Moving on up and up and up and...

Time for an update,

Well I have a number of movie and television reviews to discuss in the near future - but I thought that I should have something else to talk about too.

After the rather turgid drama of the last week or so I've been a little raw around the edges when dealing with people. Even the most optimistic of us probably have their down periods too, and I found myself definitely in need of rejuvenation.

Following a bit of a behind-the-scenes dispute, I found more drama's unfolding with some people at work. Unfortunately cool, calm and educated Conan was a bit cranky - so there were a couple of flashpoints last week. Luckily I recognised why I was being so snappy and was able to talk over the various issues with those involved.

The key to communication is to remember that nobody thinks the same way. Words have different associations to different people, and for fluid communication to exist both parties need to be willing to push aside their own negativity to accept what others are saying - and to be able to ensure that your own message is being clearly receieved. Something the last few weeks has reminded me of.

So, when faced with people who were able to put their own prejudices aside in the spirit of open communication, a lot of good was done. :) (And yes, that also includes yours truly...)

Which led to my going to my first training session for the year with both a clear conscience and good will. Which was both marred by the discovery I had put on 2kgs - lol, too many chocolates and bikkies for Conan - but my fitness level had exceeded what my trainer had expected. I'm now on a much more rigourous cardio and weight program. It's daunting, but my body is beginning to get back into shape. I also am burning considerably more Kjs than before, and my muscle tissue has grown.

The business is picking up as well - despite a couple of hiccups, one of which arose from my not changing all the information on the site. Easily fixed, but I berated myself for overlooking it initially. I'm investigating going into Ltd Liability next month - but I want to get Kapcon out of the way first.

So things are constantly improving. On my list of things to do still, regarding resolutions, are falling in love (not something I can really do myself, but Emile and I are going to be going out some time in the near future with the aim of my socialising and meeting people, with the E-man there as support...) and working on my novel.

Here's to some more good news in the near future!

In regards to reviews - I watched "Transamerica" and "Ultraviolet" (the Milla Jovovich one, not the British series) this weekend. Talk about polar opposites in films.

More on those later... :D

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Storm Front
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun
Mood: Perky, Upbeat and feeling fighting fit!

Review Time: High School Musical

Now there are a lot of people out there who read this blog who will undoubtedly be shocked, nay, disgusted by the addition of High School Musical to my list of reviewed shows. My brother, Henley, is definitely one of them; but I am sure there will be others.

I will not apologise for what I am about to say. I absolutely love Disney's High School Musical.

Sure, sure, you can be cynical about the idea of cashing in on the themes of individuality, standing up for oneself and accepting everyone in the world for who they are and what they want to be - but there is something so beautifully innocent about this show. It's not really made to be the runaway hit it became. The show has that "something to fill in the holiday television schedule" feel to its production and music - and yet it becomes something else... an artifact of some dream ideal of America, maybe?

We're all in this together...

One of the key things that strikes me most about the world of High School Musical is that there are no bad guys. Sure, there are antagonists who try to stop the two protagonist characters from being themselves - but everyone is willing to accept mistakes and make peace with each other. Primarily through song, smiles and being nice to each other.

If only it was that simple in the real world, right?

And I think that is kind of the secret to its appeal. In this time of growing conflict, a simpler world where problems can be solved by people being willing to work things out is a dream we all want to see fulfilled. The catchy tunes and music is popular not so much for its own sake, but rather for its ability to act as a trigger back to the euphoria the viewers feel from watching this idyllic vision of the world.

I know that I wish I could just break into song when I really want to express my feelings - have a little dance number and everyone is friends afterwards. :)

It is hard to fault a show for its lively upbeat nature. I just love to watch this show when I want to relax and feel good. The simple story, the upbeat music and the sheer fun of a musical really makes this show work for me. More so than even Rent - which I almost cried at the end of (I will be reviewing Rent in the near future)

If you haven't yet taken part in High School Musical - I highly recommend it. Put your cynicism and world-weariness aside for a short while and just let yourself be a kid again, enjoying the simple pleasure of a fun world where nobody is left out of the happy ending. :)

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: Storm Front
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun
Mood: Feeling positive and upbeat from High School Musicals... :)

Musing away at loss

Firstly, I want to say to Giffy and Eric, I hope you have a great day today! They are getting married today, so here's to a wonderful future.

Now to muse on a few recent developments. Stephanie and I had a bit of a falling out over the recent posts as it has been taken by some as a personal attack.

I had felt that I had been lied to, and even though my posts did not name anyone and were addressed to focus on how I was feeling about the whole saga, it ended up that I had jumped to a conclusion.

So apologise to Stephanie for that.

I hadn't really felt that it was important enough for me to chase her down to discuss - I had been willing to wait until the next time I had a chance to talk to her.

Now it has been escalated to a big deal when it hasn't been for a long time.

What gets me is that while I have been dealing with my feelings, I have been moving on. There is a lot that I don't tell you folks because I prefer to wait for the outcome.

I do not write about people here as an attack on them. I write to show my perspective of events and to give people a better idea of where I currently am in the hopes that they can understand where I'm coming from.

Stephanie, Astra and those others who seem to think that I'm some obsessed stalker-type have chosen to perceive me in such a way that all they see is vindictive vitiriol in the things I say.

Yes, I am angry at you people for the way you have treated me. And yes, I do think you have been immature.

But I do not use this forum to make attacks. I use it to discuss my thoughts. It's a stream of consciousness - taking points out of my posts rather than reading the whole thing is not the way to approach it. It literally is the case of downloading thoughts and getting them out of my system so that I can come to rational conclusions.

For example, the post over New Years helped me deal with my pain over finding out that Alex had chosen to just stop having any contact with me and to take a step back and wait until I could talk to Stephanie about my concerns.

I was considering stopping this blog and just disappearing. But I've decided not to. I'm not going to be bullied.

I want to just let loose a few things that have pissed me off. But I realise I will only be escalating things. So let's just leave it there.

I know the truth - because I was present at certain events that none of you were. I know what was said and what was done. I am also more honest about those events than any of you give me credit for.

If Alex has an issue, he can call me himself - if he has the guts. Or he can post on this blog and be ready to defend himself. Otherwise, this is OVER.

Conan

Currently Reading: Looking for Jake
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun
Mood: Angry at being misrepresented, unapologetic for being honest

Positive Truth

Well today's post has been a bit of an odd one to think about. It started with some negative frustration, but with the aid of some very special people, I think I can now turn it to a more positive frame of mind.

It has come to my attention that some people have been visiting this blog and ridiculing me for discussing my feelings on such an open forum. They have found amusement in my commenting about the troubles I've been facing, the concerns and emotional problems that I've dealt with over the last year.

Naturally, this upset me. But after some thought, I've come to realise that I really have nothing to be upset about. See, the thing about being open is that you take power away from people to benefit from holding things against you. So I'm going to be open and honest right now. To those of you who found my problems amusing - I feel sorry for you.

The thing about my being so honest on this blog is because I use it for a variety of reasons.

• Firstly, I use it to help put my thoughts into focus. The average human being processes thousands of thoughts and often these can get all confused and muddled - which leads to miscommunication. The whole point of Stream of Consciousness is just as the name implies - it is a stream of thoughts with the aim of getting somewhere.
• Secondly, I know that I'm not the only person who has these kinds of problems and thoughts. By being open and honest about them, I am letting other people out there know that it isn't something only they are going through. Communication is built on open dialogue. By being willing to talk about the things bugging me, I am able to show that problems ARE universal.
• Also, by being open about things, they can no longer be held against me as emotional bribery. Yes. I said something negative. Now that it's out there I can do something about it and move on. If other people can't, maybe they need to ask themselves why.

So the upshot of all this is that it is always best to just tell the truth. If something upsets you - get it out there and then you are able to deal with it.

It is somewhat sad when people think that this is funny - because that suggests that they have something to hide. It is so easy to mock others who have the guts to expose themselves to ridicule. But I have nothing to be ashamed of, and contrary to what some people have said, it doesn't show me in a negative light. It shows that I am human and flawed. That I am willing to show those flaws in the hope of sharing my problems with others in the spirit of moving forward with my life.

And if you think that it isn't working - consider the following:

• I am surrounded by supportive friends who are honest and able to tell me when I'm being a fool.
• My business has recently doubled it's value from the initial outlay, and is showing signs of continued growth.
• I am back into writing and have many ideas for future novels too
• I have started working on ideas for a screenplay, and have the contacts now to get a small film underway in the near future (although with the amount of work I have set myself this year, any film making is likely to be in 2008. :) )

These are hardly the signs of someone who is to be ridiculed. Truth is always better than lying to others, and especially better than lying to oneself. I have made a lot of mistakes in the past, and I have overcome many of them. I am in a very positive situation now. Things are improving because I stuck to being honest, because I have used this blog to help me overcome a lot of my internal issues and because I am not afraid to be truthful. Because ultimately I have done no wrong.

Some people need to learn to face the truth and deal with it. That's what I have spent the last year doing - and it has helped me immensely. I don't see how that is worthy of mockery.

So to all my friends - thank-you for all being who you are and helping me gain so much insight into the universe. I have learnt what true friendship is, and I value every one of the friends I have - and I know that the number of people I count as true friends also seriously outnumbers those who have chosen to mock this blog.

That is an objective and provable truth as well.

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: China Mieville's Looking for Jake
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun
Mood: Feeling good

Review Time: American Gothic - The Television Series

Back in the early days of X-files, when supernatural and quirky television shows were attempting to make a break into mainstream television, there was a series that literally was the Firefly of its day.

The similarities between Firefly and American Gothic are impressive - if somewhat divergent later down the track. Much like Firefly, American Gothic was a series plagued by idiotic executive decisions. Firstly, it was played erratically, rarely in the same spot twice. Secondly, all the epsiodes were played out of sequence - causing many first time viewers to be confused and confounded by some odd plot developments. Finally, it was pulled for low ratings and simply being a series that was well ahead of its time subject wise.

Also like Firefly, it is a series that benefits from an excellent choice of cast and some truly inspired storylines. Rarely an episode is wasted in this series.

On the positive, American Gothic did get to run its course and end on a fairly satisfying conclusion that also left the door open for another season if anyone ever chose to pick it up.

But what is American Gothic really about?

The Devil in South Carolina

At the core of American Gothic is the story of the age old battle of Good versus Evil. In the town of Trinity, SC, a young boy named Caleb Temple is orphaned when his father is arrested for murdering Caleb's sister, Merlyn (short for Merly-Ann). After his father "commits suicide" in the town jail, Caleb finds himself in the middle of a custody battle between the Sheriff of Trinity, Lucas Buck, and Caleb's out-of-town cousin, Gail Emory.

Sounds normal so far? Well how about the fact that Merlyn was actually killed by Lucas, as was Gage Temple - Caleb's father.

Or the fact that Lucas seems to have everybody in town owing him favours.

Or how about that Merlyn's ghost is talking to Caleb and reveals that Lucas Buck is actually Caleb's true father?

American Gothic's core mystery is the identity of Lucas Buck and what he really is. Is he the Devil? A sorceror? A Demon? A Psychic? Whatever he is, he has a supernatural grip on the town of Trinity and many episodes in the series are really about exploring the depths of Lucas' evil and corruption. We see how he seduces the townsfolk into sinful acts without ever being outright told what he is aiming to get.

Meanwhile, Caleb is surrounded by loving people who are not yet willing to accept what is happening in the town. Unaware that their actions are helping decide whether Caleb will follow in his father's footsteps or heed the warnings his sister's ghost is giving.

This is a fantastic series. It deals with a variety of mature themes in a chilling way that lacks the unnecessary voyeurism of current shows. There are themes of rape, murder, lust and virtually every sin you have heard of - yet it is all handled with a subtlety and humour that keeps the show from being depressing or disgusting.

Furthermore, while the theme is the battle of Good versus Evil the series doesn't really pick a side. It presents the idea that not everything is necessarily as clear-cut as we would like. Buck is evil incarnate, but sometimes he is actually capable of the occasional compassionate act. Merlyn is meant to be working for the forces of purity and light, yet she often lets her own feelings of revenge cloud her judgement.

Of course the winner in all this is Gary Cole, who plays Lucas Buck. As has been mentioned in many places, he must be the best villain to ever grace film or television. Cole manages to make a truly loathsome being who is seductive and charming - someone who you whoop with joy when he is outsmarted, and yet also cheer on when he has the upperhand. Right to the very last few minutes of the series, Gary Cole keeps us reminded that for all the evil he commits in the series (and there are some truly horrible things he makes people do) we can't help but like Buck. He gets under your skin with his confidence and good-humour.

Lucas Black, who plays Caleb, is also an impressive young actor - and it is a shame that he hasn't been given a lot of opportunities to prove his talent more since this series. However some people may recognise the grown up Lucas from Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. I hope to see more of this actor - he really is talented.

How to almost screw up a DVD collection

Unfortunately, Universal doesn't deserve much praise. The DVD set is a classic example of how to virtually kill a potential money maker. American Gothic could have been a BIG DVD seller if Universal had taken a leaf out of the Family Guy/Carnivale/Firefly DVD release books.

In those releases, fans were treated to a large number of extras that filled up a lot of their appetite for their series, but also presented these shows in such a way that non-fans could pick them up out of interest and also get hooked into the shows.

The story goes that Universal weren't going to release American Gothic on DVD. In a refusal to admit that the failure of the series lay in the laps of the executives who killed it, they didn't believe it would make any money as a DVD release.

A massive fan petition turned the tide and it was eventually released on DVD. However, Universal has chosen - for some unfathomable reason - to set out the DVDs in order of screening, NOT in order of sequence. How could they do something so stupid. Unless someone has had the foresight to look on the net and learn what the actual viewing sequence is meant to be, this DVD set will fast become a frustrating and confused presentation. Sure- the series is still all there, and it is American Gothic - a DAMN good series. But the order will mean that newcomers may be put off the series by the exact same flaws that lead to the failure of the series in the ratings game.

I genuinely hope someone loses their job over this - as unlikely as that may be - because this could have been a golden opportunity to turn a failed series into a gold mine. It is, after all, the original. Shows like Dead Zone, Tru Calling, Lost and Medium are successors to the throne - and with the popularity of many of these types of shows in this current time, American Gothic could have been a great way to cash in without having to actually spend a lot of money filming a show.

None-the-less, it remains one of my all time favourite series. It is pure viewing pleasure and I guarantee it to anyone who is into shows about the strange and unusual...

Love and Huggles

Conan

Currently Reading: China Mieville's Looking for Jake
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun
Mood:Not doing too badly...