~*~ My Boho Life: Musings of a Gypsy Heart ~*~

Aug 10, 2004

Hysterical Blindness

This movie premiered on HBO back in 2002, but I never saw it until today. I regret that. I regret that I waited SO LONG to actually see it, that is. Man, this movie is gut-wrenching! Uma Thurman gave such a great performance -- at first, I really disliked her character...but then I started to understand her more, and then I just felt plain bad for her. Juliette Lewis was a great balance as Thurman's best friend, and Gena Rowlands was fabulous (isn't she always?) as Thurman's mother. I can't even really put into words how I feel about this movie -- I think because it touches on a part of my own life in times that I felt so lost, and kept searching for something to call my own. I mean, I wasn't desperate about men like Thurman's character, but I could certainly empathize with wondering "What's wrong with me?". Of needing to be loved instead of used.

This is a chickie movie, I think. If you're a chickie, see it. The tone is down-right 80s (purposely), and they nailed it -- music, costume, props, everything. I'd be surprised if you couldn't relate to at least one person in the movie. We've all been there -- maybe not that desperate, but we've all searched and all felt 'lost'. It's a painful watch -- especially with Uma Thurman's performance, but it's because her portrayal is SO DAMN GOOD. She really captures the 'feel' of that helplessness in her character's life.

Yep, I say give it a look-see. It's worth it.

Posted at 07:50 pm by gypsyheart
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P.S.

Raine, I want to add that I love the comments you post, ahahaha! You dumbass! I mean, DUH! That's part of the reason we're such great friends! ahahaha You kill me! (well, not literally, 'cause then I don't think i'd like you very much anymore, lmaooo)

Seriously girl, don't ever change! ahahaha You're the wackiest person I know and I love ya for it!
(notice I said "wackiest"? I reserve the title of "weirdest" for myself, lmfao)

BTW, jazz up that Monkey Voodoo Curse, chica. The current version isn't working! SOMEONE is still "avec babuin"! (bwaaaaaaaaaahahaahahhha!! I'm dying here!)

Posted at 12:47 pm by gypsyheart
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Ok, Raine, you asked for it...ahahaha

It's vegetarian/vegan education time! :D

No no, I'm kidding, ahahaha Actually what I've got for you at the moment is a list of items that I buy. I know when I started out to go vegan, I didn't know where to begin! I know you're not sure about veganism yet, but these'll help ya at least in vegetarianism, too. ;)

So here is my 'shopping list', if you will:

ALL items are MSG-FREE!!!!! (I get deathly ill from MSG! ahaha)

Yves Veggie Cuisine "The Good Deli Veggie Pizza Pepperoni" (Certified vegan. Anything that is certified vegan will have a little circle with a heart inside, and a 'v' inside the heart)

LIGHTLIFE brand:
• "Smart Dogs!" (meatless fat-free franks, cholesterol free, certified vegan)
• Meat Free "Smart Menu" ALL NATURAL burgers (soy protein burgers) (no artificial anything!, certified vegan. I seriously can't tell the difference in the way they taste, so this might be a good choice to start with!)

Amy's Bowls "Teriyaki" (vegan, teriyaki veggie & rice stirfry -- YUM!)

NEAR EAST brand:
• 100% Natural Rice Pilaf Mix "Garden & Herb"
• 100% Natural Rice Pilaf Mix "Original"
• 100% Natural Long Grain & Wild Rice Mix "Original"
*NOTE: Each lists on the back of the box suggested veggies to add -- I put broccoli & zucchini in all of mine, 'cause I'm addicted to them, lmao.

CASBAH...."ROCK THE CASBAH!" AAAAHAHAHAHAHAA! SORRY! I HAD A CLASH MOMENT THERE! AHAHAHAHA

Casbah Timeless Cuisine (Casbah Natural Foods) "Rice Pilaf" All Natural Mix (again, has info on back re: what veggies you can add -- I still use broccoli & zucchini, lmao! OMG this one is SINFULLY DELICIOUS!!!!! ahahahaha)

FANTASTIC (that's a brand, ahaha)
• Big Soup Vegetarian Quick Meals "Vegetable Miso Ramen Noodle" *vegan* (omg, SCRUMMY! ahahaha To me, it tastes just like chicken soup but BETTER! I eat a lot of this if I'm sick!)
• Couscous (wonderfully versatile, quick-cooking tiny Moroccan pasta) (good simple side dish! ahahaha There are FLAVORED versions out there, like there was one w/ lemongrass, but omg, I nearly gagged when I tried it. I HATE lemon, though, so that's why, ahahaha)

• Tofu Scrambler (a delicious blend of vegetables and spices in an eggless tofu scramble -- just add tofu!) *vegan*

Edward & Sons "Miso-Cup Delicious Golden Vegetable Soup" (with tasty vegetarian recipes inside! Freeze-dried, instant, just add hot water!) (this stuff is soooooooo good! Totally vegan. You can eat it plain, or use it in soups and stews. I used it as a soup base of a casserole and it was awesome!)

THAI KITCHEN brand:
• Savory Garlic Stir-Fry Noodles w/ Sauce - *mild* - can add veggies or tofu
• Thai Peanut Rice Noodles w/ Seasonings - *medium* - can add veggies, tofu, etc.
• Rice Noodle Soup "Hot & Sour" Rice Noodles w/ Seasonings - *spicy*
• Jasmine Rice 'Select Harvest' (mm, jasmine..)

• "Garlic & Vegetable" Instant Rice Noodles - *mild* - (my favorite!)
• "Mushroom Medley" bowls - *mild* - (rice noodles, seasonings, mushrooms -- don't worry, there aren't a ton of them, ahahaha)

PEPPERIDGE FARM Cubed Country-Style Stuffing (the only stuffing I've found here that DOESN'T contain some type of chicken product! It's REALLY good, got a nice spice to it!)

J.J. NISSEN Canadian Brown Bread (it's the only store-bought brown bread that I like, lmao)

GRAPESEED OIL Vegenaise - NO eggs, NO dairy, NO cholesterol, NO preservatives. (This stuff tastes WAY better than regular mayo!!!!! It's got a nice 'zip' and a great texture! ahahaha)

NASOYA All-Natural Vegi-Dressing (soy based salad dressing)
• "Creamy Italian"
• "Garden Herb"

SOY MILKS I get:
• VitaSoy "Creamy Original" - *vegan* - (you can cook w/ this stuff just like milk! And it's great on cereal)
• Soy Dream "Chocolate" and "Vanilla" - *vegan* - (the chocolate kind, you can drink it cold, or heat it up like hot cocoa!)
[*NOTE: These are NOT watery soy milks! I HATE watery soy milk! These have a better texture!]

TOFUTTI "Better Than Cream Cheese" Imitation Cream Cheese/Dip:
• "Plain"
• "Herbs & Chives" (omg I could live on this stuff! YUMMMM)

TOFU brands: I get "NASOYA" 'cause it's the only brand the stores seem to carry around here, ahahaha "Firm" tofu is good for stir-fries, shiskebobs (how do you SPELL that?! ahahaha), etc.; "Silken" tofu is good for puddings, smoothies, softer stuff, ahahaha

ENER-G EGG REPLACER -- I use this in some recipes in place of eggs. Well, I NEVER EVER cook w/ eggs anyway, but this WON'T work in some things like box brownie mixes -- the brownies WON'T rise, lmao! But I've had success with homemade breads and other things!

SUGAR IN THE RAW -- Natural Cane Turbinado Sugar from Hawaii. (it's the only sugar I'll use!)

LIFESTREAM Sea Salt -- additive free! (plus it tells you of Gandhi's Salt March in 1930, so you get history with your salt! ahahaha)

SHEDD'S "Willow Run" soy margarine -- no artificial flavors, no artificial preservatives. (very nice, 'rich' tasting margarine. Reminds me of REAL butter, honestly!)

Amy's Organic Soups *low fat* "No Chicken Noodles" -- chicken soup w/out the chicken!

BROWN RICE NOODLES for spaghetti.

ARTICHOKE-SEMOLINA macaroni elbows for other pastas.

SOY DELICIOUS 'soy cream' (fake ice cream) -- favorites of mine are "Chocolate-Peanutbutter" (omg TRY THIS, you'll LOVE it)... AND... "Mango Raspberry" (LOVE this, too!!)

RICE DREAM NON-DAIRY DESSERT "Mint Carob Chip" (ooh la la! Tasty!)

There are LOTS of "fake" meats out there, you just have to look for 'em. ;) I don't even think to, because I didn't eat a lot of that kinda stuff before anyway, ahahaha But there's fake chicken, Tofurkey, fake sausage, fake cheese, etc! (Personally I haven't found a vegan cheese that MELTS yet -- I'm still on that mission, ahahaha I'll keep you posted on that!)

I'll post recipes later, okaley-dokaley, neighboroonie? ahahaha

TTFN!

ps. get yourself a bloggin' blog, for blog's sake! It's even bloggin' FREE! ahahaha

...and yeah, 'blog' does stand for something: it's a shortened version of "weblog". Ooh, ahh, so TRENDY! *gag* ahahahaha

Posted at 12:32 pm by gypsyheart
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Aug 9, 2004

Wow, I have a new favorite movie!

It's called "Arizona Dream", starring Johnny Depp, Faye Dunaway, Lili Taylor and Jerry Lewis. I had seen this little gem in a video store many moons ago and had thought it looked interesting, but I never remembered to rent it back then. Then it figures, it basically disappeared from the face of the earth! But alas, I had some extra moolah and managed to find me a copy. I was rivited by this 'art house' movie when I watched it this afternoon! The concept was amazing, and the acting really was superb! The characters were very vivid, yet somehow it all seemed so simple at the same time. It's hard to explain! I love the metaphorical style of the movie. I'm not giving away the plot or anything, but let me tell ya, if you like off-beat, wacky, thought-provoking movies that make you go,"hey, someone else thinks like that, too!" -- you might wanna get your paws on a copy of this. I was entirely drawn in. Just let yourself go with it, and you'll find it making more sense than the blah-run-of-the-mill crap that Hollywood likes to pump out these days. It's a shame more people don't know about this movie!

And you know, it reminded me a little bit of a Tim Burton movie, in the 'visionary' way. Emir Kusturica (the director) did an amazing job, I thought. I was very impressed -- and it takes a LOT to impress me.

So to sum it up -- I loved it. I've heard some people complain that it was too 'weird' or 'abstract', but it made perfect sense to me.

But maybe that's because I tend to look at the world in an unconventional way. ;)

Posted at 08:01 pm by gypsyheart
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Aug 5, 2004

"13 Going on 30"

OMG that movie was GREAT! ahahaha I laughed my ass off! I was dying@the "Thriller" part! (Only 'children of the 80s' will 'get' that) It also had a really good message to it...*sniffle*

And it had fab music in it, too, ahahaha I must look up the soundtrack now! :D

Posted at 11:32 pm by gypsyheart
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Something is happening to me....

....something STRANGE, I tell you! In case you haven't noticed (and you'd have to be blind not to), I just re-did the colors of my blog here to pink tones. (You know, it reminds me of strawberry ice cream...yummmm) Good GAWD, I like pink. *hangs head in shame* ahahaha Ok so I don't like ALL colors of pink -- just PALE PINK. Just so you all get that straight....

Anyway, I saw the movie "Matchstick Men" (finally) -- it was pretty good! I wasn't entirely sure where it was going at first, but then I really got into it. I wouldn't call it a fast-paced movie, but it was interesting! Anyway, I like Nic Cage -- I don't necessarily like every movie he does, but he seems pretty decent himself. He's always able to give his characters that something that makes you keep watching. That's a good quality.

RAINE -- And people call ME "fickle"!!!!!!! ahahahaha So my e-twin's got it for Joaquin now -- yeah he does seem to be a dark & brooding type -- hey, he has gorgeous eyes, you know! (like I need to tell YOU that, ahahaha but you know I prefer brown eyes, but see, I'm showing some versatility here, ahahaha) Ok I'll work on a "12 Days of Joaquin Phoenix" for the holidays for ya! (Does that mean I get Johnny all to myself now? Woohoo! ahahaha)

I still haven't seen "The Village" yet. I'm hoping they'll release it on DVD just before Halloween. I figured it would be fun to watch it for the first time on Halloween, since I live near the woods, bwaaahaahahahaha! Scare the hell out of myself! (what's new there?!)

Posted at 02:49 pm by gypsyheart
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Aug 3, 2004

This is neat!

So I was looking up more info on the Rodrigues line of my family, trying to see if the name originated in Spain....and I found this page about this Portuguese singer who helped popularize "Fado" music. Her name is Amália Rodrigues and what I found so ironic is that...I LOOK LIKE HER in this one pic!!!! Check out this page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Am%E1lia_Rodrigues

(You can click on her pic on that page for a bigger view of it.)

It was almost eerie when I saw that pic of her! ahahahaha I was like,"HOLY CRAP!"

In reply to comments left by CuriousRaven & Raine....

CR -- I don't remember what character Tom Cruise played in it, I just know that when I spotted him, I wanted to SLAP him, ahahaha I'll look into getting "That Was Then, This Is Now", too -- thanks for the suggestion!

Raine -- I'm definitely gonna look for a copy of "The Outsiders"! Hey you know, I think Joaquin Phoenix is super talented. I vaguely remember him in "Space Camp", mostly since I only saw it once when I was a kid at my dad's, ahahaha But I remember him in "Parenthood" and omg, he showed that talent that early! I loved him in "Gladiator", too! That scene with his father -- OMG I was bawling the first time I saw that, ahahaha Have you seen "The Village" yet? I soooooo want to. I didn't even realize he was in it at first -- I just thought the story looked kewl! ahahaha SOOOOO -- does this mean that for Christmas, I must come up with a "12 Days of Joaquin Phoenix" version??? mwaaahahahahahaha!

Ok, going totally blank now regarding what else I had to say. THat's what happens when you pause to switch the laundry over! ahahaha

Posted at 09:50 pm by gypsyheart
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Aug 2, 2004

I finally saw........

.....all of that movie "The Outsiders"! It was on A&E this morning. I'd seen the beginning of it lots of times, but never watched it all the way through. I'm glad I did today, though. I really, really liked this movie -- had good messages in it! And I love the bit about sunsets. (watch it, you'll see what I mean)

One complaint about the movie though -- TOM CRUISE????????? OMFG, he was even MORE annoying than usual to me!!!!!! I can't stand him to begin with, and this was like cutting me wide open and pouring hydrochloric acid in the wound! I kept hoping HIS character would get killed off just so I wouldn't have to listen to his annoying voice anymore! He came really close to ruining the movie for me, I tell ya. I'll never forgive the person who hired him.......

But the rest were good in their roles. Think I might read the book sometime. I'll have to put it on my ever-growing list of "must reads"!

Posted at 11:43 pm by gypsyheart
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Jul 30, 2004

Alas!

I found the song I was looking for -- "The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)" by Greg Kihn! Do you realize that I have been wondering who sang that song and what the name of it was...FOR 23 YEARS??????!!!!!!!!! ahahahahaha I'm not kidding!!!! The school bus I used to ride -- the driver was like WAY kewl, ahahaha He played the best music on there -- it's basically where I got my music education!

Anyway, the mystery of who sang it and what it was called has haunted me for 23 freaking years! It's funny because one of my friends (who rode the same bus) had that stuck in his head, too, and HE didn't know what it was called or who sang it, either! ahahaha I can't wait to tell him that NOW I KNOW! HA!

I'm in a music mood today....you know, one of my all-time favorite songs is "Sleepwalk". It's an old 50s instrumental song. Sometimes I really think I was born in the wrong era. I love the classic stuff...classic, vintage, you name it -- I've got a fascination with it!

Wanna know something hilarious? For the longest time, I really thought that everything was black & white, like in the movies and in old photographs! bwaaaaahaahhahaahahahaaaaaa! I asked my mother one time,"Did you have color back then?" and she gave me this really weird look (worse than usual, anyway) and said,"Yes..." I was really convinced for a long time that everything was black, white and shades of grey! ahahahaha

On a different note, I'm thinking about chopping off the locks again. My hair is half-way down my back and it takes me WAY too long to wash it! It's ridiculous! I think I'll have a pixie cut again...maybe dye my hair a blue-black. I always liked that shade of black, it's so pretty! Plus I need something really dramatic because I'm so pale. So, we'll see what happens! ahahaha

I guess that's all for now. I really don't have anything important to say at the moment. Actually I could fall face-down on my keyboard and take a nap. That's how 'interesting' I feel right now, ahahaha

So I'll just let "Sleepwalk" drift me off to sleep.....zzzzzzzzz..............

Posted at 07:17 pm by gypsyheart
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Jul 22, 2004

Bootylicious....mwwwaaahahahahahhaha!

I just had to put that as my imood today. I don't really FEEL 'bootylicious', but what the hell -- it caught my attention in the list and it struck me as funny, ahahaha It reminds me of a word that RAINE would like. Why do I always seem to mention her in my blog? Maybe 'cause she's as weird as this journal....bwaaaaahahahahahaahaaaaaaa!
<---so gonna get her arse kicked now! ahahaha

Anyway -- Heidi! Hey Sis, I'm glad you stopped by! :) And yes, it IS funny how hearing 2 notes of an old song can take you back to a certain moment/time in your life!! There are so many songs that I do that with, ahahaha I think that my music association to the past helps me keep my memories intact! ;) Hmm, maybe that's the secret to my 'elephant memory'! :D

Hum-de-dum...."you wanna live, you wanna move to the sound, you got fire in your veins, burnin' hot but you don't feel the pain, your desire is insane, you can't stop til you do it again...." ahahahaha "Urgent"! I think that's my ultimate favorite Foreigner tune. Oddly enough, I don't remember the first time I heard that song -- probably 'cause I was pretty young at the time, ahahaha But it's an all-time favorite. I even put it in my profile in my Senior yearbook in high school -- whoopee! ahahaha I had the 'classics', man, ahahahaha "Urgent" and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" -- which was just so friggen weird and wild and crazy that I fell in love with the moment I heard it as a kid, ahahaha

ANYWAY! I'm back after a short pause for 2 VERY sore wrists. Now before I have to rescue you perverts from the GUTTER, let me clarify that my wrists were sore from putting a bed frame together!!!!!! ahahahaha I took down the waterbed frame and put up the wrought-iron frame all in less than 9 hours -- WHICH, mind you, included DRAINING the waterbed with a simple hose! I was haulin' ass, dudes! ahahaha All by my little lonesome. And that's how I hurt my wrists -- apparently no one thought to tell me at any point in my life that I am NOT 'She-Ra, Princess of Power'! So, 'She-Ra, Princess of PAIN', paid the price, ahahaha Ah well, it was worth it. I'm happy with the change, and anyway, isn't CHANGE what it's all about? Well, if you're ME, it is, ahahaha I'm bored if things stay the same for too long!

And I'm also really bad at rambling about nothing in particular. Oh wait, I know what I can say! I saw "Rear Window" on TCM the other night -- I was laughing my ass off! Jimmy Stewart was a riot in that, ahahahaha It was a good movie, but then I like those kinda movies anyway. I know, how'd I get this far in life without having seen it before? It's a mystery....

Speaking of mysteries -- my "Dharma Bums" book is STILL missing. And man, is my dharma bummed....
Guess I should be relieved that my "On the Road" book hasn't gone on a road trip across the ol' US of A!

And for those of you who feel the way I do about CLOWNS, check out this site: www.ihateclowns.com ! bwaaaaahahahaahahahaaaaa!

Okaly-dokaly, neighboroonies! (That's some ol' Ned for ya, Raine, ahahaha) That's all for the moment.

Maybe next time I'll have something intelligent to say -- you just never know..... :P

Posted at 07:37 pm by gypsyheart
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