember the cute little guy in Top Gun.  I thought he was great then - of course that was when I had 80's bangs and thought Christian Slater was a great actor.  I was impressed that he landed such a tall hot talented wife in Nicole Kidman.  But really - Katie Holmes?  Plus, we don't want to forget the other Cruz - Penelope.  What is he thinking?  I'm sorry.  He clearly was not thinking with his brain.  Talk about a mid-life crisis!  Let me knock up a cute young actress - then I'll stay in the spotlight.  This all does seem to be more of a ploy to increase his publicity.

And then there's poor Katie.  Can we say brainwashed?  Poor little child has been sucked into the Scientology cult without her mind!  And, now, she's bearing his child?  Ick.   Well, it's nice to know that his other children (with Kidman) are adopted.  Fewer of his genes spreading.  

Let us all bow our heads and pray that this child will - somehow - not turn into another crazed egomaniac.

All right.  I've been neglecting this blog.  That's because I've decided to start a new, topic-focused blog.  It's all for fun and silliness, but please come and check it out...

It's called "Parley:  To have a discussion, especially with an enemy."  Here's my first entry to explain what it's all about:

I'm starting this blog as a little experiment.

A few years back, a few of my friends and I played a game we called "Open" over email.  It involved one person offering up a thought provoking question, or an "assignment" to spur on interesting responses.

This blog is my attempt to resurrect this game, and let anyone contribute. 

How to play:

Read a Parley entry - and respond!

1. In your own blog
(please post a link to your response in the comments)

or - for those of you without a blog...

2. Post directly in the comments

I picked a new blog service - blogdrive - so that I can invite other authors - Yes, Nicole, that includes you!  I'm hoping that I will not have to come up with all the ideas! 

Ah, yes.  I had to find out what sci-fi character I am.  Proud to be:

Yoda

A venerated sage with vast power and knowledge, you gently guide forces around you while serving as a champion of the light.

Judge me by my size, do you? And well you should not - for my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life greets it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us, and binds us. Luminescent beings are we, not this crude matter! You must feel the Force around you, everywhere.