Movie Review: Wordplay (2006)

i finally got around to watching this documentary on Crossword puzzles (New York Times, specifically). Wordplay is a well-crafted and well executed piece of film making. i used to do crosswords on a daily basis every morning at school before/during my first lecture. i lost the habit toward the end of my third year as mornings got a little more sleepy and classes started later so i did not have first dibs on the newspapers. this film has reawakened that dormant desire to stretch my mind and wrack my vocabulary.

the film takes us behind the scenes of the NYT crossword puzzle making process. we see the inspiration and genius behind the boxes and the care and diligence put into editing the puzzles overall for consistency and coherence. we are introduced not only to hardcore crossword geeks (who time themselves religiously), but to celebrities or iconographic figures that also take time out of there day to sit down, strip out the Arts section and fold back the page to bare the daily Crossword.

from the brief biographies we are taken to the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT) held at the Marriott Hotel in Stamford, CT (there used to be a Dunder-Mifflin branch in that city, but it was merged with the Scranton branch a few months ago), and we see how the players we were introduced to stack up to the competition. crossword players come in all stripes and walks of life, and gather together once a year to share the one slice of joy they all have in common.

like in all documentaries, the cinematography is nothing spectacular. the editing is clever, like a crossword clue in itself by segueing scenes by innocuous statements. the soundtrack is gentle and campy, much like the characters featured. special effects were used to good effect, giving viewers an over-the-shoulder view of a player's progress. the story is -- as it is with even the most banal of competitions -- dramatic.

the most notable moment was when Will Shortz, the Puzzle editor of the NYT described his favourite puzzle. he immediately recalled the genius puzzle written by Jeremiah Farrell for the American election day 1996. written before the election results were published, clue 39A 'predicted' who would win.

questionable content: what i've learned from Courtship in Literature

i'm currently working on finishing a report about Ultraviolet disinfection of sewage wastewater. therefore, i am woefully bored. and when i am woefully bored, i like to entertain others, and what better way to entertain others than by blogging about something rather creepy?

i've been good, in recent days, albeit unconsciously; i haven't made or giggled at any bawdy puns or innuendos since i don't remember when. so my professors have taken it upon themselves to pick up the slack for me. yay!

yesterday, my professor was going over A Streetcar Named Desire and discussing Blanche Dubois' dissociative nature (shy, wispy innocent woman vs. sexually aggressive womb raider) and something about "riding that rattle-trap street-car (the one named Desire) that bangs through the Quarter, up one narrow street and down another...", which she interjected with a, "so to speak," in all the right places. she also brought up this very disturbing mythical notion that was symbolized by Blanche's frilly mirror. it was a new term for everyone so she wrote it on the board, "vagina dentata." that translates to "vagina with teeth," and she asked us to remind her to erase the board before the next class.

so i've crowned this concept the newest top scary-thing herman is quite squeamish of. the original title-holder was the dreaded Toilet Snake. actually, it's a toss-up.

PS: if you click the wiki entry, and hop to the next most interesting article, you will probably have a good time.

i had an adventure

on Wednesday, i visited a residence suite with some ACF buddies before the ACF program. they were borrowing the kitchen so that Jenn could make some suut choi yok si tong u-dong (snow vegetable meat strip soup fatround noodle).

it was my first time in a residence at UTSC while it was in use. i've always wanted to live on residence, which was an impossibility having decided to attend school in town. having seen what 6 guys can do to a suite though, i am somewhat glad i stayed in town.

the kitchen/living room area seemed to be making a spirited imitation of a landfill, only failing in the fact that one could see the floor in some places. i put my stuff down and set about fidgeting because i had the irrepressible urge to clean up.

Joy pointed out how surprisingly organized it was, and in an expressionist sort of way, it was. in one corner resided the pile of plastic bags, indicating a predilection toward the local Sobey's as the grocer of choice. to the left of that was a pile of cardboard boxes and cartons. on the window ledge was an impressive array of bottles sporting the branding of their favourite alcoholic beverages. all of this faced the door and a table sporting containers that did not fit on the cramped kitchen counter and a microwave encrusted within with whatever splattered in the past 3 months.

the kitchen sink was full of utensils, plates and washing apparati. Jenn couldn't find any bowls, so Joy and Jeff resigned to eating straight out of the available pots. while the others ate (they had an exam in a few minutes), Jenn and i set about washing the dishes and miscellany in the sink. she found a jay cloth that seemed to have sprouted a dark mould and she tried to scrub it down with soap and boiled water amidst "eews" and "ughs" and "it's slimey!" she was later informed by Tom, a resident, that that particular cloth was the one everyone had agreed early on to never touch, thus remaining in the sink until that day.

why i heart opera

How to Go Back/Forward in Opera.

Back by Keyboard:

1. Backspace
   
2. Alt+Left Arrow
3. Ctrl+Left Arrow
4. z

Back by Mouse:

1. Back Button
2. Right-Click | Select Back
   
3. Hold down right mouse button and move mouse to the left (Mouse-Gesture)
4. Tap right mouse button and then left mouse button in rapid succession (Mouse-Gesture)

Forward by Keyboard:

1. Alt+Right Arrow
   
2. Ctrl+Right Arrow
3. x

Forward by Mouse:

1. Forward Button
2. Right-Click | Select Forward
   
3. Hold down right mouse button and move mouse to the right (Mouse-Gesture)
4. Tap left mouse button and then right mouse button in rapid succession (Mouse-Gesture)

Due to the amount of redundancy (which is a good thing in this case) any user can find a simple way to navigate back or forward. Keyboard ninjas of either left or right hand dominance have options. Mouse browsing is a breeze with mouse gestures. I find myself using mouse gestures in other programs (windows explorer) that don't have this feature and then finding a bit of frustration.

Porcelain Philosophy 4: Anti-Venom

now i don't usually have negative opinions about people or things, but this past weekend was a reintroduction to the biting and scathing side of me that i thought was suppressed, if not expunged. clearly i am not piping off my aggression as effectively as i thought -- maybe it's because i haven't reinstalled UT2k4.

i've been making very negative observations lately, entirely out of the character i am trying to develop for myself, and a gross misuse of wit. there is a clear line between accurate, constructive criticism and sniping repartee bordering on wanton destruction of character and i crossed it good. though the observations were made privately, they were still made (behind the backs of the would-be-offended parties to boot) and thus now exist, for which i am sorry (to the would-be-offended and those that had to hear it).

this whole business springs James 3 to mind:

"1 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. 3 Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. [...] 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way." (NASV)

particularly indicting as i am in a leadership position and to become a teacher as well.

the one consolation i can take from this, thus turning a mistake into experience, is that the tongue is a double-edged sword. i've had a good measure of just how sharp the bad side is; it is plenty sharp; i am now aware of just how sharp the good side has the potential to be. if i can be observant enough to pick out those little tiny problems, i can certainly be observant enough to truly and lovingly encourage someone.

Proverbs 12:18 -

"There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise brings healing." (NASV)

putting what i've learned from this experience into action will lead to wisdom.