Seedust

Saw Inception yesterday and I’m rather speechless, obsessed and disturbed at the same time. I have too many post-movie questions and thoughts rambling in my head to even comment. This movie, Christopher Nolen, is a genius. I have to wonder his complex state of mind in creating Inception, which makes his first psychological thriller, “Momento”, seem diluted. Dare to enter his mind; like being caged in a ten folds of M.C. Escher.

There is a flood of discussions on the interpretation of the movie’s ending. After skimming through about 70 comments, I picked three from this site and Janus explained one of the best:

“Cobb was in a dream and stuck. He never returned. His kids were his totem and by not seeing his face, he could keep himself in the belief that he was not yet out. So he planted an an inception in his own subconsciousness so that he could believe that he had escaped. Once his totem was revealed to his subconscious state he was doomed and lost the ability to go back to reality. This explains why the kids had finally turned around and had the same clothes on. Remember, he had been gone for a long time so how coincidental would it be that they didnt age and had on the same clothes?

His subconscious knew that he was trying to plant an unreal reality in his own mind and therefore was out to get him but could never capture him. It was because he knew the maze that he created. If he realized that he created the world that he was in, he would again be trapped in an infinite loop. Was it coincidental that a suspected murder was able to get into France without a hitch? He was able to travel everywhere except home in his dream because this was his escape. However after he planted the inception in his mind, he tricked himself into believing that he was home when he wasn’t.”

From Martin:

“I think Cobb loved or was stuck being in limbo and his wife got out by killing herself from a free fall bringing her back to reality. The rest of the movie was a way for Cobb to construct/implant an idea for himself so he can truely believe that his limbo state of mind was actualy reality.

So really the ending wasn’t about was he still dreaming or awake but that he finally believed that he was in reality. The biggest issue when you know you are dreaming is that you know things are not real. That is the most painful part of his dreaming, that he knows that his kids are not real. So the whole movie was about finding a way for him to make himself believe that he was in reality instead of being in limbo. Basically, his dreams are no longer dreams, his dreams are now thought to him as being reality.

Once he planted the idea he was finally able to see the face of his children which of course are the same age and wearing the same clothes. It seemed real, he was happy, he was at peace. That was what the whole movie was about. Being stuck in limbo but making yourself believe through your subconcious that you are in reality was the goal by Cobb.”

Here is the most creative and interesting theory yet from a guy named Mike:

The truth is that at the end Leo is still asleep, but just about to wake up. He has been asleep on the beach. When the totem stop’s he’ll be kicked into reality and back with his family.

The only “real” moments in the film are in the first few seconds of footage. Leo is at the beach with his wife and kids, who are building a sand castle. Leo has fallen asleep too close to shoreline, and is briefly awakened by a wave crashing upon him. In his waking vision, he sees his children from behind, but is too sleepy to awake. Click here for more.

Last night, I fell asleep for about 3 minutes and woke up thinking 6 hours had passed and that my falling asleep was a dream from the night before. And that’s creepy, thanks to the movie…

Btw, don’t expect a sequel in any of Nolen’s work. He’s a one time deal and doesn’t repeat nor recycle. Genius.

Here is Dita Von Teese for Jean-Paul Gaultier Runway. The extravagant sequined corset designed by Mr. Pearl. Look at the human anatomy of the corset sculpture draped around her hourglass bod. I’m so turned on by this “outfit” for it’s breathtakingly innovative and beautiful work of art. Mr. Pearl could be build an empire, a brand, solely from this outfit alone. I would wear this around the house when I need to crank out an inspiration or a concept for my design ideas.

Cynthia Rowley is the first fashion designer to do a designer-brand diapers for Pampers. It’s $6 more than the plainer diapers, and targets those who appreciate things that are aesthetically brand recognizable. How long before they come up with designer brand toilet paper, tissues, latex gloves, automobiles tires, and toothpicks?

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I have this locked-in perceptions of people’s first impression. Their display of character role and how they want to be perceived by the observers is a normal sociological practic. But not everyone is good at it. My mother, for example, is as simple minded and humble internally as she is outwardly. On the contrast, there are folks who bedazzle themselves as people fall into their traps, only to find out it’s made in China and doesn’t mirror any authenticity.

I hate being confronted with the truth about the person you thought you knew is completely the opposite, it’s like being cheated. So here is our Helen Mirren. I’ve been a great fan of hers since The Cook The Thief His Wife and Her Lover in 1990, and her talent in the Last Station was unforgettable. Helen never disappoints in anyway. Even when Miley Trailer-Trash Cyrus tried to throw her under the bus on a British talk-show, our Helen Mirren was composed and classy on a horse drawn carriage. Observe her subtle eccentricity and provocativeness without being offensive. She’s effortlessly elegant without overdoing and not a hijacker like most actresses. Our Helen is secure with herself.

Having gloated all over her in the past, I did a double take when reading her interview below, because there’s another layer about Helen that’s contemplative within my perception of her….

I get it. This happens when you have good morals in all the right places.

Helen on what she learned after she gave in and spent the night in a brothel: “It’s amazing how quickly you get into dildos everywhere and pink-feather handcuffs. Within an hour you’re completely used to it.”

This commands for my morning breakfast to be spat up… It’s not the dildos or the stupid handcuffs (which is so overrated for those with no real imaginations), but a brothel where the sheets probably haven’t been washed after the bodily fluid of desperate beings has been squirted and stained the wall paper with hooker-shame. And imagine the bed-bugs, especially in England! ugh, I want to vomit now.

Helen on psychotic whores: “Susan Austin [the Mustang Ranch’s real madam] said you had to be tough, because maybe you do have 25 psychotic whores. A lot of them come from very dysfunctional backgrounds, and women together like that can be very dangerous.”

Agreed. The psychotic whores are also the ones who end up in a brothel. I had a guy friend who used to date a gal who yearned for something beyond the bedroom sex, a sex club. The guy went a couple of times with her, with much hesitation at first, then enjoyed it when he was in it, went the second time, enjoyed it with some apprehension, and the after-thought was regretful enough that he never went back. And his girlfriend was a psychotic freak to begin with, but her twisted urge was certifiably not conducive to a normal relationship he wanted. He left the psycho. Lastly,  What’s clean about a club with desperate loony bins who can’t seem to fulfill their personal urge or pleasure except to show it outwardly to strangers. Sounds like SHAKE AND BAKE to me.

Helen on female celebrities bringing ho shit to the forefront: “I’m thrilled young girls are claiming their sexuality for themselves. I love bold women: Madonna and Scarlett Johansson—sexy and gorgeous, but not only that. And Miley Cyrus—fantastic! And Lady Gaga. I love the way she’s elevated pop to performance art, or dragged performance art down to pop, or maybe made a wonderful amalgam of the two.”

Madonna, ok…. Scarlett? Miley Trailer-Trash Cyrus who wanted to throw Helen under the bus? The same Miley who can’t shut up and hijacks the oxygen from the colony within her vicinity? How-do-you-put-Miley’s-name-in-the-same-paragraph-as-Lady-Gaga? How about Sandra or Angelina?

Lady Helen, are we on the same page? At the horizon of your age, with an acting career that’s been crafted and perfected, you are far beyond brothels and Miley.

While BP’s negligence is bleeding its way to creating the dead sea, we, the critics, seem to forget the history of global contamination by humans. It has our finger prints all over and thus exterminating the core existence of purest living forms we take for granted.

With all due respect, we were unaware, uneducated, and would have never foreseen what’s happening today and what tomorrow will bring. Again, it’s happening right now, and what are we doing to make an impact? There’s probably more effort wasted by criticizing and writing to the oil companies and world leaders, but what are we doing to make a change? It starts from home, and every product we use and food we eat has not only personal impact but also environment impact.

Without further pontificating, let’s get to the point on household products that are harmful to our body, thus contaminating the water we drink and the environment…

Of the harmful chemicals, and there are too many, 1,4-dioxane can by found in most cleaning products, such as shampoo, detergents, baby products, lotions, sunscreens and even deodorants. Because 1,4-dioxane is a known carcinogen that is implicated in causing cancer, liver, kidney disease and other serious problems, it is important to avoid it whenever possible. The 1,4-dioxane found in detergents and washing products are probably more harmful as the chemical ends up and remains in water. Even after contaminated water has been purified and filtered, low levels of 1,4-dioxane have been detected, indicating that it cannot be easily removed from water. The water supplies across the U.S. are tainted with 1,4-dioxane…

Here is a list of detergents to avoid and the safer brands to purchase. I use Seventh Generations and it cleans well.

Conventional brands to avoid:

1. Tide (P&G) – 55 parts per million (ppm)
2. Ivory Snow Gentle (P&G) – 31 ppm
3. Tide Free (P&G) – 29 ppm
4. Purex (Dial Corp.) – 25 ppm
5. Gain 2X Ultra (P&G) – 21 ppm
6. Cheer BrightClean Detergent (P&G) – 20 ppm
7. Era 2X Ultra (P&G) – 14 ppm
8. Arm & Hammer (Church & Dwight Co.) – 5.0 ppm
9. Wisk 2X Ultra (Sun Products Corp.) – 3.9 ppm
10. Woolite Complete Detergent (Reckitt Benckiser) – 1.3 ppm
11. All laundry detergent (Unilever) – 0.6 ppm
12. Dreft powdered detergent (P&G) – non-detectable (ND)
13. Sun Burst (Sun Products Corp.) – ND

“Natural” brands:
1. Planet Ultra Liquid laundry detergent – 6.1 ppm
2. Mrs. Meyers laundry detergent – 1.5 ppm
3. Clorox Green Works Natural laundry detergent – ND
4. Ecos laundry detergent (Earth Friendly Products) – ND
5. Life Tree Laundry Liquid – ND
6. Method Squeaky Green laundry detergent – ND
7. Seventh Generation Free & Clear laundry detergent – ND

I’m a bit neurotic when it comes to dinner time, lunch, breakfast… It’s a ritual in my home; no tv, no computer, no reading, no texting, nothing. The place mats, forks and knives, napkins and glasses all have to be set up and no one is allowed to eat until everybody is seated and ready – now all together, eat! It was customarily a tradition from my childhood growing up, we couldn’t even lift up our spoon until my father sat on the table. Hence many families nowadays consider it next to impossible to have a traditional family meal on a daily bases. That’s all relative…

When reading an article on Huffpo on ‘bullshit you don’t have time to cook’, I felt an instant empathy for those who work hard, rush home exhausted to feed their hungry family… Who can think about roasting a chicken when you had an awful day at work? What you probably need is a straight shot of vodka while your family eat some crumbs off the pantry…

Again, I love to cook because it’s my therapy, an escape. I make it a job to feed my family nutritious meals, with silverware and background music, hey I even used to do candle lights on weekends… The only time when I order in is when my kids beg me for greasy pizza (which happens to be once every 4 months). Yes I make fresh pizza from scratch, roll sushi by request, make red sauce, and de-vain the crap from shrimp. But only because I enjoy the culinary experience, only because I grew up watching my mom and our maid do live in the kitchen, only because I have the time to care about FOOD.

Even though my life style steers closer to supporting the ‘bullshit you don’t have time to cook’ theroy, and I cannot promote or even comprehend the TV show ‘The Middle’s burgers & fries’ every night. So here is a hypothetical question I asked myself; if I were coming home exhausted in the evenings, I would probably pick up Spicy Crisp Chicken burger once or twice… The I would try Boston Market rotissary chicken, then do Thai take out, and more Thai take out, and even try Lean Cuisine lasagna, before getting really disgusted by salty & sugary food laced with MSG prepared by machines and line cooks.

In theory, there really is no excuse not to cook… Because in reality I’d probably come home to a defrosted salmon, which I will throw in the microwave with tariyaki sauce, sprinkled garlic and pepper for 8 minutes, bastmati rice cooked in 15 minutes, tossed salad and steamed broccoli. Dinner is served on a set table in less than 25 minutes. And that’s what we had for dinner last night…

It’s ok to dislike or be bad at cooking, but don’t bs about it.

Jessica Simpson and one of the Kardashian broods were invited to the White House Correspondence Dinner yesterday. It’s a final confirmation that we, as a society, have lost sight of higher standards. Is this the final trailer that succumbs to crap, unknowingly and by PR force, because the media has no taste?

Obama’s former social secretary, Desiree Rogers, would have had better sensibility than to allow the self-exploiting, unwarranted, and hollow personals to enter the White House of all places.

The WH VIP has lost its meaning…. But the MET’s Gala still honors their standards.