Riding off into the sunset

It was like 80 degrees here yesterday. Hard to believe it's almost November. I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and take my horse Rain on a trail ride. It was great. We wandered off into the woods and didn't see another person for like 3 hours. There is something to be said for just letting yourself get lost sometimes.....

Afterwards, I went with my 6-year-old niece to a Halloween party at the Fernbank Science Center. Those of you who know me know that I'm not a big fan of little people related activities, but we had a good time. She won a prize in the costume contest, got a lot of candy, and got to look through the big telescope. She was thrilled.

So, all-in-all it was a good day. I love fall. Happy Halloween everyone!

Mini Movie Marathon

Since I didn't get any movies seen last weekend, I need to make up for it this weekend. So I did the triple feature thing on Friday night. I saw "I Heart Huckabees," "Birth," and "Ray." Here's the lowdown:

Let's start with "I ♥ Huckabees." I had fairly high expectations for this film. I knew going in that it would probably be pretentious and a bit odd. A bit odd is an understatement. This is a weird fucking movie. Normally I like weird fucking movies. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is one of my favorite films to come out this year. I didn't dislike "Huckabees." I was just disappointed. It tried way too hard. With a cast like this, it should have been a lot better than it was. The concept was soild and it had some funny moments but it never quite got where it needed to go. Jude Law was excellent as usual, but he was underutilized here. His part had no real meat to it until the last 1/2 hour or so. Jason Schwartzman was ok. His character had such potential to be interesting and he could have really run with it, but he didn't. Lily Tomiln and Dustin Hoffman were basically comic relief and window dressing. They were funny, but hardly remarkable. I didn't believe Isabelle Huppert's character at all and Naomi Watts (who I normally like) was wasted here. In a cast with this kind of talent, surprisingly, the standout performance comes from Mark Wahlberg. He made the whole movie worth watching. He was funny and tragic and totally convincing. I'm not going to recommend that everyone go out and see "Huckabees." It just wasn't that good. Wait till it comes out on DVD and put it in your NetFlix queue.

I didn't particularly like "Birth," but I'm not entirely surprised by that. I had mixed feelings about this film going in. I knew it was going to be semi-disturbing, and it was. Overall though thebest way to describe this film is "heavy." The lighting. The music. The dialogue. I kept hoping that there would be some light at the end of the tunnel, but it just never came about. I walked out of the theatre feeling as if I still had this tremendous weight bearing down on me. I usually like Nichole Kidman, but her performance here was flat. There were also several key scenes where she soooo overacted. Cameron Bright was creepy and brooding, but I was not blown away by his performance either. That was a problem. His character was too important to the story to be anything short of outstanding, and he just wasn't. The one bright spot was Lauren Bacall. She played Nichole's mother and she was excellent. There is a reason this woman is a legend in Hollywood. She is not enough to redeem this film though. Avoid it.

Out of the 3 films I saw, "Ray" was easily the best. A lot is being said about Jamie Foxx's performance in this film. Well, believe the hype. He is Ray Charles. Without him the movie would not be nearly as effective as it is. Everything hinges on his portrayal of the musical legend and he delivers. It's a beautifully shot film as well. Director Taylor Hackford catches the essence and mood of every location and he gets incredible performances out of the rest of his cast as well. Is this a great film? I don't know that I would go so far as to say that, but it is a very good one. It drags a little in some places, but still does not seem as long as it's 2.5 hour run time. It is definitely much better than your normal biopic. Go check this film out. Foxx makes it worth the price of admission.

Next up are "Primer" and "Stage Beauty." I'm going to try and get those seen tomorrow and will post reviews if I do. I'm really looking forward to "Stage Beauty." Billy Crudup =yummy ;)

Sometimes you just have to say, "What the fuck..."

Yesterday Lindy posted on her blog some rules she has in regards to the men she dates. I thought I’d throw in my own 2 cents worth on the issue…

Let me start by saying I like rules. Rules are good. They give you a nice solid frame work for your life… and they give you something that you can absolutely obliterate when you meet someone who breaks one (or usually more) of the rules ;) As most of you are probably aware, I’m a big fan of the old cliche’, “rules are made to be broken.” So, here are the rules:

1) No married men – ok, so I sorta agree with this one. Doesn’t mean I haven’t broken it. Granted, there were extenuating circumstances. Like the fact that he “forgot” to tell me he was married. He “forgot” for 4 fucking years! Ok, still partially my fault. I saw some warning signs and chose to ignore them. I believed what I wanted to believe. Silly me, but I’ve always held to the idea that if you love someone enough to marry them, then you should love them enough to be faithful to them. Otherwise, don’t fucking get married!

2) Stick with older men – Older men? HAHAHAHAHA!!!! No freakin’ way. I like ‘em young. Younger guys have more energy. We joke about my “Star Wars” rule, but that’s really more of a guideline than a rule and it’s one that I’m very quick to blow right past. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike older men. If Kevin Spacey asked me to sleep with him I sure as hell wouldn’t say, “No.” Still, given a choice of a 27 year old and a 37 year old, chances are, I’m picking the 27…

3) Don't date people you work with – Ummm, define “date.” I think this one depends on the circumstances. I would not recommend sleeping with someone who works directly for you. That’s just a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen when things turn ugly. I’d also try and avoid anyone you have to work closely with on a regular basis. Things could get awkward if the relationship goes south… That’s it. Anyone else in the company is fair game. Go out there and have fun! If it doesn’t work out you can avoid them if you need to…

4) Try not to steal someone else's man – I’m a big believer in karma. If you maliciously go after a guy who is already spoken for, then be prepared to deal with the karmic consequences. If you’re willing to take that risk, then so be it. Personally, I think it depends on the guy. There are very few men out there that I would be willing to put that much effort into. Still, occasionally you meet one that’s worth fighting for. I also believe that the heart wants what the heart wants and a girlfriend is not a wife. She’s more of an obstacle…

5) Always see past the exterior – Not sure how I feel about this one. I like my guys pretty… of course a lot of the pretty ones turn out to be assholes, so there is something to be said for looking deeper. I would take this one on a case by case basis. I guess it would also come down to if you are looking for a long term relationship, or if you are just looking for someone to commit random sex acts with…

6) Don't date guys who play head games – Why not? Head games are fun… and if guys think they can play them with me, they are out of their fucking minds. I’m sort of kidding. I’m kinda past the game playing at this point in my life, but if someone starts it, you better believe I’ll play along, and they better be prepared for what they are getting themselves into. I can play in the big leagues, baby. Most guys out there are career minor leaguers at best.

7) Long distance relationships suck - I’m actually kind of a fan of the long distance thing, but I know that’s a rare opinion. Most girls like to have their men around. I do to some extent, but at the same time, I like it when they go away and leave me the hell alone for awhile too. I need my alone time. It also keeps a relationship from getting boring. The “coming home” sex is always good. I will admit that long distance relationships have their drawbacks. (See my comments above on the whole married men issue.)

So there you go. My spin on the whole rules thing. I’m the first to admit that I am probably the last person you want to take relationship advice from. I don’t have a good track record and usually find that pursuing someone is not worth the effort… of course that would also explain a recent 4-year gap in my sex life, but we won’t go there… So I guess basically what I’m saying is take the rules (these or your own) and throw them out the fucking window. Follow your heart. You will get hurt. It’s unavoidable… but life is too fucking short not to at least try…

Blood Sugar Sex Magic

The lunar eclipse came and went last night. I decided to get the hell out of downtown so that I could watch it without all the buildings and lights and just general distractions of the city. I'm glad I did. Besides, I don't think my neighbors would have appreciated me lying naked on the lawn in front of my apartment building... well, maybe some of them would have... who knows? Anyway, I had briefly convinced myself that I was just going to watch the show and not try to tap into the natural energy that comes from the phenomena of a blood moon, but ultimately my resistance proved to be half-hearted at best. There was just too big a power rush to be had. Let me start by saying I am not a witch. I flirted briefly with some Wiccan ideals but felt it was not a path that I needed to journey down. That being said, I do know more than I probably should about spell casting. Ritual magic, and in particular ritual sex magic, has always been fascinating to me. Like most things, the key is belief. You have to legitimately believe that you can tap into the natural energies around you and give yourself to them in order for the spell to work the way you want it to. Rituals generally do not work out well for cynics and realists. You have to be a dreamer. You have to be able to let your imagination go and let your most basic instincts guide you. If you can do that, let me tell you, the payoff is something else. It's almost like the electricity you feel in the prelude to a summer storm. Sort of like taking the really good drugs, but without all the nasty after effects. You're left with a tingling sensation that runs along your skin like butterfly wings; like the softest of kisses on the back of your neck.... There is something unbelievably cathartic about lying naked under the light of a blood red moon; to dance the silence while night winds kiss bare flesh. It is spiritual... it is tantric... and it is primal. We don't get another blood moon for almost 3 years now. It is going to be a hell of a long wait...

We are the music-makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams.
World-losers and world-forsakers,
Upon whom the pale moon gleams;
Yet we are the movers and shakers,
Of the world forever, it seems.

Arthur O'Shaughnessy - "Ode"

In omnia paratus

There is a lunar eclipse tonight and barring bad weather, it should be pretty spectacular. Blood moons are always cool to witness and we have not had one in awhile so I'm kinda looking forward to this one. I'm not sure where I'm going to go to check it out, but I'm sure I can find somewhere with a decent view. This does bring up some interesting issues though. Eclipses have always been seen as omens; sometimes good, sometimes bad. Blood moons in particular have always seemed to strike a primal fear into people. At the same time they have also been closely linked to tantric energies.... Go figure why it is that fear and sex always seem to end up together... What does that bode for tonight? I guess it depends on individual circumstances. If there is one thing that is certain in this life, it is that nothing is ever certain. The tides can turn in an instant and we can fall from the heights of ecstasy into the very depths of the darkest dispair. So, do we face an apocalypse or do we end up having the best sex of our lives? It's a coin toss at best. My best suggestion is just to be prepared for all things because you never know what's going to happen next...

Extatical Writing

I'm a writer. I always have been. There is something powerful and theraputic about laying words down. That being said, there are times when I sit down to write that transend even just that basic need to create something. Times when I enter what athletes often refer to as a "zone." When I'm in that place, characters are created. Worlds rise and fall at my whim. My deepest desires and my darkest fears are all laid bare... and it is amazing. I had a night like that yesterday. I had spent a large portion of my day dealing with distractions and frustrations that never got resolved to my satisfaction. Not bad things, just things that did not work out they way they should have. I got home from work and just had to write. Time stopped and the words spilled out of me in force. It was almost zenlike. It was borderline orgasmic. It's really not something I can describe. It is something that truly has to be felt and when you feel it, it is beautiful....

Serenity

Despite my best intentions, I did not get any movies seen this weekend. So, sadly, that means no movie reviews this fine Monday morning. I did however, watch the entire series of Joss Whedon's show, "Firefly" on DVD. I thought that I had seen all of the eps when they originally aired on Fox back in 2002, but it turns out there were a couple I had missed along the way. This was a great show and it's even better when you can sit down and watch it pretty much all at once. If you are a fan of Joss' stuff you should really check this show out. It's incredibly funny and well written and the cast is outstanding. Of the 15 eps there is only one that I felt could have been "tweaked" a bit. So go buy it or put it in your NetFlix queue or whatever. There's a feature film based on the show due out in April. It's called "Serenity." Maybe if it does well, Fox will come to their senses and give the show another chance :)

A Don Quixote Kinda Day

Well, I've posted something every day this week so I figured I'd better not break the trend now. It might be bad karma or something and bad karma is definitely something I'd like to avoid right now...

I saw "Bell, Book, and Candle" again tonight. Everyone really should go check it out if they have a chance...

I had a very odd day yesterday. I'm not sure what triggered it, but nothing seemed to work out the way I thought it would. I felt things start to slip out of my control and that's always a little scary for me. There's nothing like a debilitating feeling of helplessness to put a damper on your day. I finally just had to put on the brakes and get the hell away from work. I came home and watched "Smallville" from last Wednesday and basically just took a much needed break from reality. I recently bought Joss Whedon's sci-fi-western series "Firefly" on DVD so I decided I would immerse myself in the Whedonverse for awhile. Awhile turned out to be 8 episodes and about 6 hours later, but it was just what I needed. I went to bed and woke up this morning in a much better place. I have straightened out some stuff in my head and am thinking much more clearly now. I guess Norman Bates was right when he said, "We all go a little mad sometimes." I don't think that is neccesarily a bad thing either. Sometimes you just need to take a walk in the dark in order to reach the light, ya know?

"When all of life seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies?" -- Don Quixote - "The Man of La Mancha

The Amazingly Tired Girl

It's a rainy day here in the ATL. I had the hardest time getting out of bed this morning. There is something seriously wrong with being at work at 5:45 on a Friday morning, but I had a project I had to get finished before an 8:30 meeting so that's when I got here. I have an overdeveloped sense of responsibility or something. Either that or I must be insane. I guess it could have been worse. I could have been curled up in my nice warm bed with someone else. I guaranteee you I would not have been able to drag myself in to work early then... I seem to take up quite a bit of blog space talking about sleep. This is because I don't get nearly enough of it. I am the amazingly tired girl today. Remember those fabulous days back in kindergarten when we had nap time? Most of us probably hated it then, but what would you give for a scheduled nap every day now? I think we need to get them instituted into the corporate world. We would all be a lot happier.

It's All About Jude

I went to a screening of Jude Law's new film, "Alfie" last night. This guy works almost as much as Johnny Depp. He's got like 8 films out this year or something and I'm sooooo not complaining. Like JohnnyDepp, Jude is pretty to look at, and he's a surprisingly good actor as well. He has to be to pull off a film like "Alfie." He is literally in every scene and he is mesmerizing. Part of it is that voice, part of it is those eyes, and part of it is this sort of indefineable charisma. The guy is just totally fucking charming, even when he's being an asshole. That's a hard combination to pull off and still have your audience like you while you're doing it. And don't get me wrong, for most of the film, Alfie is sort of a manipulative asshole. He has his good points, but basically he's a gigolo who tells women what they want to hear in order to get them into bed. Not to give anything away, but one of the best things about the movie is the ending. Although he does see the error of his ways to some extent, things don't neccesarily work out for Alfie in a traditional, Hollywood ending kinda way. (I admittedly have not seen the original from 1966 with Michael Caine, but I'm curious to watch it now to see if the ending is similar.) The rest of the cast are mostly glorified cameos. I come and go on wether or not I like Susan Sarandon, but I thought she did a great job in this film. I see a bit of my future self in her character, so maybe that had something to do with it. Still, the reason to see this film is Jude Law. It is hands down one of his best performances. Alfie opens on 11/05.

Buffy's Back

I only wish that were true.... Sarah Michelle Gellar is back though with her new movie "The Grudge." Leslie was kind enough to hook Lindy up with passes for the 99X screening last night (Thanks Leslie!) and so we went and checked it out. This movie is based on a popular Japanese horror flick called "Ju-On" and is directed by the same guy who did "The Ring." I saw "Ju-On" a month or so ago and liked it quite a bit. The "creepy factor" was really cranked up. This new "Americanized" version has a similar feel and a similar plot, but is still very different from its overseas counterpart. It was not nearly as creepy as the original and definitely was not scary. Sarah did a good job and Jason Behr (whose character was not even in the original) is hot. The best part of the film is definitey Yuya Ozeki who plays the creepy little kid, Toshio. He was in the Japanese version as well. He doesn't have many lines, but his facial expressions more than get the job done. I didn't dislike "The Grudge," but I can't really claim to have liked it that much either. It was ok. I'm sorta glad I went to a screening and didn't have to pay to see it. "Alfie" screening is tonight, so look for a review on that tomorrow... and check out "Smallville" tonight! We get to meet The Flash. It has to be odd for Michael to play against a character that he voices on "Justice League."

Another Tuesday

Most people seem to consider Mondays to be the worst day of the week. I'm willing to bet that if we took a poll, Monday would hands down be the winner of the "Least Favorite Day" award. I have to disagree with that. Tuesdays. Tuesdays are the days you have to watch out for. They hide behind Monday's shadow, lurking, waiting to ambush you. Then BAM! they hit you when you're not looking. Well, I'm here to bring them out into the light; to expose them for what they really are. Horrible, horrible days where meetings pile up, errands don't get run, and though they never seem to end, you still don't get anything done. So consider this your warning. Keep sharp. Be aware of the dangers. The only way to save yourself from the Tuesdays is to drink coffee, lots and lots of coffee... Oh, and watch "Scrubs," but that's Tuesday nights, which is practically Wednesday, so that doesn't really fall into the whole "Tuesdays suck" thing.

That Old Black Magic

First let me say that I will be happier today. I promise...

So, I've got this friend. We'll call him Jason - which is good, 'cause that's his name - and he is currently performing in the play "Bell, Book, and Candle" at the Neighborhood Playhouse in Decatur. I had not been to a play at this theatre in probably 15 years and from what I could recall I wasn't horribly impressed by the production of values of what I saw back then. The sets, costuming, and casting were second rate at best. Well, I'm happy to say that things have improved immensely. This is really a great little play. For those who don't know the story, here's the nutshell version - A woman falls for the guy living upstairs from her. Problem # 1 - he's engaged to someone else. Problem # 2 - she's a witch and as such can not technically fall in love. Still, a spell is cast. The guy falls head over heels. There's magic and deception and a lot of humor thrown in for good measure - It's a good story and with the right cast can be a great play to watch.

Fortunately, this production has a strong cast that is overall much better than what you would normally expect from some local playhouses. (This is not a slam on community theatre. I have worked on and directed a couple of local projects in the past so I know what kind of budgets and talent pools are out there to work with.) Anyway, I digress because the cast on BB&C is great. One particular standout is Coco Chalfant as Queenie Holroyd. She is funny and eccentric and owns every scene she's in. It took me a little while to get used to Shawna Tucker as Gillian Holroyd. It's not that Shawna is not talented, because she definitely is. She is just not the picture of this character that I had in my head. Still, I came around to her performance and think that overall she did a great job as the conflicted witch who sets the events of the story into motion. Jason Vaughn is outstanding as Shep Henderson - the publisher who lives upstairs that Gillian has her eye on. Jason has a great sense of comic timing that is essential in what is really the "straight" role in the play. His whole performance seems effortless and you really believe in and relate to Shep because of Jason's portrayal of the character. This play is a lot of fun and is perfect for the Halloween season... but don't take my word for it. Go check it out for yourself. You won't be disappointed :)

I know most of you who check out this blog do it for movie reviews, but I have been seriously unmotivated to write any lately and besides, I'd rather encourage everyone to go see BB&C :) However, I'm doing screenings of "The Grudge" and "Alfie" this week so I will defnitely try to get something posted about those. I also saw this great little film called "Around the Bend" this past weekend and I promise to post a review of it, but just don't have the time to do it today. Happy Monday!

Dragonslayer

It happens every year. October the 17th. The most extraordinary thing about it seems to be that it was Rita Hayworth's birthday. Just an ordinary day for most. For me, it is anything but ordinary. For me, it is iconic. On Oct 17th, 1995 a piece of me died. It was the day I lost one of my best friends; my soul mate. I still think about Colin every day and I miss him so much sometimes that it physically hurts. I know it is cliche' to talk about having a hole in your heart when you lose someone close to you, but that is really the best way to describe it. People who have never experienced it don't understand, and won't until it happens to them. Lots of people told me that things will get better with time, but it really hasn't. It has been 9 years and the pain has still not gone away. I have accepted the fact that at this point it probably never will. This is partially my fault. I tend to hold onto the past, even when I probably shouldn't, but in all honesty I'm not sure that I want to give this up. Colin was in my life for only a brief period of time, but he changed my life forever. So while the rest of the world marks this day as wholly unremarkable, I choose for it to remain significant to me.

"You changed my life. You changed my life, and I've known you four days. This is the start of something really big, but right now, I gotta go." -- Zach Braff - "Garden State"

Pax in morta. You were always my dragonslayer. I miss you.

There's a signpost up ahead...

It's really starting to feel like I have taken some sort of detour on the road of my life recently and it has put me in some weird "Twilight Zone" dimension. Last night I had an 18-year old ask me out. Forget the fact that he's really nice. Forget the fact that we seem to have a lot of similar interests. Forget the fact that he's really hot. He's 18! Freakin' 18! I like younger guys. I admit that. My whole Kevin Spacey fixation aside, I generally gravitate towards younger men (and Capricorns, but that's a whole 'nother story), but 18 is a little young even for me. So I politely told him I was flattered, but that it wasn't going to happen. I hated to crush his little teenage hopes like that, but c'mon. This guy is in my Latin class. I was in high school taking Latin the year he was born! I don't think I'm ready to be Mrs Robinson just yet ;)

The Doctor is In... and Tired

Ok, don't get me wrong. I like the fact that I have remained friends with most of my ex's over the years. It's kinda nice to know that even though things ended (sometimes badly) that there was still enough "something" there to at least salvage a friendship out of it all. Then I have have nights like last night. Those nights when it's 4 AM and I'm dead asleep, but not so asleep that I don't hear my cell phone ringing. I know not to answer it. I know who it is everytime. I'm not naming names here, anyone who knows me knows who the hell I'm talking about. This is the guy who solidified my label of "Queen of Fucked Up Relationships." He is one of my best friends, and I will love him until the day I die, but he is the bane of my existance. Unfortunately, I also know and understand him better than anyone on the planet so whenever he has a problem (and let me tell you, this guy is seriously fucked in the head, so he's got some serious problems) he picks up the phone and calls me to help him work it out... much to the chagrin of his girlfriend(s). Over the years I have just sorta become his honorary therapist. I keep telling him it's not a job I want, and sometimes he'll leave me alone for a couple of months, but in the end he always caves and picks up the phone... and sadly, I keep answering. I've been really happy the last few weeks. I don't need him fucking this up for me and snapping me back into the dark funk I've been in for what honestly feels like a couple of years. I'm starting to think I'm the one who needs the therapist...

Stupid Super Powers

I just have to say that I have some of the dumbest superpowers ever granted to anyone. I mean come on. Superman can fly and all I get is the ability to give people the hiccups and to make restaurant tableware magnetic. At least Magneto has the ability to control all metals. I'm not really complaining. I know some poor saps out there have no superpowers at all, but I really just don't see the benefit of being able to make people hiccup at will. I guess it could be a weapon of distraction, if someone is hiccupping hard enough maybe they won't have the wherewithal to point a ray gun at me or whatever. And maybe I can turn my tableware talents into something more constructive. If I can make forks magnetic, maybe I can graduate up to bending them or something. My brother found me an online instruction manual for doing that so I guess I'll have to try it out. Go check out the site if you need a new hobby - www.fork-you.com
Fork benders of the world unite!

Futurama

Well, I figured out what all the fucked up dreams have been about. Apparently I can now see the future, and my dreams were supposed to be preminitory in nature. "Beware the Ides of March" kinda things. It would have been nice had they been a bit clearer and at least warned me to watch out for guys hiding behind doors or something. Apparently some asshole decided he absolutely just had to have originals of some of my poems (and a screenplay I'm working on) 'cause on Friday night I got jumped in a parking lot downtown. Head encountered door. Door won. I've got a lovely cut running down my forehead. (I've been telling everyone that I'm testing out the makeup for my Harry Potter Halloween costume :) Still, it could have been a lot worse and I'm thankful that it wasn't. My ego is hurt more than anything. I sorta pride myself on being hyper-aware of my surroundings, especially when I'm out alone at night, but I honestly never even saw it coming. So, it was an interesting weekend for me. Aliqua bona et aliqua mala.

Dig the Road...

I'm still not sleeping like I should be, but last night was better, so at least there may be light at the end of that proverbial tunnel. I think I know why sleep came to me for at least a little while, but we won't go into that. Here's some Kerouac to brighten(?) your Friday:

"And just for a moment I had reached the point of ecstasy that I always wanted to reach, which was the complete slip across chronological time into timeless shadows, and wonderment in the bleakness of the mortal realm, and the sensation of death kicking at my heels to move on, with a phantom dogging its own heels, and myself hurrying to a plank where all the angels dove off and flew into the holy void of uncreated emptiness..."

-- Jack Kerouac - "On the Road"

And so it goes

Looks like the downward spiral might be starting here. I still could not sleep last night. This happens to me from time to time. I get stuck in these dream cycles that get progressively more disturbing and violent and it really fucks up my sleep patterns. I'm not sure what triggers it and never know how long the cycle will last. It could be days or weeks. Hopefully, this will be a short one. I am so fucking tired today...

Here's my all-time favorite Shakespeare quote and it's more apropos than ever to me right now:

"Oh God, I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space were it not that I have bad dreams."

William Shakespeare - "Hamlet" - Act II - Scene ii

An Insomniac's Nightmare

I didn't sleep well at all last night, so in honor of that, here's the soliloqy from my favorite insomniac:

To be, or not to be: that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;

No more; and by a sleep to say we end

The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come

When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,

Must give us pause: there's the respect

That makes calamity of so long life;

For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,

The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,

The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,

The insolence of office and the spurns

That patient merit of the unworthy takes,

When he himself might his quietus make

With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,

To grunt and sweat under a weary life,

But that the dread of something after death,

The undiscover'd country from whose bourn

No traveller returns, puzzles the will

And makes us rather bear those ills we have

Than fly to others that we know not of?

Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;

And thus the native hue of resolution

Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,

And enterprises of great pith and moment

With this regard their currents turn awry,

And lose the name of action. - Soft you now!

The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons

Be all my sins remember'd.



William Shakespeare - Hamlet - Act 3 - Scene 1

Satisne sānus es?

I think that's a question we all really need to ask ourselves from time to time...